Groveland
Compassionate care for pets, always
ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer
roxannebrown@dailycommercial.com
Dr. Ronald Stone, the chief of staff of the Veterinary Trauma and Medical Center in Groveland, has been serving the profession and community by taking care of its sick dogs and cats for nearly 32 years.
The venue, though decorated to be reminiscent of the 1950's era in décor and feel, is design-ed as a high-tech critical care and surgical facility with state of the art technology.
According to Stone, his veterinary practice concentrates primarily on advanced level care and offers doctor on call and 24-hour monitoring if needed. There are separate examination rooms for dogs and cats, an ICU department, a state of the art surgical area and in-house lab and x-ray departments.
"What we strive to do here is to provide care for people who want the right thing done the right way for their pets," Stone said. "We combine state of the art technology with compassionate care always."
The center, located at 244 West Orange St., across from Hardee's in downtown Grove-land, is designed to handle sick dogs and cats requiring all types of surgery or advanced medical care, including treatments such as chemotherapy, hormonal and allergy testing, oxygen therapy and blood transfusions, ultrasound, and surgeries ranging from plastic and reconstructive to general, orthopedic, and external ophthalmic.
Critical care services include respiratory and ventilator support, oxygen and transfusion therapies, blood pressure monitoring and pulse oximetry.
Stone also assists general practitioners with difficult cases, and helps those who seek advice on surgery, major illness, urgent care or are in need of a second opinion. He also offers massage therapy, acupressure, hormonal and allergy testing and chiropractic adjustments for pets.
The clinic does offer an after-hours "on call" service during night and weekend hours until 1 a.m. but mainly operates "by appointment" Monday through Saturday, with Saturdays set aside mainly for wellness checks.
"It's not just trauma, we do it all," Stone said. "We designed our practice as a daytime 'sick pet' hospital but quickly realized that we could not overlook the need for added emergency care at night and on weekends."
Stone has three decades of experience in veterinary medicine and surgery, and has trained with two of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons' founding fathers.
He has owned, operated or managed 10 practices in his career; has served as clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of Miami's School Medicine; has written more than 75 articles on the profession; and has lectured internationally.
During his career, Stone has also served as president of the South Florida and Lake County Veterinary Medical associations, as executive secretary for three national veterinary associations.
He has also chaired the Animal Care Committee of the Miami Heart Institute, and is a member of "Who's Who in Veterinary Medicine."
Stone said his goal is to ensure the best care possible for sick and injured pets in a place that feels more like home, rather than a hospital, to the animals.
"I try to treat every patient as if they were my own," he said.
Stone said he enjoys working with his patients, their families and the enjoyment of challenging cases.
Each time he cares for a pet, Stone thinks of the love and companionship he got from his collie as a boy.
A hard-working staff, including a doctor who each week provides physical therapy and rehabilitation technology at the Groveland center and Cheri Wagner, Stone's veterinary practice manager who has 25 years of experience, are the icing on the cake.
Stone said he and his staff do their best to get their patients back on their feet as quickly and with as much care as possible.
"There's no feeling like having a satisfied client and recovering pet. It's heartwarming," he said. "That's why it's important to take them somewhere you know the care is top-notch, and where affordable and fairly priced does not mean cheap or having to sacrifice anything from cleanliness or comfort for your pet."
Hours are Monday-Friday by appointment from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:30 to noon and 2to 6 p.m. by appointment for wellness checks.
On call and emergency services are available 24/7.
For information call 352-429-7707, email Stone at vettcenter0001@aol.com, or visit www.floridapetsurgery.webs.com.
Friday, May 04, 2012 - www.dailycommercial.com/dr-stone-