In-depth Pet Care Insights

FAQs

Expert pet care FAQs: Payments, services, vaccines, emergencies, and more answered by Heartland Animal Hospital, Owatonna.

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We proudly serve the pets in Owatonna, MN, and beyond.

At Heartland Animal Hospital, Owatonna, we understand that pet parents often have a lot of questions and concerns about their furry friends. Below, we’ve compiled some frequently asked questions (FAQs) to provide valuable insights. If you have more questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 507-214-7387.

What can I expect during my visit to Heartland Animal Hospital?

1. Get Settled

Please arrive approximately 5 minutes early to fill out our New Patient Form. To save a bit of time, you can complete the New Patient Form online in advance.

2. Meet Your Veterinarian

A member of our team will review your pet’s history and discuss their issues. You can ask any questions you want, and we’ll dedicate time to answering them.

3. Exam, Diagnosis, & Treatment

Once your pet has been assessed, we’ll provide you with a diagnosis and treatment options. Your veterinarian will work with you to create a treatment plan for your pet.

Other FAQs

What are your hours?

Monday, Tuesday, and Friday: 8 am-5 pm
Wednesday and Thursday: 8 am-6 pm
2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month: 8 am-noon (call for appointment)

What forms of payment do you accept?
  • Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover)
  • Cash
  • CareCredit
Do we offer payment plans?

We offer payment plans through CareCredit – they offer veterinary and pet financing to help keep your most cherished family members in top shape.

What kind of pets do you treat?
Dogs & Cats, Equine
Do I need an appointment?

Yes, call us to set up an appointment.
(We do not accept walk-ins)

How do I make an appointment?

Please call 507-214-7387

Do you offer boarding, grooming, or daycare?
Grooming – nail trims, anal glands, and sedated shaves are done as technician appointments for our clients.
No boarding or daycare services are offered.
What are the recommended vaccines for a dog?
We recommend Rabies and Distemper/combo for our core vaccines. We also offer Bordetella (kennel cough), Leptospirosis/Lyme combination, and Canine influenza vaccines.
What vaccines are recommended for cats?
We recommend Rabies and Distemper/upper respiratory for our core vaccines. We also offer Feline Leukemia for our feline friends.
Why should I spay or neuter my dog or cat?
We recommend the spay/neuter procedure to prevent potential cancers later in life (such as mammary tumors or prostate cancer), unspayed female dogs can develop an infection that has the potential to be deadly if left untreated. Spaying/Neutering also helps prevent unwanted behaviors (marking/spraying, going into heat).
Should I give my dog monthly heartworm preventative?
Yes! We recommend heartworm treatment year-round.
Should I give my dog or cat a flea and tick preventative year-round?
Yes! Fleas and ticks are active 30˚and up! Ticks carry numerous diseases that can be prevented.
How can I order food, medications, and preventatives for my pet?

Please call us at 507-214-7387 and we would be happy to put the order through.

Does Heartland Animal Hospital authorize prescriptions through Chewy, 1-800-Pet-Meds, or other third party online retailers?

Yes, but don’t forget we sell many products locally at our clinic. Although it is hard to compete with online pharmacies, we do our best and offer some nice rebates and guarantees.

What are the fees associated with an emergency visit?

We are not an emergency facility but do our best to take care of our clients in the case of an emergency during open hours. Pets may be referred to an emergency facility for overnight and after-hours care.

A deposit payment is required for emergency examinations. Once the staff and doctors have examined your pet, an estimate for treatment will be given to determine a treatment plan. Payment in full is always due when your pet is discharged.

Standard Dog/Cat Wellness

What is a Urethral Obstruction?

Urethral Obstructions generally happen in our male cats – they develop crystals in their urine that can turn to stones. These stones then get stuck in the urethra, causing an obstruction rendering the cat unable to urinate. This is considered a medical emergency, and your pet needs to be seen if they are exhibiting signs of:

  • Blood in urine
  • Straining to urinate but nothing is left in the box
  • Frequent urination or litter box visits
  • Faint scent of urine with no source.
How contagious are intestinal parasites?

Roundworms, hookworms, giardia and coccidia can all be transmitted through stool-contaminated soil, sand boxes or litter boxes. In addition, cats can carry toxoplasmosis and shed it in their stool. If your pet has one of these worms/parasites and a member of your family comes in contact with its stool, they could become infected. Heartland Animal Hospital recommends checking all pets’ stool samples on a yearly basis and deworming new kittens or puppies prophylactically. Also, cleaning up your pet’s stools daily will decrease the chance of these parasites being infective to your children or family.

Why do I have to test my dog for heartworms if I give a preventative every month?

Heartworm preventatives are not 100% effective. Sometimes a dose gets missed, spit out, vomited or is just not adequately absorbed, resulting in inadequate protection. Heartworm testing is a safeguard against your pet suffering from heartworm disease without your knowledge. Furthermore, giving some types of heartworm preventative to a dog that has heartworm infection may actually result in a shock-like reaction due to a rapid kill of immature heartworms.
It is best to detect and treat heartworms as soon as possible.
Our tests check for tick-borne diseases, also!

My pet vomited today. What should I do?
If your pet is lethargic, not as active or perky as usual, disinterested in eating, not drinking normally, vomiting blood, got into the trash or may have eaten a foreign object or unusual food, you should withhold its food and call for an appointment. We will get your pet in for an exam and possible x-rays or blood work. If your pet does not show any of the above symptoms after vomiting, still keep it under observation to see if they vomit again. Remove food for 12 hours and make sure that water is always available. If no more vomiting occurs after 12 hours, feed easily digested, small meals, two parts cooked whole white rice and 1 part boiled chicken or lean hamburger for a day or two. If vomiting continues for more than 24 hours or occurs more than once in 24 hours, withhold food and make an appointment for an exam, x-rays and/or blood work.
My pet has loose stools today. What should I do?
If your pet’s stools aren’t extremely watery, don’t contain fresh blood, aren’t dark black and tarry, and aren’t associated with vomiting or excessive straining, take your pet off food for 12 hours. Make sure water is always available. After 12 hours you may try feeding a bland diet of cooked white rice and boiled chicken or lean hamburger. Mix 1 part meat to 2 parts white rice. If diarrhea worsens, you see any of the signs listed above, or the condition doesn’t improve in 24 hours, call to make an appointment for an exam. DO NOT GIVE Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate to your pet (especially cats) unless you talk to our clinic first.