San Francisco Pet Hospital
Category: Veterinarians [Edit]
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA1371 Fulton St
(between Broderick St & Divisadero St)
San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 931-8312
29 reviews
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
"I've been registered with this place since my family's very first German Shepard dog. They've taken care of 2 of my German Shepards, and my…" read more »
56 Reviews for San Francisco Pet Hospital
7/1/08: No new patients are being admitted. BUMMER
What else can I give considering? Based on yelp reviews I was juiced for my dog because they seem well liked in the community and competent in the realm of K9 teeth extractions. But since I can't even get an appointment nor an approximation as to when new patients will be admitted I assume they are THAT good or REALLY lethargic. If I ever get an appointment I'll adjust the rating.
This is more of a heads up for would be new patients
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I too was a little turned off by the fact that I had to wait 3 weeks to have my new pup seen for her 1st initial visit. I figured it was ok and i would deal with it since "Mia" (my pup) was not sick or anything (as far as i knew). If anything went wrong between the time I made the appointment and the day of her visit , I already had Pets Unlimited in mind. So i waited and finally had the chance to meet Dr. Leyba....He was amazing! He spent so much time with Mia. He took his time and really listened to all my initial questions and concerns. I really felt comfortable asking him any questions even if they made me look like an idiot! The staff was also very friendly and helpful. I would really recommend this place to anyone that has a new furry family member.
I called this joint and they have a one month wait to be seen! I don't care how many stars treatment you get when you get your appointment, my dog could be dead by then! Bad job, ya'll.
Dr. Morris is the best. This place deserve 5 stars. The minus one star go to my 14 years old "Hank". Dr. Morris had to put him to sleep to end his suffering after caring him for so long. So Hank took one star with him.
Instead of getting another dog, we are getting a cat "Pank". Dr. Morris fixed him up very well too. I recommend Dr. Morris to eveyone I knew of. If you lived in the area, this is the vet for you.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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09/27/2007
Dr. Morris is the best. This place deserve 5 stars. The minus one star go to my 14 years old… Read more »
I've been bringing Emmy Lou to visit Dr. Leyba since she was a wee little kitten. While I can't say she enjoys her trips to the vet, Dr. Leyba absolutely has the best bedside manner with a cat I've ever seen. He's very thorough and I really appreciate the amount of time he spends talking to me about my beloved Emmy, best diet, etc. I swear, he spends more time than my own doctor. He's truly a gem of a find.
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After reading all the reviews, we decided to make a new puppy appt.
They gave us an appointment 2 months away.
We're counting down the days and debating if we want to keep it since we saw someone at SPCA twice already. (She's a rescue and we wanted her checked out within a week or two of bringing her home.) They're not open on weekends and with this kind of wait ... I have to give them 3 stars for lack of availability.
Edit: 5/2008 - Called them to confirm our appt, they said we're not on the schedule. Thanks for nothing.
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My dog's annual exam and vaccination were long over due. Why? Cause I was such a bad mommie. Bad mommie!
I used to go to Pets Unlimited but I heard this place was pretty good and it was a lot closer. I could pretty much take a nice walk with him.
I was waiting for a bit while filling out some paperwork. They called my name not long after. The Vet technician checked his ear and asked about his past records. Apparently Pets Unlimited didn't fax all of it, except for my recent emergency visit to All Animals Emergency Hospital. They were gladly made the call to Pets Unlimited to fax the rest of the records.
Dr. Morris was really nice. He was trying to comfort my dog who was a nervous wreck and after looking his records, he immediately told me my dog actually didn't need any of his vaccination until 2009. I didn't know that you could take them once every 3 years, and since he was just recently at the emergency hospital, he didn't think it was necessary to do the annual check-up, unless of course I wanted him to do so.
I was pretty surprised that I ended up not spending any money at all! I was so ready to cough-up a couple hundred dollars. S-w-e-e-t!!
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We love Dr Leyba and Dr Morris! My family has been going here for 20+ years. They are hands-down the best. The staff is great, both dr's take their time with our pets and are wonderful. We wouldn't dream of going anywhere else.
My sissy gay dog, Buddy, is the kind of wuss who really knows how to make you feel sorry for him. Big blue eyes, ridiculously sweet face and the most expressive ears, ever.
