Memorial Day 2023
We will be closed on Monday, May 29th in observance of Memorial Day. We will be back in the office on Tuesday, May 30th. If you have an emergency, please do not hesitate to contact Veterinary Emergency Services at 608-831-1101 or Madison Veterinary Specialists at 608-274-7772. Have a safe long weekend everyone!
We are now giving you the option for 1 family member to come in with your pet! Please continue to call when you arrive so that we can ensure that we have a room available for you! You are also welcome to continue to utilize curbside if you would like! We ask that technician appointments and medication pickups remain curbside as well. Thank you for your continued support and understanding! We will continue to have normal weekday hours Monday-Friday 8am to 5:30pm and will continue to be closed on Saturdays
We are accepting new clients with the veterinary clinic again! Please call us at 608-767-3400 to set up an appointment! We look forward to meeting you and your pets!
Current Coronavirus Clinic Policy
Thanks for helping us keep everyone healthy!
Concerned about costs during COVID-19?! We are now partnered with Scratchpay to offer you simple, friendly payment plans. These payment plans can help you pay for a dental, procedure, routine care, or preventatives for your pet!
We offer payment plans through our partner, Scratchpay. Scratchpay helps to make difficult financing decisions simple. There are three plan types, starting as low as 0% APR and spanning 8 weeks, 12 months, or 24 months. Checking to see which plan is best for you only takes 90 seconds and does NOT affect your credit score. Learn more at Scratchpay.com!
Check out Our Online Store!
You can now order preventatives, food, medications, and more at our online store! Everything will ship right to your door! Check it out today! They even have treats, dental chews, and toys! You can also have your monthly preventatives auto shipped to your door so you don't forget a dose!
What You Should Know About Preventing Fleas and Ticks
Click the map below to learn more about vector-borne disease in our area
The thought of insects crawling on your skin and living off your blood probably, well, makes your skin crawl. Yet, too often as pet owners, we allow fleas and ticks to treat our pets like bed-and-breakfasts. And it is only after these pests make themselves at home that we might realize showing them the door can be difficult, expensive and painfully slow.
Fleas and ticks aren’t just irritating and distasteful; they can lead to medical problems. Flea allergies can cause severe itching and skin damage; fleas can also carry the causative agents of cat-scratch disease, while ticks carry the organisms that can lead to debilitating illnesses like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. So it’s crucial to continuously and effectively prevent infestations of these parasites for the health and safety of our pets, our families and ourselves.
Consider the life cycle of the common flea: The average female can lay 40 to 50 eggs daily. The eggs develop into maggot-like larvae and progress to a cocoon stage called pupae. These pupae wait several weeks to months for the ideal temperature and humidity to mature into adult fleas. That single adult flea you find on your pet represents about 5 percent of the total flea problem in your home; eggs, larvae, and pupae comprise the rest. Your pet — and your home — can be infested before a single flea is found. And finding them can be tough, especially on cats, because of their constant grooming. That’s why a one-time treatment for fleas isn’t usually enough. Pet owners often discover a flea problem because of a pet’s severe itching, which sometimes is due to flea allergy dermatitis — a sensitization to the flea’s saliva when it draws a blood meal. No pet is safe from fleas and their bites, but not all pets are hypersensitive to them. This means severe infestations can occur without your dog or cat showing any obvious discomfort. Therefore, it’s best to use preventive tactics to help keep fleas from infesting your pet and home in the first place. To do this, speak with your veterinarian about safe flea-control products that you can administer to your pet year-round. Some products are administered once a month, but other products provide longer-lasting protection. Ask your vet about the best choice for your pets. Consistent use of safe prevention products is the primary method of managing fleas. Newly hatched young adult fleas usually feed right away. If your pet has been treated with an appropriate flea product when these adult fleas emerge, you can help break the cycle of infestation. (Remember to treat all of the pets in the house, regardless of whether or not they’re itching.) Treating your pet’s environment is also an important part of controlling and preventing flea infestations. Fleas lay their eggs on your pet, but the eggs usually fall off. Once in the environment, they molt into larvae and develop into the pupae stage. Larvae don’t survive well in sunlight, preferring instead to hide in dark, protected areas like deep carpet or pet bedding. Therefore, focus on treating the places your pet likes to rest, especially those that are out of sunlight, like a resting place in the shady area of the yard, your pet’s blanket or pillow — or even your bed (ick). Frequent cleaning or vacuuming can help reduce the pupal and larval stages of fleas in the carpet, and many flea control products used on pets also kill