Welcome To LAVet Hospital

LAVet Hospital is a small animal care facility located at 908 N. Canal Blvd. in Thibodaux, Louisiana, near the southernmost tip of the boot. As a privately owned, independent practice, we offer personalized care and treatment plans that address your pet’s specific health needs. The majority of our patients are dogs and cats with visits from the occasional rabbit, hamster or ferret. Our comprehensive range of services covers dental care, dermatology, digital radiography, in-clinic diagnostics, surgery, ultrasound, wellness and preventative care, emergency services, and more.

The professionals at LAVet Hospital are dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality medical, surgical, and preventative care to companion animals while supporting the human-animal bond through exceptional client communication and ethical service. We nurture a warm, understanding, and ethical environment where we can educate and encourage clients to be active partners in their pet’s healthcare journey.

Although LAVet Hospital is a relatively new practice, our veterinarians have more than 50 years of experience combined. As a business and on a personal level, we have strong community ties to the Thibodaux-Houma-Raceland area. We are deeply rooted here, and we have fostered a sense of trust and belonging over the years. Our clients are our neighbors, friends, and family, and our mission is to improve the well-being of our patients, clients, staff, and community.

The doctors Marcello are a third-generation family of veterinarians. Their name signifies taking care of pets who are part of the family. This proud family has proven that they love what they do through their more than 80 collective years of service to the Thibodaux, Houma, Raceland, Lockport, and Chackbay communities.

Call us to schedule an appointment or come by and visit us today to meet our friendly, kindhearted crew of animal lovers. We look forward to welcoming you and your pet companions to the LAVet Hospital family.

• Our Facilities

  LAVet Hospital’s new 5,400-square-foot facility was built to be a one-stop spot for general veterinary care needs for small animals.

  Keeping the needs of pets in mind, the lobby was specially designed to have separate dog and cat waiting areas, to decrease stress for our furry clients.

  The facility boasts exam rooms with lift tables and scales for heavier dogs, a large treatment room where we draw blood and perform minor not-sterile procedures, and a dental table for teeth cleaning with a brand-new dental cleaning machine.

  We also have a surgery room with two operating tables, a digital radiology room. and a new, cutting-edge ultrasound machine. There is also a large laboratory area with new diagnostic machines for extensive in-house blood tests.

  We have cat-only exam rooms, large dog exam rooms, and an intensive care unit (ICU) for any critical, hospitalized cases. In addition, we have a spacious isolation ward for animals with contagious diseases and a state-of-the-art kennel with separate dog and cat wards.

• Our History

  For more than 80 years, the doctors Marcello have been taking care of animals in the Tri-Parish area of Louisiana including Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Assumption parishes. It all began with Carlo J. “Doc” Marcello practicing in the Raceland and Thibodaux area. He was followed by his son, William “Bill” Marcello, who served in East Houma for 30 years. Then Blake Marcello followed his father, Dr. Bill, and joined him in their central Houma location in 2009. That’s three generations of veterinarians in the same family providing consistent, quality veterinary support to animals in the south Louisiana region.

  Carlo Marcello was originally from Lafourche Crossing. He started the family tradition after graduating from Texas A & M University in 1943. Doc Marcello was the first and only veterinarian to practice medicine in the Tri-Parish area for several decades. He began his practice in Raceland for large and small animals and then opened Marcello Animal Hospital on Canal Boulevard in Thibodaux. Doc Marcello served the area for more than 50 years.

  Following in his father’s footsteps, Dr. William Marcello graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1981. In February of 1982, Dr. Bill started his own practice in Mathews. One month later, he partnered with Preston Roberts, a veterinarian from Bourg, Louisiana, and they opened Eastside Animal Care Clinic on Grand Caillou Road in Houma. When Dr. Roberts left, Dr. Bill Marcello became the sole proprietor of the 1,700-square-foot clinic. After his son, Dr. Blake Marcello, became a licensed veterinarian, they decided to close the Grand Caillou location and build a new, large, practice on the west side of Houma in 2010.

  Upon his graduation from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 2009, Dr. Blake Marcello joined his father at the practice–although he really began working their way before 2009. Dr. Blake recalls being 10 years old and helping his dad at the office on Saturdays and with emergency C-sections. He started working as a veterinary assistant during the summers in high school. Dr. Blake served the Houma and Raceland communities for 15 years through Marcello Veterinary Hospital. The clinics were acquired by Pet Vet in April 2022, and Dr. Blake remained as medical director until April 2024.

  Dr. Blake was also responsible for introducing another to the family, Dr. Astrid Bigio Marcello. He and Dr. Astrid met in 2008 at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Astrid is originally from Puerto Rico. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and then performed two additional years of internship training. She returned to LSU for another residency and became Board Certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in the specialty of Medical Oncology in 2014. Dr. Astrid joined the practice in 2014.

  Currently, Dr. Blake is proud to own and operate LAVet Hospital on North Canal Blvd. in Thibodaux. This clinic will serve as a center for the community providing quality care and progressive medicine for small animals.

  “This isn’t just our livelihood. This is a part of our lives. We live it every day," says Dr. Blake Marcello. “We have animals of our own, so we know how we would want our family members treated. These animals matter to our clients and they matter to us.”