Very caring people in Birch Lake. I have three cats, two of them are Bengals, and they can get a little feisty, but all the staff here are super!

Birch Lake constantly goes above and beyond and out of their way to fit me and my multiple pets in when we need it. Most everyone there knows me by name and they love my pets like their own. Ive been coming for years, but the past month by basset has been coming in to see Dr. Tim & Dr. Jensen for back issues and theyve done everything possible to accommodate our multiple appointments, med refills, med changes, phone calls, and questions. I am so appreciative for everything they do to keep my dogs and cats healthy and happy.

Soooo I have to share my first experience with Birch Lake Animal Hospital. I brought 2 year old Boxer in for a checkup. I felt like I was being rude because I had to take a work meeting while visiting. The tech made sure to let me know not to worry, and made me feel comfortable with my crazy life in the moment. On top of that she also made Bella feel comfortable. Hung out with her in the room and gave snuggles. Bella is all about snuggles. Im pretty sure she loves our dog as much if not more than we do lol anywho, all this to say it is a great atmosphere and great place to take your pets:)

I have never had a reliable vet clinic that I enjoyed working with until I found birch lake. I brought my adult dog here for her routine exam and vaccinations and knew after I did so that they would be my go to when I brought home my puppy. The staff here has been nothing but friendly and professional, and I can tell that both of my dogs felt comfortable here.

I love Birch Lake. Ive been going there for 4ish years now with my 2 cats and dog. They have always been great with all 3 of them, and even squeezed my cat in when he scratched his eye on Christmas Eve. We moved away from White Bear 2 years ago but continue to use them, and I dont see that changing any time soon.

I’ve had amazing luck at this vet. We moved to white bear lake last year and got two kitties who adore the doctor and staff here. Dennis and Ferb love you guys!! We will always go here!

Literally just called because their website mentions urgent and emergency care. Woman laughed and was like shocked that I thought I would be able to get in for an emergency. Their website does indeed say you need to call ahead, but it doesn’t say they only take appointments until 5 or that you have to call by 8am for an urgent matter.I am also in search of a new vet after moving, and I will not be using this vet.

I have a 17 year old cat, Gary, that means everything to me. He has FIV and stopped eating one day. When he would try to eat he would collapse and paw at his mouth. After taking him to BL hospital, they made me feel totally relaxed and comfortable. I thought for sure I was losing my best friend but it was just a mouth infection and some bad teeth. Rebecca, the vet, was able to fix his mouth and make him comfortable and get him home in less than an hour. I will never go anywhere else. The entire staff was compassionate, professional and friendly. Every single move and cost was explained to me prior to dping it. Cant say enough good things

I have not brought my kitty there yet and thank goodness I didnt! Thank you STEPHandDAIM Sawyer for your review. I am new to the area and want to make sure my Pookie gets the best care possible, which, Birch Lake, sounds sub par and uncaring.

Weve been taking our dogs to Birch Lake Animal Hospital for 11 years. Their staff is very caring and NOT pushy. There have been times when we werent able to afford a procedure and they worked with us to find alternative means until we could afford it. Our eldest dog just had surgery on a tumor and several teeth needing to be pulled. Due to COVID we werent able to be there with her. The team was very informative on how it went and made me feel at ease.

My family has been bringing our animals to Birch Lake Animal Hospital for over a decade, I have always been happy with the care provided, especially in recent years. The staff are so sweet and patient with my large nervous dog, Gordon, which I have especially appreciated during this pandemic since I haven’t been able to go in with him. Whenever I’ve had an emergency with an animal and they couldn’t get them in, they have always provided me with information for the closest emergency clinics. Keep up the great work!

Had a nice experience with our one and only peppers, Ruby!

