Prior Lake Pet Hospital | Veterinarians | Prior Lake, MN
 
Fall Reminders
 

As the new season arrives it may be helpful to review some common pet related issues we deal with each fall.
 
Cooler weather tends to send mice inside our homes.  If using mouse/rat poisons be certain your pets can not access them.
   
The common wood tick disappears quickly after the first days of freezing temperatures, but the deer tick lives on. More Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis (carried by the deer tick) are transferred to pets and people in the next 3 months than any other time of the year. Continue tick prevention products (Frontline, Vectra) through the fall months, especially if your dog is spending time in deer tick infested areas.
   
Hunters be sure to check for out of state requirements for health certificates and proof of vaccination status before traveling with your dog.
   
The threat of Heartworm transmission will mostly die off with the mosquitoes after some freezing temperatures. Roundworm, Hookworm and Whipworm however can still be transmitted in the fall and winter months. To best protect your pet continue its’ monthly parasite preventatives (Sentinel, Interceptor, Heartguard) year round.
 
What's New?
 
"LIKE" us on Facebook.  Check us out on Facebook to see what we are up to.

We again participated in Prior Lakes local Lakefront Days parade with a float. Our float featured one of the biggest ticks we have ever seen! Check out our Facebook page for more pictures.

Doctors Schwantes, Tubman, and Albright attended the Minnesota Veterinary Association golf fundraising, raising money for future veterinary students.

This February Nadine Heilman, CVT joined our Prior Lake Pet Hospital team as a part time technician. She quickly moved to a full time position in April. Nadine has been a wonderful addition to our staff. Please stop by and welcome her.

Gavin, son of Melissa our front desk receptionist, is now in his second year of motocross sponsorship from the Prior Lake Pet Hospital. Gavin has had a very successful career at the young age of 9, making it to numerous National competitions.  At this years event he placed 23rd nationally.  We continue to wish Gavin the best of luck at his races!
 
 
New Owners
Same care, same doctors, same passion for animals.
 
In December, the Prior Lake Pet Hospital had a change in ownership. Dr. Charles Schwantes, who has owned the hospital for the last 27 years, sold the practice to his current staff veterinarians Dr. Nichole Tubman and Dr. Joshua Albright.

Under Dr. Schwantes' leadership, the Prior Lake Pet Hospital grew from a small, one-doctor practice to a vibrant, advanced, four-doctor practice. Dr. Schwantes is delighted to continue practicing full time, and he has no immediate plans to retire. He remains enthusiastic about his career, and our staff is thrilled that he will remain an associate in the years to come.

Drs. Tubman and Albright have been a part of PLPH for 11 and 13 years respectively. They have learned a great deal from Dr. Schwantes and are excited to continue practicing state-of-the-art medicine and providing individualized care for each and every patient.

Though our ownership has changed, we honor our commitment to serving our patients and their owners. We look forward to providing you with exceptional veterinary care in the future.
 
New Member of Our Staff
 
The Prior Lake Pet Hospital staff would like to introduce Sharon Marshak, the newest member of our reception team. Sharon comes to us with over 14 years of experience in the veterinary field.

Check out our staff section to learn more about Sharon, and then stop by and give her a warm Prior Lake welcome!
 
Therapeutic Laser Therapy
A new tool in anti-inflammatory and pain control!
 
Laser TherapyThe Prior Lake Pet Hospital is now offering a new therapeutic laser treatment designed to minimize pain (both acute and chronic), promote healing and decrease inflammation. Preventing and managing pain has become a fundamental part of quality and compassionate patient care. The therapeutic laser is one more tool in our arsenal to help achieve this goal.

This type of laser therapy can be used to treat numerous diseases and conditions. Reduction or control of pain from chronic disorders such as arthritis, enhancement of wound healing, ear infections, degenerative disk disease, soft tissue trauma, post-operative pain and orthopedic rehabilitation are just some of the conditions that benefit from laser therapy.

And for those of you who prefer to avoid drugs, the therapy laser provides us with a non-drug alternative for pain control. We offer single or package treatment plans. To see how this unique tool can benefit your pet, please contact us. Any one of our staff members will be happy to discuss this with you.
Every Month is Dental Health Month at Prior Lake Pet Hospital
 
Now your pet can benefit from quality dental care and your pocket book can benefit from a discount all year long. If you schedule a dental cleaning within one month of your pet's annual wellness exam, you will receive a $40.00 discount off of the cost of the dental cleaning.
 

SCHEDULE YOUR DENTAL CLEANING TODAY!
What has our staff been up to lately?
 
Prior Lake Pet Hospital StaffWe all believe education is an important part of our job. We want to make sure that we are always up to date on the latest technology as well as treatment information. Our staff has attended over 90 combined hours of continuing education since January 2010.

Here are a few of the topics we have attended:
Pet Poison Hotline Toxicity
Advancements in Pain Management and Sedation
New Advancements in Feline Insulin Therapy
Update on Small Animal Endocrinology
Dr. Schwantes attended the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Conference in Minneapolis with emphasis on general medicine and surgery.
Dr. Albright attended the Eastern Central Veterinary Conference in Baltimore attending lectures on general medicine and surgery.
Dr. Tubman attended the Central States Veterinary Conference in Kansas City and attended lectures on general medicine and surgery.
Dr. Aliano attended the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Conference in San Antonio.
Dr. Tubman recently became a member of the Veterinary Practice Manager's Network and attended the fall conference.
Five of our technicians attended  the Minnesota Academy of Veterinary Technicians seminar in February.
Wild Cat Sanctuary | Princess Savannah

Every year our staff donates time and money to many important organizations.  We believe in the importance of giving back to our community and aiding animals in need.

Darlene is our biggest volunteer with over 160 hours of community service just this year!! Way to go Darlene!

As a pet hospital we are proud to be a sponsor of “Princess Savannah” an African Serval from the Wild Cat Sanctuary in northern Minnesota. Every year we are able to visit her and see first hand the good this organization is doing for large cats that once lived as “pets”. If you are interested in finding out more about this organization please visit their website at www.wildcatsanctuary.org.

During the holiday season, Prior Lake Pet Hospital sponsors a family in need providing them with gifts to make their holiday special.  For more information on the Hope for the Holiday Project visit their website at www.capagency.org.
Erika and Jess have been active in agility with their dogs Bocephus and Stoli respectively. Jess has recently started competing in agility and is doing well by often placing in her competitions.

Kari has been participating in lure coursing with her dog Mac. This is a running competition for dogs. They competed this May and took first place!

Great job to our athletes!!!