COVID-19

Due to COVID, the Veterinary Medical Center has changed some of our operations that may affect your visit to the hospital. If you have questions about our COVID-19 preparedness plan, please ask a hospital representative. 

Priority will continue to be given to urgent and emergency cases. Certain specialty services will have more availability than others, to accommodate our most critical patients. We continue to be open 24/7 for emergency medical care. Clients seeking emergency care are encouraged to call ahead, (612) 626-8387. 

In order to mitigate the exposure of clients and staff to COVID please let us know if your pet has had exposure to anyone with COVID or COVID-like symptoms in the last 14 days. Pets with known or suspected exposure will be provided curbside service. Upon arrival at the VMC please remain in the vehicle with your pet and call us at 612-626-8387.

Protecting the health of our clients and employees is critical to our being able to provide care to our patients who need it most. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this situation.

Hospital updates

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Lewis Small Animal Hospital

We are experiencing higher than usual patient demand at this time and you should expect increased wait times. We thank you for your patience as we manage an unprecedented case load.

Priority will continue to be given to urgent and emergency cases. Certain specialty services will have more availability than others, to accommodate our most critical patients. We continue to be open evenings and weekends for urgent care and 24/7 for emergency medical care. Clients seeking emergency care are encouraged to call ahead (612) 626-8387.

Please be aware that in order to mitigate the exposure of clients and staff to COVID, the VMC has implemented the following measures:

  • Please let us know if your pet has had exposure to anyone with COVID or COVID-like symptoms in the last 14 days. Pets with known or suspected exposure will be provided curbside service. If your pet has had known or suspected exposure upon arrival at the VMC please remain in the vehicle with your pet and call us at 612-626-8387.
  • Visitation with hospitalized patients during their stay with us may be allowed on a case by case basis, with clinician approval.

Protecting the health of our clients and employees is critical to our being able to provide care to our patients who need it most. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this situation.

Large Animal & Piper Equine Hospitals

All large animal services are open for appointment scheduling. Please call 612-625-6700 Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to make an appointment. We continue to be open 24/7 for emergency medical care. Clients seeking emergency care after hours should call 612-626-8387.

  • Please let us know if your pet has had exposure to anyone with COVID or COVID-like symptoms in the last 14 days. Animals with known or suspected exposure will be provided curbside service. If your animal has had known or suspected exposure upon arrival at the VMC, please remain in the vehicle with your pet and call us at 612-626-8387.
  • On arrival at the hospital, please check in at the front desk before unloading the patient.   
  • In most cases, you will be able to accompany your animal for their appointment or wait in our lobby during their examination. 

Protecting the health of our clients and employees is critical to being able to provide care to our patients who need it most. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this situation.

West Metro Equine Practice

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the West Metro Equine Practice continues to have some operational changes that may affect your appointment. If you have questions about our COVID-19 preparedness plan, please call our office at 763-479-2932 or email us at [email protected]

Scheduling Your Appointment

  • All West Metro Equine Practice services are available for appointment scheduling including 24/7 emergency medical care.  
  • Please call 763-479-2932 to schedule an appointment. When doing so, please let us know if your animal has had exposure to anyone with COVID or COVID like symptoms in the last 14 days. 
  • If calling to refill a prescription, please allow our office a minimum of 24 hours to complete your request.

During Your Appointment

  • For your protection, our veterinarians, staff and students may be wearing face masks during the appointment.  
  • If you have tested positive for COVID recently, have been exposed to some who tested positive, or have symptoms of a respiratory infection (fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, etc.), please wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet from our veterinarians, staff and students, or consider not being present for the appointment.

Protecting the health of our clients, employees and students is critical to being able to provide care to our patients who need it most. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this situation.

Helpful reminders for pet owners:

  • Remember COVID is primarily transmitted between ill people and not from pets to people.
  • Owners who test positive for COVID should limit interaction with their pets to be safe.
  • Owners should include pets when preparing for potential long home stays, making sure they have enough food, medications, kitty litter and other essentials.
  • There are many other more common causes of cough and respiratory disease in pets. Contact your veterinarian if your pet shows signs of illness.

Jennifer Granick, DVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM (SAIM) talks with KSTP news about important COVID-19 information and tips for pet owners.

Socializing your puppy during the COVID-19 pandemic (pdf)

Frequently asked questions

For your convenience, we have aggregated information for frequently asked questions below. We will update this page as new questions come in.

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What is the VMC doing in response to this pandemic?

We are: 

  • Taking precautions, providing masks to protect our clients, staff, students, and faculty;
  • Screening animal patients for exposure to COVID to protect our clients, staff, students, faculty, and other patients;
  • Due to our unprecedented caseload, we may not have enough space in our lobby and exam rooms for everyone, so you may be asked to wait in your car.

Do I need to get my pet tested for COVID-19

No. At this time, routine testing of animals for COVID-19 is not recommended. Talk to your veterinarian (via phone or email) about the best ways to care for your pet.

Can animals carry the virus that causes COVID-19 on their skin or fur?

At this time, there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread to people from the skin or fur of pets.

Are pets from a shelter safe to adopt?

Yes. There is no reason to think that any animals, including shelter pets, in the United States might be a source of COVID-19.

Can humans with COVID-19 infect animals?

There have been rare instances where ill humans have infected their pets (e.g. dogs in Hong Kong, cat in Belgium, tigers in New York). Some of these animals have developed respiratory symptoms. As of yet, there have been no documented cases of infected pets transmitting the virus to humans.

If you are ill, what can you do?

Follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19.
  • When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. 
  • If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. 
  • If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wear a cloth facemask; don’t share food, kiss, or hug them; and wash your hands before and after any contact with them (AVMA 2020)