Specialist in Training - Anesthesia

Saturday, October 10, 2026

Dr. Bonnie Gatson, DVM, CVPP, DACVAA
Board Certified Veterinary Anesthesiologist©
Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner©
Safe Harbor Veterinary Anesthesia Support, LLC

Dr. Bonnie Gatson is a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist, certified veterinary pain practitioner, and founder of Safe Harbor Veterinary Anesthesia Support, a Florida-based consultancy firm dedicated to elevating peri-anesthetic care and pain management in veterinary hospitals across the state. With extensive experience in both academic and clinical settings, Dr. Gatson provides on-site anesthesia case management, remote case consultation, and continuing education to general practitioners and specialty hospitals throughout the state. Through her company, Dr. Gatson has routinely provided direct anesthesia support to multiple dentistry specialty practices throughout the state of Florida for the past several years. 

Dr. Gatson earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, graduating cum laude, from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She completed a small animal rotating internship at Tufts University, followed by a residency in Anesthesia and Pain Management at the University of Florida. In 2016, she achieved Diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA), a distinction reflecting advanced expertise in anesthetic pharmacology, physiology, monitoring, and perioperative pain control. In 2024, Dr. Gatson received advanced certification as a Veterinary Pain Practitioner from the International Veterinary Academy of Management.

Prior to founding Safe Harbor Veterinary Anesthesia Support in 2021, Dr. Gatson served as Clinical Assistant Professor and later Service Chief of Anesthesia at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. In these roles, she led a multidisciplinary anesthesia team within a high-capacity teaching hospital, supervised residents and students, managed departmental operations and budgets, and contributed extensively to curriculum development and hospital policy. Her academic portfolio includes numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, national and international research presentations, and funded research in anesthetic pharmacology and cardiovascular physiology across both domestic and exotic species.

An active contributor to the profession, Dr. Gatson serves as the Abstract Coordinator for the ACVAA and has lectured at numerous continuing veterinary educational conferences to international and state-wide audiences. She is also the producer and host of the NAVAS Podcast, the official podcast of the North American Veterinary Anesthesia Society, providing monthly clinically relevant discussions in various topics related to anesthesia and pain management designed for veterinary professionals.

Four Hour Session on Value-Added Anesthesia for Dental Patients

LECTURE TOPICS:

  1. Anesthesia for the Brachycephalic Patient

  2. Review of the Pathophysiology, Recognition, and Treatment of Oral Pain in Companion Animals

  3. Weird and Wonderful Cases in Dentistry Part 1: A Case-Based Discussion on Troubleshooting Anesthesia Equipment Mishaps

  4. Weird and Wonderful Cases in Dentistry Part 2: A Case-Based Discussion on Troubleshooting Anesthetic Complications