Vet Clinic Growth Leads to Expansion

Dr. Chad Anema and the crew at The Dunes Animal Hospital will soon be barking up a new tree. The Animal care facility will be relocating to a new construction, free standing facility just before the holidays.

The new building, located at 387 West Steamboat Dr., will offer its furry clients more space for exams and surgeries, oversized kennels for boarding and a new retail area for pet products.

A Pet Resort of Sorts

"At the new facility, in the back, we're going to have an expanded area with these 8 feet by 4.5 feet runs," Anema explained. "And they're going to have tempered glass front doors, so they don't feel like they're in a cage."

In addition to the spacious indoor kennels, dogs will have an outdoor run area, protected by a 6 foot privacy fence.

"This place has been a good place to start, but we're bursting at the seams," Anema explained of his current 1500 square foot location at the Village Square shopping center in Dakota Dunes. The clinic serves pets in Dakota Dunes, North Sioux City, Jefferson, Elk Point, Sioux City and surrounding communities.

"We have a lot of really good clients, and we want to make sure we have services to offer them," Anema explained of the need to for the expansion. His current facility can board 15-20 pets. The new building should be able to accommodate up to 50 four-legged guests.

With the added space and boarding options, Anema is thinking of changing the business name to reflect the new services. The new business may be known as The Dunes Animal Hospital and Pet Resort. The name change hasn't been finalized yet.

More Space for Everyone

The 3500 square foot building will have three examination rooms to serve the increasing number of patients that are seen at the clinic. A larger surgery suite and x-ray room will also be available to Anema's clients.

"We just need more room for everything," Anema explained.

Employees of the clinic will also have a much anticipated employee break lounge. And, in the near future, Anema would like to increase his current four person staff. The possibility of adding another veterinarian and office staff has been considered.

Same Great Service

The Dunes Animal Clinic will still offer their patients the same great service they have known since the clinic opened in March of 2006.

The clinic offers services to companion animal pets including cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, reptiles and hamsters, to name a few.

Anema and the staff like to take a proactive approach towards the wellness of pets.

"We try to prevent disease as much as we can," Anema explained. "If you catch those things early, there are some simple, inexpensive things you can do."

Routine wellness visits, vaccinations, microchipping, dental care and check-ups are important to maintaining a pet's health, according to Anema.

"Most clients, they want to take care of their pets. Sometimes they just don't know the right things to do, that's why were here to help them," Anema said.

The animal hospital also treats diseases, injuries and illness. The staff has the ability to draw blood onsite.

"We don't have to send it to an outside lab. We have our own lab right here. We can run it in half an hour, and have our blood results. We can treat based on the evidence," Anema explained. "In an acute case, a day makes a difference."

The ability to take and process their own x-rays and blood work makes the animal care at The Dunes Animal Hospital top notch.

"It helps you practice better medicine," Anema explained of the access he and his staff have to these technologies.

Since most of his patient's can only communicate with a wag or a whimper, it's best to have routine check-ups to keep a pet healthy.

"It's really like pediatric medicine. They can't tell you," Anema explained of his unique patients.

Pain management for pets is also available at the vet clinic. Medications can be prescribed, before and after surgery to help alleviate pain. Pets effected by arthritis and extended illness can be made comfortable.

"There are a lot of things you can do now in veterinary medicine that can make those dogs live a happier life, longer," Anema explained.

A Midwest Connection

Anema and his family relocated to the Midwest after practicing medicine in California. A native of Sanborn, Iowa, Anema always knew he wanted to relocate back to the heartland.

"We kind of always thought once we had kids, we'd come back to the Midwest. We both grew up in the Midwest and kind of liked the Midwest values, schools."

Amena's wife, Corina, is originally from Hartley, Iowa. She is a nurse and master's student in nursing education at Briar Cliff University. She also teaches nursing classes at WITCC.

The couple have two young sons, Ethan and Luke.

The family lives in Dakota Dunes, and loves the close proximity to the clinic.

"I can be there in a minute," Anema explains to his emergency patients. "It's easy, and it allows me to come back easily and check on patients."

Anema attended Dordt College for his undergraduate in Biology, and then graduated from Veterinary School at Iowa State University before practicing medicine in California and South Dakota.

***This article was originally published in the North Sioux City / Dakota Dunes Times newspaper by Sedgwick Publishing.***