Irvington Veterinary Clinic

I really wanted this vet to work for me, having just moved and having a cat that needs to get checked out soon.
I called on a weekend and left a message, because they were closed. I don’t like when vets are closed on weekends, personally, but left a message anyway.
When they call back Monday morning, I explain that I need to make an appointment and I am a new customer (having moved from across town). After an unnecessarily long process of adding me into the system, I discover that (1) they specialized in both Western and Chinese (read bogus) medicine. I am asked what I want. I explain that I have no interest in Eastern medicine — which is dangerous, unscientific nonsense. Then I am asked what time works for me. Though I have a job that lets me out at 3:30 every weekday, I say «ideally Wednesday after four.» The secretary explains that they «are more of a neighborhood clinic» and they «don’t have any appointments after four,» adding that «usually appointments need to be scheduled three weeks in advance, but they have one availability tomorrow at 3:30.» At this point, I decided to take my business elsewhere.
What kind of medical office requires three weeks advance notice to schedule an appointment? Three weeks is more than enough time for even a moderately sick animal to die. What kind of vet uses Chinese «medicine?» And why don’t they do appointments after regular working hours (hell, I even have an extra hour and a half that most people don’t in the afternoon)? This is obviously not a normal, professional business, but a «boutique» vet clinic that can provide services for trophy wives and Los Angeles trust fund transplants, but not for regular working people.
Keep the classical music, I want a vet.

Just brought my cat for her first appointment and will definitely continue using this vet. They went above and beyond to make my cat comfortable (gave her treats, a toy, played classical music, and pet her while providing care). The vet seemed like an expert in her field and gave me lots of different treatment options for my cat. They gave me prices for different treatment options and didn’t get pushy when I declined more expensive options. Overall it was a great experience, and I’m glad to have a new vet office I can trust to care for my cat.

I really appreciate the attention and care that Dr. Kelly Creech provides. She takes the time to listen and understand the needs of my dog and our family. In addition to providing great medicine during our annual wellness checkup, she is very insightful when it comes to dog behavior and stress management. Part of our visit was education focused and she even recommended specific activities that would be a good match for my dog’s personality. Thank you, Dr. Kelly!

What really prompted me to write this review was due to the fact that this clinic went above and beyond to help me get situated with moving my dog to Hawaii recently. It can be an overwhelming process. And it is not your vets responsibility to make sure you have all of your checklist items taken care of, but they still took the time to find proper requirements on line, sent me a check list, made sure I had all of the shots up to date, blood work done, etc. I got to Hawaii and realized I had misplaced some paperwork I needed. I emailed them and they got back to me within just a few hours with everything I was asking for.
This is the BEST vet I have EVER found. These guys are incredible. My dog truly loved going here because they are so gentle and professional. The office is immaculate, and has all of these great touches like knobs on the benches and by the counter to hook your leash, etc… They have some really cool local art on the walls, and its really well kept. The staff is amazing. So friendly and helpful on so many levels. I have had nothing but the best experience every time I’ve been in. Also, they always look for a «natural» route if possible for curing a problem, and they are considerate of the environment… they email you your receipts each time, and I think they use «greener» products when possible. My dog had a gland infected last year, and they used medicinal honey to cure it. Pretty cool.
If you are new to Portland, or are just looking for a new vet, pick these guys! You won’t be let down.

I can’t say enough about this Vet. Over the last 15 years, I have been to a lot of different Vets for my pets, and the level of connection and care I have received at this office is exceptional. The staff is grounded and genuinely care about the way they help people. And Dr. Rachel was exceptional at explaining to me all of my options with my cat who was diagnosed with SCC (mouth cancer). Where the other vet I was seeing just gave me an old, barely effective pain killer to help him through the rest of his days, Dr. Rachel gave me options of a much more effective and non-​invasive pain killer (patch vs. syringes) and it has completely shifted my cat’s final days from despairing to happy and loving. I love that this vet clinic offers Acupuncture and Naturopathic care alongside Western Allopatic care, and that unlike other Naturopathic vets I’ve experienced — they keep their prices fair and reasonable. I really appreciate that and I’m so grateful what they have provided for me and my kitty.

Inexpensive vet, compared to others, but they didn’t really treat my pet. They gave us drugs and we had to come back, would have twice but I simply got fed up and treated my cat myself. Pretty disappointing, but they don’t seem mean-​spirited, just distracted and lackadaisical. Front desk has one nice peppy girl & one not very bright one. All in all, mediocre.

