Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic

Caring Professionals.
We’ve been using the Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic for years. They’ve helped our 4 cats over the course of 10 + years. They blend traditional medicine with herbal remedies creating a low-​stress plan to help animals regain health.
From the techs to the doctors, everyone is kind, gentle, and knowledgeable. Even in times of crisis, they have been calm and caring. I kinda wish they were my doctors, too.

We were so thrilled when we found Hawthorn Vet. The team is kind and warm and helpful. Dr Ingrid is very knowledgeable and has been very thorough, taking a great deal of time to talk through all our questions and explaining all of our options.
Very pleased we found this team!!!
Thank you, Rachel, Jeff & Lulu

Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic is a warm and welcoming place where you are welcomed by friendly staff.
There is a a personal touch you feel as soon as you enter the lobby.
Dr Hamann is our vet and she has gone beyond the call of duty spending hours of personal time talking with me on the phone and doing research on my behalf.
Dr Hamann uses both traditional and modern methods and medications. I feel we work as a team with mutual respect. She is a good listener and problem solver.
Dr Hamann saved my dog’s life and is now working with us on a new health issue. She never gives up.
Everyone at the clinic has welcomed my family and we feel well cared for in a most gentle and caring way.
Thank you all

This place ripped me off !!
Our little dog was diagnosed with cancer 2 days ago and calling around brought us to this place for a blood test and a treatment plan for $ 150.
We were informed during the «consultation» that they did not do oncology and wanted to give our dog some kind of herbs.
We received nothing for our time and money, don’t use Hawthorne vet clinic.

Careful with this veterinarian, one of the female doctors over did it with the medicine. My cat died a few weeks later. I do not recommend taking an animal here if you love it.

This review is purely based on being a new patient and without testing their services.
I’m not a fan of my other vet so I called and asked to schedule an appointment. I was told my dog needed a full physical (despite having one less than 2 months ago at my other vet). They said it was policy and wouldn’t budge. Oh and the initial appt would be a low low price of $ 150.
I passed and will seek a new vet. I can only imagine how future conversations about pet care will go «if you want to talk on the phone, please insert your credit card now».

Hawthorne Holistic Vet is a VERY good place to bring your pet. I have had nothing but positive experience with them — even through this very difficult time. I noticed on the reveiws here referring to a doctor that isnt there anymore. Dr. Cornelia Wagner is the owner and has been since i started. Had to make a decision finally to euthanize one of my cats. I cannot say how helpful and amzing this vet was (and is). They dimmed the lights and play soft music for your pet and scheduled it before lunch so you can stay with your pet for as long as you like. I cried so much. and it was a very thought out and difficult choice. Finally the day came. but this vet helped make that transition easier than any other place i can imagine going to. I am forever grateful. I still see them for my other cat, Stormy. Dr. Wagner is patient and thorough. She is knowledgeable and open and also a good listener. This was something i did not find at the vet I went to before this one. I am again SO thankful for this place.

Dr. Hamman is the only vet we will see, period. We went on a roller coaster with three other local vets as our (then) 2 year old dog had chronic urinary crystals and UTI’s. Several thousands of dollars later and their trying any old thing will-​nilly (none worked), we made an appointment at Hawthorne Vet. Dr. Hamman spent well over an hour and a half with us asking tons of questions and listening intently. Afterword she prescribed a raw diet and gave us clear guidelines for it. Since then, we have literally never been back to the vet except for yearly checkups. All of our dog’s health problems cleared up immediately. She is the picture of health with more energy and pep, a gorgeous coat, and a spring in her step. The best!!!

We took our dog to this clinic and I really, really, wanted to like this place. They told me that the first visit would be an hour long exam, which pleased me, as I had a number of questions to run by the vet. The cost was going to be $ 150, which seemed reasonable, given the time allotment. Bottom line: 45 minutes of the hour was filled with idle chatter and lots of hmmm’s and maybe’s. What we came away with was a $ 198 bill for ear drops and as many unanswered questions as we went in with. The staff was great, but the vet was no better than what you could find online.

