Heartfelt Veterinary Hospital

I first came to Heartfelt when my dog had a serious digestive issue and my regular vet had no time to see him quickly enough. Dr. Mackowiak made time that afternoon, and offered effective treatments my previous vet hadn’t. Recently, my dog had another serious health scare, and again everything was done methodically, thoroughly, and quickly –tests were done in-​house when possible, and Dr. Mackowiak even asked a doctor he trained under to come to Heartfelt especially for my dog, within two days of our appointment. He’s also a vet with a very warm manner, who explains things clearly. Office staff and techs are all very friendly as well.

My dog, Nugget, had been emitting a weird puss-​like substance that I was hoping would go away, but hadn’t after a week. I attempted to make an appointment online, but it required them to call me back with one. There were no options for the same day (it was the day before Christmas Eve, and I figured they were closed until the day after Christmas) so I called them and they were able to squeeze me in. They were great! Both the vet tech (Lindsay) and Dr M were very patient with Nugget, and sat on the floor with him, giving him treats until he was comfortable enough with them to let them listen to his chest. They were so kind and caring.
The reason they get 4 stars (instead of 5!) is that their online appointment scheduling system is kind of strange. I’m fine calling in for an appointment, but if there’s an option to schedule it online, I’d rather be able to schedule it then and there, not wait for a phone call back.
Overall, the clinic was great and the staff couldn’t stop telling me how adorable my dog was! It’s also great that they’re located right next to a pet store, so that I could go in after the appointment and buy my dog a much deserved present!

I had my first three visits to Heartfelt, all in one month, and I was blown away each time! I’d avoided finding my kitty a new vet since moving to Portland, in part because I was so worried about finding a vet that is thoughtful, gentle, and interested in me and my cat rather than how much money they’d pocket.
Our first visit was long (but didn’t feel like it) because they were so through. I asked what felt like silly questions but Dr. M said that the questions were great and he provided helpful answers!
The subsequent visits have been quick and painless. I get a zipcar for these visits which means we inevitably show up about 20 min early for the appt. I was surprised that each time we were taken back quickly and EARLY, with no complaints. I had expected that we’d have to just wait until the appt time! And, they don’t just stick you in an exam room and leave you there to wait. In fact, on my last visit, while waiting in the exam room, a tech came in to offer me coffee or water… just because he was free and noticed me in the room!
Last rave about Heartfelt… they have a great care plan that includes dental cleaning, which is usually expensive and not included. My monthly payments are reasonable, especially knowing a lot of services are covered.
Super happy to have found this vet clinic. Dr. M is awesome!

I’ve been taking my pets to Heartfelt Vet for 16 months and I also volunteer for a rescue group that brings their dogs here.
Initially, I liked the treatment and care my two dogs received. But lately, it’s seemed more frustrating than fruitful.
I really like the vet techs. And the place is very clean and modern.
They are expanding their practice. Details get dropped when businesses grow. I understand how that goes. I just don’t want to be on the receiving end of sub-​standard customer service, and that’s how it’s feeling these days.
So, about two months ago, my dog fell off our boat and injured her leg. We went in for x-​rays and blood work. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her leg. Possibly she had severed a tendon. They did find that she has significant arthritis.
Dr. Mackowiak has been pushing his new laser therapy on us for the past eight months. In a weak moment, I opted to go with the laser therapy.
I should have done my homework, because when I looked up this laser therapy online, I found that it’s only good for short-​term inflammation. It’s not a long-​term solution. The laser company claims more anecdotal results, but they’re not proven in clinical trials.
It’s $ 375 for 9 15-​minute sessions with a vet tech. Since it“s a short-​term fix for a chronic condition like arthritis, you’re expected to re-​up your session package. So, doing the math, that“s about $ 2000 a year.
And honestly, this would have been fine if we even saw s short-​term improvement. We did not.
Before I adopted my dog, she spent 2 months in an LA county vet hospital recovering from a trauma that left her with a broken back. She shakes and cries when we go in and tries to leave as soon as she can.
But, I had been told by Dr. Mackowiak that this was going to help. So we tried it.
At 5 sessions, I was regretting buying this package. It felt like they were just waving a red light over her.
Dr. Mackowiak asked to give it more time. So we did.
He has this frustrating habit of putting extras on the front desk, and then having the receptionist hand them to you as you are ringing up, or ordering extra treatments that you haven’t agreed upon with him.
He wanted my dog to have a $ 30 joint supplement injection for each of our 9 laser treatments. We didn’t talk about. It was just added to the bill It’s just $ 34 ($ 4 waste disposal fee) extra each visit, but over our 9 sessions, that’s $ 306.
Does my dog need this joint supplement? I don’t know. No-​one talked with us about it.
So, I was put off but still hoping for some result. I thought maybe it was starting to work. Maybe? It was hard to tell.
Last week we went in for our 7^th appt. We waited in a room for 35 minutes, listening to construction noises through the wall. Lots of loud banging and sawing. Of coarse, my dog thought the world might be ending.
It felt like I had already paid for the sessions, so it didn’t seem like a priority to them. We finally were seen for our 15 minutes of red light waving, but why put my dog through that kind of stress?
On our way out, I scheduled our last session for this week. On Sunday, when I received my email confirmation, I saw that they had bumped our appointment to 40 minutes later, without asking me.
When I emailed back and said that we could be there at the time we had scheduled before we had left, i was told that wasn’t possible. It was possible when I booked. What happened? Why didn’t anyone ask me if it would be okay to move it?
I emailed to let them know we were done, and then they were apologetic and moved our appt back to its original time.
That’s a bummer.

