Dear Pet Crossing Clients,
We hope that you are all staying safe. As you may know, many of our neighboring veterinary emergency clinics are at capacity. Due to the surge of cases, wait times are longer and some of the local emergency clinics are not taking in new patients/cases.
In the event of an after hour emergency, we advise that you call the emergency clinic prior to bringing your pet in. We recommend that you not only reach out to emergency clinics in the greater Twin Cities area but also Emergency clinics in St. Cloud, Duluth, and Rochester, as wait times may be shorter.
Here are some helpful tips prior taking to your pet to the emergency room:
- Please call the emergency clinic prior arrival.
- Have a copy of your pet’s health care records including most recent lab work, vaccine history, exam notes, and x-rays on file.
- Make a list of your pet’s medications and supplements, please include the name of the medications, the dose, the amount, and last time you administered the medication.
We at Pet Crossing are committed to helping you, your pet, and our emergency room peers. In the event of an emergency during our normal business hours please contact us right away at 952-884-8248.
Emergency Hospitals:
ANIMAL EMERGENCY & REFERRAL CENTER OF MINNESOTA
Oakdale
1163 Hello Avenue N
Oakdale, MN 55128
651-501-3766
St. Paul (Temporarily Closed)
1542 W 7th St.
St Paul, MN 55102
651-501-3766
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South Metro Animal Emergency Care
14960 Pennock Ave.
Apple Valley, MN 55124
952-953-3737
University of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine – Veterinary Medical Center
1365 Gortner Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108
612-625-9711
Como Park Animal Hospital
1014 Dale St. N
St. Paul, MN 55117
651-487-3255

A word regarding COVID-19 from Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic
There is nothing more important to us than the health of our patients and their people. We are doing our best to continue to provide the highest quality health care in these challenging times. Pet Crossing is open, serving clients and treating patients.
To ensure we can continue serving you, we are taking active measures to help reduce the risk associated with the COVID-19 pandemic:
- We have increased our usual cleaning/disinfecting procedures, focusing on all areas of the hospital, but especially the higher traffic areas like the lobby and exam rooms. As a health care facility, we are trained in and experienced at, the control of infection. We use medical grade disinfectants that are effective against coronavirus, influenza and many other pathogens.
- We ask that our staff and clients follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for protecting themselves and others from the coronavirus. This includes protective measures such as thorough hand cleaning and sanitation, social distancing, mask use when distancing is not possible, and self-quarantine if they become ill.
We are asking for all our clients to allow us to treat their pets without them present in the exam room. This is a very difficult decision since Pet Crossing was founded on the idea that pet care should be transparent and that our clients should be present for as much of their pets’ treatment as possible.
We will discuss the particulars with you when you make an appointment, but having you drop off your pet and wait outside our facility, in your vehicle, or return later to pick up your pet is the best way to significantly safeguard both your health and that of our staff.
For prescriptions, food and any other visits to pick something up from us, please call ahead and we will run them out to you.
For any of our clients who are unable to come to the clinic to pick things up, please call and we may be able to deliver them to your home.
We appreciate your cooperation during these difficult times. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions for how we could do things better.
You may have heard different sources reporting about coronavirus and how it may affect your pet(s). As always, we recommend receiving your information from a credible source such as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). They advise that there is no evidence that pets can become infected with COVID-19. For a FAQ on COVID-19 and pets, visit this link.
More information on coronavirus from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health
Thank you!
Drs. Steve Barghusen, Kate Knutson, Jamie Lynn Solgat, Abbie Janisch and the entire staff at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic
Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic
10861 Bloomington Ferry Road, Bloomington, MN 55438
Call (952) 884-8248 for an appointment
Directions • Email (general questions only).
Open Monday – Thursday 8:00 am to 7:30 pm
Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Closed Sunday

Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. Established in 1933, AAHA is the only accrediting body for small animal hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.

Pet Crossing is text enabled! Text us anytime with questions, food & medication orders, or appointment requests. Just send a text message to (952) 884-8248 and one of our client care coordinators will assist you!

Dr. Janisch will begin seeing patients on June 1, 2020.


Pet Crossing is now the proud owner of a Xoran VetCAT CT high-tech medical imaging scanner! This non-invasive advanced scanner allows us to produce 3D x-ray images of your pet’s anatomy right in our own hospital for faster diagnosis and treatment.
You can view a video from Xoran Technologies of the VetCAT CT scanner in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWa_wClgrVo&feature=youtu.be
This is very exciting news, especially as there is only one other veterinary practice that has this advanced CT scanner available for their clients. We’re so excited to be able to provide gold standard, advanced diagnostics to our patients!

Pet Obesity: Causes, effects and how to fix it
Dr. Kate Knutson was interviewed on Fox 9 in May about pet obesity. The interview was followed up with a live question and answer session. We encourage our clients to watch these videos and read Dr. K’s comments on pet obesity and how it affects your pet’s health and lifespan.
The recorded video from the live question and answer session can be viewed on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/fox9kmsp/videos/10155279454239138/
Meet one of the special people who make Pet Crossing a unique and wonderful place!

Dr Knutson has earned a well-deserved reputation as a tireless advocate of dentistry and wellness for pets. As the owner of Pet Crossing since 1997, she has dedicated herself to her clients as well as to the larger community of veterinary professionals. As the American Animal Hospital Association’s (AAHA) President for the 2013-14 term, she has also served on its Board of Directors since 2007, and has been the Chair of the Pet Nutrition Alliance since 2010. For someone who never really intended on becoming a veterinarian, Kate is thrilled with her choice of profession. “I am probably one of the few people you’ll ever interview in veterinary medicine that didn’t dream of being a veterinarian from the time they were 5 years old,” she reflected, “I thought I would go into research with a PhD and maybe an MD to go along with my DVM degree. Instead, life happened as I was busy making plans.”
“I am probably one of the few people you’ll ever interview in veterinary medicine that didn’t dream of being a veterinarian from the time they were 5 years old.”Dr. Kate Knutson
Kate’s permanent detour into veterinary medicine began during her first year studying large animal medicine at the University of Minnesota, when she accidentally became an AAHA addict after joining as a student member.
“It didn’t make sense that a large animal vet-to-be who was going into research was a student AAHA member, but I was, and I’ve been one ever since,” she said. Following her graduation in 1996, Kate plunged headlong into her veterinary career by purchasing what has now become Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic in Bloomington, MN. Dr Knutson’s skills and knowledge are only a part of the story. As anyone who has brought their pet to the clinic knows, you can expect a warm welcome and a large dose of Kate’s wonderful and caring personality along with her expert diagnosis. Kate embodies all the best that Pet Crossing has become. We encourage you to give us a try. Come in and see for yourself how unique and special Pet Crossing is!
Pet Crossing is a Cat Friendly Practice. We follow the standards set by the American Association of Feline Practitioners. “The AAFP is dedicated to advancing the field of feline medicine and surgery by setting the standards of feline care through the publication of practice guidelines, position statements, and by providing continuing education.” “In the United States, there are millions more owned cats than owned dogs, yet cats visit veterinarians less frequently than dogs. Contributing to the decrease in cat visits is the stress associated with getting the cat to the veterinary practice and owners who are unaware of the need for wellness and preventive care. The Cat Friendly Practice program provides a solution to this trend.”




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