Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital

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Red Deer, AB
Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital

Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital is a 24 hour Emergency Hospital as well as a General Practice.
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Privately owned and AAHA Certified Veterinary and Animal Emergency Hospital offering a wide range of services including medicine, surgery, reproduction, rehabilitation and emergency medicine. If your pet has an emergency, please don't hesitate to call our number 403-347-2676, or 403-347-3277. We do work on a triage based system, meaning that more critical patients are seen first.

06/13/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Stephanie! 🎉

We are so excited to share some incredible news—one of our amazing RVT’s, Stephanie, has been accepted into veterinary school! 🩺

Stephanie completed her Bachelor of Science from Burman University in 2019 and earned her Animal Health Technology diploma from NAIT in 2021. Since then, she has been a valued member of our team, bringing compassion, dedication, and a genuine love for animals to every patient she cares for.

Outside of the clinic, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her daughter, family, and friends. You’ll often find her reading, hiking, exploring the outdoors, or taking part in just about any activity involving animals. Her energetic soon-to-be five-year-old dog keeps her busy, but has also been the perfect companion for many adventures along the way.

Stephanie has already made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many patients, clients, and coworkers throughout her RVT career. Her kindness, knowledge, and dedication to animal care have left a lasting impression on both the people and pets she has cared for. While we’re proud to celebrate everything she has accomplished as an RVT, we are just as excited to support her as she begins this new journey toward becoming a veterinarian.

Please join us in congratulating Stephanie on this amazing achievement. We are incredibly proud of her and can’t wait to see all that she accomplishes in the years ahead. 🩺

06/11/2026

Have you noticed the pet portraits hanging around our hospital?

They're not stock photos, they're our pets!

These portraits tell a little story about the people who work here. Behind every staff member is usually a pet (or several) that they absolutely adore!

The goofy ones.
The seniors.
The troublemakers.
The pets that somehow take up the entire bed.

The ones that remind us every day why we do what we do!

We spend a lot of time getting to know your pets, so it's fun to be able to share a little bit about ours too.

Next time you're visiting the hospital, take a look around and see how many team pets you can spot on the walls. You might even recognize a few faces from stories we've shared over the years.

H&H Photography- Jesse Hamaliuk

06/09/2026

What an incredible weekend celebrating 10 amazing years with all of you! We feel so grateful to have shared this milestone with such an amazing community.

Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $1,000 for the Central Alberta Humane Society, which will go directly toward helping animals in their care. That’s something really special to be part of!

A huge thank you to our wonderful local vendors—KCG Laser Cutting & Design (Red Deer), Dawgs Bakery (Red Deer), Cookies by Brynley (Lacombe), and TileOne (Red Deer)—for their incredible contributions. We’re proud to support local businesses that help make events like this so meaningful!

We’d also like to extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsors for their generous donations, which made it possible to offer so many fantastic raffle baskets and prizes. And of course, congratulations to all of our raffle winners!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of this celebration and for supporting us over the past 10 years. We couldn’t have done it without you ♥️🐾💙

06/08/2026

How We're Working to Make Veterinary Visits Less Stressful!

Our team spent a day learning about ways to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in our patients.

What made this training special was that it included team members from across the hospital. From veterinarians and RVTs to assistants, managers, and support staff, everyone came together with the same goal: finding ways to make veterinary visits a little less stressful for our patients.

The training focused on understanding patient behavior, low-stress handling techniques, communication, patient comfort, and practical ways we can help pets feel more relaxed while they're in our care.

One of the biggest takeaways was that every pet is different. What helps one patient feel comfortable may not help another, which is why we continue to learn, adapt, and tailor our approach to the individual pet in front of us.

Since the training, we've continued incorporating many of those ideas throughout the hospital. Things like non-slip mats, different muzzle options, hypoallergenic treats, sound machines in areas such as our cat room, ICU, and radiology areas, and discussing pre-visit medications for pets who find veterinary visits particularly stressful.

You know your pet better than anyone. If there are things that help them feel more comfortable, concerns you have before an appointment, or experiences that have worked well in the past, we'd love to hear them! A conversation before the appointment can often make a big difference, so don't hesitate to let us know when booking if your pet is nervous or anxious about veterinary visits.

We're proud of the time our team invested in this training and excited to continue bringing what we learned into our daily practice.

We're always looking for ways to improve. What would you like to see incorporated to help make veterinary visits less stressful for your pet?

06/05/2026

🎉 Reminder: Cedarwood's 10-Year Celebration is Almost Here! 🎉

We’re just a day away from celebrating 10 amazing years of compassionate, privately owned veterinary care under the leadership of Dr. Dagmar Schouten and Ronnel Palmer, RVT!

