St. Johns Veterinary Hospital

St. Johns Veterinary Hospital Our goal is to keep your pet healthy and happy! We also take in and treat wildlife species. At St. Johns Veterinary Hospital in St. Itchy or dry skin?

We provide comprehensive quality veterinary service to all companion species, including dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, ferrets, reptiles, and birds. Augustine we provide quality services for your pet; including Preventative Health and Wellness, Dentistry, Surgery and Hospitalization and Wildlife Care. We consider your pet to be our special guest when boarding and visiting for Daily Play Care. Dogs

are individually walked and all pets are carefully monitored by our caring animal care staff. Group and individual play time indoors and out In our play yard is available. Our professional groomers, Debbie Tripp and Hope Mast, will custom tailor a cut that shows your pet off at their best. Medicated baths provide soothing relief. Our veterinarians and veterinary technicians provide their expertise to make certain your pets have a great time while they are here. Preventative Health and Wellness - Wellness visits are an opportunity for your pet to get to meet and bond with one or more of our veterinarians. Florida's hot climate makes heartworms, parasites and viral diseases a year round concern. Dentistry - Pets need dental care just like people! Our veterinarians can now get to the root of your pet's dental problems with our new digital dental x-ray system. X-rays or radiographs are taken during the dental procedure to evaluate the health of tooth beneath the gum line. Surgery - Your pets anesthetic and surgical procedure is individualized in our surgical facility that is operated to exacting quality standards. A veterinary surgeon and two surgical assistants attend the pet throughout the procedure. Anesthetic monitors that measure oxygenation, blood pressure pulse and respiration are utilized to measure vital signs. Hospitalization - Veterinary technicians consult the electronic medical record for each pet's medication. Hospitalized pets are under the watchful eye of our veterinarians. An oxygen cage is available for critical patients. Care for Wildlife - We have cared for sick and injured wildlife for over 20 years at no cost. Over 500 animals are cared for each year by our veterinarians. Birds, reptiles and mammals of all kinds are triaged, treated medically or surgically and sent to local wildlife groups for rehabilitation.

Please be aware:
09/04/2026

Please be aware:

Oscar can’t WAIT to tell you…. The weekend’s almost here!! 🥰🐾🌞🌊We hope everyone has a relaxing weekend ahead!
09/04/2026

Oscar can’t WAIT to tell you….

The weekend’s almost here!! 🥰🐾🌞🌊

We hope everyone has a relaxing weekend ahead!

Let’s talk about FORLs 🐱🦷Have you ever heard of Feline Oral/Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORLs, for short)? This is...
09/03/2026

Let’s talk about FORLs 🐱🦷

Have you ever heard of Feline Oral/Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORLs, for short)?

This is a phenomenon where teeth start getting resorbed by the body. It can be seen in dogs, as well, but isn’t anywhere near as common, and doesn’t (always) pose the same significance aa it does in cats. It’s estimated that this condition affects over 60% of cats - and the most annoying part is: we don’t know why.

There’s currently a lot of research going into trying to identify the underlying cause(s), but so far, nothing is proven or for sure. Some of the theorized causes are:
🐱 Chronic inflammation or disease around the affected tooth/teeth
🐱 Genetics
🐱 Improper diet/nutrition
🐱 Frequent vomiting, causing increased mouth acidity
🐱 Metabolic imbalances
🐱 Underlying systemic viruses or other diseases, causing weakening of the immune system
🐱 Anatomical deformities leading to poor dental alignment, causing stress on the teeth

Thus far, no theorized cause has been able to be proven. But what we DO know is that these lesions eat away at the affected teeth, causing pulp (nerve and blood vessel) exposure - which is incredibly painful. These teeth cannot be saved, and therefore need to be extracted, with appropriate pain management plan, to prevent your pet from experiencing further pain.

