FAQs

All Paws Animal Hospital can treat cats and dogs of all breeds and ages.

We are not able to provide care for exotic animals. If you require care for other pet species such as birds, reptiles, or pocket pets, please refer to the veterinary practices below.

If you have found a wild animal that needs medical assistance, you can reach out to the appropriate wildlife center.

We are not able to offer any free services at our hospital. We try to keep our costs competitive with clinics in our area. Our clinic requires payment in full at the time of service and can accept all major credit and debit cards.

We are also partnered with Scratch Pay Plan & CareCredit Credit Cards. These are third party creditors that will require application and qualification to utilize these payment options. We do not control any of their terms, conditions, or lending decisions.

• Scratch Pay FAQs | Scratch Pay Apply
• CareCredit FAQs & Apply

If you have concerns about the cost of services for your pet, the following veterinary locations can offer alternative forms of financial flexibility, such as: payment plans, financing, sliding-scale cost, or other financial assistance. Some of these locations may require that the pet or family meet certain criteria to qualify. Mission Animal Hospital’s website also has a list of financial assistance from various groups as well that may be helpful to you and your pet.

Financial Resources Webpage

Animal Humane Society Vet Centers

Low-cost spay, neuter, wellness services, dental procedures, and some specialty surgeries for qualifying families. Available by appointment only. Wellness services include vaccines, diagnostic tests, anal gland expression, ear cleaning, nail trims, and microchips.

Mission Animal Hospital

A non-profit veterinary clinic with a sliding scale income-based fee system.

North Minneapolis Pet Resource Center / My Pitbull Is Family

Holds monthly clinics providing low-cost services including brief wellness exams, vaccines, microchips, and nail trims, as well as flea/tick/heartworm preventatives for a slight additional cost. Appointments or walk-ins are available. They also provide low cost spay/neuter procedures.

ValueCare Vet Clinic

A full-service veterinary clinic focused on providing affordable, quality care to clients.

Access Veterinary Services

Provide routine care, surgeries, and dental procedures by appointment. Urgent care services are available on a walk-in basis with evening and weekend hours.

MNSNAP

Provides low-cost spay and neuter services to qualifying families. Vaccines and microchipping available with spay or neuter surgery.

3 Pound Cats

Provides home-visit pet care for pets whose companions reside in Senior living facilities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

The Street Dog Coalition

Free preventative veterinary care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

Yes! All Paws utilizes Home Again microchipping for both dogs and cats. A pet microchip – the size of a grain of rice – goes beneath your pet’s skin. Unlike a collar, this permanent ID cannot fall off or become too worn down to read.

If your pet is lost, this ID can be scanned at any vet clinic and is linked to an identification number that can be used to look up your contact information online. We recommend keeping this information updated annually. Microchips do not track the location of your pet should they go missing. There are alternative methods for that type of tracking if interested, let’s discuss more!

All Paws has successfully reunited multiple lost pets with their families because they were microchipped!

Home Again’s Website

Declawing involves the removal of the entire 3^rd knuckle on each digit of a cat’s paw. It can be painful and cause long term side effects such as phantom nerve pain. All Paws Animal Hospital does not declaw cats and in general we do not recommend this procedure. We are happy to talk more about alternatives to de-clawing and all other cat enrichment topics during an appointment!

We also do not perform tail docking, ear cropping or other cosmetic alterations for dogs.

All Paws Animal Hospital only sells a limited amount of prescription veterinary diets for dogs and cats. We focus on the necessary items that need to be sent home with patients during visits to get them started. To provide enhanced convenience and save in cost to our clients, we recommend ongoing prescription foods are filled through our online pharmacy. Based on the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy requirements, the prescription veterinary diets that All Paws sells require an active veterinary – client / patient relationship which entails minimally an exam every 12 months. Additional diagnostics may be recommended based on what the diet is for (i.e., urinary, kidney, cardiac etc.)

AAHA certification is an accreditation granted by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to veterinary hospitals that meet or exceed rigorous quality standards. Unlike human hospitals, veterinary facilities are not required by law to be accredited, making AAHA certification a voluntary commitment to excellence. To earn accreditation, a hospital must undergo a thorough evaluation by AAHA experts. This process includes an on-site inspection and a review of medical protocols, equipment, and facilities. Accreditation must be renewed every three years to ensure continued compliance. Only about 15% of all veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada are AAHA certified.

