Upleash Veterinary Hospital

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Upleash Veterinary Hospital Exceptional Veterinary Care Rooted in Compassion and Expertise

Stop out to Scheel’s and see Isabel, Winnie and Dr Spoo for the pheasant opener event. They will have a limited number o...
10/15/2026

Stop out to Scheel’s and see Isabel, Winnie and Dr Spoo for the pheasant opener event. They will have a limited number of first aid kits, Dr Spoo’s new book and Upleash water bowls. And don’t worry we know the real reason everyone stops by is Winnie!!

Come out to Scheel’s and see Isabel, Winnie and Dr Spoo in the Gundogdoc booth. We will have Dr Spoo’s book, first aid k...
10/15/2026

Come out to Scheel’s and see Isabel, Winnie and Dr Spoo in the Gundogdoc booth. We will have Dr Spoo’s book, first aid kits and Upleash water dishes. Stop by the booth and say hi! They will be there Thursday and Friday!

09/28/2026

We usually think of hotspots as a summer condition but with all the rain we have had recently, combined with hunting seasons opening, we also see them in the fall. In this video Dr. Evan Ward talks about what you can do to manage these at home and when you may want to get your pup into the vet.

09/15/2026

Today’s reel is not for the squeamish, but it was an exciting one for the staff at the clinic.

In this video, I remove a Cuterebra larva from a dog’s leg.

Cuterebra often appear as a swelling with a small hole in the center, so they can easily be mistaken for a cut, puncture wound, or abscess. That little opening is actually a breathing hole for the larva living underneath the skin.

Dogs are incidental hosts and typically pick them up while exploring areas frequented by rabbits and other small mammals.

Removal is usually pretty straightforward, but we often need to enlarge the opening to safely extract the larva intact. This is why you shouldn’t try to squeeze one out at home. Crushing or rupturing the larva can cause significant local inflammation and make it much more difficult to completely remove.

Once the Cuterebra is out and the area is cleaned, these usually heal quickly and, despite looking pretty horrifying, are generally relatively harmless.

Gross? Absolutely.
Cool? The Upleash staff certainly thought so.

08/20/2026

Winnie Wednesday 🐾 — The Great Dewclaw Debate

Remove them or leave them?

For years, removing dewclaws from certain breeds was routine. More recently, the pendulum has swung the other direction, with claims that dewclaws are important for athletic function and that removing them may contribute to carpal arthritis.

The truth?
The science isn’t nearly as definitive as the internet would have you believe.

Yes, the front dewclaw is a functional digit. We can see it engage when dogs run, turn, climb, and grip.

But we don’t have good evidence showing that removing it causes carpal arthritis.

On the flip side, dewclaws can certainly be injured, particularly in active dogs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every puppy needs them removed to prevent an injury that may never happen.

So where do I land?
I’m comfortable with either decision, as long as there’s some thought behind it.

Vi and Boomer had theirs removed. Winnie has hers. I don’t lose any sleep over either.

What matters a whole lot more to me is taking care of the nails your dog does have. Dewclaws are especially easy to forget because they don’t wear against the ground, and an overgrown nail can create a very real problem.

For more on keeping those nails healthy, check out Sami’s nail-care video this week.

Sometimes the answer in medicine isn’t “always” or “never.”

Sometimes it’s just: understand the tradeoffs and make a thoughtful decision.

08/12/2026

Winnie Wednesdays 🐾

If you have young kids and a puppy at home...welcome to the minefield. 😅

Every day is a game of “What did she find now?”

This week alone, Winnie decided a crate pad and part of her kennel stand looked like a pretty good snack. Fortunately, we caught it before it became a much bigger problem.

One of the most common emergencies we see in young dogs is foreign body ingestions, socks, toys, underwear, rocks, corn cobs...if it fits in their mouth, there’s a good chance they’ll at least consider swallowing it.

Puppies explore the world with their mouths, and when little kids are involved, there always seems to be another toy, stuffed animal, or stray sock waiting to be discovered.

That’s why management is so important.

When we can’t actively supervise Winnie, she goes into a puppy pen or her crate. It’s not a punishment—it’s simply the safest place for her to be until she learns what belongs in her mouth and what doesn’t.