Dr. Wagner recently purchased Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic. Below is my interaction with them:
1) We are told that the first visit will be a maximum of $ 150.
2) Dr. Wagner chastises me for only taking my dog out for runs 6 days a week instead of «everyday.»
3) Dr Wagner, in a rude and indignant way, tells me that my dog shouldn’t be eating kibble. Even though I buy my dog the best food, because it’s not from her office, Dr. Wagner shames me for my food choice.
4) I told Dr. Wagner that I thought my dog had a bacterial infection.
5) I went to the bathroom.
6) When I came back, the doctor had asked my girlfriend for permission to treat my dog and charged me for two unnecessary skin tests. She easily could diagnose this common bacterial infection visually.
7) I took a phone call, along with my dog, out in the car.
8) Unbeknownst to me, I had just been charged for $ 150 worth of exam fees, $ 70 worth of «Chinese herbs,» and $ 60 for the unnecessary lab tests.
9) When I tried to return the herbs and asked for a refund, the entire office crew gave me the run-​around for two weeks and finally refused all refunds.

I went here twice for acupuncture for my dog and both times I went home to find needles still in my dog. Even after the first time when I told them and they promised to count the next time.

I love Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic! When I left California 13 months ago, my Veterinarian in CA was all gloom and doom about the progression of the renal failure of my two senior kitties (age 14 ½ now). She predicted they would need to start on subcutaneous fluids very soon. The first time I met with my kitties and Dr. Judkins, he spent nearly an hour with us pouring over all their records from CA. He gave me some hope and had a very optimistic attitude about their ability to maintain or even get a little better with some Chinese medicine. I left feeling so happy and hopeful that the old guys might have a few years left in them, even with chronic illness. Fast forward 13 months, and they are still doing well. One kitty just had a cyst removal and his very first teeth cleaning. Dr. Judkins was very reassuring in talking to me about the safety of current anesthesia practices (I was reluctant due to having lost a cat in 1990 to anesthesia). He came out of the procedures without any problems and without any teeth removed.
I find the office staff to be friendly and helpful. There’s a call in line for my regular prescription refills and they are always ready promptly. Today I showed up to bring in my other cat for a blood work appointment with a vet tech… except I was a day early for my appointment! They squeezed my cat in anyway, which they didn’t have to do. I highly recommend Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic.

We have nothing bad to say about this place. They always have appointments available when you need one, and the staff are very friendly and professional.

I have been seeing Dr. Jeff and the staff at Hawthorne Vet Clinic for the past two years and could not be happier — especially after past debacles at other vet clinics! The staff are all genuinely concerned about all animals and show that your pet is their priority!
My little min pin, Duncan, has suffered a back injury that Hawthorne has kindly helped us through in treating without harsh prescriptions. When Duncan’s sister, Morgan, suddenly passed I was comforted by how much the office staff and Dr J cared even though they had much less contact with Morgie since she was in great health.
I started seeing Dr. J after he extended the life of my good friend’s Aussie after he had been diagnosed with Thyroid cancer — after the regimen that Dr. J prescribed and through care the pup went on to live another four years! Not long after my mother’s beloved Rottie was diagnosed with a intestinal tumor, her original vet at Meridian Park wanted to put her down immediately and stated that she had weeks to live…
Thanks to Dr J, Cydne lived a happy year plus longer! Dr. J suggested some herbs to slow the growth and a change in diet and immediately Cydne showed huge improvement.
This is by and far the best veterinary office in Portland — and I have seen and visited several.

update (aug 2011):
fyi, the doctor that we originally had an issue with is no longer there.
update (mar31.2011):
We have continued to use this clinic and thankfully only had the one incident. Since then, our boy kitty had an emergency urinary obstruction and Dr. Judkins took very good care of him. I really appreciated that he successfully took care of his potentially life threatening event in the least invasive way possible. For saving our boy’s life, I’m changing my initial 2 star rating to a full five stars!
last year (feb11.2010):
We went to Hawthorne Vet Clinic on recommendation of a friend and sadly were disappointed. They are good enough and after spending $ 150 on new patient fees we’re not about to switch now.
I was not impressed with Dr. Yale and found him unprofessional. Our cat Julia really dislikes being at the vet and is very vocal about it, especially when taken to the back to have blood drawn. I warned him about this but he must not have believed me. After 10 minutes of screaming bloody murder (which we were expecting) he came back and proceeded to tell us that she has upset the client in the other room and that now he would have to go and talk to them. This is not professional at all and I did not appreciate it.
If we were staying in Portland more long term I would definitely at least ask to see another vet next time or change clinics all together.