AAHA accreditation signifies that a veterinary hospital is committed to providing the highest level of care for pets. It ensures the hospital adheres to over 900 standards, covering areas such as: patient care and pain management, anesthesia and surgery, cleanliness and infection control, staff training and continuing education and emergency and critical care standards. Accredited hospitals typically invest more in advanced training, technology, and protocols, to enhance the quality of care for your pet.

All Paws Animal Hospital has and will continue to be AAHA certified to demonstrate to you our commitment and dedication to providing gold standard medicine and proven best practices to enhance outcomes and provide a higher standard of care for your pet.

All Paws recommends contacting the Pet Poison Helpline immediately. They will be able to determine the severity of the situation based on what your pet has consumed and the quantity. From there, our veterinarians will recommend treatment(s) based on what is best for your pet.

Pet Poison Helpline is a 24-hour animal poison control service for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance with treating a potentially poisoned pet. There is a fee for this Telehealth Service per incident; all follow-up consultations are included.

Pet Poison Helpline
Phone: 800-213-6680
Available 24/7

Our veterinarians recommend annual wellness exams for all pets. This ensures that any potential health change or concern is caught early. Many times, oral health can go unassessed for pets that do not make frequent visits to the vet causing undue pain and stress to our pets. Additionally, we will ask detailed questions regarding any concerns or changes with your pet. This allows us to catch diseases earlier which may slow their progression and improve overall outcome for your pet.   

At a wellness exam, we will discuss your pet’s health at home, any concerns / changes you may have, recommend blood work based on their age and health, update vaccines and discuss the need or importance of preventative medications. Based on AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) standards, All Paws recommends that all dogs and cats are vaccinated for Rabies and Distemper. There are other core vaccines for dogs that we recommend including Leptospirosis and Bordetella as well as some lifestyle vaccines that will be discussed based on the risks facing your pet.

We understand that the cost of everything seems to continue to rise and it can be challenging to juggle these expenses. The importance of annual blood work for an otherwise healthy pet can seem trivial until you understand how we use it. It happens daily that our doctors are able to identify an abnormality based on blood work in a healthy pet that otherwise would not have been found. This may include early changes in kidney function for cats, early liver elevations in dogs, thyroid changes, or even sub-clinical urinary tract infections. Additionally, even blood work that has no abnormalities is incredibly helpful. It helps us build a known ‘healthy baseline’ for lab values so that if your pet does have a health concern, we know what is ‘normal’ for them which can result in faster, more efficient diagnosis which is what we all want.

There are certainly options for which lab work we choose, and we will work with you to ensure we select the right tests for your pet while operating within any financial considerations.

Most parasites that we discuss live in the gastrointestinal tract and are transmitted through contaminated stool. There are some gastrointestinal parasites that are transmittable to humans from our pets. Children have an increased risk for this because they lack mature immune systems, and they are not as conscientious about hand hygiene as adults.

Because of the risk, we recommend puppies; kittens and any new pet receive several treatments for intestinal parasites. In addition, we recommend at least two negative stool tests in a puppy or kitten, and yearly fecal testing in your adult pet. If your pet has an elevated risk (boarding, day care, dog parks) we may recommend bi-annual testing. When caught early, most parasitic infections are easily treatable.

If your pet is diagnosed with a parasite, please ensure that you pick up their stool outside, throw it into a garbage receptacle and wash your hands immediately. For cats, scoop their litter box daily and wash your hands afterwards. Retesting is recommended 3-4 weeks after treatment, and it is recommended to have at least 2 negative stool tests to ensure the infection has been cleared.

Our vets recommend year-round prevention with Simparica Trio for dogs. For outdoor cats, we recommend Revolution Plus. These preventatives not only protect against heartworm, fleas, and ticks, but also intestinal parasites like roundworms and hookworms.

In general, we do not recommend feeding bones or antlers to dogs as they carry a variety of risks. Bones, antlers, bully sticks, yak cheese or hard Nyla bones are all harder than enamel and when your pet chews aggressively, it can break the enamel of the tooth or the tooth itself. Once a tooth is broken, it needs to be evaluated under anesthesia and extracted (pulled) if the pulp (the living part) of the tooth is compromised. This is an expensive procedure for us and painful for our pets. If consumed, shards of bones and antlers act like glass going through the gastrointestinal tract causing considerable damage to the tissue or even become lodged or obstructed.

We do recommend giving your dog dental chews that are approved by the veterinary oral health council. This may include CET Chews, Veggident Chews, Oravet, Greenies, and Kongs. All chewing items should be offered while under direct supervision to avoid the potential of choking. If your pet is not a good chewer (tries to swallow immediately) then do not use any of these items.

