The Palm Valley Veterinary Center and Dr. Louis Mack wants to bring the best pet care to the Ponte Vedra area and a big step was taken toward accomplishing that with the business’s grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce May 31.
One of the main ways Mack hopes to achieve his goal of providing the best service is by offering some of the latest state-of-the-art technology and procedures at the facility.
“This was originally a bank that was vacant for a period of time,” Mack said. “I just kept turning into a bigger and bigger project because I wanted to continue to add better features and more services.”
The recent renovations included adding on about 6,000 square feet to the original structure.
“I wanted to add all that I could to fit the needs of this area, because a lot of the hospitals in this area are in strip centers or smaller in nature,” Mack said. “It makes it difficult to provide all that I would like to provide.”
The decision to develop the location was not one that was made hastily, as it took years in the making to get to this point.
“It all started in 2015, when I moved here from the Ocala area after originally being from San Diego (California),” Mack said. “Prior to that, I had sold my practice and worked for a company as their medical director. I saw a lot of hospitals that had what I thought were deficiencies.”
After getting an idea of the needs that existed, he decided to get back into the business of having his own practice, because he knew it was the best way he could make a difference.
Roughly eight years later, and his dream center is now a reality that he is now able to share with the public he intended it for.
“It is exciting, but also just the beginning,” Mack said with a smile on his face.
Making sure to maximize the technology available for veterinarians nowadays was always at the top of his list.
These advanced features include a veterinarian hyperbaric chamber, which according to Mack, is one of only a couple in the Northeast Florida area.
“It is a device that basically allows you to bathe the dog in pressurized oxygen that forces it into the cells and the plasma, so that the body is then hyper-oxygenated,” Mack said. “It seems rare, but oxygen is actually the source of healing and a lot of our body’s functions. It oftentimes can address chronic or acute conditions that otherwise would not respond to traditional therapy.”
The method has become more common among humans in recent years, especially athletes as it helps in their recovery process.
Another aspect that Mack takes pride in is the ability to maintain a personal and comfortable atmosphere for each pet that enters the facility.
A major way they are able to limit the stress levels of the animals is by having separate recovery and waiting areas for dogs and cats, and even going to the extent of trying to group dogs together with similar personality traits.
“The purpose is to provide a comfortable and low-stress environment, and I hope we’ve accomplished that,” Mack said.
Where using the latest technology comes into play the most, is in terms of the efficiency with which information is relayed throughout the building, which can result in a pet being diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion.
“The whole hospital is on a full generator, which means at any given time during a power outage we are never down, which is very important,” Mack said.
Monitors are in nearly every room and can easily provide information that he can then share and educate owners about their pets.
“When people can see the type of emphasis you place on doing the best you can for the animals, I think that means a lot,” Mack said.
The center is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and closed Sundays.
