About

Being a pet owner is amazing, but we all know that there are days that are less than joyful. We’re here to help and walk with you through all of the ups and downs along the way. From the first phone call, you’ll feel a sense of our primary goal: How can we help your pet today? Our staff has first-hand knowledge of the emotional toll illnesses or injuries can have on you as a pet owner and our goal is to help you decide on the course of action that best suits you and your furry family members. We welcome pet parents who want to have a collaborative approach to their pets’ health and encourage you to become new members of our family!

Happy and healthy relationships with our pets and their people are the key foundations to our practice. We can help you meet your health care goals for your furry family members with open and honest communication about all aspects of your pets’ health, from the joy of your very first with a new puppy or kitten to the difficult decisions associated with end of life care.

We offer a variety of in-house and reference lab diagnostics to help treat or diagnose chronic or sudden illnesses and injuries and have access to a wide array of referral specialists in our area in the event of a disease or procedure requiring advanced intervention. Throughout your visit with us, you will experience a team who is concerned with ensuring the best options are always available to you, but we understand that this process can be overwhelming and stressful. As a member of our family, you do not have to worry about any question or concern being too small.

What is Fear Free?

One of the major cornerstones for how we care for your pets is to take into consideration not only the physical needs of your pets, but also their emotional status. Fear Free is a concept developed by a team of highly respected veterinary and pet professionals to help educate the world about the effects of stress and anxiety on pets and how not only medical care, but also pets’ daily lives can be transformed by recognizing and striving to eliminate these stressors! It’s been a widely accepted thought (even in pop culture) that vet visits will probably be somewhat stressful, but we want to change this! Stress should not be the norm! Brittani, our wonderful RVT, and Dr. Begemann are both certified Fear Free Professionals and are committed to making our practice a happy place for our furry family members.

What Does Okoboji Mean?

Weird name, right? Take a look at this message from Dr. Begemann about the deeply personal meaning of the name of our hospital:

“The process in naming your business is harder than one would expect. How do you name something in a way to properly convey the message you want the world to associate with you and your brand? After much deliberation and many ideas that just didn’t seem to quite fit, I chose Okoboji. The name ‘Okoboji’ is one not many would recognize; it stems from an area in northern Iowa where my grandparents grew up as well as the kennel name they chose to associate with the Great Danes they raised. My grandmother always told me that the word means ‘a place of peace and rest’ and I truly hope that Okoboji Veterinary Hospital can be exactly that for any pet owners that need guidance in any aspect of their pets’ lives, whether in good health or in illness or injury. The name Okoboji to me means family and I hope that it can mean that for you as well.”