Above all, brushing weekly or even possibly daily along with an enzymatic toothpaste leads to the best long term oral health outcome for our pets.

There are a variety of reasons why we cook not only our food but also the food for our pets. Undercooked, raw, or freeze-dried food poses increased levels of bacteria and parasites for not only our pets but also for us as we share their living space, scoop their boxes, and pick up their stool. We have diagnosed an increase in gastrointestinal parasites and bacterial infections in those pets on raw or freeze-dried diets.

But what about my dog being descended from wolves? While our pets and wolves do share a common ancestor, they genetically diverged more than 40,000 years ago. Their genetic material is similar but there are particularly important nutritional differences. Mainly, dogs are omnivores while wolves are true carnivores. This means that wolves have digestive systems optimized for processing substantial amounts of meat, while dogs have evolved to better digest plant material due to their association with humans and access to diverse food sources. Furthermore, wolves in the wild need to efficiently consume large meals when they can, while domesticated dogs have adapted to a more consistent food supply. Our domesticated pets simply do not need elevated levels of protein in their diet which can cause issues for the kidney & urinary systems, blood pressure regulation and the gastrointestinal tract. It also places increased demand on the food supply, food systems and climate change.

In general, we recommend cooked foods that are ‘Complete & Balanced’ and have a reliable source of whole grains. A reliable source of whole grains includes brown rice, oatmeal, barley, wheat, or corn. No, they are not fillers! We may eat corn and see it come out whole on the other end but in reality, corn has a lot of beautiful nutritional components that are protected by the kernel. Pet foods work hard to break down those components into usable parts such as proteins, amino acids, and healthy carbohydrates. Whole grains are required for overall heart health in our pets due to an essential amino acid called taurine. Taurine is required in our pet’s diet for heart contractility (strong heartbeat & output) and without it, our pets can end up acquiring a nutritional form of heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy) that can lead to sudden death at home. This form of heart disease is known in human medicine as a ‘silent killer’ because it does not always have a murmur associated with it. It can also be avoided in low-risk breeds with appropriate nutrition.

At All Paws, we trust the experts with their jobs and trust brands like Purina Pro Plan, Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin and others that employ veterinary nutritionist on staff to formulate your pet’s food. Many times, ‘small batch’ or boutique-based dog foods may have the best intentions but lack the medical or scientific background to ensure proper pet nutrition. These foods often reference nutritional formularies once in their infancy stage rather than the ongoing testing that the brands mentioned above perform to ensure your pet is receiving appropriate nutrition.

We are happy to discuss this topic and your pet’s overall nutrition further at a wellness appointment. We can even formulate a nutritional plan for you to ensure your pet is getting not only the right nutrition but in the right caloric intake to achieve ideal body conditioning.

A veterinary dental cleaning involves thoroughly removing plaque and tartar both above and below the gumline. This process requires charting with the use of sharp tools that could be dangerous to pets if they were to move. Additionally, we need to access deep parts of the mouth that would not be possible or safe without anesthesia. We take full mouth radiographs which require pets to remain still to get a good image and could involve choking hazards if they were awake. These procedures involve water, just like our dental cleanings, and could involve aspiration (accidentally breathing in water) if your pet were awake for this procedure.

Anesthesia ensures your pet remains still, comfortable, and safe during the procedure, allowing our team to perform a complete and effective cleaning. Restraint without anesthesia would be traumatic for pets and result in a significantly less effective medical outcome.

While there are always risks to any procedure, we practice gold standard medicine to ensure your pet is a good anesthetic candidate and we take necessary precautions prior to the procedure. Before the procedure, we will perform a thorough examination and require blood work within 90 days (about 3 months) to assess your pet’s overall health. During the cleaning, your pet will be closely monitored using advanced equipment to track vital signs like heart rate, respiratory rate and effort, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. If we have any concerns, we err on the side of patient safety and wake the pet up.

Pets that do not undergo dental procedures when medically necessary can lead to serious health problems.

Periodontal disease is significant bacterial disease around the tooth that leads to compromise of the underlying bone. This can cause pain, tooth loss, and infection that can lead to systemic disease in other parts of the body such as the heart, kidney, and liver. This process is extremely painful in humans; therefore, we believe it causes significant pain and discomfort for our pets. Yes, they are typically still eating but that is driven by an innate need to survive. It commonly comes as a surprise to clients after a good dental cleaning (and likely numerous extractions) how much happier and lively their pet seems. If finances are the limiting factor, we would be happy to discuss referral to clinics that can provide more financially flexible options. The care of your pet is our primary concern.