The environment is clean, the Doctors are kind and gentle, unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the receptionist (an older lady, average height/weight, with very short hair). She isn’t the kindest face to see when checking-in or out of an appointment. She doesn’t smile and she tries her hardest not to acknowledge or interact with me. This is not my first time coming here.I’ve seen her smile and speak respectfully to her colleagues and other clients, but I’m just not understanding, “why me?” It’s sad to say, but I’ve often wondered if it’s my race-I’m not Caucasian. Everyone else is very kind and welcoming though.I just want to give a kind reminder because I, too, work in the health field. The front desk/receptionist is the first thing your customers will see. First impressions are very important.From a clients perspective-You are protecting and treating the health of our beloved animals, but we are the humans paying for your services. Please try to be kind and maintain your professionalism even if you may not like us for your own personal reasons.It has been difficult to decide whether or not I will continue services.It’s very unfortunate that this is a story I share with my neighbors, friends, and family.

Very professional and they have an obvious appreciation for animals... Mazie is in good hands at Birch Lake!

This is the BEST clinic! The doctors and the entire staff are so kind and caring, and most importantly very knowledgeable. Our current puppy and the two previous dogs were patients at this amazing clinic.

My dog was misdiagnosed which led to her death. She received expensive and prolonged treatment that did nothing for her condition but allow it to spread to the point that it could no longer be treated. Valuable time was wasted so that they could string me along for more visits, medications and procedures.Aside from that, there have been many other issues. Over the 8 years I was bringing my dog here, they couldn’t get her records straight and have the correct contact info on her file. Every time I called they had no idea who I was because my info didn’t match what was in their system. They knew me when I brought her in but over the phone they had no clue. I watched them write down my contact info many times and it never actually got corrected in their system.In addition, I received the wrong medications and was overcharged, which they refunded but my dog was getting the wrong medication for over a month because of it. Also, after surgery, I was told she had been given pain medication and not to give her any that night. Within an hour, she was crying in pain like I’ve never heard from any of my dogs in my life. I called the vet and she said she hadn’t had any pain medication at all that whole day (she’d been on it twice a day for months) and to give her some immediately.These miscommunications between the vets, vet techs and/or front desk staff happened way more than they should. Lastly, “bedside manner” is very important for someone working in a position like this. I didn’t feel like most of the staff were sympathetic to how sick she was or even when she eventually passed. I never heard anything from them after her death, even though her ashes were sent there for me to pick up so they clearly knew she had passed. No call, no card, nothing. I regret ever taking her here and my new puppy will never set foot here. There are several other very good vets in the area with much nicer, larger facilities and much kinder, loving and knowledgeable staff. I urge you to choose one of those instead.My review keeps getting deleted surely because the owner is reporting it and other negative reviews. I’ll keep posting it.

I’ve been taking my two cats, Ace and Precious, to Birch Lake Animal Hospital for a couple years and I really like them. Dr. Mitchell is very knowledgeable and professional. All of the staff I’ve had interactions with are nice and professional. The prices for my cats have been very reasonable and I will definitely keep going here.

I recently moved into the area and feel so fortunate to find Birch Lake Animal Hospital. My dog is 15 yrs old and needed a knowledgeable and caring Doctor. Dr. Tim is a total blessing and exceeded all my expectations. Walking into the office for the first time seemed so right, and a safe place for my best friend. I cant say enough good things about the staff and the caring and compassionate concern from Dr. Tim. I am so pleased that Buddy will have Birch Lake Animal Hospital for his care, especially knowing he is approaching his golden years.

Birch Lake is the best! They are so thorough, professional, and nice! They really care about your pet as much as you do. Been going there for over 20 years. I will not go anywhere else.

Wonderful and kind staff. Due to covid could not go on with our cat, but they kept us informed every step of the way.

They treat our pets with love. Very professional and accommodating. very trustworthy. 👍👍Very very clean office. Ive been going there 18 years.

First time there, needed emergency dental work for my dachshund. They took Ava in same day for evaluation, & scheduled her surgery for the next morning. Thank you to Dr. K, Dr. Mitchell, & the lovely techs who doted on my baby.

Our new puppy was so afraid to walk in the door, and the Vet Tech was wonderful with her! The Vet was thorough and explained everything to me. By the time we were finished, my girl was literally prancing through the waiting room. Everyone was friendly, top quality service. Glad to have found Birch Lake.

Covid is stressful n everyone has had to make adjustments. But it seems Burch Lake only, asks customers to make adjustments. The only changes they make r to their convenience.