So I'm picky about vets because my emotions get pretty wacked out when I feel like I'm making Buddy sad. Luckily, we don't have that problem at SF Pet Hospital.
Dr. Leyba is knowledgeable, fabulous and funny = Cary Approved.
He called Buddy's love hole his "lipstick." It still cracks me up every time I think about it. I've also called with questions (is this worth coming in? what does this mean?) and have been pleasantly surprised by the high quality of service I've received.
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This is the place I've been coming here for 20 years they are the best
hospital for your pets I love the Staff an Vets They are so nice I've been coming here for everything from the birth of my puppies to the death of my two dogs they have help me in so many ways they are the best in the City
I LOVE Dr. Leyba!!! I cannot say enough about how wonderful he is.
My cat, who I've taken care of for 14 years has been through a lot. He's had just about every problem you can think of from gingivitis to anal gland ruptures and feline urinary syndrome.
When we recently moved to San Francisco I needed to find a vet for my cat. We chose SF Pet Hospital because of proximity -- boy were we lucky. Dr. Leyba was the vet we saw and from the very first visit he was patient, funny, understanding and knowledgeable.
I love that he doesn't just try and push you in and out the door. He patiently answers all your questions and is very attentive to both you and your animal. He's given me so many helpful suggestions and he has performed minor surgery and teeth cleaning on my cat.
I've been to a LOT of vets in the past 14 years and no one comes close to Dr. Leyba. I don't usually say this, but I trust him completely with my cat's health.
UPDATE: The front desk staff must be going through puberty. There is one person especially (who shall remain nameless for now), who consistently got my cat food order wrong, promised to call me back and never did, and also OVER-promised on something she didn't deliver in the end. And there was no apology from her to boot.
Front desk: Please get your act together and maybe you'll get your five stars back.
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Updating this review...
So I ended up going back to my old vet. He said let's just forget that I even went to another vet, and start the exam from scratch. So he did an exam, then he said yes he recommends dental work, so he did a blood test to make sure my dog was ok with the anesthesia because of her age, then the dental work, she only had to get 2 teeth extracted, plus antibiotics. Final price = $302. And my dogs teeth are beautiful. No more bad breath either.
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I'm going to have to disagree with a lot of Yelpers on this one. I wanted to find another vet that was closer to home so I used Yelp and found SF Pet Hospital. Dr. Leyba was really nice and very thorough with his answers to my questions, but they're not cheap. If you have a lot of money, I suppose this place would be good. Let me be specific. I took my dog in for a checkup and they told me my dog's teeth are so bad, we'd have to extract about 4-5 teeth in addition to a cleaning, and the cost was going to be between $1100-$1300. I phoned my old vet (who i think is just absolutely brilliant, btw) to get a 2nd opinion and let them know about Dr. Leyba's findings without revealing the cost. They told me they would have to redo the checkup plus perform bloodtests, and if their findings are the same, the total cost including the antibiotics should be no more than $400!! Four-Friggin-Hundred Dollars vs. $1100-1300!!!!
I know the above doesnt really deserve a one star rating...but this one definitely does...I gave the front desk my dog's original shot records before my dog's exam when I checked in. After the exam, when I tried to get it back, they couldn't find it. They lost my dog's shot records!!! That was just friggin beautiful!!
I also phoned my old vet to fax over my dog's medical records to SF Pet Hospital a couple days b4 my appt. The front desk told me they never faxed it over -- I don't believe it. They probably just lost those too.
Anyway, I'm going back to my old vet. This time, I dont care if it takes me 45 minutes just to get there. I don't know why I even looked elsewhere. It wont happen again.
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To be honest, I can't vouch for the quality of the service at the facility itself. All I can say is that they were extremely helpful over the phone. So helpful, in fact, that after two lengthy, cost-free, advice-filled phone consultations, I did not need to take my cat in to see them. I wish that I could omit the start-rating bit and just share that information with you, but I cannot, so I rate them highly since they were so extremely helpful without even seeing me, my cat, or my money.
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We started bringing our cat Migo to this hospital based on the recommendation of a former roommate. The staff were great - very friendly and reasonable. We've brought our cat back several times since. They're convenient and affordable, to boot.