We were so pleased with the team at Heartfelt! Dr. Kimmel is incredibly thorough and kind and they gave our dog the best care! I recommend Heartfelt to anyone looking for a new vet!

Our cat was sick on a Sunday so we couldn’t get to our normal vet, hence the visit to Heartfelt. Amazing they were open on a Sunday and amazing how great they were with our fur child. The reason I give them 4 stars is because the price of the prescriptions are extremely high.
The same pain killer we had for our cat before was $ 84 for 2ml where our normal vet charged $ 35 for the same 2ml. Once we ran out we asked if we could fill it at a pharmacy and they (Fairley’s) charged us $ 30 for 5ml.
Thanks again for seeing us at the last minute on a Sunday.

Not only is Dr. Mackowiak an excellent Doctor, my dog Bullwinkle, had surgery and healed with no problems. but he is a KIND and GENTLE person that loves his people as much as he does all the pets he cares for! Excellent customer service by the entire staff (always upbeat and friendly)…the office visit feels like you are seeing old friends! And my pup comes home feeling better! Love you guys!

I just moved to Portland and my cat got very sick. I called and they squeezed me in and were so polite. They took my cat’s best interest into consideration and were very friendly and price-​conciensious. I’ve never experienced such great and friendly nurses at the vet either. The vet herself was empathetic and compassionate and I could not have asked for better care for my loved one.

Extremely nice and caring. They take the time to listen to your concerns. I’ll be going back for sure.

What a sweet vet! I knew from the moment Dr. Kimmell walked into the room that my sweet 10 week old kitten was in the right place!
She knelt down on the floor, showed her love and affection all while still letting her explore and giving her a nice little well check. If there’s anything in the world that I want for my fur babies it’s that they don’t hate or fear the vet and I love that heartfelt is ensuring this from such a young age!
Cost was completely reasonable. I love that I can book online and hear back within the next day or so with times that work around both of our schedules.

After consideration, Heartfelt deserves 4 stars.
I thought of giving it 3 stars, but that would mean my experience with Heartfelt was mediocre. In fact, my experience was very pleasant. I was able to book an appointment and see someone considerably quick. The staff is friendly and responsive. The appointment began promptly and at the appointed time. There was some medications that I did not want to purchase for my dog, and they were very informative but not pushy. This is why I give this place 4 stars.
Why I won’t give this place 5 stars is because I do think this place is expensive. Check-​ups are priced well, but some procedures and medications are not.
The jury’s still out on whether this will officially be my dog’s doctor, but this place is an excellent option.

I took my new 8-​week old puppy (Charlie Brown) to Heartfelt based off of Unilocal reviews and loved it so much that I forgot to redeem my coupon. THAT’s how great Dr. Thomas and the team are.
Let me be clear: I. Am. Not. A. Fan. Of. Waiting. I am impatient. I have shizz to do and meetings to attend. So, having a 6 minute wait in the lobby and a 4 minute wait for the nurse was not my style (spoiled!). And then…
1) The receptionist was awesome. She was friendly and got me in to the room while considering the condition of my reserved/​scared puppy.
2) The nurse was exceptional. She chatted with me while getting my pup comfortable, so much so that he didn’t even Unilocal when his temp was taken (you know, in the not-​so-​comfortable spot).
3) Dr. Thomas was OUTSTANDING! He was amazing with Charlie Brown. Got down to the floor, had a full-​on conversation with me while trying to get Charlie comfy, and made me feel like we were old friends. He treated my pup with care, talked to him in a comforting way, and made me feel completely confident that I had made the right decision in randomly choosing him as my vet purely from reviews on Unilocal.Even took me for a quick tour in the back area where they do procedures and keep pets overnight when needed. Phew!
I can’t wait to see how this goes over time. This is the first vet in my many years of pet ownership where I actually will look forward to visiting. Yay!

Great hours, good location. Affordable health plan. Vet was kind, informative and easy to talk with. Front office staff very friendly and helpful! Love the logo! They should sell shirts!

They are a heartfelt vet! This was my fourth new vet visit in the last year. I have been taking Toby to different vets to get different opinions hoping to find a cure as to what his mystery itch issue is. That was never able to be fixed by any of the previous vets we had seen even after numerous visits. Toby and I are welcomed every time we visit with a truly caring staff and felt well taken care of. As soon as our first visit began he was quickly on the trail to what turned out to be horrible allergies. Once the allergy panel was received back we finally had our answer to our mystery! With the proper and well guided treatment Toby is receiving his mystery itch is gone and is on the path to becoming a much happier and comfortable dog. I am so grateful to the support and care we receive from heartfelt vet.