eggs and larvae. But don’t forget that fleas can gain access to your house or yard in many ways, including wildlife, neighborhood cats and you, just to name a few. Also remember that if your dogs or cats are allowed access to other areas — such as parks, nature areas, crawl spaces or even the neighbor’s yard — they’ll have ample opportunity to encounter fleas. Therefore, even if you’re treating your pet, areas of your home and yard may also need regular attention. Like fleas, ticks can now be found throughout most of the country. Though the severity of tick infestations varies by region, ticks are now spreading into areas that previously had very limited tick problems. Unlike fleas, ticks may not cause dramatic irritation when they attach to your pet’s skin. This lets the tick slowly fill with blood without interference. Before feeding, ticks are often small and easily overlooked; once a tick has eaten and is engorged with blood, it grows in size and often looks bloated. These bloated ticks are usually easier to spot (depending on species—some of them can still be very small), but can be difficult to remove —especially if you aren't used to doing it. If you see a bloated tick, your best bet is to visit your veterinarian so she can remove it and check for any additional ticks. There are several species of ticks that pose a risk to pets and people. Ticks can be hosts to several types of disease-producing organisms that can be transmitted to pets or people while the tick is feeding. These organisms can cause illnesses like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Again, the lesson here is that it’s best to protect your pets — and yourself — from ticks rather than react to them after the fact. Most ticks lurk in tall grass or low-hanging bushes and crawl onto pets or people as they walk by. The tick can then travel on the host — that’s you or your pet — to find a suitable place to attach and feed. Considering how stealthy these travelers are, the most reliable plan is to keep your pet on an effective tick preventive all year. Conveniently, many products combine protection from ticks with flea protection. Your veterinarian can recommend a product that is safe and appropriate for your pet. You can also help prevent ticks by keeping the grass and bushes in your pet’s outdoor area mowed and trimmed. If you’re hiking, camping or playing in untended and possibly tick-infested outdoor areas, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and headgear to help prevent tick exposure. Afterward, be sure to check both your pets and your family for ticks. Some circumstances may seem like they’d be guaranteed flea and tick free, but this is not so. There is no such thing as a completely risk-free situation. Pets need prevention in every situation. Think your indoor pet is safe? Think again. You’ve seen bugs inside your house — fleas and ticks can sneak indoors, too. Even pets who don’t venture outside — such as an indoor cat or a dog who only goes in the yard for potty breaks — are at risk of flea and tick infestation. Granted, their infestation chances are lower than those of outdoor pets, but you can help protect them by using safe and effective flea and tick control products year-round. And don't assume that there's a flea- and tick-free season. Fall and winter may seem like distant memories at this time of year, but they’re not to be forgotten when it comes to parasite prevention. Fleas and ticks have a way of popping up in the colder months. In fact, flea numbers can surge in the fall in temperate climates. What’s more, fleas enjoy a wonderful, climate-controlled environment inside your house year-round. They can gain inside access by hitching a ride on outside sources, such as you and your pets, or adult fleas can develop from eggs or larvae that were already hiding in your house. Don’t forget that ticks are extremely tough, too, and can often survive outside even during the winter months. The only way to ensure your dog or cat is safe from fleas and ticks is to keep him on a parasite preventive all year. Today’s highly effective parasite preventives each work a little differently to keep fleas off your pets; your veterinarian can recommend a product that best suits your pet’s health needs and your lifestyle. Here’s a look at the differences between oral products (which your pet eats) and topical products (which you apply to your pet’s skin). There are also some effective collars that you may want to ask your vet about. Oral Flea Control Topical Flea Control Remember this mantra: When it comes to fleas and ticks, it’s best — and safest — to prevent an infestation than it is to deal with the consequences. Your veterinarian, as an expert in parasite control and prevention, can recommend the best products to help prevent infestation. (Keep in mind that not all insecticides are safe for both cats and dogs of all sizes, so carefully follow your veterinarian’s recommendations.) With a little effort and a year-round prevention plan, you can keep your pets virtually parasite free — and help ensure that your home sports a “no vacancy” sign when it comes to fleas and ticks.Fleas: The Prolific, Perplexing Parasite
Ticks: Expanding Their Disease-Carrying Reach
The Risk-Free Myth
Keeping Fleas off Pets: Your Options for Preventives
Stop Fleas and Ticks Before They Start
Pet First Aid Tips
What would you do if
...your dog ate the bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips that was left out on the kitchen counter?
