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SERVICES
PARTNERING WITH YOU FOR YOUR PETS HEALTH
Now seeing dogs, cats, exotics
Wellness Checks
Regular exams are a critical component of your pet's health. This allows for identifying problems before they cause an issue and providing an opportunity to address any concerns you may have with knowledgeable staff.
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Our philosophy is that preventative health care is the key to your dog or cat's full and healthy life. We recommend an annual or bi-annual wellness exam, depending upon your pet's physical health, age, and medical needs, along with good client education. By educating our clientele on various healthcare choices, the life of their pet can be enhanced.
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During your pet's wellness exam, we will review vaccinations, heartworm testing and prevention, and parasite control with you. This time also lets you discuss your pet's health with our veterinarian. Everything from dental care, arthritis, nutrition, immunizations, and any lifestyle changes are encouraged topics.
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We will give your pet a complete physical evaluation during your pet's wellness exam. We examine their vision, hearing, heart, and lung functions, test the joints and muscles, palpate the abdomen, and encourage routine laboratory tests. The information we collect during an exam helps us establish a baseline level of your pet's health and allows us to treat your pet better.
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Surgery
We know that anesthesia and surgery can be a scary experience for a pet owner. We take pride in being there to answer all your questions and concerns prior to the procedure. Your pet will be closely monitored during the anesthetic procedure as well as through recovery. Whether it is a spay/neuter surgery, elective surgery, or emergency surgery, we will provide the highest quality care to your pet.
A common concern with many pet owners is "is my pet too old for anesthesia/surgery?" Age is relative, not definitive. Being “old” is not a sickness or disease. Although the age of the patient is one consideration when deciding if elective surgery should be done, to state that the procedure should not be done simply because of the animal’s age makes no sense. The true health status, not the age, reveals which patient should or should not be considered a reasonable surgical candidate. The health status evaluation is based on physical exam, blood and urine tests, and other assessments such as radiography.
Dentistry
All of our exams also include a dental evaluation. Dental care is very important, especially to our older animals. We examine your pet’s teeth and gums for plaque and tartar, tooth weakness, and decay. This screening often prevents mouth pain and infections that can affect your pet’s overall health.
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Managing and maintaining good dental health provides your pet the best advantage to a healthy, happy, productive life. We begin dental health education with that first puppy or kitten visit. Subsequently, with each annual check-up, dental health, and related disease processes are discussed over the years.
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State-of-the-art dental equipment is utilized to perform dental prophylaxis (cleaning), dental x-rays, and oral surgery procedures. Client education about the actual procedures is discussed whenever dental procedures are required. All dental procedures require general anesthesia. Before proceeding with any dental procedure, a pre-anesthetic blood profile is highly recommended to best assess your pet's health prior to anesthesia.
Nutrition/Weight Management
Your pet’s diet is essential to their overall health, and we want to help guide your family in the right direction. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 59% of dogs and 61% of cats were classified as overweight or obese in 2022.
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We provide options for pets with special dietary or weight management needs. Our nutritional counseling services can help keep your pet in good health! We’ll work closely with you on food selection and feeding practices for your pet’s different life stages. If your pet has a medical condition, we can help you select the most appropriate diet to suit your pet’s needs.
Behavior Counseling
Pet owners often find themselves dealing with unwanted behavior and feeling powerless to correct the situation. Behavioral issues can drive a wedge between you and your animal companion and make it difficult to embrace them as a part of the family. The key to solving companion animal behavior problems is getting to the root cause. Oftentimes, a few smaller behavior problems can be symptoms of a much larger issue. For instance, a pet that eliminates in the house or barks incessantly whenever left alone may actually be doing these things due to separation anxiety. Only when we identify the real problem can we address it in a way that will actually get results.
It’s also important that we rule out any potential medical causes for your pet’s behavior. Many health conditions have symptoms that can easily be mistaken for bad behavior. For example, a cat that is suddenly urinating outside the litter box may not be acting out but instead may be experiencing a health problem that requires medical attention. We will start with a thorough health analysis before moving forward with any behavior modification plan.
If you’re struggling with unwanted behavior – whether it’s excessive barking, separation anxiety, destructive behaviors, house soiling, or something more serious, like aggression – you don’t have to figure it out on your own! Through basic obedience advice, behavior modification tips, and/or behavior-altering medications, we can work with you to help your pet develop into the balanced, well-behaved family member he or she was meant to be. At times, the best plan may be to consult with a board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist or a trainer with additional certification to work with you and your pet.
Exotics
At Northern Woods Animal Hospital, Dr Wictor has over 30 years of experience treating a wide range of exotic pets. We provide comprehensive care, including thorough annual exams, laboratory tests to further assess your pet’s health, surgery, teeth trimming, beak trimming, nail trimming, and vaccinations for ferrets and rabbits
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Exotic companion mammals: rabbits, all rodents (guinea pigs, chinchillas, gerbils, hamsters, rats, and mice), ferrets, sugar gliders, hedgehogs
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Birds: parrots, songbirds, backyard poultry and waterfowl
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Reptiles: turtles, tortoises, lizards and non-venomous snakes
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*If you own any other exotic species and need medical care, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. If we can't help you, we will help you find someone who can.
