Anyone taken their pet to the U of MN Vet Center?

[NickB79]

My girlfriend and I adopted a stray kitten from a pet rescue center two months ago, and now she needs to be declawed and spayed. Vet bills can be really expensive, so a friend of mine suggested bringing her here: http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vmc/. He said that it is similar to their dental school: vets-in-training work on your pet under the supervision of licensed veterinarians at a reduced cost.

Has anyone taken their pet here before? Was there much of a savings over a local vet? Otherwise, does anyone have any suggestions for where to take our kitten to in the south metro (we live in Burnsville)? Thanks.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I have, and they are wonderful. They are a sort of Mayo Clinic for animals

I thought they only took referrals, but I could be wrong about that. My cat had a serious neurological problem that the regular vet couldn't diagnose, so he referred me to the U vet clinic. They were terrific, spent a lot of time with us, though ultimately couldn't help. Woody is gone, but I sure appreciated the thoroughness and kindness of the people at the U.



RIP, Woody.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. P.S. I don't know if they declaw. Many vets won't because it's cruel.

It's like chopping off the last knuckle of your fingers. Please, don't do it!

[katinmn]

3. Yeah, it's like an amputation. How about learning how to trim claws?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://maxshouse.com/Truth%2520About%2520Declawing.htm&h=385&w=251&sz=32&tbnid=yLbGMnyqEAEJ:&tbnh=119&tbnw=77&hl=en&start=9&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddeclawing%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

[dflprincess]

4. My sister-in-law takes her dogs to the vet that's

on Burnsville Parkway just west of 35W (next to the Holiday Station that was, until recently a BP station.) I usually go with her because I help with the bills and more than one dog is hard to handle at the vet. I think they're good and I like the vets, but they're not cheap. One of the dogs needs to be spayed and it will cost somewhere between 2 and 3 hundred dollars depending on if I decide to spring for the laser as opposed to traditional surgery. I would think a cat might cost less.

And, add another vote to not declawing your kitten. There are more humane ways to keep them from scratching the furniture (the reason most people declaw.)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. I add to the pleas not to declaw your cat

Not only is it a form of amputation, but it makes the cat defenseless if it goes outdoors (which cats have a way of doing, even if they're supposed to be indoor cats). Without claws, it can't scratch at attackers and can't climb a tree to get away.

[lakeguy]

6. i take my cat there. just brought her in one day a few years ago,

no referral needed. i was a student the first time i took her (they didn't id me) but i have graduated and still take her there.

i would recommend them too!

[trotsky]

7. I'll just weigh in on the declawing issue.

I'll probably get flamed, but I personally don't think it's horrible to declaw a cat.

Ultimately I think animal lovers need to take a step back and ask themselves, what would they prefer - just one more cat being able to get a home by being declawed, or one more cat euthanized for lack of an adoptive family? What's the goal here, putting pets in loving homes or letting them suffer intact?

(And wouldn't castration be a mutilating surgery, too?)

Now I'm not gung-ho about declawing either, in fact our current cat is not declawed and we probably won't. But he is a cat that doesn't use his claws much, and he puts up with them being kept trimmed. Sometimes that doesn't work though, and declawing is an acceptable option, IMHO.

[Randomthought]

8. not a flame but something to think about

The US is the only civilized country in the world where declawing is both legal and common. (It's still legal in Australia but very rare.)
I have doubts that a person who chooses to declaw after knowing what the surgery entails would be providing a good home. What's next? Too much hair so shave the cat?

U of M is a good clinic and I've used them for the some emergency care but I like having the same vet see my cats every time.

[trotsky]

9. A flame by any other name...

I have doubts that a person who chooses to declaw after knowing what the surgery entails would be providing a good home.

By making that statement, you are essentially telling me you don't think I could provide a cat with a good home. Not very tactful or respectful. And I don't buy into your slippery slope fallacy about shaving the cat.

Besides, what about hemophiliacs? Or people with weak immune systems, for whom a minor infection from a cat scratch could mean death? Do people like that have to forsake animal companionship?

And can you answer my question - would you rather see a cat put to sleep because a home can't be found for it, or the cat adopted, declawed, and cared for?

[Randomthought]

10. Declawing is not tactful or respectful

Would you considered having your fingers chopped off at the first joint being loved and cared for? Civilized societies don't mutilate their pets.
Obviously you know the practice is wrong or you wouldn't be trying so hard to defend it.
There are no kill shelters. Not every cat has to be declawed to be adopted and many animal rescue group require that potential adopters sign an agreement not to have a cat declawed.
As for people with health issues, are you advocating that the animals teeth be pulled also?
And to answer your question -no I don't think that you would be providing an animal with a good home if you mutilate them.

Instead of arguing with me educate yourself on the subject

http://www.declawing.com/

[trotsky]

12. People and cats are different.

I am educated on the subject, and I don't appreciate being treated with the lack of respect you are giving. All I am saying is, ths situation is not as black-and-white as you seem to think and that declawing is not the most evil thing in the world. You have no serious answers to the questions I ask, so I consider this discussion at an end.

[dflprincess]

11. The real danger to a hemophiliac is internal bleeding

External bleeding is easier to control because pressure can be applied to the wound.

And yes, if the cat's owner has a weakened immune system (or the cat will often be with someone with an immune problem), then perhaps there may be a reason to declaw. And, yes, if the choice is between putting an animal down and declawing, I'd say declaw. But, barring those circumstances, I'd say avoid it. I recently converted to that opinion when a vet told me what is actually involved in the procedure.

As for castration - there is a great deal of evidence that a spayed or neutered cat or dog is healthier and lives longer. And, it cuts down on the number of unwanted animals.

[woo me with science]

13. Our dog was seen there, too.

They were excellent and friendly. The only thing I didn't like about the place was that, at least when we were there, it was very busy and somewhat chaotic. We often had very long waits, and at times we dealt with several different people who would then disappear into the back, and it was often difficult to find them again for questions. I guess we were used to the quiet, more personal setting of our dog's regular vet office. However, the care was superb, and everyone we dealt with was very kind to us and loving toward our dog. They did some pretty complicated diagnostic evaluation and did not miss a step along the way.

[Bosso 63]

14. I had to have my cat put to "sleep" there.

He had a heart attack and was dying. The staff was fantastic with him, and showed that they knew how to take care of people too.

[secretdj]

15. Maybe Ford Bell could see her

http://www.fordbell.com/site/

"Ford earned his B.A. and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees from the University of Minnesota and has served as an instructor and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine."

[newyawker99]

16. Hi secretdj!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[secretdj]

17. umm... thanks

but I'm not exactly "new". I just don't post that often. Probably been checking in for a year and a half.