I had a wonderful experience at Cougar Mountain Vet. Dr. Friedman and his staff are loving and compassionate. He would call me often when my dog was sick just to check in and see how she’s doing. The office is small and cozy with a much more holistic feel than most vets I’ve been to. His prices were much better than our previous vet. Read Less

Dr. Friedman is simply the best! Upon moving to Issaquah, I immediately sought out a vet who was experienced in acupuncture, because my ten-year-old Border Collie has IVDD. I was so relieved to find Dr. Friedman. With weekly acupuncture treatments, he is well on his way to recovery! Thank you so much Dr. Friedman!! Read Less

I scheduled an appointment with this CM Vet for my first visit for our new rescue dog. I was looking for a small, local holistic vet. Ive never rescued an older dog so I didnt know what we needed other than a once over for her, a visit to establish a meet etc. I showed up early and we sat patiently and waited until our appt time of 10. Around that time a gentlemen that had been sitting behind the front desk working, since we arrived blurted out something like "whos your new f...riend" while still siting behind the desk and whom I couldnt really see because of large plant and since I had no idea who he was or if he was even speaking to me, I said "who me" and he replied "no the person behind you" or something of the like. It just really went all downhill from there. I assume this was the vet but to this day since he didnt come over and introduce himself, Im not 100%. He proceeded to talk to me sitting down through this plant. He basically (what felt like) grilled me on why I was there and what documents I had for her and wanted to know a history I couldnt supply (since shes a rescue). He continued to badger me and then eventually said "why are you here then". This man was extremely rude and unwelcoming and had horrible and odd communication skills. I stopped the conversation that was going nowhere and walked out. He then came out of his back door and tried to speak to me even more but I was very upset and rushed into my car. Ill never go back here again and I would never recommend this vet. See More Read Less

I've only had two pets in my life, the first for 15 years and the second, a shorter 6 (he lived to be about 9) I lived in Issaquah for the first pet, and Cougar Mountain Vet was great! It's also a calm, stress free, quiet place. We took Cole there for everything, and went through all the ups and downs of pet ownership here. When he had to be put to sleep I know he went without too much stress here. When my other cat had to be put to sleep yesterday while I was away on vacation, it gave me a little bit of peace knowing he went to a forever sleep somewhere safe. I would recommend Cougar Mountain vet to anyone. Plus you can just tell Dr. Friedman cares about his patients... too many places now and days you really don't get that feeling of trust. Read Less

I have gone to quite a few vets in the area and keep coming back to Cougar Mt Veterinary. Dr Friedman spends a lot of time with your pet and is up front about the cost of care so the owner has a good idea what the investment is and payoff one would receive. (Longer life vs hard recovery) Dr. Friedman is a one man show so if he takes awhile getting back to you on the phone some animal is ahead of you at his office.   He keeps his expenses low and they are passed on to you.  Animals are first in his practice and owners are second. He wants the best care for animals and if an owner is slipping up (as I have) he can get a bit gruff...but for good reason. If you are looking for a squeaky clean waiting room you will be disappointed.  His office is in a vintage house with a vintage charm. We have never had an issue of infection when any of our animals have been neutered.  If you want someone with know how and the passion to care for your pet this place is an easy choice.  My dog Coco generally does not like men, but she is also very aware when someone is there to help her.  She greeted Dr. Friedman with a knowing he was there for her. Read Less

I have never been more compelled to write a negative review, interesting I had such a hard time finding them on Yelp.When  we first moved to Issaquah  4 years and  started looking for veterinarians we chose this place due to proximity to our home. Dr. Howard Friedman is a quirky oddball to say the least, however I don't judge a book by the cover and felt that he was the kind of guy that might be "animals  first people 2nd". Turns out I was wrong, he neither cares for people or animals. he's an angry little man who can't remember his clients from two days ago,  loses your files , doesn't keep track of scheduled appointments , and then is rude when you show up " unexpectedly" After the 3rd and last time we are done!  This guy is a joke, and quite frankly I have no idea how they are  in business. Read Less

Dr. Friedman and his staff are fantastic! They helped get me in right away when my dog was limping, and were able to quickly figure out what the problem was and refer me to a surgeon who could complete the work. They managed to get me in same day last minute when my dog tore his staples out, and got him fixed right up. Very kind and quick. 5 stars! Taco & I appreciate the help :) Read Less

