Michael Mullen, The Visiting Vet

I wish I could give Dr Mullen 100 STARS!
He just left after giving our cat, Hunter, a thorough physical, treated an an abscess near his tail, prescribed and provided an antibiotic, and of course the obligatory rabies shot.
I was worried before Dr Mullen’s arrival (on time) that Hunter the cat, who’s big and strong and tough as nails was going to freak out, but that wasn’t the case at all! Dr Mullen walked in, sat on the floor and just hung out until Hunter started naturally warming up to him before starting the examination, etc.
He’s an excellent and gentle vet, who knows his stuff backward and forward, and explains every single thing. He’s also a SUPER nice guy, and I would STRONGLY RECOMMEND him to anyone who adores their pet (s).

Love Dr. Mike. He’s been my on call vet for over 18 years. Definitely a cool dude and most likely doesn’t give a rat’s *** about the review, but I’m doing it anyway!

Dr Mullen served our kitties and big golden doodle doggie for several years while we lived in East Austin. He was especially great when we had to put down one of our cats, really helped us through it, took his time, got right down on the ground with our kitty-​girl and compassionately handled the situation. Not just a «convenient» option but truly someone who is great with both people and our pet children. I’m looking for someone like him in our new location as it sure beats having to drag the poor animals to a clinic for routine care.

Unfortunately Dr Mullen made his third visit to our house. Putting your beloved pet to sleep is a difficult situation but Dr. Mullen does everything possible to make it as smooth as possible. He will also has access to a crematorium and takes care of all the leg work. He is a kind and compassionate vet.

Thankfully I have not had to call upon Dr. Mullen’s special services but I was present when my friend had to let her cat go due to failing kidneys that couldn’t be helped. I went to her house and there he was explaining everything very peacefully and making Annie comfortable. He had the calmest demeanor and best bedside manner. It broke my heart seeing how sad my friend was but this was the best thing in such a heartbreaking situation. Wish everyone in any medical field had Dr. Mullen’s kindness.

I recommended Dr Mullen to a friend recently and realized I was painfully overdue in writing this wonderful man a review.
A few years ago, my husband and I fostered a dog through APA (he had been turned into AAC with the name «Diablo»… to provide some idea of his history) who considered his job to guard his space against everything and everyone. We first fostered him, and when it was clear APA felt «Angel’s» next step was to be put down, we adopted him and worked with him with the help of various trainers. During that time, he attacked almost everyone he came into contact with. I knew I had to start considering our «options» and I came to Unilocal for a recommendation, and called Dr Mullen. He was wonderful. At no cost or concern for time, he consulted with me by phone… let me talk to him endlessly, cry to him… it was like having a vet and a therapist all in one. He was just amazing.
In the end, we had to go away for a week and a half and we boarded our sweet Angel with the Canine Center (who also are god’s gift to damaged dogs) and during that time, they called me to let me know despite all behavior modification efforts, it was clear Angel would not be appropriate in any home, so I gave them permission to call Dr Mullen. He promptly came to relieve Angel of his earthly dog body– he gave him loads of valium in advance… and we were told that when the time came, Angel was snoring. Was it pricey? Sure. Comfortably sedating a 120 pound dog is, Was it worth it? 100+%. He went in peace, and that was all that was important to us.
We still take our own pups into the vet’s office because they are ok with it, but when the time comes, we will not think twice about calling Dr Mullen again.

Dr. Mullen is Cat and Dog Gods’ gift to our pets. He is kind, caring, compassionate, professional, and knowledgeable. I can’t imagine trusting my pets with anyone else.

I’ve been lucky to have some of the best veterinarians and specialists in Austin take care of my animals. Dr. Mullen was truly an exceptional addition to that group, and I can’t thank him enough for the care he gave our girl.
Our dog was born deaf and vision-​impaired, and over the years she became blind and she grew more stressed and fearful. Though she was happy at home, visiting a clinic became impossible. Dr. Mullen visited our home, set her at ease, and correctly diagnosed and treated her many geriatric ailments. He made sure I understood all of the possible diagnoses and the most likely ones. He drew diagrams of ligaments and bones. He considered many treatment options and explained each one, so I could make informed choices. He spent the time to talk through every diagnosis and treatment with me.
Yes, Dr. M is a terrific mobile vet. Dr. M is a terrific vet, period. From the first moment he visited, he was an old friend, a knowledgeable, honest soul who connected with my dog and gave her the best care possible.

