1989
A nursing degree, not a veterinary one
Kim Vercande qualified in nursing at the University of Iowa and went to work in OB/GYN at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Best Friends Veterinary Care · 252 Scott Ct, Iowa City
Your pet's family doctor in Iowa City, since 2012.
Dr. Kim Vercande has looked after dogs and cats in this town since 2002 and opened Best Friends herself in November 2012. Adopted from a shelter or a rescue in the last two weeks? The first exam is free.
The record
A clinic is only ever the people who keep turning up to it.
Four of us, one building on Scott Court, and dogs and cats only. That is deliberately small. It means the person who examined your dog last spring is the person examining her this spring, and remembers her.
Dr. Kim is a member of the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association. She lives in Hills with her Labrador, Scarlet.
Meet the four of us2002
Back to Iowa City, as a veterinarian
After her own dog Abby was cared for through cancer by a local vet and the staff and students at Iowa State, she went to the College of Veterinary Medicine, took her DVM, and came home to practise.
Nov 2012
Best Friends opens on Scott Court
Her own practice, built to do quality and affordable work in what she calls a more homelike setting.
2022
Lyvia Yoder joins, RVT
Straight out of the veterinary technician programme at Kirkwood, registered after passing her boards that summer.
2023
Gwen finishes at Kirkwood
She had already interned here in the summer of 2022. She fosters dogs and cats, and rides English and Western.
May 2024
Kristin Keith takes the front desk
Thirty years a hairstylist in Iowa City before this, which is a longer apprenticeship in putting people at ease than most reception training.
What a more homelike setting actually means
No kennel bank, no queue, no one shouting over a PA.
Dr. Kim's phrase for what she built is a more homelike setting, and this is what it looks like from the inside: a back room where the dogs settle rather than pace. Pets who are frightened of the vet are frightened of the room, the noise and the hurry. There is not much of any of those here.
What we do here
Four things, done properly, for dogs and cats.
Everything below is work that happens in this building, by the people named on the about page. Where something is better done by a specialist, we say so and we refer it out rather than attempt it.
Wellness
Wellness care and vaccinations
A full nose to tail exam once a year for a healthy adult, more often for puppies, kittens, seniors and any pet carrying something. The vaccination series starts at six to eight weeks, and the protocol is built around your pet's actual life, not a standard schedule.
Wellness details
Medical & dentalMedical and dental careBloods and urine run here for kidney, liver, thyroid and adrenal function, with referral out for ultrasound, endoscopy and biopsy. Dental disease shows up in over eighty percent of dogs by age three, so we scale, polish and fluoride with ultrasonic equipment and laser the gum line afterwards.Medical & dental
SurgerySurgical careSpay and neuter, mass removal, wound and eyelid repair, cherry eye. Pre-anaesthetic testing before, vitals watched throughout, pain medication before, during and after, and medication that goes home with you. Orthopedic and complex work goes to a board-certified surgeon.Surgery
LaserClass IV therapeutic laserDrug free, pain free, cleared for veterinary use since 2005, and standard here rather than an add-on: every surgical site and every dental gum line gets treated. Two to ten minutes per area, and the studies put laser-treated wounds at a third to a half less healing time.Laser
From the chart
Three patients, in their owners' own words.
Left exactly as they were written, including the spelling of Dr. Vercande's name.
We love taking Rosie Girl to Best Friends Veterinary Care Dr Kim Vercunde & Staff are all kind and caring, we adopted Rosie about 1 year ago from Iowa City Animal Shelter she is a 2 year old Blue Heeler and can be reactive to other dogs she receives excellent loving care from them 100% all the time thanks to a wonderful team
Dr. Vercande and her staff do an excellent job here. They are always very responsive, helpful, and you can tell they truly care about your pets. All of my frenchies have loved it here. I'd highly recommend them to anyone looking for a vet in the area.
Would highly recommend if you're looking for a vet. They are organized and communicative and pleasant. My dogs really enjoy going, and they get plenty of treats and love. More affordable than other places I've seen.
Rated 4.6 out of 5 across 101 Google reviews. Those are the three we were happy to reprint in full.
No charge
Just adopted? The first exam is on us.
Bring your new dog or cat in within two weeks of adopting them, from any shelter or any rescue group, and the exam is free. There is no catch and nothing to sign up to. We would simply rather see a newly adopted animal early than late.
- Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center
- Safe Haven of Iowa County
- Cedar Valley Humane Society
- K9 Kindness Rescue and Fur Fun Rescue
- Or any other shelter or rescue group at all
Before you call
The questions we get asked at the desk.
If yours is not here, ring the clinic on (319) 341-7111 and ask. Nobody minds.
Yes. If you adopted from any shelter or rescue group, bring your new dog or cat in within two weeks of the adoption and the exam is free. That includes the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, Safe Haven of Iowa County, Cedar Valley Humane Society, K9 Kindness Rescue and Fur Fun Rescue.
Bring them in as soon as you can after you get them. The vaccination series itself starts at six to eight weeks of age and is given in stages after that, so an early first exam lets Dr. Kim set the schedule around your pet rather than around a calendar.
Once a year for a full nose to tail exam. Puppies, kittens, senior pets and any pet with an ongoing health issue need to be seen more often than that.
Eight years for cats and seven for dogs. At that point we recommend a baseline workup, which means bloodwork, a fecal test, a urine test and sometimes X-rays, and then exams twice a year or more. That baseline is what lets us catch arthritis, kidney and liver problems, diabetes, heart disease, hormone disorders and cancer while there is still something to do about them.
It is one of the signs, and it is worth a look. The American Veterinary Dental Society puts dental disease in over 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats by age three. The other signs are tartar buildup, red or swollen or bleeding gums, drooling, a change in how they eat, facial swelling, loose teeth and lethargy. We clean, polish and apply fluoride with ultrasonic veterinary dental equipment, and we laser the gum tissue afterwards.
It is a Class IV therapeutic laser, cleared for veterinary use since 2005. It is drug free and pain free, and it is standard here rather than an add-on: every surgery patient gets their surgical site treated and every dental patient gets their gum tissue treated. Sessions run two to ten minutes per area.
For spaying, six months for small breeds and cats, four to five months for medium and large breed dogs. We do not spay a dog while she is in heat, though cats can be spayed during heat safely. For neutering, six months for small and medium breeds and five to six months for large breeds.
Dr. Vercande performs routine and a number of advanced soft tissue procedures here. Orthopedic and complex operations are referred to board-certified veterinary surgeons, and we refer to Iowa State's Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, Frey Pet Hospital and Blue Pearl for specialist work such as ultrasound, endoscopy and biopsy.
Scott Court, Iowa City
Come and meet her before you need her.
The best first visit is the one that is not an emergency. Ring the clinic, or leave a message and we will call you back. Free parking on site.
Find us
252 Scott CtIowa City, IA 52245
Open
- Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- Saturday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed