Small Animal Hospital

4.7 (176)
1365 Gortner Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Hours:

Monday: Open 24 hours

Tuesday: Open 24 hours

Wednesday: Open 24 hours

Thursday: Open 24 hours

Friday: Open 24 hours

Saturday: Open 24 hours

Sunday: Open 24 hours

How to Save Money at Small Animal Hospital

Schedule Regular Vet Visits

One of the best ways to save on vet bills is to prevent expensive health issues before they develop. By scheduling regular wellness checkups, your vet can detect health issues early, helping you to avoid costly treatments and surgeries down the road.

Price Shop for Pet Prescriptions

Oftentimes our fur babies are prescribed human drugs off-label. Your vet is apt to charge more for these medications than you would pay at your local pharmacy. In fact, big-box or chain pharmacies can offer steep discounts. So it’s best to price shop.

Pet Insurance

Most pet insurance providers will pay between 80% and 90% of the vet bill. You can even get coverage for routine care and things like vaccinations and dental cleanings. If you do the math, you’ll most likely find that pet insurance makes financial sense in the long run as well as gives you peace of mind.

How Do You Choose the Right Pet Insurance Provider?

Pet Insurance Review makes it incredibly easy for pet parents to select an insurance provider they feel good about. You can use our handy comparison tool to get the gist of what a company offers. We’ve also collected over 150,000 reviews of insurance companies from real pet parents like you to rank the top providers in the market. Here is the current ranking of each:

Top Pet Insurance Providers of 2024
Rating Provider Total Review
4.4 AKC 889
4.7 ASPCA 11,411
4.9 Embrace 14,234
4.9 Fetch 2,051
4.4 Figo 2,579
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,477
4.9 Lemonade 783
3.2 ManyPets 2,153
4.6 MetLife 493
4.8 Nationwide 21,393
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 110
4.5 Pets Best 7,196
4.3 Pumpkin 1,163
4.7 Spot 5,260
4.9 Trupanion 60,297
4.8 Prudent Pet 125

Or, you can simply get a fast quote from multiple providers and go from there.

Thinking of insuring your pet?

Get Quotes & Compare

Getting to Know Your New Vet: Essential Questions to Ask

Choosing a new veterinarian is an important decision for any pet owner. You want to find someone who is competent, compassionate, and a good fit for you and your fur baby. To help you get the most out of your first appointment, here's a list of essential questions to ask your new vet:

Tell me about your experience with [pet type].

Different vets have different areas of specialization. Some are experts with cats, some dogs, some pocket pets, and some horses. Knowing that your vet has vast experience treating your specific type of pet can bring you peace of mind.

How do you handle emergencies?

You must know what to do in case of a pet medical emergency. Inquire what after-hours policy the clinic has, whether they have on-site emergency care available, and if they have a relationship with any nearby emergency animal hospitals.

How do you communicate with pet owners?

Good communication is key to building a trusting relationship with your vet. Ask how they prefer to communicate (phone calls, emails, online portal) and how often you can expect to hear from them.

Are there any breed-specific health concerns I should be aware of?

Some breeds are predisposed to certain health conditions. Knowing what to watch out for can help you catch problems early and get your pet the treatment they need.

Do you have any questions for me about my pet?

This is a great question to ask because the answer will show that the vet is interested in getting to know your pet as an individual and is willing to listen to your concerns.

Bonus question: Can I take a tour of your facility?

Getting a feel for the clinic's environment can help you and your pet feel more comfortable during your visits. Remember, you’re not just looking for a veterinarian, you’re looking for a partnership. Do not be afraid to ask these questions and any others you can think of. Any vet worth their salt will be happy to answer them. Because the more informed you are, the better equipped you'll be to make decisions about your pet's care! And that should be every vet’s top priority.

Reviews from Google

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Janet Harvey

The wait for urgent care was very short and we were told up-front the costs for all the services they recommended for Charlie (cat). We were given a couple treatment options for her condition and did not feel pressured to choose one over another. Front desk staff was pleasant and the vet, student vet, and tech were all knowledgeable and communicated efficiently and effectively. Charlie doesn’t think they know how to treat cats properly, but she was just pissed because of the all the poking and prodding.

posted: 08/10/2023

Heather K

Updating to 3 stars: I finally heard back from a doctor who was very kind and listened to my concerns, and was very helpful. Do not take your pet here for emergencies unless you want to leave with a massive bill and no real answers. The doctor we saw has made nothing but excuses as to why we left there with no answers, but took her to her spay clinic to then be given antibiotics and everything cleared up immediately. On top of that, it’s clear the doctor did not listen to anything I said while we were there and gave her random treatments for things completely unrelated to the issue. She wasn’t experiencing any vomiting, but gave her anti-nausea medication? We’re going to be filing a complaint with the clinic because this is absolute robbery at this point. Paying for care you didn’t receive is highly unacceptable.

posted: 12/27/2023

Maria Sommerhause

Unfortunately, I had to bring my dog here on two separate occasions. The first- he was attacked by a large dog. The second- he ingested a large amount of chocolate. Both visits, we were treated with nothing but kindness, care, and compassion. I asked the vet to update me overnight with any changes, good or bad, and I received a call around 2am letting me know my sweet puppy started eating again. Their entire team is phenomenal. I cannot recommend the U of M small animal hospital enough.

posted: 10/05/2023

Tasha Elle

My fiance and I brought our sweet 16.5 yrs. old kitty, Kalimah, in because her condition gradually worsened over a week's time and she had completely stopped eating. They got her in immediately to be examined. After 30 mins., they spoke with us to inform us of what may be going on. The vets were so thorough, compassionate, and spent so much time discussing our options. Sadly, with so many chronic medical issues our cat had, we made the very difficult choice of letting our fur baby girl and our best friend go to the Rainbow Bridge. The vets carefully explained the process of euthanasia and comforted us through the whole emotional ordeal. We're very grateful for their patience and the warmth they showed during such an arduous, sad event. 9/1/2005-3/28/2022 Rest In Purrs, Kalimah. ❤

posted: 03/29/2022

Adam Forry

Our sweet, gentle, trusting Bella was given the utmost respect while recieving excellent care. She hated going to the Vet, but they were kind and gentle to her and made the process as stress-free as possible. Words cannot express how grateful I am to the Cardiology Team at the U of M Lewis Small Animal Hospital for giving us 6 more months of happiness together as a family that we otherwise would not have had. It was a gift beyond measure. Thank you.

posted: 03/09/2023