Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What are your office hours? [−] At Animal Care Clinic we are open Monday through Friday 7:30am-6:00pm and Saturday from 8:00 to 3:00pm.

What is the earliest/latest time I can bring my pet in? [−] On weekdays, you can bring your pet in as early as 7:30am to be admitted for surgeries, dentals, grooming or for an appointment that is scheduled later in the day. The doctor takes his last routine appointment at 5:00pm. We have 24-hour emergency service available if your pet becomes sick or injured after normal business hours.

Do I have to have an appointment? [−] We appreciate when you make an appointment. This helps us to plan accordingly and will help in less waiting room time. We also know this isn't always possible and welcome the opportunity to serve you.

Do you have someone here all night to check on my hospitalized pet? [−] Our staff is not here through the night. If we have a very sick animal, it will not be left alone until the doctor is confident the pet's condition has stabilized.

What do I do if I need you after hours or on a holiday? [−] We have 24-hour emergency care. Call our regular phone number 759-2222 and leave a message for the doctor. The doctor on call will be paged and soon as he is able, he will call you back-usually within minutes.

Can I just drop my pet off and pick her up after work? [−] Yes you can drop off before work. The doctor would like to go over results from your pet's visit so we will schedule an appointment for pick up time.

Do you take credit cards? [−] Yes, we take Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and Care Credit

How much is an office visit? [−] An office visit/exam is $36.00. If we are rechecking a condition from a previously diagnosed illness, it would be considered a recheck exam at $18.00-$28.00. If any tests or medicine is needed those will be an additional price.

Can I make payments? [−] We do not do billing; we require payment at time of service. We take checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Care Credit cards.

What do I feed my puppy or kitten? [−] We recommend feeding your puppy or kitten a high quality puppy or kitten food until they are 1 year of age. We carry Eukanuba brand. We know this is a high quality food specially formulated for puppies and kittens.

How soon can I bathe my pet? [−] We don't recommend bathing a really young pet because they don't have the ability to regulate their body temperature and they could become sick. A good age to start bathing them is around 12 weeks of age.

Is it all right to feed my dog bones? [−] The doctor does not recommend feeding dogs bones except specially formulated bones for dogs. Bones can splinter or become lodged in a dog's throat or intestinal system causing a serious problem or worse-death.

Do you sell pets? [−] No, we do not sell pets; we are a veterinary clinic. We provide health care to sick and healthy pets. If you are looking for a pet to buy, we recommend buying from a reputable breeder, or better yet adopting from the Beltrami Humane Society

How old must my pet be in order to be spayed or neutered? [−] Male and female dog or cat 4 months of age.

Is declawing my kitten cruel? When should it be done? [−] A declaw should be done at the same time as a spay or neuter. A declaw can be painful, so we give them an injection to relieve the pain that lasts 12-24 hours. This helps them to be more comfortable and to recuperate more quickly. We don't think it's cruel if it's done right and when they are young. We also recommend using special litter for a week after the declaw to protect paws from getting infected. We also send home a 3-day supply of oral pain medication to be given daily.

How long is a dog/cat pregnancy? [−] A dog/cat pregnancy usually lasts between 63-65 days.

How long is a dog/cat in heat? [−] The female dog comes into heat about every 6 months-the heat period lasts about 3 weeks. The female cat comes into heat many times each year. The heat period lasts about 2-3 weeks. If she is not bred, she will return to heat in 1-2 weeks.

Can my pet be spayed during heat? [−] Yes she can, but there will be an additional fee. Surgery takes more time due to the swelling of the internal organs.

Shouldn't I let my pet have at least one litter? [−] That is not necessary. Spaying is recommended to prevent her from unexpected pregnancies, possible serious uterine infections, and mammary cancer.

How long do sutures stay in? [−] On dog and cat spays our clinic uses dissolvable sutures to close the internal incision, so there is no need to come in to have sutures removed. Dog neuters have staples placed which are removed in 10-14 days.

Do you board pets? [−] Yes. Animal Care Clinic at 410 Clausen has cat and dog boarding.

May I visit my hospitalized pet? [−] Yes, but please call ahead and see when the best time that day would be to come in and visit.

Can my pet have its own food, bed and toys? [−] We feed Eukanuba food to pets, but if you want your pet to have their usual food, you can bring it with them. We prefer not to take pet's bed and toys in our boarding facilities.

What do I feed an orphaned animal? [−] Puppies and kittens orphaned less than 2-3 weeks old need to be fed every 2 hours. They need a special formula milk replacer that is comparable to the mother's milk. Our clinics sell kitten and puppy milk replacers.

When do I get tails docked and dew claws removed on puppies? [−] The best time to do this is when they are under 4 days old.

When do puppies/kittens open their eyes? [−] Puppies and kittens eyes usually open around 7-14 days.

