Altoona Veterinary Hospital is located in Altoona, IA, and specializes in wellness care, immunizations, parasite prevention and control, dentistry, surgery, internal medicine, dermatology, and a range of other services. The practice has digital radiography, ultrasound, and other equipment in house, and is accredited with the AAHA.
Animal Doctors Veterinary Clinic, PC is located in West Des Moines, IA, and specializes in preventive care, surgery, dentistry, and hospital services for pets. Dr. Kevin Sanders has special interests in animal dentistry, dermatology, internal medicine, and surgery, and is able to treat ferrets, reptiles, rodents, and rabbits. Dr. Judith Lloyd specializes in feline veterinary care, and is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Animal Lifeline of Iowa is a no kill animal shelter in Des Moines, IA that specializes in shelter and veterinary services for animals who are unowned, handicapped, injured, abused, pregnant, nursing, orphaned, or have some other special need. Services include adoption, vaccinations, heartworm checks, preventative care, and more. The shelter was incorporated in 1987, and is a 501(c) 3 charitable organization.
Ashworth Road Animal Hospital PC is located in Des Moines, IA, and specializes in wellness care, preventive care, therapeutic treatment, and senior health care. The experienced doctors and veterinary staff take a team approach to pet health actively including pet owners in the process, and are trained and licensed providers of Companion Therapy Laser treatments. The practice is an AAFP cat friendly clinic.
Heartland Animal Hospital is located in Des Moines, IA, and specializes in companion therapy laser treatments, dentistry, digital radiography, house calls, pain management, soft tissue surgical procedures, and surgical laser services. Owner Dr. Robert Culver has been practicing small animal veterinary care since 1987, and is a member of the AVMA, the AAFP, the IVMA, and the GDVMA. The practice is a gold certified cat friendly practice.
Highland Park Animal Hospital is a full-service animal hospital located in Des Moines, IA that specializes in wellness care, boarding, vaccinations, preventive care, parasite prevention and control, dentistry, specialists referrals, and other veterinary services. The hospital provides detailed treatment plans for all surgeries and hospitalization including costs and estimates.
Iowa Veterinary Wellness Center is located in Des Moines, IA, and specializes in an integrated, holistic approach to pet health offering services such as wellness care, vaccinations, dentistry, acupuncture, chiropractic care, herbal medicine, laser therapy, and other services. The experienced staff is trained in both traditional western veterinary medicine and holistic eastern medicine, and both are used to maximize pet wellness.
Jordan Creek Animal Hospital is a full-service veterinary hospital in West Des Moines, IA that specializes in preventive medicine, radiology, general surgery, dentistry, inpatient and outpatient care, boarding, bathing, and other veterinary services for dogs and cats. The facility is AAHA-accredited, and the doctors and staff are active members of professional associations such as the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Mobile Animal Health Care provides mobile veterinary services to clients in Des Moines, IA and surrounding areas. Services offered include physical exams, wellness and disease prevention, surgery, hospice, euthanasia, and more. The practice is mobile to provide uninterrupted attention to pet being treated in their relaxed home environments. The mobile unit is fully equipped for dental and surgical procedures and pharmacy.
Northwest Veterinary Hospital, P.C. is located in Urbandale, IA, and specializes in wellness exams, dental care, diagnostics, surgery, internal medicine, and other services. The practice is accredited with the Better Business Bureau, and has a pharmacy, laboratory, and radiology equipment in house.
Riordan Pet Hospital is located in Des Moines, IA, and specializes in spaying and neutering, immunizations, parasite control, prescription pet food, dental, and microchipping services for cats and dogs. The clinic was founded in 1951, is family-owned, and has an advanced laboratory, radiology equipment, and a full pharmacy in house.
Spay Clinic is located in Des Moines, IA, and specializes in vaccinations, spaying and neutering, dentistry, outpatient surgery, diagnostic medicine, diabetic treatment, and other services for cats and dogs. The clinic was established in 1977, and offers affordable pricing options. No appointment is needed, walk-ins are welcome.
Starch Pet Hospital is a full-service veterinary medical facility located in Des Moines, IA that specializes in wellness care, diagnostics, surgery, dental, laser therapy, and other veterinary services. Services are offered for animals of all ages from pediatric to geriatric. The practice provides care to the Des Moines Police Department bomb and patrol dogs and the Des Moines ATF canines.
The Veterinary Medical Group of Des Moines is a veterinary clinic with locations in Des Moines and West Des Moines, IA that specializes in preventative care, diagnostic, spaying and neutering, dental cleaning, and other veterinary services.The clinic is open seven days a week, is AAHA accredited, has a separate hospital and boarding for cats, and offers free exams for rescued animals with the Animal Rescue League.
