- Dental CareDr. Kristin Dank was born into a military family and has lived all over the country, but she considers Duluth her true home. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development. She graduated from the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 and has been practicing in Minnesota. Her professional interests include small animal dentistry and internal medicine, and she enjoys the challenge of working with patients who can’t tell you what is wrong. Dr. Dank looks forward to building a lasting relationship with the animals and people who come to Duluth Veterinary Hospital. Her pet family includes 4 dogs, 3 cats, and an occasional foster cat. In her free time, Dr. Dank enjoys spending time with her 3 children, husband, and four-legged family members. Outside of veterinary medicine, she also loves traveling, skiing, hiking, and camping.
- VaccinationWe will evaluate your pet’s eyes, ears, mouth, lymph nodes, heart, lungs, abdomen and musculoskeletal system; give any needed vaccinations and parasite screens and offer recommendations for diet and other care at home.
- Veterinary OphthalmologyLoss of vision or hearing: Older animals are at risk for cataracts and nuclear sclerosis—a natural aging process that clouds the eye. Diminished hearing is also common.
- Behavioral CounselingBehavior changes: Pets suffering from canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome may appear disoriented, forget their housetraining, sleep more and interact with family members less.
- Nutritional CounselingFeeding Habits – Pets that are fed home-cooked meals, table scraps, and treats are prone to weight gain.
- Comprehensive ExaminationOur pet care focus is on keeping your pet healthy and happy. We achieve that through performing thorough annual physical exams, preventative immunizations, and regular testing for viruses, parasites, and other specific conditions. As pets live longer, more active lives, they can benefit from physical examinations at six month intervals and routine blood screening for early detection of common geriatric health conditions.
- Parasites Treatment and ControlA stool sample is the easiest way to detect intestinal parasites and protozoans. Commonly we find roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, cocoidia, and giardia. All are easily treatable but can cause significant health risks to children, and health problems for your pet if left undetected and untreated. We recommend frequent stool checks for puppies, and at least annual checks for adults.
- Pain ManagementDr. Scott Beeman grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated from Dordt College with a B.A. in Business Administration. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 2010 and spent the first decade of his career practicing in Adel, Iowa before joining Duluth Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Beeman’s professional interests include acupuncture, pain management, internal medicine, and surgery. He is also dedicated to serving the human-animal bond. Dr. Beeman is a certified veterinary medical acupuncturist with additional training in medical massage and laser therapy. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, hiking, camping, and playing music on a variety of instruments. His pets include 2 dogs (Rushy and Roo), 4 cats (Ginny, Walter, Layla, and Molly), a rabbit (Phillip), and a ball python (Baz).
- Skin Condition and Allergy TreatmentObese cats are two times more likely to develop skin conditions because the cat has difficulty, or is unable to groom itself. Obesity can slow wound healing, and excess weight can damage the joints. Extra weight increases the pressure on joints, which can in turn worsen an existing arthritic condition.
- Leptospirosis Treatment
- Ear Infection TreatmentPets are wired to hide illness, and even the most attentive pet parents can miss the subtle signs of a problem. Issues like obesity, ear infection and parasites can be masked beneath thick fur, and noticeable symptoms of diabetes, kidney disease and other ailments may not be present in the early stages of the diseases.
- Urinary Tract Infection TreatmentComplete urinalysis: A urine sample can help test for kidney disease, diabetes, urinary tract infections and bladder stones.
- Arthritis TreatmentThere are several significant health problems that can develop due to obesity. The most common problems being diabetes, osteoarthritis, breathing difficulties, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, skin problems, liver disease, plus anesthetic and surgical risks. One study has even correlated the beginning stages of mammary cancer in dogs with early obesity.
- Hip Dysplasia TreatmentHip dysplasia is a developmental disease affecting the pelvis and hip joint of many breeds of dogs. There is a higher incidence in larger dogs but all breeds and mixed breeds can be affected. This condition is a genetic disease, but environmental factors can accelerate the likelihood of your dog showing symptoms. The signs vary from decreased exercise tolerance to severe crippling. They include: a reluctance or inability to go up or down stairs, difficulty in rising from a sitting or laying position, bunny hopping gait when running, stiffness early in the morning that improves as the dog warms up, change in disposition due to pain, lameness after exercise, wobbily gait, a clicking sound when walking and many others.
- Diabetes Treatment
- Thyroid Disease Treatment
- Heart Disease TreatmentPets often develop medical conditions that can be alleviated through dietary management. Together we can determine a dietary plan suitable for such conditions as heart disease, kidney or liver problems, obesity, or other ailments.
- Kidney Disease TreatmentKidney and liver disease: Failure of these organs can lead to chemical imbalances, anemia, comprise immune function and blood clotting defects as well as altered mental capacity. Kidney disease is a leading cause of death in cats.
- Periodontal Disease TreatmentPeriodontal disease: Inflammation of the teeth and gums may lead to pain, infection, tooth loss, bad breath, kidney and heart damage, and as a result, decrease, and, as a result, decrease your pets life expectancy.
- Wound and Fracture CareRabies is required by law in the state of Minnesota, because rabies is a deadly disease that is capable of being transmitted to humans by bite wounds. All cats, even indoor cats, are required to be vaccinated for rabies. The first vaccine is usually given as early as 12 weeks. This vaccination is given two consecutive years and then every 3 years.
- Veterinary SurgeryWe provide both routine and complex surgical services. Our philosophy is to consult thoroughly with clients prior to surgery discussing options, answering questions and giving an accurate estimate of the cost of the procedure.
- Laser Surgery
- Spaying and NeuteringWe recommend to spay/neuter your kitten at 5-6 months of age. This way you spay females before they go into their first heat cycle and neuter males before they start behavioral spraying. Female cats, that go into heat, will continue to go in and out of heat until they are spayed or bred. Neutering a cat after it has already started to spray will help reduce the tendency but may not completely eliminate the problem because it has become a learned behavior. Spay/neuter early to avoid these problems.
- Laboratory ServicesHeartworm is a potentially life-threatening disease that dogs contract from being bitten by an infected mosquito. Heartworm is present in our area and can be prevented by annual blood tests followed by monthly heartworm preventative such as HEARTGARD. In this area preventative is given May through November.
- X-Ray
- Dental RadiologyWe are excited to have recently added the ability to perform digital dental x-rays for our patients. This allows us to take x-rays of your pets mouth and see the results on a computer with-in seconds. This enable us to treat small, but often painful oral lesions and inprove your pets quality of life.
- Microchipping
- Boarding
- Grooming
- Senior Pet CareOlder dogs and cats are more likely to encounter health problems than younger pets. Pets age at a much faster rate than humans. Dogs and cats age approximately seven years for every human year and larger breeds can age even faster. So it’s important for us to examine your senior pets more often.