When do I begin weaning? [−] Weaning can begin around 3-4 weeks of age for kittens and puppies.

When do I begin housebreaking? [−] A pet should start to be housebroken the moment it comes into the home.

When does my pet need vaccinations? What do they need? [−] We usually start vaccinating a puppy at about 6-8 weeks old. They need a series of 3 distemper-parvo vaccinations about 2-3 weeks apart. If your puppy will be hunting or living in an area where there are a lot of ticks carrying Lyme disease, we recommend vaccinating with a series of 2 Lyme vaccinations. At 12 weeks of age they can get a rabies vaccination. We usually start vaccinating kittens about 6-8 weeks old. They need a series of 3 feline distemper 2-3 weeks apart and a set of 2 feline leukemia vaccinations two weeks apart. At 12 weeks they can get a rabies vaccination. We highly recommend testing for feline leukemia and FIV before any vaccinations are given.

I've lost my dog. How can I find it? [−] Pet tags with your address and your telephone number are the most helpful if your pet gets lost. If your pet has a rabies tag with a number, this too can be helpful. Call all pet clinics, animal control,and the Humane Society every day. Most clinics have a list for lost and found pets. It wouldn't hurt to call the radio stations and maybe even put an ad in the local newspaper. Lost and Found Pets Bemidji Humane Society

My dog got into some rat poison. What should I do? [−] Get your dog into the clinic as soon as you know. It is crucial to get treatment started right away. When symptoms start to show, it's possibly already too late.

What can I do to stop my dog from digging? [−] Every time your dog goes out he needs to be watched and caught in the action. When you see your dog start to dig, yell NO loudly, distracting him away from digging. You will need to catch him several times to he gets the message that you don't want him to dig.

My dog's ears stick. What should I do? [−] Your dog might have an ear infection. We would recommend coming in to see the doctor. If the ears look infected, the doctor will do an ear smear to determine what type of infection your dog has.

My dog's breath stinks. What should I do? [−] Your dog should have his/her teeth examined by the doctor to determine if it has dental disease. Tartar, gingivitis, plaque buildup, broken teeth, tooth abscesses and infected gums can cause a bad odor in the mouth. Dental disease can cause other health problems as well.

Why do you have to use anesthesia to clean his teeth? [−] The best and safest way to thoroughly clean and check each tooth is to have them under sedation. Animals don't have the ability to sit still through this procedure.

Why do I have to get these shots every year? [−] Some shots need to be done every year to fully protect your pet from certain diseases.

Can I just get rabies only? [−] You can just get rabies for your pet, but we highly stress having your pet examined once a year. Yearly exams are important to help catch a problem before it becomes serious.

I see rice in my dog's stool. What should I do? [−] Tapeworms look like small pieces of rice, usually in the rectal area. We have medicine that will kill tapeworms. Since they are prescription drugs, the doctor would have had to seen your dog recently.

How do I treat for fleas? [−] We have a product that will kill fleas on your pet called Frontline. Frontline is a topical solution that is applied once a month to the back of yoru pet's neck. This product is very safe and effective. It is also important to get rid of the fleas in your home. We have a spray to kill fleas in the carpet and other areas where they could be, called Knockout.

How should I kill ticks? [−] We have a product that will kill ticks on your pet called Frontline. It is a topical solution applied once a month to the back of your pet's neck. This product is very safe and effective.

What do you recommend for Heartworm? [−] We have two medications available that will protect your pet from Heartworm. Heartgard or Iverhart, they are chewable beef tasting treats that are given once a month. It also protects from roundworms and hookworms. Iverhart takes care of tapeworms as well.

Can my kids get these worms from my dog? [−] Hookworms can not infect a human, but they can burrow under the skin causing itching. Humans can get Roundworms from dogs and cats. Children are particularly at risk, usually from playing in the soil where animals have defecated. Tapeworms can be spread to humans by ingested fleas. Hunters and trappers are more at risk contracting echinococcus tapeworms. This can be a very serious disease if humans get them. Strict hygiene is necessary to prevent getting any worms.

Can I get mange from my dog? [−] Yes. There are two kinds of mange. Demodex and sarcoptic. Demodex mites can already be on humans, usually not causing any problems. Sarcoptic mange is contagious to humans. A sarcoptic mange mite can't complete a life cyle on a human, but while on a human can cause itching.

Why does my dog scoot across the floor? [−] Most often when a dog scoots, it is because they need their anal glands expressed. The best thing for your dog it to have a doctor examine him/her. Your dog could have something else wrong that would require further attention.

My dog just got hit by a car. What do I do? [−] Be careful when you go to move him. A dog in pain might bite someone who touches him. Cover him with a blanket, in case he goes into shock. If he is bleeding, you might need to apply pressure to stop bleeding, but don't risk getting bit if he seems upset. Call the clinic and tell them you are coming in, so they can be ready for the emergency.