Ive been taking my dog and cats to these wonderful veterinarians since we got them. Everyone in this building is friendly, knowledgable and empathetic to whatever situation you put in front of them. Youll enjoy bringing your animals here.

Cannot say enough about this clinic. We started going here in 1993 with our first cat. After moving a couple times, we are back and could not be more happy. One of the things I noticed, besides the exceptional care, is the office staff is the same from years ago...this in and of itself, speaks volumes! The two veterinarians we have seen since being back have both been exceptional. They take the time to listen and take time in examining their patients. I have received follow up phone calls and they generally convey a sense of caring and understanding. I am so glad to be back at Birch Lake. Everyone, from the office staff to the vet techs to the doctors has exceeded my expectations! It is so good to be back!!

I brought my dog here for nearly a decade. I had no complaints because I only came in for grooming, vaccinations and annual checkups. He was perfectly healthy until last year. When I brought him in, he was lethargic and not eating well. The vet said right away that she suspected it was cancer, but she wanted to make absolutely sure so she wanted to try other things on him first before a biopsy. I trusted her so I went with it.Long story short, he was “treated” for 2 months for nothing. Thousands of dollars later after weekly office visits and prescription refills for 4 medications, he wasn’t getting better so NOW she decided he needed surgery. Not surprisingly, it was cancer. By now we had waited so long it had spread out of control and the surgery did nothing but add additional suffering.By this time it was in his lungs and on his spleen and he was bleeding internally from a hemangiosarcoma. I could spend $20k to treat him at the oncology center but they told me it wouldn’t cure him and he would still die. If he had surgery sooner, it potentially could have removed the cancer completely before it spread but nope, the vets at Birch Lake Animal Hospital wanted to squeeze every last bit of money from me that they could. They knew once he was diagnosed I would take him somewhere else for his care and they couldn’t charge me hundreds of dollars per week anymore. When he was diagnosed, the vet honest to God said “yeah that’s not great, but good luck.” Gee thanks.A few weeks later, he suddenly started struggling to breathe. This was when I took him to the emergency animal hospital and discovered he was bleeding internally. I knew he didn’t have much time left so I got some medication to make him more comfortable and he was perky and playful for the next few days before he suddenly started declining rapidly and I knew it was time to let him rest. He was terrified of the vet so I called Birch Lake Animal Hospital to see if they could come to the house since we live minutes away. I kind of expected they wouldn’t but I had to ask. What I didn’t expect was the front desk lady to say “Nope, we don’t do that, sorry” and dismiss it like it was nothing. No apology for the difficult situation or for the fact that I’d been taking him there for 9 years, nothing. But I had come to expect the icy contacts with the large lady at the front desk so this was normal behavior for her.Thankfully I found Lap of Love who were extremely attentive, caring and kind from the first phone call until weeks after his passing. They sent cards, left voicemails, sent emails, all offering to be there for us for anything we needed. This was after one encounter. It really helped to feel like they understood how much we were hurting. Did I ever hear from the vet though? Nope. No contact at all from Birch Lake Animal Hospital after 9 YEARS of taking my baby there. When it was time to pick up his ashes, you would think that would be a good time to say “I’m so sorry for your loss” but nope, all I got was “his ashes are here and you need to come get them.”In addition to this horrific situation, they fumbled his care and his account at every opportunity. They gave me the wrong doses for medications and overcharged me for the higher dose, they had miscommunication between vets and vet techs that led to my baby not receiving ANY pain medication the day of his surgery, before, after or during, even giving me mixed messages about when I was supposed to give him his medications resulting in him crying in pain like I’ve never heard a dog cry ever before in my life.That and they couldn’t after countless opportunities get my account right. I had to have tried at least two dozen times, both over the phone and in person where I could see them actually writing the information down but it somehow never got into his file once. They continued to call the wrong number about his care updates, leaving me completely in the dark much of the time and putting the burden on me to call them repeatedly until I got answers. Our new puppy will never set foot here. AVOID!!

Excellent, caring team and doctors. The vet we saw over the last year is personable, remembering our travels. My little 18 mos. Shih Poo relaxed on the table while the doctor explained his health issues. He even gave the vet kisses.The staff was pleasant and efficient. Cant say enough good things.