...your cat had a seizure right in front of you?
...your dog fell down the stairs and started limping?
...your cat was overheating on a hot summer day?
View our Pet First Aid brochure To avoid the feelings of panic that may accompany these situations, we recommend the following steps to better prepare you for a pet medical emergency. The following links summarize the basics you need for giving first aid care to your pet. Always remember that any first aid administered to your pet should be followed by immediate veterinary care. First aid care is not a substitute for veterinary care, but it may save your pet's life until it receives veterinary treatment. First aid supplies How to handle an injured pet Basic pet first aid procedures First aid when traveling with your pet Pets and disasters
Our handy checklist tells you all the supplies you should have on hand for pet first aid. Print out a copy to use for shopping, and keep a copy on your refrigerator or next to the first aid kit for your family, for quick reference in emergencies.
Knowing how to comfort an injured pet can help minimize your pet's anxiety and also protect you and your family from injury.
Read our simple instructions for providing emergency first aid if your pet is suffering from poisoning, seizures, broken bones, bleeding, burns, shock, heatstroke, choking or other urgent medical problems. Print out a copy to keep with your pet emergency kit.
A few simple steps can better prepare you to help your pet in first aid situations while you are traveling. Remember: pet medical emergencies don't just happen at home.
Whether confronted by natural disasters such as hurricanes, or unexpected catastrophes such as a house fire, you need to be prepared to take care of your animals. A pre-determined disaster plan will help you remain calm and think clearly.Additional pet first aid links
Veterinary Health Care Team
Every veterinary hospital staff consists of a team of caring individuals, each contributing his or her unique abilities to ensure high quality veterinary care for animals and compassionate interactions with animal owners. Dedication to service remains a top priority.
The Veterinarian – Leading the Team
Veterinarians are doctors trained to protect the health of both animals and people. In a clinical hospital environment, veterinarians work with large and small animals to evaluate animals’ health; diagnose and treat illnesses; provide routine preventive care; prescribe medication; and perform surgery. Some veterinarians specialize in areas such as surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology or dentistry.
In addition to opportunities in clinical practice, veterinarians may work in zoos, wildlife parks, or aquariums; focus on public health and regulatory medicine; enter academia or research; or they may pursue other career paths. Personal attributes that contribute to a successful career as a veterinarian include a strong science and math education, the ability to work well with animals and their owners, basic business and management training, excellent communication skills, and leadership and organizational skills. Veterinary technicians perform valuable medical and non-medical services in clinical practice. They are graduates of an AVMA-accredited veterinary technology programs and usually have an Associates or Bachelors degree. The veterinary technician is educated and trained to support the veterinarian by assisting with surgery, laboratory procedures, radiography, anesthesiology, treatment and nursing, and client education. Almost every state requires a veterinary technician to pass a credentialing exam to ensure a high level of competency. Some veterinary technicians pursue specialties in emergency and critical care, anesthesiology, internal medicine, animal behavior, or dentistry. Personal attributes that contribute to a successful career as a veterinary technician in clinical practice include a strong science background, an ability to work well with people and animals, and good communication and decision-making skills. Many veterinary hospitals find that having a hospital (or practice) manager greatly improves the team's efficiency. This person is responsible for managing the business functions of the practice. Depending upon the size and type of hospital, the manager’s duties could include personnel hiring and supervision, budget and inventory management, accounting, marketing, and developing recordkeeping and other business standards for practice. A strong business background, computer knowledge, and desire to work with and manage people are key attributes for success as a hospital manager. In some hospitals, a veterinary assistant supports the veterinarian and/or the veterinary technician in their daily tasks. The assistant may be asked to perform kennel work, assist in the restraint and handling of animals, feed and exercise the animals, or spend time on clerical duties. There is no credentialing exam for the veterinary assistant; however, training programs are available (see www.navta.net). The ability to listen, communicate efficiently, and handle multiple assignments are skills that make a veterinary assistant an important member of the hospital team. The receptionist or client service representative is usually the first person to welcome a client into the hospital and the last person the client sees when they leave. The interactions he or she has with a client can determine how the client perceives the quality of medical services being offered. A good receptionist must have excellent communication skills and be able to handle a variety of questions and requests from clients and the public. In addition to setting appointments, responding to inquiries about hospital services, greeting clients, and managing callbacks, a receptionist may also perform accounting, marketing, or client counseling duties. A customer service-focused attitude, the ability to manage multiple tasks, and professionalism under stress are important attributes for a hospital receptionist. The hospital team may also include an adoption counselor, a grief counselor, administrative assistant, kennel or barn workers, and part-time volunteers. Everyone has an important role to play in assuring the health and well-being of the hospital’s patients and the owners who care for them.The Veterinary Technician
The Veterinary Hospital Manager
The Veterinary Assistant
The Receptionist
Other Team Members
Animals and COVID-19 According to the CDC
At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people. More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by SARS-CoV-2.