Dr. Friedman and his staff are fantastic! They helped get me in right away when my dog was limping, and were able to quickly figure out what the problem was and refer me to a surgeon who could complete the work. They managed to get me in same day last minute when my dog tore his staples out, and got him fixed right up. Very kind and quick. 5 stars! Taco & I appreciate the help :) Read Less

Dr. Fiedman and Sarah are Fantastic! We have taken our Australian Labradoodle "Titus" to them for the past five years and they treat him like their own. Couldn't ask for a better pet care provider. Titus (our dog) is like a teenager who never grew past 16... Extreme zest for life, he's always doing something to get himself injured.Read Less

I just can't say enough good things about Dr Friedman and his assistant, Sarah. Those reviewers that say he was gruff when answering the phone... Think about what you are saying!!  THE vet answered the phone!  Perhaps he was busy with an EMERGENCY and just wanted you to know when to call back?  If you want a vet with a huge staff, tons of parking and a luxurious waiting area- this is not the place for you.  And, frankly, if what is important to you when you select a vet is a place to park your Suburban or the phone manner of the vet that you spoke to for 10 seconds on the phone, then please do go somewhere else.  There are plenty of us who love coming here because they obviously care about their furry patients and their priorities are on the care of our pets!  My dog was sick and Dr Friedman called a couple of times that week (after business hours) to check on him. He very patiently answered my questions and genuinely cared about how my little guy was doing.  ;) Read Less

My Golden became sick very quickly, only 8yrs old, head/eye hurt and could barely walk - really thought we might lose him. My old vet (associated to PetSmart) could only offer pain meds and some antibiotics, when I asked about acupuncture, they thought it might be helpful... and then I found Dr. Friedman :) Not only did he make my dog feel 100% better within a week and one session of acupuncture, but it was they way he works with the animals, that you could really see the difference - he really cares about each animal. He spent a good hour with us, talking, touching, answering my questions...calming my dog as he began the acupuncture treatment. Dr. Friedman is exactly what you hope for, when your pet is sick and you need someone you can trust. I couldn't imagine ever going anywhere else! Thank you Dr. Friedman for being the best :) And Sarah, his amazing assistant is beyond wonderful, so thoughtful and helpful - they make a great team! Read Less

Cougar Mountain Vet is the perfect vet for us. They know us and our dogs, they are flexible with getting us is, and give our "kids" the care they need to stay happy and healthy. Can't imagine going anywhere else. Read Less

I have been taking my pets to Dr. Friedman for over 10 years and he has been amazing with them. My Pitbull recently passed away at the age of 16. She was still active and happy and had amazing life. He did acupuncture on her when her arthritis was acting up and it helped her a lot. His office is comfortable, clean and cozy and I like that I don't feel like I am in a cold, Impersonal hospital. Some Vets  I've seen in the past seemed afraid of my Pitbull  but I have never felt that way with Dr. Friedman.  I called him every time my dog seemed a little off and he was always patient and kind to me. I feel very blessed to have found him. Read Less

Walked out before the appointment began. Tiny waiting room. Dirty. Driveway and parking lot are horrendous. A mini cooper would have trouble pulling into this place.Got to my appointment 30 minutes early. The vet snarked at me when I told him I was early. There are taxidermy dogs all over the place. Waiting area has enough room for maybe 2 people and there were 4 dog/owner couples in there. My dogs incredibly well trained through academy of canine behavior. We were the first into the waiting room followed by 2 Scottish terriers with tiny dog syndrome and a massive bernese mountain dog. My dog is sitting like the good ol boy he is and the vet stands up and tells him to behave in the typical condisending pitbull hating tone without paying the slightest bit of attention to the other yapping terriers or bernese. At that point I stood up and walked out. Read Less

We have been going to Dr. Friedman for the past 8+ years.  He has been attentive to our black lab over the years, called after various visits to check on him and his costs have been reasonable.  Our experience with Dr. Friedman has included patching up our dog when he was a pup after being attacked by two dogs, neutering our lab, various checks after our dog ate things he shouldn't have and more recently Dr. Friedman removed two large cysts.  His assistant Sara has been very helpful as well.   We highly recommend him. Read Less

