University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center

Have not had a good experience here. They are supposed to be experts, but every time we go, our pet is seen by students who don’t read her records, screw up her blood draws, never tell us what things cost, forget to record her stats and therefore don’t notice significant sudden changes in weight, and re-​diagnose her with the problem she was there for in the first place. The students examine the pet and then take 30 minutes in the next room to get a lesson from the real vet on what’s going on with my pet. So I’m paying extra money to have these bumbling students fumble around with my pet and then I cool my heels for 30 minutes while they get their lesson from the real vet on my pet’s various problems. I would say the vet’s attention is only 50% on my pet, and 50% on teaching the vet students. I guess I prefer a vet who gives 100% to the animals.

The UofM veterinary clinic is the best of the best in Minnesota!
Cheap? No. Incredibly accurate? Absolutely. If you adore your pets as much as I do, you won’t regret bringing them here.
I recently welcomed a second Chihuahua into my home and upon getting him vet checked at a run-​of-​the-​mill local vet, they told me he was predisposed for hip dysplasia and immediately started prompting me about him needing x-​rays, an orthopedic consultation, and a $ 2000 surgery. Hearing this news I was in shock, but that never seems to prevent the small practices for grinding you to make instant decisions when you are in this vulnerable state, especially when you are going in for a booster shot and leaving with the news that your pet is in such bad shape.
After this, I did what I should have in the first place and brought him to the U of M. Since I was told that he would have hip dysplasia, I requested hip and knee X-​rays. 3 incredibly professional UofM vets (two being specialists) thoroughly examined my puppy. Each of them telling me that they will not jump to conclusions since he is so young.
My puppy was sedated for radiology. Incredibly accurate and clear X-​rays were completed, our doctor/​specialist promptly followed up with us letting us know his hips were perfectly normal and explained every bit of the X-​rays to us.
As for cost, the examination was $ 188, sedation was around $ 64, and the X-​rays were $ 160 each (we got 2). We spent around $ 540, which is not much more expensive than any small practice vet.
We have piece of mind now and the UofM staff is incredible. We were treated so well from the moment we arrived to when we left.

Not the first place you want to spend your evenings but they absolutely give the best medical care in an emergency.
The folks at the reception desk are a little rough around the edges but I imagine they need to keep emotionally separated from all the frantic parents calling in. However, a sympathetic smile when you’re freaking out inside would go a long way.
We were seen within about 10 minutes of arriving (Tip: If you’re able, call ahead of time so they know you’re coming. Cuts down on desk time!). We were brought to a little exam room where the very nice tech asked us some questions about what we were being seen for. After she had the info she needed, she whisked my poor boy away.
25 or so minutes later, he comes hobbling out happily with the tech and the vet. The vet sits with me for as long as I needed her to answering my questions and never at one point tried to upsell me services. I did elect for xrays but that was for my own piece of mind.
Another 40 minutes passed and she came out with the xray results and as suspected, partial ACL tear. She gave me a broad idea of treatments and recommended I contact my own vet because it’ll likely be a great deal cheaper. We were all set to go after I asked her another hundred questions and checked out at the desk. $ 353 later ($ 132 exam fee, $ 200 for xrays, and the rest was for meds) we were on our way.
I will absolutely be back should I ever have an after hours emergency. It’s hella expensive but the care they give combined with how much I love my dog makes it totally worth it. Oh and their lobby is lovely. Lots of seating, vending machines, coffee, and water fountain.

I had a bad experience here with my Great Dane years ago and warned my buddy off of this place. They are not a market proven, pragmatic nor anywhere near reasonably priced practice. His cat has diabetes and his experience paralleled my own.
This is not a vet clinic that serves it’s community, this is a school of overzealous rookies with not enough oversight acquiring as much additional funding from the community as possible to gain as much experience in the lab as possible.
If you want to know if your experience has mirrored what me and my friend went thru ask:
–Did they they throw out a big number and act like they were not interested if you couldn’t cough up for the «fill in the blank» lab work and extensive testing?
–Did they throw out an unusually large amount of diagnosis or jump towards a diagnosis that requires an unusually large amount of tests?
–Did they act very responsive when they knew you’d spend more money then cease all communication when your budget ran out?
–Did they line you up with a special vet line of credit then extract 3 Grand out of you to have accomplished nothing and send you home with a sick cat and an IV drip bag that lasts 20 minutes a day, twice a day, and wish you luck, promise to call then never do?
–Did they ensure to make every interaction at least 3 visits long? Never heard of a once and done here, but my favorite vets can pull this off…
Stay tuned and if you found this even slightly resonates with your own experience, please message me.
Check out Pet Central, my vet on Central Ave. After spending 3k at the «U», my friend got the best care here with a single visit for 50 bucks (dollars per visit at the U: ~$ 1k). He is fuming and so am I, legal measures may be happening… we’ll see.
M

