South Paws Veterinary Specialists

Melissa Blazevich

DVM

Dr. Melissa Blazevich grew up on a farm where she loved caring for all animals, especially, cows and horses. During her freshman year at Southeastern Louisiana University, she made the decision to commit to a career in veterinary medicine. As a third-year student at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine she developed a strong interest in veterinary dentistry. She pursued that specialty after graduation with a rigorous internship at Texas A&M followed by a three-year Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery Residency Program at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas. Dr. Melissa explains, “Dentistry and oral surgery is a very specialized area. When I was a student at LSU, there was not a dentistry program during my clinical rotations, so I went to Houston to complete an externship. After going through the rotation in dentistry and oral surgery, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I immediately knew I found my niche.”

While working for him before vet school, Dr. Melissa was inspired by the late Dr. Bob Hancock who founded South Paws with his wife Jennifer. “I loved working at South Paws and wanted to bring my knowledge in dentistry and oral surgery back to the clinic. I learned a lot from Dr. Bob. Returning to South Paws and starting dentistry and oral services in October of 2020 felt like I was coming home.”

Dr. Melissa says most of her clients do not even realize dentistry and oral surgery specialties exists until their pet is in need. Her services are the first of their kind on the Northshore. “General veterinarians will refer their patients to me for services such as root canal therapy of a fractured tooth, oral cancer and maxillofacial trauma, such as getting hit by a car. As this specialty grows, we can learn more and treat more.”

While many veterinarians do general dental cleanings, Dr. Melissa says she offers the full gamut of dental care and oral surgery. “I start with a complete dental cleaning, an oral exam which includes full mouth probing, and a complete set of intraoral x-rays. If treatment is needed – such as a tooth extraction – it can be done immediately. Some of my favorite patients are police dogs. Bite work is essential in their line of duty, so they’ll come in for a fractured tooth to receive root canal therapy. My goal is to protect the affected tooth so that the K-9 Officer is able to return to work and do their job without pain or discomfort.” Dr. Melissa says she also enjoys working on cats and has worked on larger animals in a zoo setting. “I love big cats. It would be a great goal achieved if I could work on Mike the Tiger.”

Dr. Melissa Blazevich is a Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine with her practice limited to dentistry and oral surgery at South Paws Veterinary Specialists. South Paws is located at 2631 N. Causeway Boulevard in Mandeville. For more information, please call 985-809-1590 or visit southpawsvet.com.