My cat got hit by a car yesterday, I got the call at work from my sister, I raced home calling every vet I could find close to us in the Issaquah Hobart area. Dr. Friedman and Sarah were willing to see her as soon as I could get there. Dr. Friedman didn't nickel and dime me telling me we NEED to do this stuff. Instead he told me we need to make sure other things were okay before we spend the big money on surgery. He is going to watch my cat again today. Which I am so thankful for. Thank you so much for you time! Read Less

Dr. Friedman is the best! I'm seventy years old and have had many vets to take care of my furry friends over the years. I came in to his office one day and told him that my cat JUNE was very sick and needed to be put down... He told me not to be so fast with my conclusion. In a few days my JUNE was back to good health and I feel like a fool now for even suggesting that he put her down. I would encourage anyone with a sick animal to see the folks at Cougar Mountain Veterinary Hospital first. His assistant SARA is wonderful and you immediately find out how much they care for animals. JUNE is older now and losing weight but the Doctor is my first choice to find answers for her well being. Read Less

My dogs have been cared for by Dr. Howard for 13 years. I wouldn't dream of taking them to anyone else. He is even skilled in acupuncture and was able to restore the use of my Irish Setter's paw in two sessions. Whatever caused her paw to roll under like that never returned. He really is an excellent vet and his staff member Sarah is great too. They have always gone out of their way to help me and my babes. Read Less

It doesn't surprise me that every negative review involved people who haven't even met Dr. Friedman.  If you want a mega-vet there are plenty out there with standard, one size fits all protocols.  Dr. Friedman is wonderful, as it Sara.  He is straight forward and honest, as well as practical.  When my golden retriever started coughing, he did exrays and spent almost an hour with me, showing me the exrays and being sure I understood the results, the upcoming needs of my little girl and some herbs to make her more comfortable.  If the phone rang and Sara was with an animal (Their primary concern) and Dr. Friedman was spending the extra time with me, explaining to me that my dog is dying, I would hope that any pet owner would understand that phone calls cannot be their highest priority.  Their current patients and their families are.  I started going to Dr. Friedman after our vet was taken over my a mega-vet, and they started running me around, getting unnecessary tests, and relying on expensive steroids.  The mega-vet ignored my concerns about my dogs vision.  I went to Dr. Friedman and he referred me to a specialist in the area.  He has no allegiances to any one specialty practice and I will be taking all future pets to Dr. Friedman. Read Less

I wasn't too surprised to find out I wasn't the only Yelper who had a terrible experience with this place without even needing to make an appointment. Called at 9:00 on a Saturday only to be met with a gruff voice that said "Cougar Mountain." Started to explain who I was and was told "Call after 10:30, we'll help you then" and was then hung up on. It sounds like this is the DVM himself answering the phones, which certainly doesn't encourage me to ever use them for any of my needs.Also disappointed to see the practice manager constantly defending this via replies with poor excuses. If your office hours are listed as open at 8 AM on Saturdays, then why not have staffing until 10:30? Why use the excuse that the DVM must have been busy and that somehow makes it okay to just hang up on potential clients on the phone? Why not just have an answering service/voice mail pick up calls until 10:30 if you're just going to hang up on people, rather than allowing them to leave a message? Probably the rudest exchange I've ever had on the phone with a vet clinic - and it lasted less than 10 seconds. Read Less

Finally a vet who sincerely cares about his animals, which is a passion that seems to have been lost by larger clinics sadly. After my puppy got neutered, Dr. Friedman followed up personally to see how he was doing and when we needed to check the incisions few months later he fit us in last minute and didn't even charge us to check up on him when VCA would have been $150 just for the 5 minute visit. I would take a vet who sincerely cares about my animal and is fair to people any day over a large clinic that has hired receptionists just to answer the phone (per the prior reviews). My puppy loves him. Read Less

My dog loves Doctor Friedman, and he's been nothing but accommodating and helpful during all of our emergencies. Very well priced and good down to earth care. If you want it straight forward, this is the place to go. Read Less