I’m going to try to keep this short & simple. I have a 9 yr old French Bulldog, «Boo» who is the love of my life. Last year while I was on vacation, he started to have seizures. We thought they were caused by stress, but on Oct. 1^st. we were awaken by him having a full grand mal seizure. Well the next day he was diagnosed with a glioma (and he was given 4 months). So we went home and gave him all the love we could and fed him anything he wanted. His health slowly deteriorated. My sister-​in-​law found a clinical trial that was being done @ The University of Minnesota with dogs that had this type of brain tumor. So we jumped at it, he was accepted into the study. Well, he had 99% of the tumor removed, and just in time, immediately after surgery he did a «180
degree turn. Now he’s awake, alert, back to his old funny self again.
Now it’s just a waiting game. To see if the vaccine works (if it will destroy the remaining tumor). If it does, it’s a win-​win, if not, well we have more time with our beloved Boo.
Dr. P. who performed the surgery is amazing. You can tell she really cares about her patients. She is also in charge of this study that in the future can not only help dogs with gliomas, but one day help humans with this type of brain cancer.
Thank you Dr. P.

About seven years ago my 12-​year-​old lab mix got sick. Local veterinarian ran tests and long story short, we were told to go home and «enjoy the time you have left with her.» The estimate was a few months; if we were really lucky, we might get a year.
Two days later I was at the U of M. More tests, followed by a diagnosis of pyometra. Can google it for more info, but basically it is a very serious life threatening infection if not treated ASAP. She was in surgery the next day. She died four years later at the ripe old age of 16. Those were four of the best years I ever had with that sweet girl. I would have never had them had I taken the advice from the first nimrod.
If you want more info, about specific doc, etc. feel free to message me. But, my understanding is, they’re all good. And I wouldn’t hesitate to take my animals here if faced with any sort of serious condition.

I love my puppy. And I swear, we are the tightest couple ever.
Forget dem famous dynamic duos like Batman and Robin, Kenan and Kel, or Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh! We set the standard! Whether it’s following me to do laundry, chilling with me while binging on Netflix, or coming to business meetings, she goes with me practically everywhere. Even as I write this review, she’s cuddled up beside my thigh and, I think, dreaming about chasing a squirrel. She’s. My. Dawg!
But last week she got sick.
Cranberry started having non-​stop diarrhea for twelve hours. After that, she then started having blood in her diarrhea. Then, all that came out of her was blood. Then, my heart broke.
One night, I slept with her on the couch, because she needed someone to take her out to use the bathroom every two hours. When ready, she would run to the door and whimper. That’s when I knew to pick her up and hold her like a football, run down three hallways and four flights of stairs to get her outside. (I did that about five or six times.) After that night, she began refusing to eat and drink and could barely walk. We had to take serious action.
My girlfriend knew about the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center, which has its doors open 24/​7, so we immediately decided to take her there. After checking in, a vet tech immediately took her in to rehydrate and examine her.
The vet who examined Cranberry came out twenty minutes later and told us that our puppy could have had some sort of bacterial infection in her stomach, and her problems stemmed from eating bad food or a plant. She provided an overview of all our options for treatment, and suggested that we treat her with an antibiotic and IV. Other options included holding her overnight and testing her stool, etc… We did all that we could, except for the overnight. (That was around $ 700 a night!)
After half-​an-​hour, the vet and co finished treating Cranberry and brought her out. While greeting us, she accidentally «went» on the floor of the lobby. Thankfully, the receptionist cleaned it up. We were so embarrassed, but she said accidents happen all the time.
Regarding the cost, here’s the breakdown:
–Examination and Emergency Diagnosis ($ 132)
–CHEM or IV ($ 60)
–ER Blood Draw PCV/​TP ($ 22)
–Maropitant 10MG/​ML Injectible (Cerenia) ($ 13.14)
–Famotidine 10MG Tablets ($ 2.98)
–Metronidazole 250MG Tablets ($ 8.05)
–ER Fluids Adminis ($ 56)
–Er Medication Admin ($ 45)
Total: $ 339.17
Fast forward to today!
After taking her medication, feeding her some softer food, and giving her lots cuddles, she’s now back to 100%
There are a couple of things, though, that I think they could do better:
1) I felt that the explanations for treatment were a bit rushed, and I had a difficult time remembering them and their respective costs.
2) The drab lobby area could be more comfortable with couches instead of chairs. It could also use some TVs and more pictures of cute puppies and kittens.
Nonetheless, thank you, U Of M Veterinary Medical Center! You saved my dog.
P. S. The last time I visited this place was when I was in middle school. My dog (Lucky) ran across Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis, and some driver not only smashed into my dog collapsing one of her lungs, but also drove away. (Like an heartless jerk.) My father took Lucky dog to the hospital, and the people there miraculously saved her! Seriously, these people are geniuses.
Ugh, thinking about this story makes my heart hurt. I’m going to stop writing, now.