Dr. Judkins saved my cat’s life! As a kitten, Sasha was diagnosed with FIP-​like symptoms and was near death, but with the help of both Chinese and Western herbs, holistic and allopathic treatments, he made it through. Seven years later, Sasha is healthy and as lively as can be. Subsequently, I’ve taken all five of my cats there.
Because this is a holistic clinic, nutrition is a key part of the evaluation of an animal’s health, so a significant amount of an exam’s time can be spent discussing the animal’s diet. Switching my cats to a raw meat diet, their species-​appropriate diet, changed their lives for the better. Chronic health problems, like crystals in urine, no longer exist. They are healthier and happier for it.
I was so impressed by the treatment my cats received that I was inspired and motivated to go back to school to be a veterinarian. I am proud to note that late last year, I got a job working at the clinic one day a week. I can see how you might think that this review may be biased because of this, but quite the contrary. My opinion is only reinforced now that I know the doctors and staff better.
Thanks, Hawthorne Vet Clinic.
Cheers!

I haven’t been taking my dog Sampson to Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic for long, but my interactions with Dr. Ingrid Hamann have all been positive. Her wealth of knowledge regarding health, wellness and treatment for an older dog have been more than I could hope for. She took time getting to know Sampson, and is genuinely focused on him and his care at every appointment. Her initial recommendations are those that are the least invasive & expensive, while always giving me the whole picture & all options to choose from.
This is a relatively small office, and it is obvious their hours are long and their days are packed. There is usually a wait to see the dr (between 15 — 30 minutes), but I’ve encountered this at every vet I’ve ever taken my dog to see.
My dog is currently taking herbal supplements for liver and joint health, and I have seen an improvement in his energy level and general «mood» in the last two weeks.
I have never taken Sampson to see Dr. Judkins, but for those of you who have had bad experiences with him, I’d recommend trying Dr. Hamann next time — before dismissing totally this option for holisitc health care in Portland. And some of the front desk staff is also a bit rude, but killing people with kindness is my method of dealing with those situations.
2÷15÷11: Recently Sampson has been seeing Dr. Judkins for cancer treatment & Cushings Disease solutions. I wanted to share that my interactions with Dr. J have all been postiive. He’s an amazing doctor whose cutting edge solutions & treatment options in the holistic veterinary field are worth exploring. He never rushes thru conversations when discussing new developments & treatments, and takes the time to answer all of my questions thoroughly.
The whole team at Hawthorne Vet Clinic are heroes to Sampson & my family.

Our cat has a knee injury (patella out of alignment) which was diagnosed by another vet. I was interested to see if acupuncture could help her condition so I called and spoke directly to Dr. Judkins. He said that acupuncture could be beneficial for this condition. We discussed the price and I was asked to pay half up front. I knew the price was higher than a typical vet visit but I agreed because it seemed like my cat would be getting something a traditional vet could not offer.
When we met with the vet, our cat was agitated both from being in her carrier and hearing another cat howling in the back room. We were surprised when the Dr. sprayed Rescue Remedy in our cats face to calm her down. In our house, we use a spray bottle for discipline.
In that environment, our cat was never relaxed enough to go through an acupuncture treatment. Instead of treating our cat, the Dr. proceeded to spend the time with us telling us our cat should loose weight (which we heard from the previous vet) and what cat food he likes best.
In the end, our cat never received any special treatment and the vet did not have any reservations charging us the full amount for acupuncture. It wasn’t until we complained that we didn’t receive the treatment that we expected, that he begrudgingly reduced the cost by a fraction. All and all, we thought we were going to get a treatment that other vets don’t provide but what we got was a very expensive second opinion and a lecture on cat food.

This place is great! Just moved to the area and was looking for a holistic vet. The staff is very knowledgeable and most of all friendly. You and your «kids» (the pets) are a name not a number.
The location is also very convenient!

I am terribly impressed with this place; I was referred by a friend and was skeptical of holistic or Chinese remedies for my cat. I am not against either but was skeptical of a correct application by a vet.
I was very impressed; my cat Gregory has had an on/​off allergy for the last decade that many vets simply treat with cortisone that can have some very bad long term side effects. The Vet Jeffrey Judkins was through and recommended a herbal tincture that was phenomenal and cleared up everything. We have taken her and other cats back and the results have always been impressive.
This place is not cheap, but weighed against multiple return visits verses symptoms disappearing for 2 years, it was worth it.
Only other issue is that the vet we worked with was professional and wonderful but his people skills… well he was smart to pick working with animals. But as a professional I was very impressed.