January 3, 2011--Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo is chosen as the Greater Stillwater Chamber Member of the Week!

Tell us about Cedar Pet Clinic. Who started the business and why?
Dr. John Baillie started the practice in 1973 in south Minneapolis, and opened in Lake Elmo in 1998. As a long-time Washington County resident, he wanted to relieve some of the commuting time! His practice philosophy is expressed in the motto "Extraordinary Care for your Extraordinary Pet"; the office sees all companion animals. Dogs and cats, of course, and also birds in all sizes from parakeets to cockatoos. Rabbits, reptiles and all kinds of pocket pets. Pet chickens, waterfowl and other barnyard birds. Ferrets, hedgehogs, turtles and many other species. And the occasional tarantula. Dr. Baillie has a particular interest in hunting dogs, and is the kennel veterinarian at the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club. He is also the medical director for the Wildcat Sanctuary, located in Sandstone, a rescue facility for cats from bobcats and cougars to lions and tigers. The veterinary care includes medical, surgical and dental care for all of the pets and offers new advances including digital radiology, surgical laser and therapeutic laser treatments. We offer care individualized to the specific pet including exams, vaccinations and preventive care.

What are you focusing on in your business right now? Anything big on the horizon?
We are offering therapeutic laser services for all our patients. This deep-penetrating light, also used in human medicine, allows relief of pain, greatly stimulates healing, and works very quickly in most cases. We've seen substantial improvement in ear infections, arthritic conditions, degenerative joint disease, lick granulomas, and dental diseases, even when conditions are chronic. Laser therapy provides geriatric animals with relief of aches and pains and allows for more freedom of movement. It also allows your pet to heal faster after surgery or any traumatic injury. We know that people are busy and that their companion animals are important to them. We offer morning drop-off (particularly convenient since we are located right on Highway 5 across from the elementary school), and in the winter, we offer a free clinic visit and tour to meet us, see the facility and ask any questions about our work. This does not include a free exam, but lets people check us out, with or without their pets; we especially recommend this for animals that have been afraid of visits to the vet, and for new puppies and kittens (in which case, we sometimes call it a 'play date'. Let us help you get young animals off to a good start!) But mostly, we focus on the same thing every day -- expert medical care for your companion animals in a friendly atmosphere. We think of ourselves as your other family doctors.

What's one thing most people don't know about Cedar Pet Clinic that you'd love to share?
Loyalty, of both staff and clients, is one of the traits that continues to build Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo. We have clients who make the drive to come to us from all over the metropolitan area and western Wisconsin, and we take many referrals from other practices. Several of the staff members have been with us for ten or more years and others for over twenty years. Both Dr Ulfeng and Dr Plantz worked for the practice in staff positions before they went to veterinary school and returned to practice with us. And our staff members are pet owners, as well; we have bird and reptile owners on staff, and quite a grouping of Golden Retriever owners. The best way to get a look at Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo is to visit our website at www.cedarpetclinic.com.  It details our services, and we also keep a wonderful rotating photo show of our clients and their pets... good animal photos!

What's your favorite thing about being part of the Lake Elmo community?
We appreciate being able to offer high quality medical care in a friendly small town atmosphere, and we work to be good business neighbors. We originated and present the annual Everybody Wins Children's Pet Show as part of the Lake Elmo Fall Festival, and every spring host the Lake Elmo first grade class for a backstage tour of the clinic. We also provide discounted services to residents at Boutwells Landing, and have offered free clinic tours for Girl Scout troops for more than ten years. We arrange low or no-cost treatment of nursing home mascot animals, and dog-bite prevention classes for children.

What year was your business started? What bit of wisdom can you share with other businesses in the area?
1973 for the practice, 1998 in Lake Elmo. Being active in the community gives us deep roots in the east metro.

How many people work at Cedar Pet Clinic?

Three doctors, practice manager, receptionist, and five certified veterinary technicians make up the full time staff with help from three other part time employees. Our clinic mascots -- our official greeters! -- are Mo the cat, Joso the golden retriever, and lovebirds Charlee, Poppy, and Rona.

University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, 1972.  Dr. Baillie, he says, is "still in his first job", Cedar Pet Clinic.  Dr. Baillie is a regular lecturer at the University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine, for the Minnesota Medical Association, the Eastern States Association of Avian Veterinarians, and other organizations.  Dr. Baillie is the Medical Director of Animal Care at Minnesota's Wildcat Sanctuary.  He provides free care for nursing home companion animals and is the kennel veterinarian for the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club. The Baillie family animals are Golden Retriever “Joso”, German Shorthaired Pointer “Elly”, and elderly “Pappycat”.

University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, 1999. Dr. Ulfeng has studied with the Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Hospital in Chicago, and traveled to Utrecht, Holland, to study avian medicine and pathology.  Dr. Ulfeng has golden Retrievers “Sadie”, “Lewis”, and “Gypsy”, who can sometimes be sighted at Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo.