Uptown Veterinarian

The prices are reasonable, but the staff is what makes this place special. Recently my cat was very sick and they not only helped me to get him back to normal they also followed up by checking periodically in to make sure he was doing alright. They clearly care very much for the animals they see and were very helpful and kind to a very nervous pet owner in need. Read Less

Friendly service (once we received some) with knowledgeable vets and gentle care, but on our first visit we had to wait longer than usual to get checked in and shown into a room. We understand things can get busy, but it was 30 minutes after we arrived at our appointment time before anyone at the front even addressed us. In fact, it wasn't until another customer (who arrived after us) alerted them that we had come before them that the receptionist eventually acknowledged our presence . It was odd and slightly unprofessional but hopefully not a common occurrence here. Read Less

GO ANYWHERE ELSE. I recently brought in my cat for a lion-cut, and the service was fine, staff is very friendly, but when i got home i noticed that the cut is pretty uneven; kinda like when you mow the lawn and get mohawk stripes? but all over the place, including many noticeable places where the clippers went in too deep, several of which actually broke skin (!?), including on a couple of her teets. If the animal is fully sedated, this shouldn't be an issue? I'm angered beyond words, and this is the last time I'll ever trust these people to care for my animal. absolutely unacceptable! Read Less

I called the morning of with concern for  my dog. They got me in with in 2 hours. They were very friendly, very client focused,  took time with my dog to problem solve,  well educated,  and they did not tell me i had to do a million things. Very affordable! Very happy,  i am glad i went. Read Less

I am so grateful for Uptown Vet. We essentially couldn't bring our cat to our last vet for treatment anymore because he reacted so violently to getting required blood draws. Uptown talked through several handling options with us, we settled on a plan, and our first appointment was a dream. Cat came home happy, and we now know we can get him the regular care he needs without it feeling like torture. We're so relieved! Read Less

Extremely friendly staff who are both patient and client oriented! They not only accommodated an urgent visit when the dog I was watching became ill, but also provided me with medications to avoid a potential emergency vet visit on Thanksgiving. Dr. Smith and her staff are awesome. Read Less

We are second-year customers at Uptown Vet for our two cats (both under 3 years). Our first visit was with a male veterinarian who's name I've forgotten. However, I was very disappointed after a recent visit with Dr. Julie Smith because of her attitude towards me and my pets, and will not be returning. We took both cats in for their annual check ups & vaccines. Naturally, both cats became uneasy when the vet and technician entered the room. Dr. Smith gave our boy cat his shots but declared that our girl cat, Luna was acting too confrontational for an exam and we would need to reschedule. So I brought Luna in on the following Monday for her exam. I had a concern regarding vomiting that I wanted to discuss and mentioned this last week; so I was looking forward to addressing that concern. Luna was exploring the room when Dr Smith and the technician entered; they crowded on either side of the exam table so Luna could leave the corner she was hiding in. Dr. Smith immediately began making judgmental comments on how hostile Luna was and would not stop to ask me any questions that would be part of a normal check up. I finally asked them to stand by the wall so I could get Luna out from behind the desk. After setting her on the table, they held her down to give her her shots. I understand that they needed to hold her down, that wasn't the problem. I volunteered to help by laying my hand out, but Dr. Smith snapped at me that my insurance would sue her if Luna bit me. I was taken a back and Dr Smith continued to make negative comments about my scared cat's behavior the whole visit. My cat was acting nervous and defensive like many pets do at the vet. She was not attacking or biting the vet. Instead of cautiously approaching her, Dr. Smith aggressively approached me and my cat the whole visit. She did not make any efforts to make me or Luna comfortable during the visit. Ultimately, the reason I was disappointed was she failed to address my concerns and provide positive friendly service, instead she acted negatively from the start of the visit and her actions showed she wanted to get in and out as quickly as she could. Do not see Dr. Smith if your pet acts even the slightest bit uncomfortable in foreign situations; apparently Dr. Smith did not take any animal behavioral courses back in school. It would have been nice to have been given a summary of the visit or a simple "have a nice day" from Dr. Smith. Read Less

