Frequently Asked Questions

We can treat emergency cases during our normal business hours. For after-hours emergencies, please call the Emergency Clinic in Rochester at (507) 424-3976.

To leave ample time for all patients and scheduled surgical procedures, we operate primarily by appointment. Emergency cases always receive top priority, and as a result, some appointments may occasionally be delayed. We do our utmost to see each client on time.

We will always try our best to accommodate you! However, being tardy can affect the rest of our day’s schedule and delay other scheduled appointments. For this reason, we have set a few general rules.

Clients will generally be allowed a 15-minute grace period after their scheduled appointment time. If you do not arrive within 15 minutes of your scheduled time, you will be charged a $30 late fee. Please ALWAYS CALL if you suspect you may be late, as we’d rather know as early as possible so we can better fit you and the rest of the appointments into our schedule. We very much appreciate your business and cooperation with our policies.

For your protection and that of others, all dogs must be on a leash and controlled in the waiting area or exam rooms.

All cats must arrive in an appropriate cat carrier or on a leash.

We require full payment when services are rendered. For your convenience, we accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Debit, and CareCredit. Our credit card merchant requires an original signature by the cardholder on all card-based transactions. If your pet is brought in by a friend or family member, please make sure that they use an established payment method.

Just like with a human pharmacy, we cannot accept returns on products that have left our facility. However, we will accept opened bags of dog and cat food for returns or exchanges because they are guaranteed by the manufacturer.

If you need a prescription refill, please provide us with as much notice as possible when refills are needed.

We do not recommend purchasing your pet’s medications from unknown or unaffiliated online pharmacies. Please talk with us first before purchasing your pet’s medications from a source outside our practice. Our in-house pharmacy prices are very competitive with online pharmacies. Please be aware that your pet is required by law to be examined at least once in the past year to continue to refill medications.

We recommend spaying or neutering every pet, and we recommend doing so for your non-breeding pet around 6 months. This may vary based on each individual pet. Please schedule an appointment to discuss spaying or neutering your pet with one of our veterinarians.

Vaccines are critical to your pet’s health by preventing serious diseases. One of our veterinarians will make sure your pet avoids these serious diseases through a vaccination schedule based on your pet’s lifestyle, health, and individual circumstances.

Rabies vaccinations immunize your pet for 1-3 years depending upon the vaccine in question. Dogs are required by Minnesota State Law to be vaccinated against Rabies. For cats, we use feline-exclusive rabies vaccines.

Heartworm disease is a serious illness transmitted by infected mosquitoes that, if left untreated, can be fatal. Heartworm prevention is administered once a month either by pill or by topical application. Depending on the product, heartworm preventatives can guard against other parasite infestations such as internal parasites (worms) and external parasites (fleas and ticks). Following the standards of the American Heartworm Society, we recommend all dogs and cats be given year-round (12 months) heartworm prevention regardless of lifestyle.

Your dog will need to undergo a simple blood test for heartworm disease on an annual basis. Dogs can get sick (vomiting, diarrhea, and/or death) if placed on heartworm prevention when they have heartworm disease. Even if they have been on heartworm prevention year-round, the product still may have failed for various reasons (such as your pet spitting out the pill, the pill not absorbing appropriately, etc.). The earlier we can treat your pet for heartworm disease, the more reliable the prognosis.

Yes. All mosquitoes can get into houses and transmit heartworm to your pets from there.

No. Heartworm disease is a blood-borne disease transmitted through mosquitoes. A simple blood test will confirm if your dog has heartworm disease.

Flea prevention is critical for your pet’s comfort and health. We recommend all dogs and cats receive a monthly flea preventive from April through December. Fleas, on top of being uncomfortable for your pet, are also carriers of serious diseases like tapeworms. Many medications and preventatives are available for flea protection, and many even combine this protection with monthly heartworm medication for greater convenience and value.

