- Dental Care
- VaccinationAnimals traveling domestically or internationally are required to have a health certificate showing that they have been examined by a USDA- accredited veterinarian and are both free of contagious disease and fit for travel. If your pet is over three months of age, rabies vaccinations are almost always a requirement. Many foreign countries require that this process starts four to six months prior to the travel date. Our doctors are all USDA-accredited and have had several years of experience in guiding owners through this process. If you are considering traveling with your pet in the near future, call us. We would be happy to advise you on the specific requirements for your destination.
- Comprehensive ExaminationBecause of the shorter lifespan of our pets, we stress the importance of an annual physical examination. Thorough check-ups and preventive care can help alleviate serious health problems. We offer a wide range of veterinary services to keep your companions feeling their best.
- Parasites Treatment and ControlHeartworm disease, which is transmitted by mosquitos, is prevalent in this area of the country. At Decorah, we recommend all your pets receive annual heartworm testing and year-round preventative medication for our patients.
- Vomiting Treatment
- Diarrhea Treatment
- Veterinary SurgeryWhen your pet does experience health problems, our medical diagnostic and surgical services can relieve pain, provide treatment and save lives.
- Spaying and NeuteringThousands of unwanted dogs and cats are put to death in our nation’s shelters each year for lack of homes. Truly responsible pet owners make sure that their pets are not contributing to this serious over-population problem. If you keep your pet confined, neutering may seem unnecessary, but there are many other health benefits that make this procedure so important. It is our recommendation that all dogs and cats not intended for breeding programs be spayed or neutered. The spaying procedure in female dogs and cats involves the removal of both ovaries and the uterus. Since the ovaries have been removed, your pet will no longer “come into heat".
- Laboratory ServicesLaboratory testing is an important component to help assess your pet's overall health. Decorah Animal Hospital is equipped with state-of-the art in-house testing equipment for routine blood screenings, pre-anesthetic evaluations, tick borne diseases, feline leukemia and immunodeficiency viruses, urinalysis and fecal examinations. Our laboratory can provide accurate and immediate information to help diagnose and treat your pet's conditions. Although most tests can be processed on-site, we also utilize local clinical pathology labs to process more specialized tests.
- X-Ray
- Dental RadiologyRadiographs (x-rays) are an important aid in helping us diagnose many conditions and diseases. They give us the ability to look inside the body and evaluate areas that we cannot fully see with a physical examination. In addition to our main x-ray machine, we have a state-of-the-art digital dental x-ray unit that allows us to take full-mouth radiographs and detect dental disease that occurs below the gum-line.
- MicrochippingA permanent type of identification for your pet that involves inserting a small chip (the size of grain of rice) under their skin between the shoulders. Collars and tags may be lost but micro-chipping is permanent. Countless numbers of pets have been reunited with their owners by this method.
- Boarding
- Senior Pet CareSenior (or “geriatric”) pets experience many of the same changes that senior people do. We generally define senior dogs as over 7 years of age and senior cats as over 10 years of age. Large-breed dogs have a shorter lifespan than small dogs and their senior years can begin as early as 5 years of age. Due to the aging process, many organs lose their ability to function as well as they once did and arthritis and degenerative diseases can contribute to significant pain and behavioral changes. Any changes in your pet’s habits may be an indication that its body is declining. This may be as subtle as a decrease in activity level, to more obvious signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, drinking excessive amounts of water, and urinating more often. By performing a complete physical examination and running certain tests, we will be able to advise you on the optimal care for your pet in its golden years. Ideally, senior pets should be examined by a veterinarian at least every six months.