About Us

Photo of Clinic

The Forest Lake Veterinary Hospital was founded by Dr. F. Willard Carlson in 1962. Initially started as a large animal practice, Dr Carlson transitioned over time to a mixed animal practice, and then to an exclusively small animal practice. Dr. Carlson operated the hospital out of an annex attached to his home on Scandia Trail North (Highway 97).

Dr. Tom Randall purchased the Forest Lake Veterinary Hospital from Dr. Carlson in January of 1997, and at the time, remained a single doctor practice. In November of 1997 the practice moved into downtown Forest Lake at 407 S. Lake Street, just up the street from the Dairy Queen. By 2009 we had outgrown that location and so property was purchased and a new hospital built at our current location in the Headwater Development.

Dr. Brenteson took over ownership of the Forest Lake Veterinary Hospital in 2019. She is excited to continue to grow and expand the Forest Lake Veterinary Hospital, allowing us the opportunity to provide the best care for our patients and their families for years to come.

Original Building - 1962

The Current Building - 1997

The Current Building - 2009

Our Hours

Our regular business hours are:

Location

We are at 19861 Fitzgerald Trail N. in Forest Lake.

We are just off of Highway 61, south of Highway 97. We are located across the street from the Forest Lake Library and the Washington County Service Center, on the corner of Headwaters Parkway and Fitzgerald Trail. Look for the Big Dog.

Appointments

In order to provide optimal care and dedicated time to you and your pet, we work on an appointment basis. We offer morning, afternoon and Saturday hours, as well as drop-off appointments to help fit your schedule. To schedule an appointment, please call 651-464-2752.

Please note that we are not an emergency clinic, in the event of an emergency we are here to advise you on the best route of care. When you call about an emergency with your pet we will direct you to the nearest facility that is equipt for the situation and if we are able to assist you, we can prepare for your arrival.

Scheduling

For routine appointments and surgeries please call four to eight weeks ahead to schedule your appointment. This will allow us ample time to accommodate your schedule.

If your pet is sick, or for some reason needs to be seen urgently please mention that when you call. We do hold urgent appointments for each day, these vary in quantity and are scheduled on a first come first serve basis. We care about the needs of our patients and their owners and will do our best to provide and direct care in all situations.