I am so thankful that my dog’s last hours were in my home where she was among smells that she knew and objects familiar to her. Her last awareness was of eating her favorite treats with Dr. Mullen by her side.
Although Dr. Mullen had only come to my home a few times he was always very punctual. My dog had had a very harsh early morning cough. This was immediately eliminated due to a suggestion from him on the first visit. He had a unique way of continually observing my dog before and after an exam. Nothing was left unnoticed.
When the time came for his last visit he clearly explained what would happen, including some specifics that related to my dog because of certain health conditions. It was quite obvious that he had a great deal of both experience and knowledge.
His kind and personal touch with a special Austin flavor was most appreciated.

Dr. Mullen is a saint. He had the best «bedside» manner I could possibly imagine.
My regular vet recommended him when I mentioned at-​home euthanasia. I called him several weeks before and we had a nice chat. When it was my dog’s time he made a shitty situation as best as it could be. He is such a kind man.
Just know: you’ll likely need to schedule a few days in advance (he’s a busy guy).
:/​rip my sweet girl

I cannot express how wonderfully sweet this man is and how thankul we are for what he does. If you are in the very unfortunate circumstance of needing to put a pet down, you have to call Dr Mullen. We had to make a fairly sudden decision for our cat, and Dr Mullen was able to come to our house the same day. He has a calm, comforting disposition and allows you to do whatever you need to get through. I sat in front of him with tears and a runny nose, and he was perfectly comfortable. I will be forever grateful for finding Dr Mullen; he made a horrible event bearable for us and furthermore helped us feel at peace with what we were doing.

Our first cat, terminally ill from renal failure, was ready to end his life. We loved and cherished this cat from kittenhood, and sought a euthanasia that was comfortable, respectful, non-​threatening, and reflective of the trust the cat placed in us.
I called Dr. Mullen a few days in advance and he worked with me to schedule a time.
He arrived on-​time and guided us through the process. His good humor and body language helped keep our cat comfortable and keep us from coming completely unhinged as we said our goodbyes. A sedative put our cat in a restful state, insensitive to the world. A barbiturate stopped his heart. Both were carefully administered by Dr. Mullen.
When it was over, he took our cat’s body away for cremation and returned with the cremains. The emptiness of our cat’s absence is sad, but the process of his final day and euthanasia could not have been better. I recommend this veterinarian.

Thank you for what you do… and thank you for being who you are… Dr. Mike was recommended to us by friends after our dog Max was diagnosed with bone cancer. His personality, demeanor, honesty and compassion were absolutely wonderful. He made the process of having our friend and companion put to sleep as comfortable as it could have been. I would recommend him to anyone.

We love Dr. Mullen and even my baby, Dexter knows Dr. Mullen is coming to visit to take care of him. Dr. Mullen is down to earth and doesn’t recommend crazy procedures; he just wants to take care of your pet in the most loving common sense way possible.
Dr. Mullen just spent a lot of time on the phone with me, discussing how to handle Dexter’s declining health. I so appreciate the time he spent with me and his knowledge and his approach my kitty’s health. He is the best and we are grateful he is Dexter’s friend!

We have had nothing but awesome experiences with Michael Mullen.
He has an aging hippy vibe about him, with long hair, a very laid back demeanor, and a big smile. He’s definitely unusual — he likes to chat and joke. He also has shown extreme care and concern for the well-​being of our pets. I wish that last part wasn’t unusual, but it is.
I’ve always been uncomfortable with vets. Our pets are our family, and way too much vets put their bottom line above the health of our fuzzy children. We ditched out last vet when he kept pushing Iams for our cats — a vastly inferior food to what we give them now but also a food that gives a lot of kickbacks to vets. Michael Mullen never pushes. And if he recommends a product, he will be upfront about whether he gets money from it or not.
As our cats are indoor cats, he’s always recommended only the most basic of vaccinations, even though he gets to charge for boosters. As he tells it, the cocktail of chemicals that are the standard lower the life span of pets, so he never recommends more than they need.
This was the first but far from the only time he’s cut into the price of our expected bill for the over all health of our animals. Awesome, awesome guy. Exactly what I want out of a vet.

