FAQs – Highland Animal Hospital in Dunedin, FL
Highland Animal Hospital provides veterinary care for dogs and cats in Dunedin, FL, and surrounding Gulf Coast communities. Our services range from wellness and vaccinations to diagnostics, dentistry, surgery, behavioral counseling, boarding, and grooming, and this FAQ answers common questions about veterinary care, urgent concerns, preventive care, and keeping pets healthy in Florida.
New Clients and General Care
Where is Highland Animal Hospital located?
Highland Animal Hospital is located at 399 Patricia Avenue, Dunedin, FL 34698. We serve pet families in Dunedin and throughout the surrounding Gulf Coast communities.
What are your hours?
Our regular hours are as follows:
- Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to noon
- Sunday: Closed
Please plan routine appointments and boarding drop-offs or pickups around our posted business hours.
How do I contact Highland Animal Hospital?
You can reach our Dunedin veterinary clinic at 727-733-4191 or use our Contact page for general inquiries. If you have an urgent or time-sensitive concern about your pet, call us directly.
How do I become a client of Highland Animal Hospital?
You can become a client by scheduling your pet’s first examination with our veterinary team. New clients can call 727-733-4191 or use our appointment request form to request a visit.
You may also want to ask about our New Client Special Offers. We are currently offering a limited $1 New Client “Nose to Tail” Exam, subject to availability.
What pets do you treat?
We provide veterinary care for dogs and cats. Our team has experience caring for different breeds, personalities, and life stages, and we tailor our recommendations to each individual companion.
What makes your veterinary clinic different?
Our hospital has cared for pets in Dunedin and surrounding communities for more than five decades, with an emphasis on lifelong preventive care, communication, education, and respect for the bond between pets and their people. We also have separate canine and feline waiting areas, hallways, and exam rooms, which can help make veterinary visits more comfortable for dogs and cats.
Emergency and Urgent Care
What signs mean my pet needs veterinary care immediately?
Pets with potentially serious symptoms should receive prompt veterinary attention rather than waiting for a routine appointment. Contact our veterinary team during business hours if your pet develops concerning signs such as:
- Difficulty breathing or severe respiratory distress
- Collapse, unresponsiveness, or extreme weakness
- Seizures
- Severe bleeding or a serious injury
- Sudden inability to walk or marked pain
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhea accompanied by significant weakness
- Suspected poisoning or ingestion of a dangerous substance
- Signs of severe heatstroke
If your pet’s condition is life-threatening or occurs outside our regular hours, seek care from an emergency veterinary hospital rather than submitting an online appointment request.
Can I request an urgent appointment online?
It’s best not to use the online appointment form for an urgent health concern. Our website instructs pet owners to call the practice immediately for urgent concerns, while after-hours emergencies should be handled by an emergency veterinary hospital.
How can I protect my pet from Florida heat and severe weather?
Protecting your pet from Florida’s heat means limiting strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day and providing access to shade and fresh water. Excessive panting, heavy drooling, weakness, vomiting, disorientation, or collapse can be signs of heatstroke and require immediate veterinary attention.
During Florida’s storm season, prepare ahead by keeping food, water, medications, identification information, and an evacuation plan ready for your pet. Storms can be stressful for pets and their people, so planning ahead gives you more options if your companion becomes anxious or uncomfortable.
Services and Medical Care
What veterinary services do you offer?
We provide comprehensive veterinary services for dogs and cats, including wellness care, vaccinations, dentistry, laboratory testing, ECG, general surgery, microchipping, behavioral counseling, boarding, grooming, and pet pain management. Our hospital also has a modern surgical suite, in-house X-ray capabilities, a supervised hospitalization area, and indoor boarding kennels with outdoor walking areas.
Review our complete Veterinary Services page to learn more about the medical and preventive care available for your pet.
What diagnostic services are available for my pet?
Our veterinary diagnostics include on-site X-rays, ECG evaluations, and in-house laboratory testing, including serum chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, and parasite testing. When specialized testing or an expert opinion is needed, we can also use commercial veterinary laboratories and arrange consultations with board-certified veterinary specialists.
Our diagnostic services help us investigate health problems that a physical examination alone may not identify.
Can you help with pet behavior problems?
We provide training and veterinary behavioral counseling for concerns such as house-training problems, aggression, excessive barking, destructive behavior, separation anxiety, and biting or chewing. Our approach uses positive techniques and rewards, and we can refer more in-depth training needs to a certified, highly credentialed expert.
Some of the issues we can help with include:
- House-training problems
- Aggression
- Excessive barking
- Destructive behavior
- Separation anxiety
- Biting and chewing
Our behavioral counseling services can be helpful when a behavior change is affecting your pet’s daily life or your relationship with your companion.
How can you help manage my pet’s pain?
We provide individualized pet pain management based on your companion’s condition and clinical needs. Pain management is one of Dr. Finkelstein’s particular professional interests, and we take changes in comfort and mobility seriously. Our veterinarians evaluate signs of discomfort and develop treatment recommendations aimed at helping pets remain as comfortable and active as possible.
Preventative Care and Ongoing Support
How often should my pet have a wellness examination?
We recommend bi-annual wellness examinations for our patients. Regular visits give us opportunities to monitor your pet’s health, identify potential problems earlier, review preventive care, and adjust recommendations as your companion moves through different life stages.
Our wellness and vaccination care is adapted to each pet’s changing health needs rather than relying on exactly the same plan for every animal.
Does Highland Animal Hospital offer pet boarding and grooming?
Yes, we offer boarding and grooming for established patients. A preliminary meet-and-greet is required before a pet’s first boarding stay, and all boarding pets must be current on flea prevention and required vaccinations.
Dogs receive individual walks in a fenced yard at least three times each day, while cats have a cage-free boarding area separated from dogs, with climbing towers, toys, feline pheromones, and classical music. Our boarding environment is designed to provide familiar veterinary oversight while you are traveling or away from home.