And if you think your puppy swallowed something they shouldn’t...
Don’t wait.

Getting them to your veterinarian early may allow us to safely induce vomiting before that object reaches the intestines. It’s safer for your puppy, much less stressful for everyone involved, and far less expensive than an exploratory surgery.

A little prevention, and a quick phone call when you’re worried, can save a whole lot of heartache.

08/05/2026

Winnie Wednesdays 🐾

One of the questions I hear a lot this time of year is:
“When should I switch my puppy off large breed puppy food?”

The answer isn’t a specific birthday.

It depends on the dog.

In general, the larger the dog’s expected adult size, the longer I recommend staying on a large breed puppy formula. These diets are designed to support controlled growth by balancing calories, calcium, phosphorus, and other nutrients while your puppy’s skeleton is still developing.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is switching too early because hunting season is approaching and owners worry their young dog will need more calories.

Here’s how I think about it:

🐾 If your puppy is still growing, they probably shouldn’t be working hard enough to require a performance diet.

🐾 If your dog is mature enough to truly need a performance formula, they’re probably no longer benefiting from a large breed puppy diet.

There’s also very little downside to staying on a large breed puppy formula a little longer. I’d much rather see a puppy transition a month or two late than rush the process while they’re still developing.

Remember, you’re not just feeding today’s puppy.

You’re building the dog you’ll have for the next 10–15 years.
Take your time, build them well, and let them grow into the athlete they’re meant to become.

First, if you need a photographer you will not find a better one than Little White Dog Pet Photography I have been blown...
08/03/2026

First, if you need a photographer you will not find a better one than Little White Dog Pet Photography I have been blown away by all of her images and you will not meet a nicer person. Second, these pictures and the captions are probably the best thing on the internet!!!

07/23/2026

Winnie Wednesdays 🐾

Parasites are one of the few health problems that are almost entirely preventable...yet we’ve diagnosed quite a few positive f***l samples recently.

One of the biggest reasons? Puppies don’t stay puppies for long.
Since we brought Winnie home, she’s already moved into her third size of parasite prevention. As our puppies grow, it’s easy to forget their medication needs to grow with them.

The other thing many pet owners don’t realize is that not all parasite preventatives are created equal. Different products protect against different parasites, and some provide much broader coverage than others.

That’s why it’s important to have a conversation with your veterinarian about which product is the best fit for your dog’s lifestyle—not just grab the first option you see online.

At Upleash, we’ve chosen Credelio Quattro because we believe it offers one of the broadest spectrums of protection available with an excellent safety profile. An added benefit is that when purchased through your veterinarian, manufacturers often stand behind their products, helping cover the cost of diagnostics and treatment if a covered parasite infection occurs despite proper use.

The takeaway is simple:
✔️ Keep your puppy on the correct weight range.
✔️ Make sure you’re protecting against the parasites your dog is actually exposed to.
✔️ Don’t be afraid to ask your veterinarian why they recommend one product over another.

A few minutes of prevention today can save your dog—and your wallet—a lot of trouble tomorrow.


07/16/2026

Winnie Wednesdays 🐾

One of the biggest obstacles in dog training isn’t the dog.
It’s our own confidence.

Winnie learned “hup,” “place,” and “here” surprisingly quickly. And that’s where many of us make the same mistake, we assume because our puppy understands a command in the backyard, they’ve truly learned it.

They haven’t.

Learning a behavior and performing it consistently in new places, around distractions, and under excitement are two very different things.

For puppies born in late winter and early spring, we’re entering an exciting time of year. Fall isn’t that far away, and if you’re hoping to hunt, compete, or simply have a well-mannered companion, now is the time to start gradually increasing the challenge.

Take those commands to a new location. Add a few distractions. Increase distance. Ask for a little more.

But don’t lose sight of the goal.
Keep it fun.
Keep building confidence.

And remember that this first season isn’t about creating a finished dog, it’s about laying the foundation for the next ten.

Too many young dogs are asked to be veterans before they’ve had a chance to simply enjoy being puppies.

Slow down, enjoy the process, and celebrate the small wins along the way.

After all, they grow up far faster than we’d like.

Address

208 W. 37th Street
Sioux Falls, SD
57105

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+16052713442

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