📅 Saturday, June 6
⏰ 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 7644 Gaetz Avenue, Red Deer, AB

Join us for a fun-filled day with:

BBQ (by donation)
Raffles, prizes & giveaways
Custom sugar cookies
Treats for dogs and cats
Family-friendly activities, contests, trivia, coloring pages, stuffed animal bandaging, slideshows, and more!

This celebration is our way of saying thank you to the incredible pets, families, and community who have supported Cedarwood over the past decade. We are honored to be part of your pets' lives and look forward to celebrating with you!

All donations and proceeds from the event will support the Central Alberta Humane Society.

We can't wait to see you there! Bring your family, bring your friends, and help us celebrate 10 years of caring for Central Alberta's pets.

06/04/2026

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years: Meet RVT, Ronnel Palmer! 🎉
As part of our 10-Year Celebration, we're shining a spotlight on the owners behind Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital—and today, we're excited to introduce one of the owners, Ronnel Palmer!

Hello, I am Ronnel Palmer, a Registered Veterinary Technician from Craik SK and I
graduated from SIAST Kelsey Campus in 2002. After school I moved to Alberta and worked in a few practices before settling in Red Deer, Alberta at Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital in 2007. I met my business partner Dr. Dagmar Schouten that year as we both started our employment at Cedarwood under Dr. Ken Hubbard around the same time. When Dr. Hubbard retired in 2016, Dagmar and I purchased both Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital and Animal Emergency Hospital and amalgamated the practices around 2022 where it was renamed as Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital (CWAEH). When I joined the Cedarwood team in 2007 I never would have imagined where the clinic and I would be at.
I am married to Chris Palmer, a Journeyman Carpenter who now works for the City of Red Deer and together we have three kids; 16 year old Kassandra, 14 year old
Adrianna and 12 year old Samuel. We also have 3, 4 legged animals, Stanley-a 9 year old Golden Retrieve, Kooper- a 6 year old Labrador Retriever and Milo a 5 year old Domestic Medium Hair who thinks he is a dog. I joined Search and Rescue with my Labrador who loves to use his nose, but after a knee injury had to step away and am now trying to find the time to make it back. Work keeps me busy and when I am not at the clinic I enjoy time with my family, running kids from one event to the next, take my dogs out for runs where I can enjoy nature.

I am happy with making the decision to join veterinary medicine in the capacity of an RVT, being able to watch and be apart of how the profession has changed and evolved over the years has been rewarding. Dr. Hubbard gave me a gentle push into the reproduction side of the practice in 2010 and since being apart of this department I have found a passion in this area and enjoy the relationships I have developed with the clients. Over the past 24 years I have continued to learn and develop my skills including in reproduction, anesthesia, and I am currently working on my Rehabilitation course. Dagmar and I have grown the practice over the past 10 years 35 people to 113 today staff and have continued to develop and grow during this time. We have faced many challenges including COVID an ever changing economy and we continue to navigate and work together during these times. We believe in our practice, what we have to offer and the amazing staff who work with us everyday. We want every client to feel valued and every patient to have the best possible care.
I have enjoyed the last 10 years of ownership and can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring!

06/03/2026

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years: Meet Dr. Dagmar Schouten! 🎉

As part of our 10-Year Celebration, we're shining a spotlight on the owners behind Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital—and today, we're excited to introduce one of the owners, Dr. Dagmar Schouten!

"Hello, I am Dr. Dagmar Schouten, a small animal veterinarian born in the Netherlands and who graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2000. I moved around some (North Carolina, Virginia and then Calgary) before settling in Red Deer, Alberta at Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital in 2007. I met my business partner Ronnel Palmer, RVT that year as we both started our employment at Cedarwood under Dr. Ken Hubbard around the same time. When Dr. Hubbard retired in 2016, Ronnel and I purchased the clinic, which was by then known as Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital(CWAEH). I can't believe 10 years have flown by, or that I have been at this wonderful practice for 19 years!

CWAEH is a huge part of who I am, I absolutely love my job and love this practice. I am married to Dr. Graham Keys, a double board certified surgeon who works with me at CWAEH, and we have two kids; 20 year old Femke and 17 year old Karsten. My mom, Beatrix, has lived with us for the past 19 years helping raise Femke and Karsten, allowing me to be a mom while also dedicating a lot of my life to my career as a veterinarian. We currently have 8 dogs (well with another pup this month...9 dogs) with 5 Border Collies, a Kelpie, a Bantam Bulldog and a resident Sheltie in our household. Outside of the clinic, I am a passionate dog agility addict and this game has allowed me to travel to many places with our dogs as part of Team Canada. Most of my days are filled with days at the clinic, soccer with Karsten and dog agility, and more dog agility.... and maybe a peloton:). I am so thankful for this career that I love, I often say I am a dog trapped in a human body, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. I love seeing my regular clients with their dogs and kitties, while I also just love too many things in my career: emergency medicine, surgery, lameness, reproduction etc. etc... except dermatology...the one thing I don't enjoy trying to figure out... so I am ever so lucky to have spent the last 19 years also working with Dr. Tara Dixon, who is a very skilled veterinarian in that area!!