Dr. Tim is great, and the other vets I have had were super too. We get vaccinations here and have some minor surgeries. I found out that if you buy your oral tick medicine through the vet instead of online, if your pet contacts lyme the vet will help you get your treatment expenses covered. I have great faith in this vet clinic and highly recommend them.,

Excellent vet hospital. Compassionate, thoughtful, and friendly. We just moved to the area and hadnt found a new vet yet. I brought my dog (12yrs old) in for a same day appointment because she wasnt feeling well. She received a thorough exam that wasnt rushed. I am very happy with the vets suggested course of action--which left my dog feeling better and didnt break the bank; a perfect balance of care. Looks like we found our new vet!

Cannot sing their praises loud enough! My fiancé and I left NYC two months ago to quarantine “back home” with family. While here our 16 yr old chihuahua wound up having some health issues (IVDD, slipped disc, spinal cord injury resulting in loss of function of her front two legs). The entire team at Birch Lake has been nothing short of extraordinary! This has been a terribly stressful & difficult position as a pet owner (especially being away from home & our usual vet), but this team has made it exponentially easier, not to mention they’ve taken such fantastic care of our little girl! We come twice a week now for acupuncture & every visit is better than the last. I cannot thank this team enough for all that they have done. A thank you isn’t enough, but THANK YOU!!!!!!If you’re in need of an entire team of caring people & pet lovers, who REALLY know their stuff, and want the best for you & your pet- look no further!

This place was incredible! kind, caring compassionate. They were upfront about pricing (which was very affordable) they did not try to over sell me and were very honest. It was a wonderful experience! I will be recommending them to everyone and going back

Love this vet!My cat has pretty severe anxiety that has been overlooked by other vets. Dr. Tim was very thorough & ensured he understood the symptoms prior to making suggestions. My cat is very comfortable with him & since her recent appointments with him at his clinic has improved significantly! I would highly recommend this vet & Dr. Tim!

We have gone to Birch Lake for over 20 years and our family members and us have always been treated with genuine concern and respect. They truly care and give their all to everyone to be sure that everything is covered that should be at the time of your visit. Out kitty was very sick a couple years ago and the staff was just as concerned as we were and gave him love like he was their own. Thank for all your wonderful staff with big hearts.

The vets here are kind and compassionate, very knowledgeable and treat you like family! I would recommend this facility to anyone!

My family and I have been bringing our furbabies to Birch Lake since 1989. Prices are very fair. Their staff, many of whom have been there for at least 20 years, are a shining example of compassionate care. All of the vets are tremendously knowledgeable and take the time to explain everything in a consumable way.

My family has been bringing our pets here for years. The staff is friendly and helpful, they take good care of our animals and they know what theyre doing. Ill be bringing my own kitten here very soon, and I know shell be in good hands.

I had my dog neutered there today and I must say the staff at Birch Lake were awesome. I personally had Crystal who performed the surgery. She walked me through the whole process and also after the surgery she educated me on everything to expect within the next few weeks. If I ever had to bring another dog in I would definitely recommend Crystal! Thankful for a good vet in the area!

Birch Lake is the best. Caring, professional, compassionate. The front desk staff is incredibly helpful, and the doctors are so caring and followup if there is a concern. If you havent brought your pets here yet, what are you waiting for?

Great vet. Know us by name. Treat our pets great.

We were not allowed to say goodbye to our cat because of covid and when they sent us his paw prints they were all messed up and not even baked when it was marked baked. Thanks for that.

Vet seemed very nice and friendly. Everyone loved our dog and was excited to meet her.

We went through a long process with my kitty. My mom always brings our babies here and this time it was my Leah. They are so..caring here. And you can tell they just love animals. They always gush over them while still providing such genuine, caring and quality care here. They tried so hard for my Leah but when it came time, we had to let her go, and I’m so glad we brought her here to do it. Dr Haase was so kind, reassuring, patient and understanding. She went through this whole process with us and was there until it was time to say goodbye. I’ll never ever forget the kindness we received from this vets office and I’ll always bring my animals here, forever, because I know the care they’ll receive is the best available. Thank you for everything.