My GSD has degenerative myopathy and no vet has offered any support for my dogs quality of life until I met Dr Makoviak two weeks ago.
My Dog suddenly lost use of her back legs last Saturday morning. I called Dr. Makoviak and he offered to come to my house within the next couple hours and brought his magical hot laser therapy machine.
Within 15 minutes, my dog was able to go outside on her own and maneuver herself and back legs enough to have a bowel movement on her own! It was a miracle in my book. I thought that day might have been her last but today — one week later, she was chasing squirrels and trotting around the back yard like a 3 year old!
Of course we are continuing weekly therapy from the magic laser machine but it’s a simple 20 minute investment that I expect will prolong her life.
In the last 6 years I’ve had my 12 year old German Shepherd — we’ve been to 5 different vets in 2 states and I have never been impressed enough to write a Unilocal review until now. Dr. Makoviak is truly gifted and dedicated to his practice.
The prescribed treatments are cutting edge and practical. He truly puts my dog and my budget first.
I will never see another vet as long as I have animals in my life!!!

So interesting how things turn out…
My cat has a life-​threatening disease that cycles in and out of remission. As it happens, he cycled into his disease while my vet was out of town. By late this afternoon I realized I could not wait for her to return, and I called Heartfelt Vet Hospital after seeing the reviews here.
What I asked for:
1. An appointment NOW.
2. An appointment specifically with Dr. Mackowiak.
Amazingly enough, my first request was granted immediately and without question, I was told, though, that Dr. Mackowiak was in surgery and that I would have to wait. «OK,» I said, «I can wait.» And I packed up my boy and my book and drove across town; I was ready to wait.
I was guided to an exam room shortly after checking in. After waiting a few minutes, my vet walked in. You maybe can imagine my surprise when she introduced herself, «Hi, I’m Dr. Kimmell.» I almost objected, but the minute I met her, I knew I was in good hands.
Dr. Kimmell is an active listener –I felt like she heard every word I said, and there is something about the way she interacted with me that made me feel like a collaborator. I gave her a brief history, and she came up with a plan. She presented the plan on a small laptop, so she could point to individual procedures and services, and show me the prices while we spoke. I never felt like she was trying to sell me stuff I didn’t need. We discussed our options and made some decisions.
On my way out, Rachel told me that I should call if any emergency happens. If they are not in, I can mash a certain button and the call will be forwarded to the doctor immediately. NEVER since arriving in Portland (I’ve been here 20 years) have I EVER been told I could call for an emergency after hours. Instead, every other vet in town directs their clients to Dove Lewis.
Additionally, Dr. MacKowiak was standing at the door talking to his clients while I walked out with Dr. Kimmell. He wanted to assure me that I was in good hands, but I already knew that.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the appearance of the place. It’s beautifully decorated; there are whimsical cat and dog paintings on the wall (they are real paintings), it’s clean and nice in there, and it felt good to be in the building. Now, I know that at first glance this may seem like an unimportant point, but the care with which they created the environment is a reflection of their care towards the loved ones we entrust to them.
This place is all about CARE.
Anyhow, I’m having my cat’s chart sent over from my old vet on Monday. I feel soooooo happy to have found this place and to have met Dr. Kimmell.

The best veterinary. Love the staff. Professional team. Dr. Mackowiak is great. My dog and I are very luck to find them.

Simply the best pet hospital in Portland. The staff is very friendly and professional and always willing to help our furry pals. It’s clear to see why Dr. Mackowiak is one of the top rated vets in the city since he treats each pet as if they were his own!

I had an urgent cat issue and my vet was closed. I called them and they were more than willing to check on my cat before closing in 20 min but they suggested a cheap vet emergency hospital in case he had to stay overnight. I was surprised at how helpful they were, for them to refer me elsewhere rather to potentially save money and tune than take my business.
I ended up taking my cat here 5 min before closing. They made it seem like it was a normal thing, to care for my animal at such short notice and to do it with so much enthusiasm and energy at the end of the day. We kept them from closing for at least another 1.5 hours and everyone one of the staff was super nice about it.
Dr. M is a godsend. He was so kind and gentle with my cat who was in pain and his bedside manner with us was warm and relaxed. He was super thoughtful with his test orders and his vet nurse reviewed it with us in the order of priority. I didn’t feel guilted into anything at all. He is incredibly dedicated and it really seems like he gets his energy from helping pets and their pet parents. I kinda fell in love when he said he was reachable during non business hours.
He and his vet nurse did try to persuade me to switch to him and I’m happy to say I did!

I frequent Unilocal to read the reviews of others, however I have never left a review of my own, it’s not really my thing, however … I am so beyond pleased with the service I’ve been receiving at Heartfelt Veterinary Hospital that I must let people know.
They are open on Sundays.
They offer same-​day appointments.
Friendly, attentive, knowledgable staff. Everyone was awesome.
Super clean. Comfortable. Modern.
AND they are affordable. They offer plans that make sense and won’t break your wallet.
Dr. Mackowiak is amazing! I can’t say enough! Just go there. I promise you will not be disappointed.