A dental exam is a part of any physical exam at K-M Regional Veterinary Hospital. Many pets visiting us on a regular basis need professional teeth cleaning. Bacteria irritate the gum line, then inflame the gums, resulting in the early stages of dental disease causing gingivitis. Left untreated, this leads to periodontal disease, which causes bone loss, damage to the gingival support structure of the tooth, and subsequent tooth loss. In addition, the bacteria move into the blood stream and create systemic infections, damaging internal organs such as the kidneys, liver and heart. 

Yes. Proper dental care at home is essential to maintain the oral health of your dog and cat. Home dental care for companion animals should start early and frequently, even before the adult teeth appear. Although tooth brushing is the best way to protect against plaque, calculus, and bacterial build-up, there are many options for dental home care such as dental formulated foods, water additives, and dental treats. All these options can be considered and discussed with our veterinarians.

In preparation for the procedure, your pet will receive:

• A pre-anesthetic exam
• Pre-medication to easy anxiety and for streamlined anesthesia application
• Placement of an intravenous catheter to deliver medications and fluids supporting blood pressure and organ function

If your pet is on a special diet or on any medications, bring this food and these prescriptions with you to the hospital.

Please do not feed your pet after 10:00 p.m. the evening before a scheduled procedure. They can continue drinking water that evening, but the water bowl should be removed first thing in the morning (6:00 a.m.) on the day of the procedure. Plan to arrive at the office at the appointed time and allow 15-30 minutes for check-in procedures.

At K-M Regional Veterinary Hospital, we take all anesthetic cases very seriously. We utilize the safest multi-modal approach and tailor each application for every dog or cat. This method includes injectable medications for sedation and pain management as well as gas anesthetic agents. The combination of pre-anesthetic assessment of your pet (including blood work), use of modern anesthetic agents, and the latest anesthetic monitoring equipment helps dramatically lower the risk of anesthesia for your pet.

When we safely place your dog or cat under general anesthesia, we insert a breathing tube into the trachea (windpipe) to administer oxygen mixed with the anesthetic gas. As with people, an intravenous catheter is placed into your pet’s leg to infuse them with fluids during the procedure. Once the procedure is completed and the anesthetic is turned off, oxygen will continue to be delivered to your pet until your pet wakes up and the tube is removed.

We closely monitor your pet during the procedure and recovery process with advanced monitoring equipment. Parameters often monitored include oxygen concentration in the blood stream (pulse oximetry), electrocardiogram (EKG), core body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and carbon dioxide level. The monitoring findings allow us to perform safe anesthesia.

A multi-modal approach is a layered administration of small amounts of different medications to achieve the desired levels of anesthesia and pain management. We administer lower doses of each individual anesthetic to prevent side effects, provide complete pain relief, and facilitate faster post-operative recovery.

We perform surgery using advanced pain management techniques to maximize your pet’s comfort during and after their procedure. Comfort control improves your dog or cat’s recovery and speeds the healing process. We administer pain medication before beginning the procedure, during and post-operatively as needed by your pet.

Before their anesthesia application, patients with kidney disease should be fully evaluated with blood tests, urinalysis, and possible ultrasound. Cardiology patients should also be evaluated including blood tests, chest X-rays, and echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). Our veterinarians will determine if it is safe for your pet to undergo anesthesia based on each individual situation.

Anesthesia in older pets who are otherwise healthy is considered safe. It is important to have recommended pre-operative testing performed prior to anesthesia to check major organ function and allow us to tailor the anesthesia to any pre-existing medical conditions.

Pets receiving outpatient procedures will be ready to go by close of business the same day unless noted otherwise during the post-operative phone update.

You will be contacted by one of our veterinary assistants when your pet is in recovery from the procedure. If there are any abnormalities on pre-anesthetic exam or blood work, you will receive a call prior to the procedure in case we need to change plans. Remember that no news is good news, and you will be contacted immediately should the need arise. One of our veterinarians will be available at discharge to discuss the procedure and discharge instructions with you in detail, as well as answer any questions.

It can be difficult to tell. If you are not sure but suspect your dog or cat is hurting or is just not acting right, call us to have us examine your pet. Some signs of pain are more obvious, such as limping, but some signs are more subtle. These include not eating, a change in behavior or normal habits, being more tired, and having less energy. However, these symptoms can also be caused by many problems, so early observation and action are important.

