Veterinarian Serving Sparta, NJ
A good vet shouldn’t be a long drive away. For families in Sparta, Lake Hopatcong Animal Hospital sits about 15 minutes south down NJ-15, close enough that getting your dog or cat in for a checkup doesn’t eat your whole morning. We’ve cared for companion animals in this corner of Sussex County for more than 40 years, and we’re a woman-owned, family-operated practice, which is something a lot of Sparta pet owners tell us they were looking for and couldn’t find anymore. We treat dogs and cats only, that focus is the point: it’s all we do, and it’s all we’ve done for four decades.
Why Sparta pet owners choose us
Sparta has plenty of options, including a large chain clinic in the area. What we offer is different: a small, consistent team that remembers you and your pet, in-house diagnostics, digital X-ray, ultrasound, and our own laboratory, so you usually get answers the same visit instead of waiting days for an outside lab, and an on-site pharmacy so you can often leave with the medication in hand. New clients get 10% off the first visit. And because Sparta backs onto the wooded Sussex County highlands and the lakes, we spend real time with local owners on tick and Lyme prevention, that’s a genuine seasonal concern up here, not a sales pitch.
Getting here from Sparta
From most of Sparta, Lake Mohawk, the White Deer Plaza area, or the Woodport Road shops, the simplest route is to pick up NJ-15 South and follow it toward Lake Hopatcong. Stay on Route 15 for roughly nine miles, then exit onto NJ-181 toward the lake; we’re at 14 NJ-181, an easy pull-in with parking right out front. Coming from the south side of town near Sparta Middle School and the Van Kirk Homestead, the drive is a touch shorter. Plan on about 15 minutes door to door outside of rush hour.
Veterinary care for every stage of your pet’s life
The right care for a 10-week-old puppy is not the right care for a 14-year-old cat. We tailor every visit to where your dog or cat actually is in life.
Puppy & kitten care
New puppies and kittens need a series of visits in their first few months, a head-to-tail exam, a stool check for parasites, deworming, and a staged vaccine schedule that usually runs every three to four weeks from about 6–8 weeks until 16 weeks. We also walk Sparta families through spay/neuter timing, microchipping, and the early-socialization questions that come up with a first pet. See our vaccinations and spay & neuter pages for what to expect.
Adult dogs & cats
Healthy adults do best with an annual wellness exam, a full physical, a parasite plan suited to Sparta’s tick-heavy woods, dental monitoring, and any booster vaccines that are due. It’s the visit where we catch the small things before they become big, expensive ones.
Senior pets
Older pets age faster than we do, so we recommend a check every six months for seniors. That often includes in-house bloodwork and diagnostics to stay ahead of kidney, thyroid, and heart changes, plus comfort and mobility planning. When the time eventually comes, we provide gentle end-of-life care with the dignity your companion deserves.
Services for Sparta dogs and cats
Everything your dog or cat needs for routine and preventive care, in one place:
- Wellness exams, annual head-to-tail checkups that catch problems early.
- Vaccinations, core and lifestyle vaccines for puppies, kittens, and adults.
- Spay & neuter, safe surgery with in-house anesthetic monitoring.
- Dental cleaning, professional cleanings that head off disease and bad breath.
- Diagnostics, on-site lab, digital X-ray, and ultrasound for same-visit answers.
- Soft-tissue surgery, skilled surgical care from a team you’ll actually meet.
- Same-day sick visits, when your pet’s off, call early and we’ll do our best to fit you in during open hours.
- Nutrition consultations, weight and diet plans, including Hill’s and Royal Canin prescription foods.
- On-site & online pharmacy, fast refills without a separate trip.
- Compassionate euthanasia, gentle end-of-life care when the time comes.
The team caring for Sparta’s pets
You won’t see a rotating cast of strangers here. Our veterinarians have been practicing in New Jersey for decades:
- Jose A. Navarro, D.V.M., licensed in New Jersey since 1975, with a career in general veterinary medicine, surgery, and dentistry.
- Elizabeth Z. Navarro, D.V.M., licensed in New Jersey since 1976, focused on general medicine, surgery, and dentistry for dogs and cats.
- Dr. Shelli Skeels, D.V.M., licensed in New Jersey and Florida, who owned and operated Montville Animal Hospital for 28 years.
They’re supported by long-tenured staff, including team members with 18 and 24 years at the practice. You can meet the whole team before your first visit.
A bit about the area we share
Sparta sits in Sussex County, just up Route 15 from us, and a lot of the same things shape pet care in both towns: the lakes, the woods, and the wildlife that comes with them. If your dog hikes the trails around Lake Mohawk or your cat slips outside near the highlands, ask us about tick-borne illness, heartworm, and seasonal allergies at your next visit, these come up far more often here than they would in a denser part of the state.
New clients save 10%, and here are our hours
New to us? Your first visit is 10% off. Just mention it when you book.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Thursday | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Saturday | 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
We’re a scheduled-appointment practice for routine and non-urgent care. We are not a 24-hour or emergency hospital, so for sick visits please call as early in the day as you can. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, cash, and check.
Sparta veterinarian FAQ
How far is Lake Hopatcong Animal Hospital from Sparta?
About 15 minutes. Take NJ-15 South for roughly nine miles, then exit onto NJ-181, we’re at 14 NJ-181 with parking out front.
Are you accepting new clients from Sparta?
Yes. We welcome new dog and cat patients from Sparta, and the first visit is 10% off. Call (973) 663-0889 or use our Request a Call Back form.
Do I need an appointment, or do you take walk-ins?
We work by appointment for routine and non-urgent care so every pet gets unhurried time with the vet. For a sick pet during open hours, call early and we’ll do our best to fit you in the same day.
How often should my pet see the vet?
As a general rule: puppies and kittens need a series of visits every few weeks until about 16 weeks, healthy adults benefit from an annual wellness exam, and seniors do best with a checkup every six months so age-related changes are caught early.
My dog hikes around Lake Mohawk, should I worry about ticks?
It’s worth a conversation. Tick exposure is genuinely high across the Sussex County highlands, so we’ll talk through Lyme prevention and a parasite plan that fits how your pet actually spends its time.
What species and services do you offer?
Dogs and cats exclusively, wellness, vaccinations, dental, spay/neuter, soft-tissue surgery, diagnostics, nutrition, and an on-site pharmacy.
Is the rabies vaccine required by law in New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey requires dogs to be vaccinated against rabies by 7 months of age and kept current for licensing, which renews annually. We’ll keep your pet’s rabies record up to date at each visit.
Ready when you are
Call (973) 663-0889 to book, or request a call back and we’ll reach out to set a time that works. See why Sparta and local pet owners trust us, read more about our team, or explore care for the nearby towns of Byram and Netcong.