How Daylight Savings Time Affects Your Pets

How Daylight Savings Time Affects Your Pets

Daylight Savings time changes can play havoc with our schedules, but it can be especially confusing for our pets who don’t have the ability to change the time on their watch or add an extra shot of espresso to their morning drink. Dogs’ and cats’ internal clocks are run by the rising and setting of […]

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What ER Veterinarians Want Pet Owners to Know: Part II

What ER Veterinarians Want Pet Owners to Know: Part II

If you have not read Part I yet, click here to learn how to prevent an emergency. When you do have a pet emergency and need to go to the animal ER, it can be a very difficult time. Asking questions, coming prepared, and being patient can significantly improve your pet’s quality of care and your experience. […]

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What ER Veterinarians Want Pet Owners to Know: Part I

What ER Veterinarians Want Pet Owners to Know: Part I

Bringing your pet to the emergency clinic can be very scary, stressful, inconvenient, and expensive. While an emergency visit is unavoidable, there are many ways to prevent an emergency in the future, as well as ways to prepare for an emergency visit to make the visit go as smoothly as possible. Here is what I, […]

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How to Help Anxious Pets on Halloween

How to Help Anxious Pets on Halloween

Halloween is a fun holiday for people young and old, but the day can be very stressful on anxious pets. Doorbells, a stream of strangers at the door, and young children who dart and move unpredictably are just a few of the things that might upset your pet. But you can plan ahead to make […]

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Should I Get Pet Insurance for My Pet?

Should I Get Pet Insurance for My Pet?

Studies indicate that 1% or less of dogs and cats in the U.S. are insured. Veterinarians would like to see those numbers increase for several reasons: Studies show that pet owners with insured pets comply with medical recommendations better. So, veterinarians earn more income, and, just as important, pets receive better care. Because of #1, […]

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Top 10 Reasons For Veterinary Emergency Room Visits

Top 10 Reasons For Veterinary Emergency Room Visits

Every day, morning or night, the staff at Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota see patients for a number of different reasons. Dr. Heidi Fay-Thompson, one of our ER veterinarians, is here with the top 10 reasons why pets come to our emergency clinics: 1. Vomiting and Diarrhea Nothing sends owners into the veterinary hospital faster than having […]

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How to Keep Your Dog or Cat Safe this Cold Minnesota Winter

How to Keep Your Dog or Cat Safe this Cold Minnesota Winter

As winter approaches, we want to make sure our four-legged friends are safe from the snow and cold. After all, we can bundle up more, but our pets can’t add on any more layers (that is, unless you do it for him or her)! While most Minnesotans are well aware of the dangers of wind […]

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4 Pet Toxins to Watch Out For This Fall

4 Pet Toxins to Watch Out For This Fall

If you witnessed or strongly suspect your pet ingested something toxic, this is considered an “ORANGE” – or urgent case – on our Fast Track Triage system. We recommend calling ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 for help determining if your pet consumed a toxic amount and for guidance on what to do next. If […]

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Five Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe on Fourth of July

Five Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe on Fourth of July

With each passing day becoming longer, lighter, and warmer, it’s only natural for us Midwesterners to start firing up our grills and inviting friends and family over to enjoy the summer. One of my favorite celebrations of the summer is Independence Day, filled with barbecues and fireworks. As pet owners, however, it is important to […]

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Sharing Your Pet with an Ex: Questions to Discuss Before a Pet Emergency

Sharing Your Pet with an Ex: Questions to Discuss Before a Pet Emergency

Too many times in the emergency department of AERC, we see pets brought in by a divorced pet owner whose ex-partner shares custody of the pet but doesn’t agree with the treatment plan selected and either refuses to provide authorization for care or to share the cost of treatment. Either situation can be scary and […]

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