The folks at Irvington Vet are fine people who love animals and offer the best possible care for your furry companions. I cannot say enough good things. I’ve been bringing my cat and dog here for years and have only positive experiences to share.
The environment is calm, quiet, and relaxed, so if your buddies get anxious at the vet like mine do, good luck finding a better place to bring them. All of the staff are great, from the front desk folks who remember our names to the amazing vet techs (Sarah, especially, is incredible; if you are lucky enough to meet her you will see what I mean!) to the veterinarians. Our usual vet is Dr. Rachael and we love her, but all of the doctors are wonderful, patient, intuitive, and highly skilled.
They take a collaborative approach to care, and place a strong value on holistic preventative care, blending eastern & western medicine as well as herbal & nutritional consulting. When my 13-​yo dog was diagnosed with renal disease, Dr. Rachael helped us to find the best supplements and diet for her needs, and since making these changes my dog’s condition has not only stabilized, but has improved rather markedly.
We have also done dental cleanings and extractions here and a surgery to remove tumors, all without complication. Also, they are not only attentive while you are in the office, but they call to follow-​up and are very responsive by phone.
It’s true that the prices are higher than some of the chaotic, rushed, high-​volume clinics around town, but you pay for what you get in terms of quality care. I feel good about supporting them because it means happier, healthier lives for my pets, and peace of mind for me. I appreciate them so much!

A bit pricey, but the care is phenomenal. We’ve used them for both cats & dogs– they’ve helped with allergies, tumors, teeth cleaning & the end-​of-​life care for a 19 year old cat. Highly recommended.

What a great experience. It was my first appointment and my dog and I couldn’t have left happier. All of the staff, vet techs and the doctor were welcoming and knowledgeable and made me and my dog very comfortable. The initial exam was very reasonably priced and quite thorough. Would recommend this vet to anyone in Portland.

The staff is extremely attentive, responsive and well organized. This is definitely a holistic vet experience.

I took two dogs here over the course of a couple years. Great staff, Great facility, Great vets. Our dogs were very well taken care of and we couldn’t be happier with the service. Both our dogs loved visiting the vet.

Everything you could hope for in health care for the extended family (no, I don’t mean the in-​laws). Modern, sunny building that feels more like a spa than a clinic, clean exam rooms, exceptionally friendly and helpful staff.
They know our unruly bulldog by name and are always happy to see him, which makes it so much easier to get him through the door the next time.
Our vet, Dr. Rachael, never makes a visit feel rushed, taking time to address concerns and answer the mountain of questions I inevitably bring along. Best of all she’s down-​to-​earth, so I don’t feel like an ignorant creation of a pet owner by the end of our visit.
We are fortunate that they are located nearby, but before moving to Portland we would drive more than 30 minutes to our preferred animal practice, which in hindsight wasn’t even as good as Irvington.

I searched out an alternative vet for my two dogs because I liked the option of having Eastern Medicine and alternative therapies available. I was impressed with their website and when I called to make an appointment the front desk staff was friendly. However after going there a couple of different times for my dogs I decided to switch vets for multiple reasons:
1.) The biggest reason I am switching vets is because I went in last year for one of my dogs who had a yeast ear infection. The vet gave me medication and instructions on clearing it up which included pouring the solution in my dog’s ears. I have been doing that on and off for the past year and battling with the ear infection. I finally decided to go to a different vet in Tigard and the first thing she said was with a yeast infection you have to keep the ears as dry as possible and the instructions from the vet at Irvington were making my dog worse. At this point my dog’s ears were so bad she had a fever and was lethargic. With the new vet’s advice it has been a couple of days and she is remarkably better. And how much did that trip at the new vet cost me? Only $ 40!
2.) Their prices are very expensive and do not include any alternative therapy. I have been to a «low cost» vet for the same exams and treatments and paid WAY less money. Why in the world are their rabies vaccines $ 26 and another vet has them for $ 6? Just seems to me they are taking advantage of the clientele
3.) After prescribing Comfortis for my dogs I asked for the written prescription so I could save over $ 40 and get it filled elsewhere. The vet tried to lay a guilt trip on me that I should be supporting a local business. This is the same trip where I am giving them $ 250 for my dog. Not good customer service
4.) The same vet who guilted me about not buying the Comfortis from them also failed to even do a thorough exam on my dog. I asked her twice to check my dog’s teeth and let me know how they were and she never did it.

I have been to a lot of different vets. This one is the best. The vets and the vet techs are so nice and professional. My dogs been having some issues and is needing acupuncture. Dr. Rachel is awesome. I was so nervous about it but she guided me through the whole process. The vet techs are always so nice and gentle with our boy. I love the east/​west approach to vet medicine. I cannot recommend this place highly enough.