I have just loved the last 10 years on this journey (as Ken Hubbard would say... :) ) with Ronnel. Ownership is challenging but also rewarding. We have an amazing team that has grown from 35 people in 2016 to over 100 in our current team. I love the supportive nature of our team, helping each other day in and day out to do the best we can for the pets and clients that come through our doors. I wrote this bio without my assistant Crystal's help... there are not many things I do at work without her input :). Thank you for trusting us to care for your pets, we really love our work so much!!"

06/01/2026

What does a typical day look like for a general practice veterinarian?

The answer: there really isn't one!

Our general practice veterinarians have one of the broadest roles in pet healthcare. On any given day, they may move between surgery, dentistry, preventive care, diagnostics, and managing chronic medical conditions—sometimes within the same hour.

It's easy to think of a wellness visit as "just vaccines," but those appointments are often where some of the most important conversations happen. A subtle change you've noticed at home, a new lump found during a belly rub, a change in appetite, or a concern about mobility can be the first clue that something isn't quite right.

One of the things we value most at our hospital is collaboration—not just between our doctors, but with you! You know your pet better than anyone. The information you share, the questions you ask, and the changes you notice at home all play an important role in helping us provide the best possible care.

Our doctors regularly work together, discussing cases, reviewing diagnostics, and drawing on each other's experience. Combined with the insights that pet owners bring to every appointment, it creates a team approach focused on what matters most: your pet's health and well-being.

Every patient is different. Every family is different. And every pet's story is unique.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received from your veterinary team? We'd love to hear it!

05/28/2026

Itchy pet season is officially here — and we’re seeing a lot of allergies walk through our doors lately!

If your dog or cat has been licking their paws nonstop, scratching their ears, rubbing their face on the carpet, or waking you up in the middle of the night with the sound of chewing… you are definitely not alone this time of year.

At Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital, we see everything from mild seasonal allergies to more severe allergic reactions requiring urgent care. Allergies can show up in many different ways, and often pets become itchy long before owners realize just how uncomfortable they are.

Some common signs we watch for include:
Paw licking and chewing
Recurring ear infections
Red or irritated skin
Hair loss or hot spots
Scooting or overgrooming
Facial swelling or hives
Vomiting or diarrhea after exposures

One of our veterinarians, Dr. Tara Dixon, has a strong interest in dermatology and helping pets struggling with chronic skin and allergy issues. Allergies can be frustrating for both pets and owners, especially when symptoms keep coming back, so having a plan tailored to your pet can make a huge difference.

Our hospital offers a wide range of services that can help support allergy patients, including dermatology consultations, diagnostics, in-house laboratory testing, medical management, support for chronic discomfort, and 24/7 emergency care if reactions become more severe.

You could say some pets are really itching to get outside this time of year… unfortunately, their allergies sometimes come with them.

If your pet seems uncomfortable, itchy, or just not like themselves lately, don’t wait too long to have them checked. Allergies often worsen over time if left untreated, and early management can help keep pets much more comfortable heading into the warmer months.

05/25/2026

Comprehensive Care, All Under One Roof!

Luna recently underwent a bilateral Tibial Tuberosity Transposition (TTT) surgery at Cedarwood Veterinary & Animal Emergency Hospital, and her recovery journey has been nothing short of inspiring — and adorable.

From advanced orthopedic surgery to personalized rehabilitation therapy, Luna’s case highlights how multiple departments within our hospital work together to support our patients every step of the way.

Our surgical team performed Luna’s procedure with the goal of improving her comfort and mobility, while our rehabilitation team has been helping her rebuild strength and confidence through underwater treadmill therapy, targeted exercises, and laser therapy.

And honestly… she may just be the cutest rehab patient ever. Luna has been stealing hearts throughout every session!

Recoveries like Luna’s are a reminder that healing doesn’t stop after surgery. Continued rehabilitation, monitoring, and dedicated follow-up care all play an important role in helping pets return to a happy, comfortable life.

At Cedarwood, our surgery, rehabilitation, and patient care teams work together to provide seamless care throughout every stage of recovery — all under one roof.

We are so proud of you, Luna!

Address

7644 Gaetz Avenue
Red Deer, AB
T4P2A8

Telephone

+14033472676

Website

http://www.cedarwoodvet.ca/

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