Granite City Pet Hospital — Local services in St. Cloud

From what I can tell they did a good job with my dog, and the facility is clean. My issue is with their process. I arrived at 4:00 pm on 8/19/20 to pick up my dog from her spay surgery (because I was told that I could come by any time after 2:30). When I got there I was greeted and went to pay for the medication following the surgery. I was informed that I didn't need to pay but I was in fact being credited $58.00. I asked why I was getting a credit and the lady at the counter couldn't (didn't know) tell me why. That's fine. She asked if I wanted it back on my card or on my account with them, I chose my card. She printed out my receipt for the surgery and I went to wait for them to bring my dog out. After about 40 minutes of waiting I asked another lady at the counter what was taking so long, the surgery was paid for, pick up started at 2:30pm (now 4:40pm). She informed me no fewer than 3 times that she was sorry and that they were prepping for an emergency surgery, and that I'm next in line for pick up. Okie dokie. While I had her attention I asked her how much a cone would cost because I'd rather have one and not need it than have to come back. She told me and I said I'd like to get one. She gets it for me and I try to pay her and she hands me a receipt saying that I have a credit on my account (this is the first time I have ever been there). I asked why I have a credit and she said it was from today. I explained that it was supposed to go on my card not a credit to my account with them and she corrected it. (If I didn't buy the cone I wouldn't have realized their mistake for a few days). She assured me again the next in line for a pick up. So about 8 more minutes of waiting while they bring out other customers animals (I'm "next in line") they finally bring out my dog (48 minutes after I walked in the door). The vet tech was nice and literally read the paperwork to me adding nothing else. While she was standing right next to me she sneezed and apologized to a woman who was standing at least 6 feet in front of us...All in all I will not go back. I want nothing from them and hopefully this was just a rare example of how completely unorganized they are. They wasted nearly an hour of my time for a pick up, gave me money back for some reason, and were in that moment unfamiliar with how both "next in line" and refunds work. With that said what I care about the most are my pets and my...

Expert, Compassionate Support for International Pet Travel, Especially to Japan

Bringing a pet into Japan is not easy AT ALL, it’s a 6+ month process with strict rules around timing, documentation, and government approvals.

After completing the initial steps in Los Angeles, I took the cats to central Minnesota to wait out the post-titer 180 period with family and was referred to Granite City Pet Hospital by our local veterinarian for the final USDA-endorsed health exam and export paperwork.

From start to finish, the staff was kind, efficient, and knowledgeable.

The USDA-accredited veterinarian was excellent.

But the person who truly made everything come together was their outstanding vet tech, Leah.

Leah was not only highly experienced with international pet export (particularly Japan), but also incredibly accommodating. I had some unique needs—Japan requires a pre-arrival approval process that goes beyond standard USDA steps, or that are listed in official documentation and I asked her to take specific photos of each submission screen and send them to me so I could forward them to Japan’s Animal Quarantine officers.

Despite the extra workload and the USDA’s notoriously clunky system, Leah handled everything with patience, professionalism, and real attention to detail.

She kept in touch with me throughout the day via text, responding quickly and thoroughly to every request.

It was a huge relief during a stressful time.

She also worked with the vet to find safe and effective travel anxiety medication for my 16-year-old cat with a heart murmur—a small but incredibly important detail that showed how much she cared.

If you’re anywhere near central Minnesota and need to take a pet abroad or get a "pet passport"—especially to a country without rabies & has strict import requirements like Japan (or New Zealand)—Granite City is the practice you want, and Leah is the person you need.

Their pricing is fair, which really matters when you’re already looking at $1,000+ in export-related costs per animal.

But more importantly, the quality of care and support is...

You’ve been warned! My dog died hours after being discharged from Dr. Jeff Nelson’s care. I attached her labs for you look at yourself. Remember Dr. Jeff Nelson determined she was stable and good with these labs.

On September 29th,2023 I brought my dog Pixie to Granite City Pet Hospital for an emergency daytime visit. This means you drop your dog off in the morning and the monitors them, runs labs and does an exam throughout the day. I express concern of Pixie getting hypoglycemia because she hadn’t eaten in about a day and half.

Hypoglycemia can be common in little dogs if they aren’t eating enough.

I get a phone call later that afternoon that Pixie is doing great and she’s ready to be sent home. They gave her a diagnosis of pancreatitis which was odd at the time because she eats better than I do. I again bring up the glucose levels and I’m assured she’s fine.

Pixie and I get home and go to bed. I wake up to Pixie dead in my bed!!!!

Sunday, two days later I get an email for Dr Nelson stating in reviewing Pixies labs she has Addisons. He suggested I bring her in sometime during the week. He attached her labs from Friday to the email. The exact labs I attached to this review.

Monday I discover he was trying to save me money and he sent her labs out instead of doing in house labs for the emergency visit.

Jeff Nelson has multiple corrective actions on his record for incompetence. This is another example . He discharged my dog leading to her death hours later with a glucose level of 29!

Save your pet and go elsewhere. This man has a history of negligence. He also doesn’t want to hold himself accountable stating I never got a necropsy done linking him to Pixies death. I think her labs taken hours before her death are good enough.

Update: the board does find Nelson responsible for...