I am absolutely speechless at the fantastic quality of care my dog received at the U’s Veterinary Medical Center. She needed a procedure done under general anesthesia, and being admittedly overprotective and inquisitive, when my regular vet met my «tell me about your anesthesia protocols and monitoring equipment» with a blank stare, I was promptly referred to the VMC.
Despite just visiting for a dental procedure, the staff did a full examination that was leaps and bounds more thorough than my regular vet check-​ups. They did very detailed lab work — a Chem 23 and CBC — which had tons more data than my vet’s labs, and was cheaper, too.
A regular veterinary office might be able to schedule you quickly and have you drop your dog off for a few hours — but at the VMC, we couldn’t get in for the procedure until about six weeks later (it wasn’t urgent), and I had to drop her off by 7AM, but they didn’t actually start the procedure until mid-​afternoon, and she didn’t fully recover until around 6PM. A very long day, but you can leave and be reachable by cell phone, or sit in the lobby, where there’s free wi-​fi.
That all might sound like a complaint, but here’s why it’s not: unlike the informal environment and generalized knowledge at your regular veterinary office, the VMC operates a lot more like a hospital for humans would. Your pet’s procedure will be performed by specialists who are very skilled at what they do, and being a teaching hospital, there are lots of eyes (with fresh book smarts) watching everything that happens. They have state of the art equipment, they get lots and lots of cases through the door, and they have a dedicated anesthesiology team that customizes the protocol for the individual pet and monitors the pet throughout. They have a veterinary ICU unit there, so you know they’re well-​equipped should anything go wrong.
For my dog’s dental procedure, the discharge instructions and lab data was made available to me in an online account, something you definitely won’t find at the vast majority of vets — and digital X-​rays were captured and available on disc. Every little element was explained to me, and I was fully aware of everything that was going on. I felt they always took great care of my dog, and I could tell they gave her lots of love all day long. The best part: for my procedure at least, the estimate was actually lower than my regular vet!

I have been going to the University of MN Veterinary Medical Center since 1987, over 27+ years. They are a top of the line Veterinary Hospital that has Emergency care ²⁴⁄₇. The Veterinarians, Interns, Techs and ICU staff is the BEST you will ever find. They have Vets that specialize in every field so you get the best care for your dog or cat.
They have very comprehensive surgical suites along with top of the line Surgeons. Also, most importantly, every surgery is monitored by someone that specializes in Anesthesiology. This gives me a piece of mind that my dogs are getting the best care.
They also have one of the most advanced Dentistry departments, another vital aspect of care for all pets. I have my dogs teeth cleaned here approximately every two years. Perhaps this is why my dogs live very long lives!
I cannot say enough about this Veterinary Hospital. Their ICU is staffed with very advanced and specialized technicians and Veterinarians 24/​7, 365 days per year. They never close. I highly recommend taking your dog or cat here if they are ever sick or your regular Vet doesn’t know what is ailing your pet, if they have cancer, need their teeth cleaned or dental work done, or many of the other issues that can affect our pets. They see it all here and you will receive outstanding care from them! A++++++++++

If you read my reviews, you know I love my pup dearly… so I have pretty high standards for a vet.
I believe the UofM is the best option for your pet in the twin cities, ESPECIALLY if your pet has a serious health issue.
All you have to do is visit the waiting room to hear the stories of how the uofm saved a pets life where other vets fell short… which is exactly what happened in my case. They also have an excellent oncology department and a non-​traditional (eastern) medicine specialist with more degrees than my thermometer.
Cheapest place you can go… no.
Best place you can go (IMHO)… yes.