Decreased appetite can happen after surgery. There are several things you can try:

• Offer favorite foods
• Warm the food slightly above room temperature to increase the odor and taste
• Some pets like low fat cooked chicken, turkey, or ground beef with rice. This bland diet may help entice your pet’s appetite following surgery.

If your pet’s appetite is abnormal the day after surgery, or if your pet is not drinking water, vomiting, or seems lethargic, please call our office for further instruction.

If your pet’s bandage becomes soiled, damp, chewed, or chewed off, please do not re-bandage at home. Duct tape and other items can trap moisture within the cast or bandage causing inflammation of the skin and tissues. In some cases, bandages inappropriately applied at home can even cut off the circulation to a limb! Call us immediately if you have concerns about your pet’s bandage. Please also call us if you notice swelling of the exposed toes on the bandaged limb, which can be seen by spreading apart of the toe nails. Confine your pet to a single room or similar small area until you can call us and we can advise you to whether the bandage needs to be replaced. After a cast or splint is first removed, it may take 1-2 weeks for your pet to become accustomed to using the leg without the splint.

Although vocalizing can indicate discomfort, it can also indicate other feelings following surgery. Pets may vocalize due to the excitement or agitation that they feel on leaving the hospital and returning to their familiar home environment. Some pets will also vocalize or whine as the last remaining sedative or anesthetic medications are removed from their systems, or in response to the prescribed pain medication. If crying or whining is mild and intermittent, you may simply monitor the situation. If vocalization persists, please call us for advice. In some cases, a sedative may be prescribed or pain medication may be adjusted.

Diarrhea may occur after hospitalization. This can be caused by a change in diet but is more commonly caused by the stress of being away from home. Certain medications prescribed to your pet may also cause diarrhea. If the diarrhea is bloody, lasts longer than 12-24 hours, or if your pet becomes lethargic or vomits, please contact us immediately. You can purchase a nutritionally complete bland food from us available in cans or kibble or we can guide you in preparing a bland home-cooked diet. We do NOT recommend using over-the-counter medication to treat the diarrhea. Please call us if there are any questions or problems.

We rely on you to keep the E-collar on your pet. While they may not initially enjoy it, they will be even less appreciative of having to come back to our office to repair an incision they have opened up. If this happens, they will need to wear the collar on for an even longer period! Most pets become accustomed to the collar within one or two days and they can eat, sleep, and drink with it on. We are counting on you to please keep the E-collar on your pet.

Despite the medications we have prescribed, some pets will still show signs of pain at home, such as restlessness or an inability to sleep, poor appetite, lameness, or tenderness at the site of surgery. Please confine your pet to limit their activity. Then, call us immediately so we can dispense or prescribe additional medication or therapies as necessary to keep your pet comfortable.

In any healing surgical area, fluid produced during the healing process may accumulate and form a seroma (fluid pocket). Fortunately, this is not painful and does not impair the healing process. Eventually, the body will reabsorb the fluid so if the seroma is small, we typically will leave it alone. If it is large, we may remove the fluid with a needle and syringe or even place a drain. If you notice a seroma developing, please call. We may wish to recheck the area to ensure there is no infection.

This is a very common response to physiologic stress after surgery, injury, or any other health abnormality. The amount of shaking or trembling may be dramatic, but it does not always imply severe pain, cold, or distress. It may involve the entire body or just the area of surgery. If there are signs of pain such as restlessness, lack of appetite, or crying out, or you are concerned about what your pet is exhibiting, please call.

Some pets may urinate less after surgery or may seem to be unable to control urination. This is usually temporary and may be a side effect of medication, anesthesia drugs, or difficulty assuming the position to urinate. Please call if your pet has not produced urine for more than 12 hours. Many pets initially drink less after returning home, so expect less urination at first.

An episode or two of vomiting is occasionally seen after surgery or anesthesia. If the vomiting continues, blood is noted in the vomitus, or if your pet is not holding down any food or water, call to schedule a recheck of your pet by a veterinarian.