Veterinary Dermatology Consultation Services is located in Johnston, IA, and specializes in skin and ear exams,allergy testing, laser therapy, skin biopsies, therapeutic bathing, and other animal dermatology services. Owner Dr. Kristin Holm, has been practicing veterinary dermatology since 1999, and serves as a dermatology consultant for the Veterinary Information Network, and other clinical practices in addition to practicing at her own clinic.
This depends on the age of your pet. Ideally, puppies should have their first vet visit between six to eight weeks old, and kittens should see the vet within one week of bringing them home. Healthy adult animals need a checkup once per year. Vets recommend two exams per year for senior pets (age 10 and up).
Aside from preventing unwanted pregnancy, sterilization has other benefits for pets. Spayed females won't go into heat, and they have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer and mammary gland tumors. Neutering males reduces aggressive behavior, territorial marking, and roaming urges. It also eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer and can reduce the chance of prostate disease.
Dogs are very commonly affected by heartworm disease, so they should be on medication to prevent it all year long. Heartworm preventatives are available as topical “spot-on” medications, monthly chewable pills, and injections that are given every six to 12 months. Heartworms are less common in cats, but preventative medication is still recommended.
In general, puppies and kittens need several types of vaccines every three to four weeks until they're 16 weeks old. Depending on the vaccine, your pet might need a booster shot every one to three years. Pets that are indoors-only may require fewer and less frequent vaccinations.
Poor oral hygiene can lead to dental disease in animals as young as two to three years of age. To help prevent this, vets recommend that you brush your pet's teeth at least two to three times a week. Dogs and cats should also have a professional dental cleaning once per year.
According to the ASPCA, cats need a diet that's high in protein and taurine, which can only be found in meat and other animal products. They also struggle to digest carbohydrates from plants. Dogs can eat plants, but it's difficult to provide adequate nutrition for them on a vegan diet.
Dogs drag their rear ends on the floor for a number of reasons, including clogged anal sacs, intestinal parasites, and food allergies. Some groomers express a dog's anal glands manually, which is often unnecessary and can cause irritation that leads to scooting. If you notice frequent scooting, contact a veterinarian to figure out the cause.
Brachycephalic animals are prone to obstructive breathing due to the short muzzles and flattened faces they were bred to have. Common brachycephalic breeds are the pug, French and English bulldogs, Boston terrier, Pekingese, shih tzu, boxer, and bull mastiff. Brachycephaly can occur in cats such as the Persian, Himalayan, and Burmese breeds, and in rabbits such as Netherland Dwarfs and Holland Lops.
For puppies, it depends on the dog's breed and size. Generally, dogs are considered ready for adult food around 18-24 months of age. Large breeds take a bit longer to mature. Toy breeds can reach their adult size in as little as 10 months. Cats should be transitioned to adult food when they're around 12 months old.
It can be tempting to declaw a cat to stop it from scratching your furniture, but it's a medically unnecessary procedure that does the animal more harm than good. Declawing can cause paw and back pain, lameness, tissue necrosis, and discomfort when using the litter box. Better alternatives include keeping your pet's nails trimmed and providing scratching posts around your home.
The pet may already belong to someone, so check for a collar and tags, or have it scanned for a microchip at your local animal shelter or veterinary clinic. Many people who lose a pet will look for it at nearby shelters, so consider leaving the animal there to give the owner a better chance of finding it.
Dogs don't see in black and white, but they're unable to recognize many of the colors that humans can. The colors they can see best are blue, yellow, and combinations of these shades. Objects that are green, orange, and red appear to be dull brown or gray through a dog's eyes.
In the United States, vets must obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD) degree to practice. Some choose a dual DVM/Ph.D. or DVM/M.S. program, and others opt for specialty training after earning their degree. Becoming a veterinarian takes about four years of undergraduate education and four years to complete a DVM or VMD program.
Veterinary technician requirements vary by state. Most vet technicians must complete an AVMA-accredited two-year associate or four-year bachelor's program and pass the VTME exam. Some states have alternate paths to credentialing, such as passing a certification exam at a specialist academy.
Vet assistants help veterinarians and technicians with their daily tasks, set up equipment, and clean key areas of the clinic, such as kennels and operating rooms. There are certification programs for vet assistants, but most are trained for these tasks on the job.
Vet technicians serve many roles in the clinic. They act as surgical nurses, lab and radiography technicians, and supervisors to veterinary assistants. Technicians also meet with pet owners and usually provide the initial exam of their animal. They can administer vaccines and medications, but are not allowed to write prescriptions or provide a diagnosis without veterinarian approval.
Veterinary assistants typically earn about $13.75 an hour, or $28,590 per year. Vet technicians, on average, make $17 per hour, or $35,320 per year for full-time employment.
