Thank you a lot for the suggestions, guys -
C/Power, I glanced over the listing you linked me to a bit before, and they have a couple of vets for Portland, but nothing solid yet..
Psyfalcon, I haven't tried Hillsboro much- maybe I should? It's just unfortunate, because I don't travel by car.. I could bring him there on the Max for check-ups, though. And if worst came to worst(hopefully never!) my roommate would probably be down to give us a little help.
But, I recently called a vet of interest.. this is what they had to say-
Their introductory visits typically last for about 45 mins. or longer. This is because they want to get to understand and know their new patient and their patient's caretaker. This includes the time it takes to understand the diet of the patient, as well as going over some of their own methods of practice, which includes a little overview of Chinese holistic methods as well as Western(practical and holistic) and others. This all sounds lovely to me, but here's the catch- one of these visits, for a new patient, costs $160.00.
It's not all so awful, because my boyfriend has graciously offered to split the cost with me. But really? I'm trying to decide if a knowledgeable vet, who meets most/all of my requirements(except apparently easy prices..) is worth this.. I'm really leaning towards taking him there, because I can't seem to find another place that meets my awful-picky expectations.
Blah. Does anybody have any personal stories about their vet? What makes your vet a solid choice.. ?