Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota (AERC)

A shockingly disappointing experience in spite of always having positive ones in the past for our dogs. Genuinely surprised by the receptionist’s glacial and dismissive disposition tonight. In spite of calling ahead and arriving with specimens in-hand, we waited more than 4.5 hours. I am a critical care practitioner and do not bring my pet into an ED lightly. He had Hematochezia, lethargy, and dehydration for two full days- with no stool the day before. In our waiting to be seen, our dog had to go multiple times again. At some point an ED tech came in and was clearly irritated that our dog was trying to lick her while she was listening to his heart. I am surprised that the ED tech is doing the listening. Labs, IVs, and VS and such are normal for a tech to do, but doing the actual physical assessment is something I would expect the doctor to do. The dismissive receptionist popped her head into the exam room only to say that the doctor has more critical patients and wouldn’t likely get to us before shift change and that we’d be waiting for the 22:00 doctor… which was another 90 minutes from when she expressed this. I mentioned again that our dog had two more stools since arriving a couple of hours ago and could they run them while we are waiting. She said that she didn’t think the doctor would need them. To which I said, “that would surprise me as he is here for for bloody stool.” Maybe playing the medical card was a bit harsh, but these visits are very expensive, and if my dog is presenting with related symptoms, why wouldn’t the doctor want to run a fresh specimen? I get that we all have bad days. I get that not everyone understands the situation. But if I am bringing my dog to the ED on a night that I have to work at the hospital, it’s because I can promise you that this is not normal and not just transient gastroenteritis. And I’m worried. The receptionist and the first ED tech need to learn how to comport themselves with a little more empathy and professionalism. And when I call ahead to ask which ED has a shorter wait time, perhaps they need to be more transparent with the call center, as there were only two others that I heard/saw when we arrived. The doctor finally showed up in the exam room at 22:30. She stayed by the sink with her stethoscope around her neck. She did not lay hands on our dog once. Not to auscultate, palpate or inspect. She dismissed my concern for Addisons though she said they could “rule it out”. She ran the stool specimen finally. She had the tech draw a CBC/Chem7. And she never ran the ACTH that would have been a marker for Addisons which is an emergent crisis. So she lied when she said she would rule it out. She said to “eat a bland diet and watch and have probiotics”. And I reasserted that he had been having symptoms for almost three days and that we had done all of the above already. I asked about IV fluids and they gave him SQ bolus begrudgingly, likely because I asked over and over for IVF. Regardless, they were happy to take over $800 and send us on our way. Our dog’s stool is still pure blood and we’ve taken him to a different place because of this horrible, negligent experience. Let me say again that the doctor did not assess our dog or lay hands on him. We were openly dismissed (quite rudely) by the receptionist and the ED tech. Shocking, considering our previous positive experiences. Never again. We will go the extra 20 minutes to Oakdale next time.

The team working the night we came in were professional, friendly and knowledgeable. James Newton was the vet on duty and he was so down to earth, easy to understand his explanation of what was going on with our cat, was patient and answered our questions and I was very impressed with him. Probably 1 of the best vets I've dealt with. The quick response and action once we got there, from the girls at the desk were appreciated as well we didn't have to wait long to get word of what was going on. The team working that night made the whole difference in our experience there. We have been there numerous times and these guys that night are the best ones we've had! They all deserve a pat on the back and a raise! You are lucky to have them!

The vet and vet techs were super attentive, quick, and empathetic. My greyhound was so well taken care of, and we went home happy. This emergency could have been much worse but the vet team here made it a positive experience with a positive outcome. Empathy, knowledge, and attentiveness

I am glad we took our dog here. She had a piece of plastic that surrounded a tooth and was really stuck in her mouth. She was seen fast. The staff were nice. The veterinarian was nice. They got the piece of plastic out and there was no damage. I would recommend coming here for animal emergencies!

On Thanksgiving night we brought our dog Ellie here after she sustained severe neck wounds from a coyote attack. The staff were prompt with treating her and were understanding towards us. The doctor was especially kind and did an excellent job explaining all the possible outcomes for Ellie’s condition. Unfortunately, Ellie deteriorated and we made the decision to put her down. The process of putting her down felt very humane and the doctor and staff were incredibly thoughtful and explained every step of the way. Ellie was comforted by medication, oxygen, and blankets until the very end. I’m so thankful for the people at this hospital that turned this traumatic experience into something bearable. I’ll forever remember their kindness and care for our sweet Ellie May.