I have been going to Birch Lake Animal Hosp for years. I have always have had wonderful, understanding, and compassionate service. All my needs have been met. Once, we needed a 2nd opinion, and they did not know all the facts or history. This was not their fault. I felt I needed to mention that, so you know I am not without fault. My only suggestion would be that some of the rooms are on the smaller side and a little tight for my comfort. Very professional. I do not hesitate to give them 5 stars! Well Done!

Prompt, friendly, my animals love them

I love this place. Everyone is kind and compassionate. They treat my dogs and me as if they are old family friends. I feel welcomed and that my pets are in great hands.

Over the past few months my opinion of this vet has really been all over the board. Im not sure how to rate or review because sometimes I go here and the service I get is so amazing I want to personally pay for ad space so people can start bringing their pets somewhere where they are loved. HOWEVER sometimes I feel like this place is working against me and while im just trying to find the best care for my pup at any cost because hes struggling to breathe, they are too busy trying to figure out how Ill be paying. Its very upsetting. So for now Ill just leave 3 stars.

Great place to board your dog. My dog can be a little aggresive and intimidating but they worked with him and had no issues.

It is the best Vet clinic we have been to.. The Staff are all caring and very helpful. They truly are in the business for the well being of the animals.

My pugs just love the Dogtors and techs here! They always have been kind and shown a genuine interest in my animals. They are very knowledgeable and dedicated to the animals as well.

Have been going here for a very long time, they have always been nice.

We were referred to Birch Lake AH by a friend on short notice after our 100 lb lab exhibited signs of an injured leg. We had previously had his leg checked by other vets who told us no worries, its just arthritis...turns out he had a partially torn ACL the whole time. Anyway, right away the Vet (Dr. Anna) was able to identify the now fully-torn ACL. After being given multiple options for how to preoceed, and having all of our questions answered (pricing, how long recovery time is, how long the fix will last, etc...) our dog ended up having surgery at the Birch Lake AH location a few days later, and was extremely well cared for.The team at BL also helped us identify a cancerous mass in our other lab, and connected us with another clinic for further analysis. Unfortunately, the mass was found to be inoperable, which was devastating news. The team at BL helped my wife and I immensely by giving us all the information we needed (OTC and RX meds, doses, different signs to look for, how to know when it was time... etc) in order to keep our girl as comfortable as long as we could. When the time came to say goodbye, the staff helped us through the process and were incredibly respectful. We even received a condolences card from them a few days later.The entire team at Birch Lake AH is extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful - everyone from the front desk ladies to the vet techs - and we could not be more pleased with the care and service that Dr Anna (Mitchell) has provided us with.If you are looking for a reliable, trustworthy, and caring team to take care of your pet, I recommend Birch Lake AH with the highest regard.

Our pug and lab really enjoy going to Birch Lake Animal Hospital. Everyone is so friendly, nice caring and professional! They love the treats!!

The smart thing to do would be to keep this place a secret! Since the wait time is minimal we will share this.

They had the prescription dog food for my grand dog when the kids we out of town.

We have had great service here and they are super helpful with all of our animals needs.

Thoughtful and professional, careful

Great place for our babies

The staff is very friendly and responsive, though I question their competence. Im personally looking for another clinic that I feel will provide better quality care. A few years back our dog had all the classic symptoms of lyme disease (though we didnt know it), and the Birch Lake vet sent us home basically with ibuprofen for 2 weeks to reduce the pain. During that time a family members pet with the same exact symptoms was diagnosed with lyme disease. When I looked up the symptoms and saw that lyme disease is basically an epidemic in Minnesota, I was shocked that the vet did not give us antibiotics on the spot for our dogs condition. They eventually did, but the damage was done and our dog has never been the same. On another occasion they gave us the wrong antibiotics for our dogs abdominal infection. When we had to return several times for care, they finally actually did a lab test and said, oh, well the prescription you were using wont work for that type of bacteria infection. Really? I need a vet that can accurately diagnose problems and prescribe effective solutions. Again, the staff has always been very nice and responsive, Ive just lost faith in their actual expertise and ability to provide the *right* treatment for our pets.

