Comprehensive Medicine for All Your Pet's Needs

At Cottage Grove Animal Hospital, our skilled and compassionate veterinary team is here to make caring for your pet as positive and stress-free as possible. Beyond our comprehensive wellness services, we offer internal medicine, treatment for eye disorders, allergy and dermatology treatment, nutrition counseling and prescription diets, behavior counseling, and more.

Whether your pet is a playful puppy or kitten, active adult dog or cat, or a senior pet entering his or her golden years, we use a personalized approach to high-quality pet care based on your pet's unique needs.

Internal Medicine

While our focus is on disease prevention and wellness care, you can also rely on our veterinarians when your pet is sick. To that end, an important part of our practice is the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of diseases that can affect your pet's internal organs and body systems. Our veterinarians, supported by Cottage Grove Animal Hospital's advanced diagnostic technology, have expertise in diagnosing and treating complex internal medicine cases such as kidney, heart, respiratory, immune-mediated and endocrine diseases.

Glaucoma Prevention

Glaucoma is a common condition in which the fluid pressure inside the eye increases, resulting in damage to the optic nerve, followed by loss of vision and blindness. There are two types of glaucoma. Primary or chronic glaucoma is hereditary or develops as your pet ages. Secondary or acute glaucoma develops as the result of an injury or illness. Because secondary glaucoma can progress rapidly, it is considered an emergency situation requiring immediate medical attention.

Symptoms of glaucoma to look for include:

• Redness in the eye
• Tearing or discharge
• Eye sensitivity to light
• Pain
• Cloudy-looking eye
• Bulging eyeball

For your pet's comfort and safety, we use a handheld tonometer to measure the fluid pressure inside his or her eyes. This is a noninvasive, simple procedure that should not cause your pet any discomfort or stress.

Allergies and Skin Problems

Allergies are common in dogs and cats of all breeds and backgrounds. For this reason, it is important to be able to identify the first signs and symptoms of allergies and dermatological conditions. These include:

If your pet exhibits any of these symptoms, please make an appointment to have him or her seen by one of the veterinarians at our animal hospital in Cottage Grove. If left untreated, allergic reactions and skin conditions can become serious medical concerns.

Behavior Counseling

Even with training and lots of attention and love, your dog or cat can develop bad habits or unwanted behaviors. Please don't make the mistake of believing you and your family must live with these problems. The veterinarians at Cottage Grove Animal Hospital offer behavior counseling for many of your pet's problems.

Causes of behavior problems can be environmental, such as a schedule change or introduction of a new baby or pet; learned, as a result of unintentional positive reinforcement; or genetic. Furthermore, any painful disease or condition or degenerative change associated with aging can cause or contribute to behavior problems.

Our assessment begins with your pet's clinical history and a thorough medical examination. Before beginning behavior therapy, any diagnosed medical problems will be treated. Addressing the underlying medical problem or providing pain relief, along with behavior modification techniques, can often resolve some of these problems. We often recommend local trainers who can come to your home if aggression is a concern.

Your Pet's Nutrition

Proper nutrition and a balanced diet, along with fresh, clean water, is an essential ingredient for your pet's overall good health. As your pet's caregiver, nutrition is the most significant health variable you control.

Feeding your pet the highest-quality food you can afford is one of the best ways you can contribute to his or her health and vitality. Although the differences between premium and budget varieties may not be apparent on their nutrition labels, they are in the quality of the ingredients. Both may contain the same amount of protein but may be very different when it comes to digestibility and nutritional value. Making the best nutritional choices for your dog or cat not only affects general health, but will improve the quality and length of your pet's life.

To support your efforts, we will perform a thorough body evaluation during every physical examination and give recommendations including information on proper serving size, nutrient needs, and feeding strategies based on what we see. We will also help you navigate pet food claims so you can make the most informed choices.

Prescription Diets

Some pets have weight challenges or chronic conditions that may benefit from a special prescription diet. Making this change can have a significant positive impact on your pet's overall health and well-being. Prescription diets benefit medical conditions such as liver disease, bladder and kidney disease, digestive problems, renal failure, food allergies, diabetes, and more. For your convenience, Cottage Grove Animal Hospital sells Science Diet, Royal Canin and Purina prescription diets at our in-house pharmacy.

Treating Your Pet's Cancer

At Cottage Grove Animal Hospital, the standard treatment for your pet's cancer is almost always surgical removal of the mass. Surgery is also the best treatment for both accessible benign cancers and the majority of malignant cancers that have not yet spread. Your pet's recovery from surgery is usually rapid and post-surgical pain can be controlled using appropriate medications.

Before making the decision on the appropriate course of action for your pet, please discuss all the relevant factors with your veterinarian so you can make an informed choice. Our understanding of cancer is increasing all the time, leading to better treatment approaches, preserved quality of life and an improved outcome for your pet.