Best of the best of the best.
A little on the pricier side? Yes, but if you’re like me, and *the best* is a bit more than the rest, so be it. If my cat is sick, I want her to get a thorough examination and the best treatment… I get exactly that at the UofMN Vet Center.
My family and I have been taking our pets here since around 2000. Thanks to the UofMN Vet Center, our dog Timmy lived to be 19 years old, was never in pain, and was given amazing diet and care care for an elderly dog. Our other dog, Momo, has had some serious dental/​gum issues, and the UofMN Vet Center has been able to save most of her teeth as well as help her hip dysplasia. My own pet, Sasha Mew Mitts (obvs a cat), has been going to the U for vet care since she was a kitten, and I’ve had very few health issues with her.
I feel sorry for those that had a poor experience, but I think those occurances must be extremely rare, because I’ve never experienced anything like that, nor has anyone in my family, nor any or my friends who take their pets there. Whenever cost and treatment has been discussed, I’ve always been presented with several options, ranging from the most intensive treatment and tests to the «let’s wait and see» option. I greatly appreciate their honesty and have never experienced anything but fantastic customer service and professionalism.
Going back to cost — if you’re like me (an idiot who hasn’t gotten her cat pet insurance), ANY (good) vet is going to be expensive. That being said, the UofMN Vet Center does work with CareCredit, which usually comes with a 6-​month zero interest pay schedule. When your cat gets an expensive root canal and dental work done and you can’t fork up that $ 620 all at once, that line of credit is a godsend.
I consider myself fortunate to be able to take my cat to the UofMN Vet Center.

Thumbs up, just what you’d expect from the U of Mn!
We’re using them for the 3^rd time, this time for artificial insemination of a dog. Of course, they’re the best in the state of Minnesota, with an expert on hand to oversee our case.
In my various visits I’ve had contact with vet techs, vet students, actual veterinarians, professors, a behavioral specialist, and a dietary specialist. They’re all great, from the generalists to the specialists. They also have access to the best labs, testing, and technology.
This expertise isn’t cheap. But it isn’t nearly as expensive as I had expected. And some of the things we’ve had done are actually cheaper than our regular vet.
The only other thing I want to mention is that I always try to keep straight what kind of person I’m talking to when I’m asking my stupid questions. (You tend to see several people during a visit.) For example, I don’t want to ask a student a question when I really need to be talking to one of the specialists.
P. S. If you have a regular vet and want to have some fun… Find out what year they graduated from vet school and look them up on the huge wall of graduates from past decades. It’s a hoot!
–Daddy Maxx Retro

No better care for your luved ones. The attention and

Not impressed. I came to their emergency vet clinic and it is one big bonus that they are open ²⁴⁄₇. I had a suspicion that my cat was horribly constipated but I wanted to see what the vet thought and how they might be able to help. Everyone I met was very nice and friendly but when it came down to their analysis, I was not impressed. They basically said that it could be constipation but the degree was unknown and they recommended I do an xray and blood test. I asked if we could just try to alleviate the current situation (for a lot less money) and then take those other steps in a couple days if it was not better. He said that was totally reasonable. I don’t know why this was not presented as an option to me and I had to suggest it. I got the feeling that they are too academic and would love to train all their students as much as possible at my expense and to know exactly what is going on regardless of whether or not it’s practical. If you don’t speak up and know a thing or two yourself, I feel you’ll get taken for a ride.

They provide excellent care and are very good with specialized cases. The vets are patient and you can tell they truly care about their patients. They explain things well and are happy to answer questions. I wish my own doctor was more like the vet’s here! I’ve been there many times to the ER and Neurologist (my dog has health problems) and I highly recommend them.

