Doctor and Owner
Dr. Gary Sod
Dr. Sod received his AB, MA and PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley. He attended the School of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University and obtained his DVM in 2001.
Upon graduation Dr. Sod completed an internship and surgery residency at LSU. During his surgery residency, he received the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Research Publication Award in 2004 and 2006. Dr. Sod was awarded the Mark S. Bloomberg Memorial Resident Research Award from the Veterinary Orthopedic Society in 2004 and 2005. His research interests include orthopedic surgery, biomechanics, and the design of orthopedic implants. Upon completion of his surgery residency, Dr. Sod joined the clinical faculty of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Veterinary Surgery. In addition to his work in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Clinic, he has performed surgery for the New Orleans and Baton Rouge Zoos, which included surgeries on camels, alpacas, water buffalo, jaguar, and giraffe.
Dr. Sod has developed several surgical techniques, and he has conducted research in orthopedic surgery and orthopedic implant design, resulting in 21 peer reviewed publications in the journal Veterinary Surgery. He has been a speaker at 34 national and international conferences on both veterinary and human orthopedic surgery. Dr. Sod has designed 5 orthopedic plates and 2 orthopedic screws. One screw design has been adopted by Acumed USA for human fracture patients. Dr. Sod also designed an in-bone implantable shaft for the direct skeletal attachment of external limb prosthesis for the equine and canine patients, which reduces the incidence of marsupialization and infection at the skin-implant interface. He has been the recipient of the School of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Award 4 times. Dr. Sod was awarded the LSU Rainmaker Research Award, which consists of the top faculty recognized for innovative research.
Practice Manager
Melanie Morgan Guillot
Melanie is our lead veterinary technician and our longest employee. Melanie is an extremely devoted person who not only works here full time but also attends LSU full time. She plans to attend Louisiana School of Veterinary Medicine. In total Melanie has 10 animals, ranging from Quarter horses to rescue pups and cats. Melanie’s areas of interest are surgeries and emergencies, she thrives in a complex case. Melanie oversees all of our adoptions and rescue cases – she has a soft spot for pit bulls, especially blue ones. After vet school, Dr. Sod is already planning to hire Melanie as our second veterinarian. In the words of Dr. Gary Sod, Melanie is a sponge for knowledge, she is always wanting to expand and grow.
Veterinary Technician
Candace McMorris
Candace has been in the veterinary field for over 15 years at various clinics. She has a helping hand in multiple roles – ranging from office manager to hospitalization care. Candace enjoys watching Dr. Sod preform orthopedic surgeries and assisting in the after care of the patient. She also aids in our rescue cases, she loves watching our fur babies blossom with proper treatment. In her free time, Candace runs a farm with her family in Maurepas, Louisiana. There she tends to 50 head of cattle, 2 donkeys, 4 horses, 2 chickens, and multiple dogs and cats – a jack of all trades indeed!