These cases also go to show the importance of routine dental care for your pet, as well as the importance of both anesthesia and dental x-rays as part of that dental care plan. If these patients get no dental care, or only anesthesia-free cleanings, multiple issues occur:
🦷 X-rays aren’t able to be done, which misses potential underlying pathology that requires specific treatment
🦷 If underlying pathology is present, the cleaning will also be very painful and stressful for your pet

As you can see in the photos below, this patient’s tooth appeared overall normal on gross examination - but the x-rays reviled a different story. Fortunately, we were able to extract the affected tooth, preventing this patient from having further pain caused by that tooth.

Do you have dental concerns for your pet? Give us a call at 904-824-8123 to set up an appointment! 🐱🐶🐰🐹🦷🪥

Happy Wildlife Wednesday!This young Cooper’s Hawk presented last week with concerns for being weak, thin, and grounded. ...
09/02/2026

Happy Wildlife Wednesday!

This young Cooper’s Hawk presented last week with concerns for being weak, thin, and grounded. His physical exam was non-specific otherwise, so he received some food, fluid therapy, and rest; thankfully, he perked up a lot after this, and was able to be transferred off to rehab.

If you’ve never seen subcutaneous fluids be given to a bird, it can be a bit different compared to other animals! Birds don’t have a lot of subcutaneous space, but they do have some flaps of loose skin within their inguinal areas where these fluids can be administered. Here, Dr. Beckner and technician Morgan are pictured giving the subcutaneous fluids in the inguinal pockets.

***Please note that our normal rehab facility is currently overwhelmed with hawks, and is unable to take any right now. This hawk had to be transferred to a different rehab facility a couple of hours away down south, which isn’t always easy for our staff to do. If you find an injured or sick hawk, please either call us first at 904-824-8123, or The Ark at 904-679-1533, prior to brining in, so that we can help to guide you appropriately. Thank you all for your care and support in helping our native wildlife!

Happy Team-Meet Tuesday! 👏🐍🐶🐱🐰🐇Next up is one of our other sweet team members, Katlyn! If you’ve been in the hospital at...
09/01/2026

Happy Team-Meet Tuesday! 👏🐍🐶🐱🐰🐇

Next up is one of our other sweet team members, Katlyn! If you’ve been in the hospital at any point these past few months, you’ve probably seen her lovely face, or heard her kind voice over the phone, in reception. She cares very much about everyone’s pets, and we’re so happy to have her as part of our team. Thank you for everything that you do, Katlyn! ♥️

• What’s your favorite food?
“Pasta!”

• What’s your favorite animal?
“Cows and horses.”

• What’s your favorite part of your job?
“My favorite part of my job is seeing all of the different kinds of animals that come in, and getting to know all of the playcare dogs.”

• What’s a fun fact about yourself?
“I was supposed to be born on Valentine’s Day, but was actually born the day before - on Friday the 13th.”

• What’s something that you wish pet parents knew, or would be more mindful of?
“I wish every pet parent knew the importance of taking their pet to the vet, even if just for a wellness exam, to make sure they’re healthy. You never know if or when something may develop or may happen, and animals hide things really well. It’s better to catch things earlier rather than too late.”

Let’s talk about under-tank heating sources and reptiles 🦎🐍This sweet little African Fat-Tailed Gecko recently saw Dr. B...
08/31/2026

Let’s talk about under-tank heating sources and reptiles 🦎🐍

This sweet little African Fat-Tailed Gecko recently saw Dr. Beckner when her loving owner saw lesions on the underside of her feet and tail. Dr. Beckner was quickly able to determine that these wounds were burn marks - secondary to the heating unit under her enclosure.

For a long time, heating pads, and other under-tank heat sources, have been used as the primary heat source for reptile enclosures. However, they also commonly cause serious issues - including skin burns, electrical fires, and inadequate enclosure warming. Because the hearing pads are on the underside of the enclosure, it can cause generalized warming of the entire floor (even if it’s only under one section of the enclosure), and can be difficult for the animal to move away from the warmth if their feet/underside start getting too hot - leading to an increased risk for skin burns. Even when the appropriate precautions are taken when using heat pads or other under-tank heaters, we still see a lot of skin burns that occur.

