Dickinson County Animal Clinic

4.6 (182)
1964 Hwy 9, Spirit Lake, IA 51360, USA

Hours:

Monday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Thursday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Friday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Saturday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Dickinson County Animal Clinic

Schedule Regular Vet Visits

One of the best ways to save on vet bills is to prevent expensive health issues before they develop. By scheduling regular wellness checkups, your vet can detect health issues early, helping you to avoid costly treatments and surgeries down the road.

Price Shop for Pet Prescriptions

Oftentimes our fur babies are prescribed human drugs off-label. Your vet is apt to charge more for these medications than you would pay at your local pharmacy. In fact, big-box or chain pharmacies can offer steep discounts. So it’s best to price shop.

Pet Insurance

Most pet insurance providers will pay between 80% and 90% of the vet bill. You can even get coverage for routine care and things like vaccinations and dental cleanings. If you do the math, you’ll most likely find that pet insurance makes financial sense in the long run as well as gives you peace of mind.

How Do You Choose the Right Pet Insurance Provider?

Pet Insurance Review makes it incredibly easy for pet parents to select an insurance provider they feel good about. You can use our handy comparison tool to get the gist of what a company offers. We’ve also collected over 150,000 reviews of insurance companies from real pet parents like you to rank the top providers in the market. Here is the current ranking of each:

Top Pet Insurance Providers of 2024
Rating Provider Total Review
4.4 AKC 891
4.5 ASPCA 11,763
4.9 Embrace 17,208
4.9 Fetch 19,882
4.2 Figo 2,602
4.7 Hartville 165
4.9 Healthy Paws 10,008
4.9 Lemonade 805
4.6 ManyPets 2,344
4.0 MetLife 652
4.8 Nationwide 21,407
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.5 PetPartners 113
4.3 Pets Best 12,238
4.6 Pumpkin 1,474
4.6 Spot 7,059
4.9 Trupanion 74,699
4.8 Prudent Pet 125

Or, you can simply get a fast quote from multiple providers and go from there.

Thinking of insuring your pet?

Get Quotes & Compare

Getting to Know Your New Vet: Essential Questions to Ask

Choosing a new veterinarian is an important decision for any pet owner. You want to find someone who is competent, compassionate, and a good fit for you and your fur baby. To help you get the most out of your first appointment, here's a list of essential questions to ask your new vet:

Tell me about your experience with [pet type].

Different vets have different areas of specialization. Some are experts with cats, some dogs, some pocket pets, and some horses. Knowing that your vet has vast experience treating your specific type of pet can bring you peace of mind.

How do you handle emergencies?

You must know what to do in case of a pet medical emergency. Inquire what after-hours policy the clinic has, whether they have on-site emergency care available, and if they have a relationship with any nearby emergency animal hospitals.

How do you communicate with pet owners?

Good communication is key to building a trusting relationship with your vet. Ask how they prefer to communicate (phone calls, emails, online portal) and how often you can expect to hear from them.

Are there any breed-specific health concerns I should be aware of?

Some breeds are predisposed to certain health conditions. Knowing what to watch out for can help you catch problems early and get your pet the treatment they need.

Do you have any questions for me about my pet?

This is a great question to ask because the answer will show that the vet is interested in getting to know your pet as an individual and is willing to listen to your concerns.

Bonus question: Can I take a tour of your facility?

Getting a feel for the clinic's environment can help you and your pet feel more comfortable during your visits. Remember, you’re not just looking for a veterinarian, you’re looking for a partnership. Do not be afraid to ask these questions and any others you can think of. Any vet worth their salt will be happy to answer them. Because the more informed you are, the better equipped you'll be to make decisions about your pet's care! And that should be every vet’s top priority.

Reviews from Google

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Michele Johnson

Everyone treats your fur baby like a child. Loving caring, even helps you after hours. Doctors are amazing . Highly recommend. Staff so very kind and helpful

posted: 07/10/2023

Leslie Murphy

I just did pictures for these guys and all the staff members were fantastic! I recommend bringing your pet here as well.

posted: 06/17/2023

fred wood

Had an incident between my dog and the neighbor dog, it ended up severally (mortally) wounding my own dog. Police responded to the incident and our normal vet in Spencer hadn’t yet returned the emergency call message we left so they recommended to call Dickinson County Animal Clinic to help provide emergency care. Upon their follow up to our voicemail, if your animal doesn’t regularly clinic with this establishment their best recommendation is to travel to Sioux Falls for emergency care. My poor suffering dog was put out of her misery an hour later once my normal vet was finished with another emergency call and could get to assisting us with our emergency. Dickinson County Animal Clinic has a terrible policy not to help animals in dire need of emergency medical assistance if they aren’t “regulars”! I would never spend my money at this clinic knowing they aren’t in it for the animals, and only for their own greed!

posted: 05/31/2023

Linda Peschon

I had an excellent pet visit with Dr Den Herder. He treated my dog out in the truck as the dog was infected with a highly contagious respiratory infection. He was gentle yet thorough. He jumped into the back of my truck to treat the dog’s ears, listen to his lungs and get a nasal swab for the laboratory. Everyone at the desk is friendly and efficient!

posted: 08/23/2022

Angie Keegan

Staff were thorough and friendly. We were there for a emergent visit, got in quickly and left with a full treatment plan. Our dog was feeling better that same day! Thank you!

posted: 08/16/2022