A year or so ago, I brought my cat in for a check up as she was going to the bathroom outside of the box. The vet did a urine sample and also found that she needed her anal glands expressed. During this appointment I was disappointed with the vet's attitude and demeanor. She was aggressive and rude in the visit room and pretty much yelled at me that my cat would need to be sedated for the anal gland expression (as if it is my fault my cat doesn't like the vet's fingers up her butt??). I picked her up from her short stay, paid my bill and brought her home. Unfortunately, for the next few months she continued to have litter-box issues. After months of frustration, I brought her back in to see if she needed her glands expressed again. Turns out she didn't, but they did do another urine test to see if it was a urinary infection. Results came back positive and they recommended I put my cat on prescription food. When I picked up the prescription food and was asking questions if this was temporary or if she would need to be on the food forever (typically I feed my cats grain free so I wasn't super excited about feeding her prescription food with grains and byproducts), I was told she would need to be on the food forever since she has had a urinary tract infection for months. WHAT? This came as quite the surprise to me because the previous time I had brought her in, I was never told the results of the urine test and was under the impression only her anal glands were irritated (I assumed if they didn't mention anything - it was fine!). So long story short, my poor cat had an untreated UTI for months because the incompetent staff here failed to tell me the results of the urinary test and failed to provide treatment. There's no way I just didn't hear them tell me about this - because prescription food is really their only solution to this type of urinary tract issue and no where in my notes do they recommend I put her on the food (i checked). If you do decide to go to this vet - I would exclusively see the male vet as I remember my previous experience with him being far superior to the woman (who I also believe is the owner). That being said, I suggest you bring your pet elsewhere. Read Less

Despite the fact that the vets were friendly and seemed knowledgeable, this office performed several tooth extractions on our chihuahua WITHOUT doing x-rays as part of a cleaning. They left exposed roots, which caused our dog an incredible amount of pain. We finally took him to the University of Minnesota to fix the shoddy dental work they had done. Upon doing so, we also found that the ultrasound they had performed at UV (for an unrelated heart condition) had not been done by a board certified technician, though they charged the same and insisted that it was to the same standard as the University of Minnesota. Don't take your pets here, especially for anything beyond the basics. Read Less

Money oriented! One time they made me come over 3 days in a row (for useless procedures) till my dogs condition was critical. Another time they sent me home when my dog had a fever and then 30 mins later called me because someone canceled their appointment. They are worth seeing only when your pet is healthy. Few caring people there but they are not the decision makers. I would not recommend them since they start giving you meds and treatment before knowing the diagnosis and keep you hanging when time can be critical for your pet. Read Less

I have been taking my 8-year-old bulldog here for most of his life; the care he has received here seemed good otherwise I would've switched vets. However, it's my most recent visit that concerns me. A week ago Friday, I brought him in to have some bumps and lumps checked - I do this every year as precaution. This time, they reported that the lumps were cancerous and he needed surgery.Fortunately, a friend exhorted me to go to the U of M Veterinary Clinic for a second opinion. I cancelled his surgery and instead, brought him there. Within 24 hours the U of M reported that the tumors were NOT cancerous but fatty which is common in older dogs. They said surgery would be unnecessary.I was incredibly relieved because my precious pooch has been through way too much this year without adding unnecessary surgery on top of it. We lost our home in a fire and his life was completely uprooted. He lost his kitty brother in that fire. He had to have surgery to have teeth removed. Another surgery would have been horrible stress on top of all of that. Of course, the U of M bill was pricey, but not as costly in stress and money as surgery. Read Less

I also had great experiences with Uptown Vet!! A home-like atmosphere, respectful staff, fantastic care!! You really know that these people care about animals! Whoever complained about money issues has no idea what they are talking about. I brought my older cat in as an emergency--he is diabetic and was suffering from diabetic ketoid acidosis (DKA is often fatal). Dr. Smith urged me to bring him to U of M's emergency vet ward. Not only that, they did not charge me for this visit--any other place would for such an evaluation. (Kitty is 13 and fine now.) Also, others have told me that their pricing is often less than others in the Twin Cities area. Read Less

I have gone to several different clinics in the metro area and Uptown Vet is by far the one I like the most. The staff and doctors talk to me like I'm a real person; they take the time to explain things to me and are seem truly concernced about all my pets. I read some of the negative reviews on here and they made no sense to me because this vet does not look at your pet as a ""cash cow"". In fact, Dr Smith has made recommendations to me for cheaper medication alternatives (generics) and has never tried pushing expensive prescription diets on me for my chubby kitty or my allergy prone dog. Their office fees are WAY less than other clinics. Over the summer one of my dogs needed surgery to pull 3 broken teeth - I was hysterical because of the fear that I wouldn't be able to afford the surgery. With no hidden fees and EVERYTHING that my dog needed, the final total was less than half of what any other clinic quoted me. I LOVE that the staff at this clinic is not afraid of my pit bull! They treat all my animals with the same kindness and respect that I see them give to all their clients. The staff seems to enjoy their jobs and everyone is always smiling, happy and chatty with me. I cannot rave about this clinic enough! My brother just got a cat and asked me where he should take it - I practically pushed him down the street to get him to Uptown Vet! None of the other clinics I've ever gone to gave me the confidence that this clinic has, and that is worth everything when you are trusting someone with the health of your fur babies. Thank you Uptown Vet for being so wonderful!! Read Less

back when the uptown veterinarian was a holistic veterinary practice, there were some mean staff who were nice to the animals but snotty to the people. since it has changed hands, i've really liked the staff under dr. julie smith - until recently. there is now one veterinary assistant who is a real snot. i don't know her name, but she has long dyed red hair. she snubs you and makes sarcastic faces, which is not what you need when you are already upset because you have a sick dog. i don't know if the attitude problems stem from being located in uptown - where you seem to see that superiority complex more than anywhere else - but it's starting to remind me of the snotty staff that worked there before dr. julie took over. i'll still go there, but from now on i'll try to schedule appointments on fridays because this staff person doesn't seem to work that day. i hope this is just an isolated case and not a trend! Read Less

I have three cats, all over the age of 11, and they've been going to Uptown Vet their entire lives. From kitten to now geriatric cat, everyone has been helpful and compassionate. Our oldest cat has diabetes and hyperthyroidism. My husband and I were scared and upset and both Dr. Smith and Dr. Cartledge have been great. They're both compassionate and very thorough with explanations both in person and over the phone. I've never had a negative experience at all. Read Less

I am so very disappointed with everyone on this staff. Being close to my home I have taken my cats here for years, and I have endured their rude, heartless manner long enough! I called to simply get an antibiotic for my 18 year old fiv ridden cat as he has a tooth infection. Being too old for surgery I wanted to lighten his pain some. They not only refused rudely, when I asked if they could recommend alternatives they just kept repeating 'we cannot give advice without seeing him'. Guess they forgot I adopted a cat through them as they found a stray with fiv and thought it could live in harmony with my infected cat. Then charged me up the ting yang for vet bills. And removed one of my felines eyes only to have him die in recovery. In short, they are rude, unsympathetic, and only concerned with the almighty dollar. Shame on you uptown vet! Read Less

Our cat was diagnosed with kidney failure by this place. We followed all their recommendations, we had all the tests, we did the low protien food and thrice a week IV fluids. They told us that we need to plan for end of life for our cat. The day came when we knew he had no more quality of life left and we called to get a sedative for him so when we brought him in to be euthanized, his last hours wouldn't be terror stricken. The vet wouldn't even get on the phone. He relayed this message via the receptionist. ""Oh no, we don't do that. You need to bring him in again to be tested to see what other treatments we can do for him, and we cannot do that if he is sedated."" We did not make the appointment. We did make sure our cat was euthanized without fear. What a horrible thing for a vet to do. He didn't think about a suffering cat, and a sad family, he saw our cat as a cash cow. Don't deal with these people. Read Less

I have been taking my animals (both cats and dogs) to this vet for over 11 years...they are caring, compassionate, and most importantly skilled in the care of animals. Each time I have brough my dog or cats into the clinic I have received a follow up call within a day or two to find out how my guys are doing. All of the staff are incredible with my animals and you just know that they really care about each one of them. I have been through all the life stages of my pets (from bringing them home as babies to end of life) with this clinic and have been treated with amazing service and compassion with each visit. When treatment is needed each test and/or treatment is explained thoroughly with me and a decision is made between me and the staff on what the best course of action is for my pet. I can not say enough good things about them. Read Less

I am very impressed with this vet. We have a one year old puppy and have been brining him to this vet since adopting him at 8 weeks old. We love to see both doctors and feel they do an excellent job not only with our dog, but with educating us as well. We have been in many times for shots, neuter, sick dog, health certificates, etc. and each time the doctors and staff are very happy, welcoming, and helpful. I even ran into some of the staff on the street in uptown while taking my dog for a walk and they recognized us and stopped to see how Chunk (my dog) was doing. I would recommend this vet to everyone :) VERY HAPPY DOG AND CUSTOMER. Read Less

I moved to Mpls about 3 yrs age, in 07. I read a lot about how great this clinic is. So i decided to switch from the petsmart people that i used very early in mpls to this clinic. i havent really had any big issues with my dog, health wise. I mean he is pretty young and so healthy. but when I have been to uptown vet, I have not been impressed at all (3 times since I have moved to Mpls). she doesnt do much of an exam. very honestly, i have seen maybe 3 really good vets (before moving to mpls), and each one of them very meticulously did the physical exam of my dog. This doctor seemed almost hands off-ish with my dog during his annual EXAM! that is just terrible since the physical exam is the first sign for any potential problems that your dog might have. She does answer questions and tries to explain, I will give her that. the support staff seem really bad, and it seems im not the only one to have noticed that (see other review that talks about this). they made very personal comments when i suggested that i am not comfortable with how they are handling a situation. my dog needed a blood test for his annual heart worm medicine, and they kept trying to take the blood to no avail. after poking the needle in each one of my dog's paw multiple times, i suggested that the support person get help and have others help and to this she made a bunch of snyde remarks about me not having a well trained dog. i found it very demeaning that they criticized me when they werent able to do their job, something i was paying them for! and they are pretty expensive. i mean service for money is one thing, but bad service and then high end payments are not compatible. I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES SINCE THERE ARE A FEW GREAT VETS IN MINNEAPOLIS... Read Less