It couldn’t be better. Not more attentive, or more compassionate. I am so happy to have found Irvington Vet Clinic.
Having a senior cat with serious health issues over the past seven years has really let me get to know a few veterinary offices in Portland very well. We went to the vet a lot. It is important to me that Eastern Medicine is considered as a treatment and that has driven my decisions for choice of Veterinarian. This was the third Vet I had worked with in the past seven years.
I feel so lucky to have found them. Everyone was exceptionally sweet to me and to my cat. Sincerely. They really, really do care. When I needed to make choices in her care I felt confident because the options were always explained in a very clear and patient way. When the time came for my cat to move on, neither one of us could have been in a better or more supportive environment.
This is the place that you want to know about when you wish you knew the best place to go. It is the best Veterinary clinic in Portland.

Irvington Vet Clinic is hands down the best vet clinic I’ve ever been to. Both of my cats have been treated exceptionally well here and the prices are fair. One of my cats is extremely aggressive– in the past vets have ignored my warnings, gotten scratched and then sedated him in order to perform an exam. I explained all of this to the vet and she very slowly and patiently examined my cat… for the first time in 8 years he didn’t lash out. The technicians were equally amazing and able to draw blood without sedating him. I am a devoted client now-​thank you!

We’ve taken our cat here for checkups and tooth extraction surgery.
There are so many nice details here that I’m appreciative of:
+ free & super quick check ups after surgery (didn’t have to wrangle the cat back into the carrier– they did it for me, whew!)
+ friendly and reassuring staff– everyone, especially the receptionists, your first point of contact when you happen to come in crying because of the bad names your cat is calling you from the carrier.
+ thorough previews of possible costs itemized out BEFORE you have a procedure performed.
+ location! I can walk my cat over in its carrier for an appt at the vet.

Happy happy.
Most veterinary clinics I’ve taken my Rottie to over the years have been veterinary clinics disguised as sales pitches. Selling expensive services, horrendous food full of byproducts and allergens (boys and girls, anything by Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina, etc., is garbage– your pets deserve real food, not the Oscar Meyers of dog food), and recommending tests and procedures in a way that the worried parent feels obligated to do. The last one I used to go to actually rolled his eyes when I talked about my dog being on a holistic diet, giving her veggies instead of ‘treats’, and his staff would force themselves on my dog to pin her down to clip her nails (the best way to freak out a Rottie. Ironically, PetSmart’s team does a great nail job if you need just nails for cheap — they kept her standing up and she was peachy keen.). In addition, my last vet also wouldn’t schedule any appointments with me unless I did all of her vaccinations, which, for a sedentary 14 year old dog that only wants to go outside to go potty, is just ridiculous.
Anyhow, now that I’m done venting about the past :) I decided in my dog’s twilight of her life that I should take her back for a ‘is it time or not’ visit, and wanted a place that wouldn’t try to force prescription meds on us. I called Two Rivers and they refused to see new patients on Saturdays, no matter what the circumstances which would force me to take time off work (not to mention without a car having it be much harder to get a ride from my other working friends). So I checked out the great Unilocal reviews on Irvington and gave them a call. Super cool staff, got me in the following Saturday and offered me the ‘regular or naturopathic’ option for her checkup (price by the way was $ 70 cheaper than Two Rivers!!!).
Our visit was good, my dog took to all of the staff immediately and they were all thorough, pleasant, and let me babble on about my pup. Never did they bring up vaccinations, blood tests, xrays, etc. as a way to diagnose. While she was found to have a heart murmur, I wasn’t guilted into the expensive tests, and when they talked about ways to keep her comfortable physically, like acupuncture, herbs, etc., I wasn’t made to feel like a ‘bad mommy’ for talking about my financial limitations. Happy to recommend this clinic!
Reasons for 4 instead of 5 stars — 1) they sell Royal Canin with the rest of their selection, 2) the office, while the art was way cool as was the receptionist, was pretty cold and sterile and the scale was jammed in the corner making it hard for my dog to naturally walk onto it. Otherwise, awesome :)

I can’t say enough good things to be honest. my cat was having a severe allergic reaction again and after our impromptu visit to a vet last year that landed us at the hospital.
anyways…they support local rescue efforts. the vet was so knowledgeable and friendly and get this. she has called me twice to follow up herself. not the tech, not the front office people… the doctor. they practice western medicine as well as eastern which i appreciate. we have been back for follow ups and every time i am greeted and treated with respect and don’t ever feel rushed.
Take you pets here!

Irvington Vet Clinic is absolutely deserving of five stars! If I could I would give 6!
This clinic is not only physically beautiful, clean and welcoming, the entire experience of working with them has been amazing. I am the Executive Director of the Pixie Project a local animal rescue and not only has Irvington Vet Clinic been incredibly giving of their time and veterinary services for our animals in need I have sent several new adopters to this clinic and all have given rave reviews.
Dr. Austin is knowledgable, has a unique balance of Eastern and Western medicine, and is honest, to the point, and extraordinarily kind with the animals.
If you are looking for a new vet, or you are a recent new pet parent in the NE neighborhood, check out this place! You, and your lucky pet, will be very glad you did!