The Mount Vernon Veterinary Clinic opened its doors in Mount Vernon in early March (located in the lower level of the Richardson, Hanson and Hotz Insurance Companies building).
The clinic, according to veterinarian Rik Smith, caters to small animals (mainly dogs and cats) at the clinic, and Smith will visit farms for care on larger animals.
Smith had made a joking aside about a potential veterinary clinic being in the lower level of the insurance company, and a few days later Hanson said he could check out the space.
The clinic boasts a waiting room, two exam rooms, a surgery center, a lab and pharmacy treatment space, office space and recovery room with kennels.
Smith and his father-in-law Jim Wallace and other family worked on revamping the former counseling service into a space that would serve to treat animals in February, and the clinic officially opened in March.
The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and Smith also does emergency veterinarian calls for large animals. He does not offer that same service for small animals.
Smith graduated from the University of Nebraska for undergraduate school, and then attended Iowa State University for his degree in veterinary science. It’s through a classmate at ISU he met his wife Jaime, who is originally from Mount Vernon. The couple have been together for roughly 14 years, and moved to Mount Vernon recently. Jaime was a doctor with Unity Point Clinics for a number of years, but is seeking other career ventures.
Working alongside Smith in the clinic are Kandis Bixler as a technician and Nicole Ehresman as an assistant. Both Bixler and Ehresman have worked with Smith previously, and Bixler told him if he ever opened his own clinic, she’d be there to help.
Bixler has been working in the veterinary field since 2009.
Smith said with a small staff, Bixler and Ehresman help out with a number of tasks involving care of the animals, from helping in surgeries to caring for pharmacy treatment of animals as well.
For more information about Mount Vernon Veterinary Clinic, check out their Facebook page. To schedule care for your animal, the number of the clinic is 319-895-2300.