Good people and good dogs

If I could give them NO stars, I WOULD. I am a Certified Veterinary Technician and I work at a Veterinary clinic in St Paul. I have 10 years of experience in practice and this clinic is so wrong for what they did to me tonight.I received a phone call from my mom tonight, who lives only a few minutes from Birch Lake Animal Hospital, that our family dog was in distress. His gums were pale, his breathing was very labored and he couldnt get up. My mother is the practice manager of the clinic I also work at, so she is knowledgeable enough to know that the dog needs IMMEDIATE help! I instructed her to have a neighbor help get him into the car and head straight over to Birch Lake Animal Hospital and that I would call them to inform them of the emergency that we were dealing with. They were the closest clinic to her and it was about 5:25pm, they close at 6pm according to their website. I got ahold of someone and told them that my mother was on her way with a dog that was clearly in distress-actually he was near death. The receptionist told me that they couldnt see her, I clearly asked if I was hearing her correctly-- that they WOULD NOT SEE THE DOG if she showed up there. She responded NO the Dr has several appointments before we close at 6pm. This is horrible! Any emergency trumps appointments...this is an unwritten rule in any good practice. If an emergency came in during your pets annual exam are you going to tell me that you wouldnt give up your time slot?! It could be your animal some day. Most people understand that.I will repeat that I WORK AS A CVT at a VETERINARY CLINIC! We would never turn someone away if their pet was in distress and there was a veterinarian on staff to help the pet. Need I remind these people that the patients wellbeing is WHY WE ARE IN PRACTICE AND WHY MOST OF US WENT INTO THIS PROFESSION IN THE FIRST PLACE?!By the time my mom made it all the way to St. Paul to the clinic that WE BOTH work at-our family dog was half dead, covered in bloody diarrhea and barely breathing. We ended up euthanizing him immediately. My mother in a panic, the dog in a panic and myself A VETERINARY PROFESSIONAL absolutely irate at the way this crappy clinic handled our very own personal crisis.I can also say that this is NOT my first terrible experience at Birch Lake Animal Hospital. Years ago we had a different family pet that had to be euthanized. They didnt administer enough euthanasia. Our poor old dog struggled to breathe as her body thrashed on the appointment room floor.The only reason that we even considered them again was because it was urgent. Im glad that they didnt put a hand on another family pet after all is said and done. Im absolutely appalled at the way they treated not only an animal in pain and discomfort, but they also simply brushed me to the side.By the way-a clinic should always offer some sort of alternative clinic that you might be able to take your pet to. Although I am a technician they shouldve still given me information about clinics close by. They offered nothing.

Excellent vet. Been going here for years, and have always felt its worth the 20+ minute drive across town.

Best animal clinic

Wonderful place

Great pet friendly vet

Very good experience

I could not be more disappointed with this vet. They have been our primary vet for 8 years now. Recently, our 13 year old dog suddenly started vomiting blood and sneezing consistently. Every time she sneezed she was spraying blood droplets everywhere. Terrified, I immediately called our vet and I was advised I would get a call back shortly. No call came. I called back after an hour and asked for an update and was advised the doctors were on lunch for 2 hours. A couple hours later, I called again and they completely refused to fit her into their schedule advising me they could make an appointment for 3 days later. When I mentioned that their website says they do same day emergency visits (not to mention we are a current patient), I was dismissed saying they do take same day emergency visits, but I needed to call at 8am. When I asked if I could get in the next day, they said its first come first serve and I needed to call at 8am to try to get in. Emergency vet clinics were at 6-7 hour wait times and this clinic didnt care at all. I was sobbing on the phone and said I just need a someone to look at her and tell me if she needs to be put down today. The literal response was If its a matter of euthanasia, the emergency clinics can handle that. I called other vets who said if we were already clients, they would fit her in, but they werent taking new patients. I will never give this clinic another dime and would never trust them with a pets life again. When their services were REALLY urgently needed, they showed zero interest in helping. Zero compassion. It was devastating on top of the situation at hand that the clinic we trusted had no interest in helping.