Holistic Pet Vet Clinic

As a holistic physician myself, I only consider holistic care for my cat. Dr. Ulbrich is patient and thorough, and skilled in a wide spectrum of holistic treatments. My cat is very well treated here, from nail trims to physical exams to dental care. Wouldn’t take here anywhere else.

I came here just because my mobile vet recommended based on what I was looking for — I wanted a good holistic/​naturopathic vet who does not believe every pet must be re-​vaccinated every single year and this is the primary reason that I continue to take my pup here.
This clinic is more expensive than the most — I’d say expect to pay at least double so you won’t be surprised when you go to «check out».
Dr. Ulbrich is good, but he’s lacking bedside manner (I tend to think he knows this, but maybe not). If you’re an emotional dog mama like I am, you’ll think he could work on the empathy area…
Dr. Tennant is nicer and sweeter, but she doesn’t strike me as thorough.
I like that their staff doesn’t have high turnovers like some of other vet offices I’ve been to.
I also like that they have Sat hours. They have Standard Process items (it’s a naturopathic brand of meds/​suppliements) that they charge at very reasonable prices.
Most importantly for me (and the reason I’m giving them 4, instead of 3 stars), they don’t insist on re-​vaccinating my seizure dog (read on it; it’s dangerous and unnecessary, especially if your dog has seizures). Not every vet will treat or deal with a dog (no matter what) if the dog has not been vaccinated over and over again.

Excellent veterinary practice!
Dr. Rachel Tennant, DVM/​CVA, Laurie Austin (Practice G.M.), and the entire Holistic Pet Vet staff, are absolutely «top shelf»…
Dr. «T» has been awesome to work with in all aspects of caring for my adult and youth Rottweilers. My dogs are working and confirmation/​show dogs from ADRK e.V. kennels in Germany. They are «real» working dogs, with working dog temperament, and are very valuable to me. Dr. T understands the needs of working dog breeds very well, and has made it very easy for me to bring my dogs in without any stress (that is not always the case w/​other vets I have worked with).
Both Dr. T and Laurie go out of their way to make sure all my questions about health care are addressed at each visit, they spend time with my dogs after the appointment is over, and they do everything they can to assist me with my pet insurance paperwork, as well as any of the other documentation I may need (e.g. health certificates for air travel, etc.).
As a dog-​guy who has been actively involved with the Rottweiler breed since the mid-80’s, I have learned and evolved with the times, and have educated myself a lot on canine nutrition, exercise, various physical therapy modalities, and vaccine protocols. That said, I am NOT a fan of many of the «Western» methodologies that are utilized by a lot, if not most, veterinarians. Dr. T and Dr. Ulbrich are foreword-​thinkers, and they are always trying to incorporate the best of Western and Eastern medicine. I am a fan of vets that are not «pro» excessive vaccine usage and, and are not overly surgery oriented. You know the type… Dr. T and Dr. Ulbrich definitely «get it»; and that is why I am such a raving fan of their practice.
Laurie Austin and the staff are world-​class, too. They will do whatever it takes to get you checked in and out as quickly and efficiently as possible. They are great listeners and actively try to help you and your dogs (pets) while you are in their facility. Also, don’t worry, they will NOT try to constantly «Up Sell» you on products and services you don’t need. Definitely one of my biggest pet peeves with the veterinary (health care) industry…
Anyway, I can’t say enough about Holistic Pet Vet Clinic. Been a loyal customer for the past few years, and am genuinely grateful to have them here in Portland to take care of my «pack».
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my experiences with Dr. T, Laurie, and staff.
~John S.
Heldenkreuz Rottweiler Zwinger
Portland, Oregon (USA)

The vet who saw my cat was clearly not a cat person and had no idea how to handle her. She didn’t seem very confident about how to treat her issue either. I wasn’t confidante in her and would probably go somewhere else next time I need a vet.

I have 4 cats. My first 2 cats went elsewhere in their younger years and I kept changing vets because I wasn’t happy with the service I was getting from those other offices. I feed my cats the raw chicken diet and was told by the other veterinarians that this wasn’t the diet they would recommend and kept trying to sell me their brand of canned food. Not only does the Holistic Pet Vet Clinic suport the raw diet, but they are the best bunch of people. When my other 2 kittens joined my family and needed to be neutered, I didn’t worry that the staff there would take good care of them and treat them well. Yes, they are more spendy, but it is absolutely worth it. The doctors and technicians are never in a rush to get you out the door. They answer questions thoroughly. They are very friendly. They don’t try to sell you things that you don’t need. I love them!

This is the cheapest place in Portland I’ve found to purchase Rad Cat. They also have a huge freezer full of different sizes so they always have plenty to purchase so you don’t feel like you’re depleting them if you choose to stock up.
Their other cat supplies are also pretty inexpensive, comparatively, such as Bachs Rescue Remedy, Feliway, etc.
Services are a little more expensive than other vets but I believe in only the best care for my «children» and holistic care is something I believe full heartedly in. The first exam per cat (I have two) was half off… I appreciate that the doctors make the visit as short as necessary without rushing. They only charge for the minutes the exam took place, so if the exam takes 20 minutes that’s all they bill you for, not the full hour. They have technicians do as much as possible to keep costs down. Also, unlike most vets, they don’t try to sell you tons of vaccinations, only the ones absolutely necessary. (Cats can develop tumors from vaccinations so over vaccinating has become a real issue.) As indoor cats, mine only need two shots each. That saves money as well.
They also offer non-​anesthetic teeth cleaning for cats. My boy, who fought us like crazy at home when we got a cat toothbrush anywhere near him, was apparently calm through the entire cleaning. It’s sad that with all the grain in cat food that cats need their teeth cleaned. But that’s another story.
Both doctors are very nice and the entire staff really seems to love animals. It’s an easy going atmosphere where you can let your animals off the leash or out of their kennel. Feliway infusers keep animals relatively calmer and, if they need it, technicians will rub Bach’s Rescue Remedy cream on their ears and pads of their feet.
I love that they give you a welcome packet filled with information such as how to make your own cat food and natural (cheap!) flea prevention/​control techniques as well as other goodies that gives you knowledge so your cats live long healthy lives.
I haven’t taken my kitten in for spaying yet. The doctor says that it’s important to wait until six months or first heat… If cats aren’t fully mature when spayed, their estrogen will radically drop and their bones might become more brittle. Even though the surgery is more here, they sold me because of this statement on their site: «Our surgical patients routinely receive post surgical acupuncture, post surgical laser, homeopathic pain management, and herbal formulas to assist the body in detoxifying from anesthesia. All surgery patients are gently recovered in the arms of a caring staff member until they are safely on their feet.» I’ll report back after her treatment.

After receiving poor care from my local companion pet clinic, I decided to try out a holistic vet for my pregnant Pomeranian. I saw Dr. Schaefer who was very knowledgeable and had a ton of useful information for our upcoming puppies. She prescribed a holistic herb called sepia to help with being a good focused mom and another herb to make sure there scull’s were closed before birth. We had three healthy puppies. After the birth I called Dr. Schaefer several times with concerns about the placenta not being expelled and the milk not coming in. She told me to get an herb called pulsatilla, which really worked well, milk came in within 24hrs of giving her the supplement. They were more expensive than any other vet I had been to, although my office visit was about 20 – 30 mins long, I did end up paying over $ 120 for everything, but in this case you get what you pay for. The front desk staff was great too.