The Uptown Veterinarian

Uptown vet is by far the best vet clinic I have ever gone to. We moved an hour and a half away and make the trip back for our pets care. The Docs are true healers (no pun intended) and care as much about your companion as you do. The staff is amazing too. They still talk to us about our Dane that passed away years ago and remember him by name. To me that is amazing. Their rates are also very affordable. The atmosphere is a home setting. What is there not to love? more

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. more

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. \r \r 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.\r \r 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. \r \r 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!! more

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! more

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. more

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! more

It just was not the field for her...she did not handle stress very well! more

Our cat was diagnosed with kidney failure by this place.\r 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.\r 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.\r 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.""\r We did not make the appointment. We did make sure our cat was euthanized without fear. \r 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.\r Don't deal with these people. more

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.\r \r 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. \r \r 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. more

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. more

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... more

My kitty had cancer and the techs made snide and judgmental comments to me. \r \r They didn't have timely appointments available to do a full exam and wanted me to wait for a week before they could actually diagnose her.\r \r Then they wouldn't give me enough pain killer to last until her next appointment and were very very rude to me when I asked for more.\r \r When she ran out of pain-killer, I went elsewhere (the next clinic was a million times more compassionate), and then when I tried to cancel my appointment they didn't even have it on the books. \r \r My daughters and I had to watch our kitty painfully suffer because Uptown Veterinarian is incompetent.\r \r I think they should be shut down. Pros: The doctor seemed okay Cons: The techs were horrible. more

I've been taking my oldest dog here since he was a puppy (4 years) and will continue bringing him and my new puppy here as well. The vet techs on a recent visit were kind enough to bathe my dog when I brought him in completely soiled from a bad GI virus he had and didn't have time to bathe him before coming in for my appt after work. They brought him up from the tub all fresh & clean wrapped in a towel while we waited to see Dr. Smith. It eased my anxiety quite a bit after an already stressful few days with a sick dog. I highly recommend this vet to all my friends in Uptown with animals. Pros: affordable, very helpful more

To begin with, the office is comfortable, with separate waiting areas for dogs and cats and a home-like atmosphere. You can immediately tell that everyone there loves animals...don't be surprised if several of the assistants come over to talk to your pet. Dr. Smith is a true professional...my dog had surgery recently and his stitches are a work of art! She will spend as much time as necessary talking with you to make certain you understand every aspect of your pet's treatment and care. And here's another bonus...the fees for services are extremely reasonable.\r \r Trust Dr Smith and Uptown Vet with your fur person...you won't be sorry. Pros: Comfortable office, caring staff, expert veterinarian, low cost! Cons: Parking is a little bit of a problem at times more

Dr. Smith is wonderful. I am a first time kitten owner and i brought my cat after her paw was accidentally stepped on. Not only did they fit me in when they had a full schedule but they didn't charge b/c she was fine. Excellent service. Highly Recommended."" more

dr. smith is excellent - the most friendly, professional, and knowledeable vet our pets have had. her care and concern for pets and their owners is remarkable. support staff and techs are also wonderful - friendly and detail-oriented. once i had a question that dr. smith wasn't sure how to answer and she literally pulled a few veterinary/medical volumes off the shelves and looked up the answer for me. it was amazing. i felt like my concerns for our pet's health were truly respected. overall - quality care and service. highly recommended. Pros: very knowledgeable and friendly Cons: parking is a little hard to find more