Dr. Mullen has been wonderful with my persnickety cat from his very first visit three years ago to his most recent appointment last month. He bowled me over when he arrived on my doorstep back in 2009, old-​fashioned doctor’s bag in hand and a big smile on his face. He really does feel like a throwback to a bygone era in terms of his customer service, healthy fear of all things computer (still hand writes his charts and does not use email), and all-​around kindness.
Dr. Mullen quickly diagnosed my kitty’s kidney failure and has been such a godsend to us in terms of his dedication to her treatment, honesty about appropriate levels of care, assessment of her overall well-​being, and understanding of the weightiness and tenderheartedness of making big decisions about a beloved pet.
It’s true that his visiting veterinarian services are a little pricier than a brick-​and-​mortar office, but they are still quite reasonable and are worth every penny in terms of reduced stress for cat and owner AND the amount of free consultation Dr. Mullen provides via phone. He has impressed me with how familiar he is with current best practices and how often he collaborates with specialists and comes back to me with his latest thinking.
Yes, he does talk a mile a minute and occasionally makes an ill-​timed joke, but he also sits on my couch and gets misty-​eyed talking about putting down his beloved hound or complimenting my husband and me on our approach to taking care of our high-​needs kitty. He is a gentle soul and a treasured friend to our family.

I am giving Dr. Michael a 5-​star review because in all the ways that matter he delivers: He is knowledgeable, has a good bedside manner, is prompt, charges a fair price, and returns phone calls promptly. You talk to some vets and you can see the dollar signs in their eyes. No real concern for your beloved pet. Mullen is not like that at all. He loves animals.
I had Mullen come by to check out my old dog Max, who had pretty much lost the use of his back legs. I was convinced Max was terminal, and heartbroken about it. I rather expected Mullen to confirm my fears. But he did not. His best guess was that Max had a bulging disk in his spine. He proposed putting him on rimadyl, which reduces inflammation and pain. Long story short, Max responded strongly to the medicine, started getting back on his feet, and gained back a lot of the muscle strength he had lost. Dramatic turnaround.
Dr. Mullen isn’t for everyone. No doubt there are some uptight yuppies who would find him a little much. He comes across as a grown up hippie, which he is. He also talks very fast and a lot. He makes sometimes awkward jokes. In other words, he is a regular person.
But as far as I am concerned, Mullen’s a good guy doing a really good job in a tough business.

Dr. Mullen has been our cat’s vet for several years and he is great. The fact that he comes to your home makes the whole process much more convenient, and far less stressful for our cats.
He is very friendly and chatty, and takes care to explain everything he is doing and why he is doing it.
He also clearly loves animals and they love him. Even though he pokes and prods them every time he comes over, our cats will still wander up to him voluntarily. Last time he was here one of our cats, who is normally quite skittish, wouldn’t get out of his lap!

I found Dr. Mullen through my neighbor in Allandale. My 14-​year-​old Golden Retriever, had been handicapped for a while after suffering from a lesion on either her inner ear or maybe her brain. It finally got to the point where she couldn’t walk by herself and was just going downhill fast. I knew it was time to put her down, but so not wanting to take her back to her vet at the clinic on Burnet Rd. She got really upset every time I would take her and I wasn’t taking her back, and putting her through that, at this point in her life. Then I heard about Mike Mullen, the traveling vet.
If you have been through this, you know how upsetting it can be. I was nervous about it, but had heard such wonderful things about this man, I knew it would be ok.
He arrived on time and I liked him immediately. He was so kind and gentle with Annie. Plus, she really liked him. He made the whole experience very peaceful and we talked quite a bit about dogs, especially older dogs and he assured me that I was doing the very best thing for my dog.
When it was over with, and it was very fast, he was just so sweet with me and my beloved dog, Annie.
I would highly recommend Dr. Mike Mullen to anyone who has pets and needs either regular care or has a pet that needs to be put down. You will not find a better person to be there with you and your pet.

Upon moving to Austin, I dreaded trying to find a new doctor for my pride of cats. Due to the large amount of animals, I had used an amazing house vet for years in Atlanta. When one of my cats developed a stress induced seizure disorder, I realized a house vet would probably remain my best option (my cats and cars? no bueno). SO I got a recommendation from one of the local vets for Dr. Mullen, and I am so glad.
2 of my cats are afraid of strangers. When Dr. Mullen came walking through the door, they both bee-​lined to him to say hello. Neither of them struggled through their exams. He was friendly and congenial and so good with the cats. Even my feral kitten likes Dr. Mike! I would recommend him to anyone who asked.
And in terms of rates? He is no more expensive than taking your kids to the doctor, and far less stressful!