If I could give 0 stars I would.... Just like a fellow yelper I have not even been to the clinic yet but was also very unimpressed with how I was talked to on the phone.... I called at 9am on a Saturday and was told to call back after 10:30am and the person just hung up the phone.... Their website says they open at 8am.... I didn't get a name or an explanation on to why I needed to call back later just a very rude demand followed by CLICK..... very unprofessional..... Read Less

My tortoiseshell cat, Katzen, is unfortunately infatuated with chewing plastic, rubber, and foam. Two years ago, it finally took its toll. She was only about 2 years old and started acting lethargic, was vomiting and wouldn't eat or drink. She and her brother share a litterbox so I couldn't tell if she'd gone or not. By late that evening I got really very concerned for her health and ended up getting my son out of bed and headed to Alpine Animal Hospital about 12:30am. After spending an hour or so doing tests, they couldn't find anything wrong with her and wanted to do exploratory surgery. After the tests, I'd already spent over $1,000, and was worried that there still weren't any real answers and decided to wait until the morning to call some vets in the area, since I hadn't established one yet. I ended up seeing Dr. Friedman first thing the next morning. He decided that it was highly likely that she had a bowel obstruction and would need surgery. We scheduled it for the following morning and there were times that evening when I thought she might not make it.  During surgery, after painstakingly searching through her intestines, he found the culprit -- a one-inch piece of foam. After a few days, she was her old self again and I attribute that to Dr. Friedman. He saved her life and I am forever grateful. You can tell how much compassion he has for animals, and his prices are more reasonable than others in the area. I've been taking both cats there for regular well-visits ever since, and I highly recommend him! Read Less

I called Dr Friedman early one morning.  I explained to him that I was very worried about my elderly pom.  Dr Friedman made arrangements to see him first thing that morning.  Being new to the area we did not have a vet of choice.  We do now.  Dr Friedman was great with my dog, both kind and fair.  He even called the next day to check on my dogs well being.  Great experience. Read Less

Dr. Friedman is not the vet I would want working on my animal.  His pompous attitude did nothing to win me over.  I was hoping to find a genuinely kind and open-minded veterinarian, but unfortunately, I found him rude and condescending.  If you're looking for someone who operates "out of the box," he is not it.  I have never left a negative "yelp" in my life, first time for everything.  Poor, poor rating.  Too bad because the person who originally answered the phone was very kind and helpful--hopefully he's good to his staff! Read Less

I have used Dr. Friedman at Cougar Mountain for almost 10 years, helping us with 4 dogs.  Very thoughtful, professional and fairly priced.  Services have included exams, shots, acupuncture, and surgery.  We have recommmended him several time to family and friends.  Highly recommended. Read Less

OK, admittedly - I'm not a huge fan of veterinarians.. but Dr. Friedman has single-handedly changed my tune. This place ROCKS! Dr. Friedman is fair, honest and great with my dog. Nik (my dog) has had a surgery, some accupuncture and some check-ups here and does well every time. And yes, I said accupunture. Now - before you discount my review because you think I'm an idiot for doing accupunture to my dog.... hear me out. I was skeptical at first as well, but I trust Dr. Friedman, and that's hat he recommended for my dog's back pain. I said "OK", watched the doc put some needles in Nik's back, and sat around for a bit. Within one hour, the needles were removed and my dog was obviously feeling much better. A couple of days later, he was perfect. Along with all the ordinary "vet stuff", I try to buy all of Nik's food here as well. Not only because it's better food, but because I want to support this business because it's AWESOME! Read Less

Cat is on a special prescription can food, they had 4 cans left and ordered me a case which they said wouldn't be in till Thursday, called me a day early to let me know it was in early! The also called to check to make sure I still had enough till the shipment came in. So far no problems here. Their pricing is on the higher end, and you don;t get a detail receipt of everything they did unless you ask. That I found odd, but over all so far no issues here! Nice staff. Read Less

We've been taking our three dogs here for a really long time, and have suggested it to many friends. It's not a fancy place, but the vet really does care about animals. Unlike the vets at so many other places, he remembers all of their names and what they're like. He sends out reminder cards often, as well as holiday cards. He also calls when a checkup needs to be scheduled, when a medicine is in, etc.  We don't overpay for visits or medicines - they're generally 1/3 the cost as those from Alpine or another vet clinic. Sometimes scheduling an appointment is hard, but that's about the only downfall. Read Less