Some coronaviruses that infect animals can be spread to people and then spread between people, but this is rare. This is what happened with SARS-CoV-2, which likely originated in bats.
Click here to learn more about Animals and Covid-19
Interested in Acupuncture and/or Spinal Manipulation?
We are now offering Spinal Manipulation in clinic with Dr Hoffman! Dr Hoffman is certified in Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy (VSMT). Please call us for details!
Acupuncture Services are performed on a case by case basis by Dr. Jennifer Lorenz upon request
Dr. Lorenz is certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy (VSMT)
!!Fleas!! Myth vs Fact!
- My house has no carpet, so I do not have to worry about fleas in my home.
Fact: Flea eggs will drop off the pet and accumulate in the cracks of hardwood floors and along the baseboards. The larvae will then move deep into these crevices to avoid exposure to light. Fleas can survive and multiply in most environments.
- I do not see fleas on my pet, so there must not be any.
Fact: Visible adult fleas are only a small portion of the infestation. Fleas exist in the environment as ≈57% eggs, 34% larvae, 8% pupae, and 1% adults. Fleas are difficult to see on many types of hair coats. They can be harder to see on cats, who are very good at removing the fleas when they groom.
- My pet never leaves my yard, and my lawn is short and well maintained.
Fact: Fleas will survive in any shady, moist environment where pets rest.
- I do not need to use preventives during the winter months.
Fact: Fleas can survive for 10 days at 37.4oF. In cold climates, adult fleas survive on the warm bodies of dogs, cats, and other mammals, and indoors within pupal casings as pre-emerged adults.
- I give my dog garlic as a natural flea preventive.
Fact: Garlic ingestion is an ineffective flea remedy that can have negative health effects. Garlic toxicity can result in oxidative damage to erythrocytes, which may lead to Heinz body formation, hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia, and impaired oxygen transportation.
12 Dog Diseases You Can Combat with Vaccination and Deworming
1. Rabies (this can be spread to people)
2. Canine parvovirus infection ("parvo")
3. Canine distemper
4. Leptospirosis
5. Canine adenovirus-2
6. Canine parainfluenza
7. Canine enteric coronavirus
8. Canine influenza
9. Lyme disease
10. Bordetella ("kennel cough")
11. Heartworm disease
12. Intestinal worms (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, etc., some of which can also infect people)
8 Cat Diseases you Can Prevent with Vaccination and Deworming
1. Rabies (this can be spread to people)
2. Feline panleukopenia (feline distemper)
3. Feline herpesvirus infection
4. Feline calicivirus infection
5. Feline leukemia (FeLV)
6. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection
7. Heartworm disease
8. Intestinal worms (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, etc., some of which can also infect people)
See the Difference a Dental Cleaning Can Make for Your Pet!

Before Dental Cleaning

After Dental Cleaning!
Fact!
More than ¾ of all respiratory infections in cats are caused by feline rhinotracheitis or calicivirus. These can cause cold-like clinical signs, pneumonia or other severe signs and are easily transmitted among cats through secretions. The good news: they can be prevented with regular vaccinations.
Did you know??
Disease immunity inherited by puppies and kittens thanks to their mothers' antibodies typically wears off at around 8 weeks of age. Since young animals' immune systems are still fragile at that stage, it's better to vaccinate your pet sooner rather than later.
Fact!
Even if your pet stays mostly indoors, many contagious diseases are airborne and could even travel through an open window, says the American Humane Association—so regular vaccinations are crucial regardless of whether your pet goes outside.