Cascade Hospital for Animals and Breton Village Animal Clinic are pleased to welcome Dr. Julie Wesselink to our talented team of veterinarians! Dr. Wesselink comes to us from her most recent position at a clinic in southwest Michigan. 

As a veterinary hospital in the midwest, we get a lot of questions about preventative medications. For example, “Why do I need to give my pet heartworm protection in the winter when there are no mosquitos around?” Well, while it’s true that we are for the most part free of mosquitos this time of year, it’s still important to keep giving your pet their parasite prevention medication all year long, no matter what the weather is like.

As veterinary professionals, we can never emphasize enough the importance of regular dental care for dogs and cats. There’s a reason the entire month of February is dedicated to pet dental health! Recently, a CHFA staff member saw in living color the importance of maintaining healthy mouths for our pets.

Your love for your pets can overcome anything, but at times their behavior causes stress and friction for the entire family, especially when you don’t know where it’s coming from or what to do about it. Whether the cat has stopped using his litter box or the dog is barking at strangers during his walk, these issues make life difficult for everyone.

Winter has hit West Michigan in full force, and along with cold weather, shorter days, and snow come dogs’ winter coats. “Many dogs have a different type of coat in the wintertime that’s thicker and heavier,” said CHFA groomer Brittney. To some dog owners, it may seem like a good plan to leave that heavy coat alone until spring. According to Brittney, however, maintaining your pet’s coat, including regular professional grooming, can be more critical during the winter than at any other time of year.

Cascade Hospital for Animals and Breton Village Animal Clinic are excited to announce that Dr. Holly Mincks has joined our veterinary team! Dr. Mincks is passionate about her career. “What I really love about vet medicine is the problem-solving. It's so, so rewarding when pets come in with a problem and they're feeling really crummy and you can figure out what the problem is and how to fix it and they can feel better. And when the pets are happy, that strengthens the bond they have with their humans,” she said.

Cascade Hospital for Animals and Breton Village Animal Clinic are proud to bring Dr. Grace Longcore on board! Dr. Longcore began her career at Animal Emergency Hospital, where she worked before joining us.

For some cat lovers, their family just isn’t complete with one cat! And while there are many advantages to having more than one cat—they keep each other active and mentally stimulated for starters—there are many considerations and necessary first steps before making your household a multicat one.

For many years, there has been an issue across the veterinary world that the pandemic only worsened: a shortage of licensed veterinary technicians, now more commonly called registered veterinary nurses (RVN). It’s difficult to fully account for the shortage, but to make up for it, many veterinarians employ non-credentialed assistants to carry out certain tasks.

When your pet suffers an injury that affects daily functioning, surgery is an important option to consider. Your veterinarian will weigh the advantages and disadvantages of different types of surgeries to treat the injury and work with you to determine the best treatment for your pet.