Dr. Jessica Higgins

Dr. Jessica Higgins has been an associate veterinarian with the Urbana Veterinary Clinic since 2017, as well as three prior years working summers and holidays with us as a veterinary student.

Dr. Higgins received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University and also completed a Post-Doctorate Certification in Avian Health & Medicine through the University of Georgia. When she graduated veterinary school, she found herself torn between two passions: swine/poultry population medicine and caring for your beloved pets, so she did both for many years! Dr. Higgins worked part-time with us, as well as practiced commercial poultry and swine production medicine for 7 years. Since May 2024, she switched to working Wednesdays and some Saturdays with us seeing dogs, cats and backyard poultry. She loves developing relationships with your pets and families, as well has special interests in behavior modification techniques and managing pet allergies. Additionally, she has a strong passion for helping backyard flock owners succeed in their endeavors and providing resources to help them keep their flocks healthy. Dr. Higgins and the Urbana Veterinary Clinic have pioneered a comprehensive vaccine program for backyard layer flocks to receive protection against nine of the most common layer chicken diseases during specific clinic vaccine appointment dates once a month throughout the spring season. 

During her free time, Dr. Higgins enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids. She prides herself in having the opportunity to homeschool her kids during the week when she’s not at the clinic. She met her husband through 4-H when they were young and she now enjoys finding ways to give back to the program in various ways, including activities such as judging 4-H projects at the Ohio State Fair and judging the Ohio Fairs Queens Contest. She also enjoy spending time with their three “fur babies,” Scarlet (Lab/Boxer mix), Moses (Devon Rex cat) and Henry (domestic shorthair cat).