Positives: advanced treatment options, high technology, caring vets and vet students.
Negatives: «revolving door» of vets and students does not allow you to establish a relationship with your vet. Also, the prices here are very high.
If your pet needs proper diagnosis and/​or advanced treatment, this is the place to go.

Arlie has been my best friend for almost five years. He’s helped me survive some of the biggest trials of my adult life. If it wasn’t for the empathy and compassion he taught me for all living things, I would have never became a vegetarian. I would have never rescued my second dog, Etta, from that puppy mill.
Arlie has changed my life.
So when the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center told me Arlie may never walk again, I felt like I had failed my ten pound friend. Arlie, a miniature dachshund, had ruptured a disc in his spine and lost the use of his hind legs. My other vet assured me that he would get better with crate management like my other dog Etta had over the summer, but his conditioned relapsed and I decided I had to go to the only Neurology Center for small animals in the state. When I brought him in, four weeks after his initial injury, they told me I had waited too long.
I reluctantly left him in their care. He cried as I said goodbye to him. I left him a toy that he had stuffed in the crate I brought him in with. I was so nervous that when I got Arlie back he’d be in so much pain and have to suffer for weeks just to get back the minimal use of his legs.
I can’t tell you how astonishing it was to see him, with his little back shaved and a six inch incision on his back, walking to me the next day. He was walking. They said he might never walk again, but damnit, he wasn’t missing a step. He was obviously doped up, but Dr. Robles had worked a miracle on the poor pup that was condemned to a wheel cart.
It was expensive. Very. I luckily have Healthy Paws Pet Insurance which is helping me with the costs of Arlie’s surgery, but I wouldn’t second guess the cost ever again in my life. And while we’re currently undergoing the pains of recovery, Arlie is more and more himself every day. I know if he could, he’d curse me for keeping him in the crate while he heals and thank Dr. Robles and her wonderful team for giving him the ability to enjoy a walk again.

When our dog was dying of a brain tumor, our normal vet suggested we go here. It was a mistake and a waste of money.
We were badly neglected in the exam room — it was so bad I twice had to leave the room to ask if anyone was coming to see us or if anyone was ever coming back.
Our normal vet suspected the U would have a better course of drugs for us, and had some suggestions she expected they would pursue. In the end the U vet gave us no suggestions, and pretty much just sent us home with no change in anything we were doing. We went back to our normal vet a couple days later to go after the drug changes she suggested. Our normal vet was also really discouraged by how the U had treated us and our dog.
I am not a complainer and my experience here seems so different than everyone else’s. I think we were assigned a bad vet intern and we never saw any of the vets who were not in training. I don’t think the interns knew what to do with our dog. I kept trying to ask for more help but never got it.
If I ddi have a sick animal again, and this was my last chance vet, I would demand to see one of the supervising vets. Otherwise you are in the hands of students that may not know anything.

We had to let our 13 year old friend go. The doctors and staff here guided us through every wrenching moment, before, during, and after. I again could not say enough about how great this place is. All class.

These people are life savers — literally.
We have two precocious Bengal cats, and when they were younger, they were like toddlers — they got into EVERYTHING. Jocko one day managed to open a sewing kit he had knocked to the floor, and his brother, Marlowe, saw a wonderful shiny object (AKA a sewing needle) and decided to eat it.
Long story short, we were referred to the U of M Vet Hospital and, since at that point we didn’t know WHAT he swallowed, just that he had swallowed SOMETHING, they quickly identified what happened by an X-​Ray. When I proceeded to hysterically start crying and was beating myself up for being the worst pet parent ever, the fabulous vet taking care of our case not only had the patience to deal with me, but helped calm me down and tried to make me laugh. She reassured me that even though I probably couldn’t believe it, they saw it ALL the time — they even had a line item in billing for it because it happened so frequently! She was explicit about exactly what they were going to do during the surgery, all risks involved, how long it would take, and all of his follow up care prior to even bringing him into the back room for surgery prep.
The surgery was done quickly but very well, and the vet was kind enough to answer all my many follow up questions and, when we were concerned the surgery area was infected, she was happy to have Marlowe brought in for a no-​charge check up. Marlowe was so at ease with her and all the staffers at the U of M VMC, and the team handled our emergency so well, that they are now the only vets we use for anything related to our kitties, period.