Due to this, Dr. Beckner advises using an appropriate, good-quality heat lamp (in addition to a UVB lamp), such as those by ZooMed or Arcadia. Every pet and enclosure will be different, so it’s important to do your research prior to getting one. It’s equally important that the lamp is placed at an appropriate height, in order to substantially decrease the burn risk for your pet, as well as increase the reliability of both an appropriate temperature gradient, and basking warmth.

After a discussion about the wounds and the enclosure environment, this little sweetie was sent home with some medication to aid in healing and pain relief, as well as a care guide to help with said changes at home. We can’t wait to see her again once she’s feeling better!

Is your fur baby in need of some playcare fun?? We’ve got you covered 😉To get your pet signed up for playcare, give us a...
08/28/2026

Is your fur baby in need of some playcare fun?? We’ve got you covered 😉

To get your pet signed up for playcare, give us a call at 904-824-8123! 🐶🐾

Happy Team-Meet Tuesday! 👏🐍🐶🐱🐰🐇Next up is one of our longest-standing members, Vicki! She’s one of our lovely receptioni...
08/25/2026

Happy Team-Meet Tuesday! 👏🐍🐶🐱🐰🐇

Next up is one of our longest-standing members, Vicki! She’s one of our lovely receptionists, so you’ve likely seen her up in reception, and/or spoken with her over the phone, at some point during your interactions with us. Thank you for everything that you do, Vicki! ♥️

• What’s your favorite food?
“Any seafood.”

• What’s your favorite animal?
“Florida Panthers.”

• What’s your favorite part of your job?
“My favorite part of my job is the rewarding feeling of seeing regular patients and clients over time, and building genuine trust with them.”

• What’s a fun fact about yourself?
“I love to dress up for halloween! I once came into work here as the March Hare from Alice in Wonderland, complete with a top hat and bunny ears!”

• What’s something that you wish pet parents knew, or would be more mindful of?
“I wish every pet parent understood the importance of not just reaching out to try to pet other pets without asking the owner first, since the animals may not want interaction and people can easily get bitten or scratched.”

Did you know the importance of desexing your small mammals? 🐰🐹🐭That’s right - desexing isn’t just for dogs and cats! Sma...
08/24/2026

Did you know the importance of desexing your small mammals? 🐰🐹🐭

That’s right - desexing isn’t just for dogs and cats! Small mammals (rabbits and rodents) are especially prone to various reproductive diseases, as well as multiple hormonal behaviors that many humans find undesirable. Speying and neutering at a young age can help to un-learn these unwanted behaviors, strengthen your bond with them, and help them live much longer and healthier lives.

For example, some of the benefits of neutering male rabbits are that it helps to:
♥️ Decrease urine spraying and other marking behaviors
♥️ Decrease pottying outside of the litterbox
♥️ Decrease aggression behaviors
♥️ Decrease mounting, fighting, and territorial behaviors
♥️ Improves bonding abilities
♥️ Increases lifespan
♥️ Eliminates risk of irresponsible/unplanned breeding
♥️ Eliminates risk for reproductive cancers and other reproductive diseases

We’ll provide more information on the benefits of speying at another time. For now, take a look below as Dr. Beckner, Marie, and Amber walk you through Magic’s neuter!

Reminder that it’s important to find a vet that is knowledgable in small mammal medicine and care prior to setting up an appointment for your pet. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your small mammal, please call us at 904-824-8123 to set up an appointment!

Fridays are better spent with FURends 🐶🐾🥰Interested in your pet joining in on the playcare fun? Call us at 904-824-8123!...
08/21/2026

Fridays are better spent with FURends 🐶🐾🥰

Interested in your pet joining in on the playcare fun? Call us at 904-824-8123!

Address

Saint Augustine, FL

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 12pm

Telephone

+19048248123

Website

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