Blog

Check out our new small animal dental machine! This machine allows us to scale and polish teeth, and also has a high speed hand-piece for suctioning and extractions! We also offer digital dental x-ray, which allows us to see issues beyond the gum line!

Did you know that your dog’s bad breath could be more than just the typical “dog breath”? In fact, bad breath could be a sign that something serious is going on inside your pet’s mouth! Dental infections can lead to more serious systemic infections causing further health issues. Also, this isn’t just an issue for dogs! We also see many feline patients for routine dental cleanings and dental issues. When your pet comes in for their yearly exam, Dr. Jeff and Dr. Danielle always try to take a look at their teeth to see if a dental is recommended. Schedule your pet’s dental exam today, or stop in to take a look at our selection of dental chews and dental hygiene products!

On Monday we had some very small visitors at the clinic!

One of our clients thought they had purchased a male dwarf hamster, but much to their surprise, she was a pregnant female that had 5 pups! (Did you know baby hamsters are called pups?!)

The pups came in so Dr. Danielle could determine how many boys and how many girls there were. The final score ended up being 4 girls and 1 boy! It is important to separate the boys and girls early, because some hamsters can begin mating as young as 4 weeks old!

Advice from Carly (Dr. Danielle’s Technician): “If you put your hamster in an exercise ball, be sure the lid is on or you may be on a hamster hunt!” (I think she may be speaking from experience here!)

Happy Memorial Day!! This is such a fun time of year! Summer, sun, barbecues, and friends, what could be better! As the busy holiday weekend is speedily approaching, we want to provide you with some tips to keep your pets safe and healthy this weekend and all summer long! 

Partying Smart

Barbecuing is one of the best part of Memorial Day, but be cautious that the food and drinks you serve your guests may be poisonous to pets. Keep alcoholic beverages away from animals, and remind guests not to give them any snacks. Raisins, grapes, onions, chocolates, and avocados are all common at barbecues – and all are toxic to animals. Several rich, fatty  foods can also cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can also lead to a serious inflammation of the pancreas (i.e. pancreatitis). Giving your pet leftover bones can also lead to choking or a possible GI obstruction.

Skip the Spray

Unless specifically designed for animals, insect repellent and sunscreen can be toxic for pets. Signs of toxicity include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, and lethargy. DEET, a common insecticide in products for humans, may cause neurological issues in dogs. We carry many flea and tick preventatives at Holmes Animal Clinic!

Made in the Shade

Although spring may seem a bit premature to be worried pets in warm weather (especially with all this rain) pets can get dehydrated quickly, so if you’re spending time outside, be sure to provide plenty of fresh, clean water and be sure they have a shady place to get out of the sun. Reminder that animals with flat faces, such as pugs and persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets along with elderly, overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases should be kept in cool, air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.

IDs, Please

Time spent outdoors come with the added risk of pets escaping. Make sure that your pet is fitted with a microchip or ID tag with identifying information, or even both! Your pet’s current Holmes Animal Clinic Rabies Tag can serve as a source of identification, but is only available for lookup when someone can search the database at the clinic. We are proud to offer HomeAgain Microchips at Holmes Animal Clinic. Did you know 1 in 3 pets go missing, and 90% of lost pets without an identification are not returned home. The HomeAgain Microchip allows your lost pet to be scanned and provides HomeAgain’s information, and they can then help you with reuniting! It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Reminder!

Holmes Animal Clinic will be closed Monday, May 27th to allow our employees to observe Memorial Day with friends and family. In case of an emergency, please call the clinic at 515-295-2627, and you will be redirected to the veterinarians on call. If you reach their voicemail, please leave your name, number, and a description of your emergency and they will respond as soon as possible. Our boarding pick-up times for the holiday weekend are 8am, 12pm, or 6pm. We hope you all have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Last week Dr. Danielle and her technician, Carly, visited our 1st grade business partners from Bryant Elementary to wrap up their Pet Week Unit! Each student brought one of their stuffed pets, and Dr. Danielle and Carly treated many injuries, illnesses, and gave wellness exams! We love having the opportunity to visit their classroom and to teach them how to be a responsible pet owner. Thank you Mrs. Haynes for inviting us to visit! 

Meet Brandon Zaugg! Brandon just completed his first year of the Veterinary Technician program at Iowa Lakes Community College, and will be spending the summer with us to complete his internship! Be sure to say Hi to Brandon when visiting the clinic!

Happy Friday Everyone!! Here’s a little Freaky Friday update for you all! A few weeks ago we had a visitor that was a little out of the usual for us!

Meet Peach! She is Ball Python that came to see us because she was having trouble molting. It’s a good thing Dr. Jeff and Kelli are not afraid of snakes because everyone else bolted out of the clinic! No worries though, Ball Pythons are nonvenomous constrictors and Peach was sweet as ever! Dr. Jeff prescribed a few different things to help her with the molting process so she was able to finish molting by herself. 

Happy National Pet Week to all pet lovers everywhere! Fluffy or scaly, big or small, we love them all at Holmes Animal Clinic! To celebrate this week, our specials are $10 off Program Injection for cats and 10% off flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives May 5th-11th! The program injection is a great long-lasting flea control product for cats. For more information on this product, or any other flea, tick, or heartworm products, stop in to the clinic to see us! 

Did you know National Pet Week is May 5th-11th?! Celebrate your pet with the many toys and treats we have at Holmes Animal Clinic!

We are a little late with this post, but this month we celebrated Diva’s 9th Birthday! Diva belongs to Dr. Danielle and can often be found running around the back of the clinic, taking naps in Dr. Danielle’s office, and hiding from bath time! Isn’t she such a pretty girl!