Sesame, my mini labradoodle puppy just had her first appointment with Dr. Morris this morning. She was shaking uncontrollably and scared at the start due to some recent bad experiences at her prior vet (the reason we were switching), and Dr. Morris patiently put her at ease giving her cheese while he examined her, comforting her, and letting her roam around the room to get more comfortable. He thoughtfully gave his opinion on what he thought caused the recent health scare we had at the other vet which left her unable to move for days, and answered all my questions regarding Sesame's diet and her ball obsession and its effect on her teeth. By the end of the visit, Sesame was relaxed and lounging on the floor like she does at home, and I was happy that I found my new vet.
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Frida, the world's cutest bulldog, had her first vet appointment at SF Pet Hospital on Wednesday. The staff was very efficient- I observed them working diligently on several tasks as they handed me my first-visit paperwork to fill out prior to meeting the Doc. They were friendly but not overly so. Strangely, I appreciated the honesty in the interaction. After all we had just met and much like going to the Doctor for humans, the exchange is mostly business. What the staff may have lacked in their friendly factor, they made up for when fawning over my precious pup.
After they weighed her girlish figure (a whopping 12lbs!!) they took her temperature & we got to see the Vet. What a nice guy!! Dr. Robert Leyba advised of the best care and feeding for the breed and offered some puppy training suggestions to help with the puppy terrible twos. His advice was in line with all of the research that I had done prior to getting the new edition to our family so I felt confident that he has a firm understanding of the needs of a baby bulldog. He got us set up with a "puppy package" which essentially covers the DHLPP #2, Corona #1, Lyme #1 and subsequent vaccinations required for a healthy canine at a discount (since you pay for it all at once). The package is a money saving solution and it seems a good investment in the health of a best friend.
Frida enjoyed the cheese that the Doc offered her as reward for being such a good patient and I enjoyed meeting our new family Vet.
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I made an appointment here to get a second opinion on my elder cat Lahp, and it is a 2 week wait for new customers. My cat needed immediate care, so I took him to Arguello as usual and made the appointment at SF anyway. The lady who made the appointment over the phone was nice.
When I got there 2 weeks later, the receptionist were not as friendly. Our appointment was for 9:30am, and they had us wait in a small room. Dr. Lebya did not show up until past 10:10, over 40 minutes later. We could hear him chatting away in the next room. Meanwhile my very old cat Lahp was in an extremely bad mood about this place, and the wait put him over the top. He was howling and growling away, much more than he ever did at Arguello.
Finally the Dr. came in. He looked at the files from Arguello pet hospital and made a guess as to what the problem was without even touching Lahp (which obviously goes against the point of having a second opinion if it is based solely on the first opinion). When he did try to touch Lahp, my cat swiped at him in a very upset manner and did not like him at all.
Dr. Lebya recommended a series of tests that came to over $800, and told us that we'd drop Lahp tomorrow morning at 8:30am. That's right, he TOLD us we'd be dropping him off tomorow, and did not ask if this was okay with us. One thing they recommended was anesthesia, which is NOT okay for a cat in this condition and age.
15 minutes later we were out the door (for good).
I called the hospital later that day and told them we decided against the procedures. Dr. Lebya called us a few days later and told us we should get something done right away, leaving us with a trail of guilty feeling. There was nothing they could have done for him, in all honesty, because he was a very old man (95+ cat years) and wanted his last days in peace and happiness- not under risky operation and anesthesia.
Dr. Kang at Argello Pet Hosptital seemed more understanding of this situation, and I'm glad we went there first and also last to put Lahp to peaceful rest after spending his last month in home and happiness.
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"The boys are out!" That was Dr. Lebya's way of agreeing that yes, my kitten is ready for neutering.
His celebration of the size of my kitten's testicles sure beats what my friends have said: "the kitten is trying to rape your adult cat."
Here's the part we have to give a standing ovation: my kitten was neutered without having any external sutures nor one of those annoying cones around his head afterward.
And my little boy didn't even have to suffer prolonged confinement in an animal carrier just to get to the vet, since this animal hospital's right around the corner.
Paws down, these folks are the most charismatic animal care providers I've ever encountered in San Francisco. Meow!
A nice personal touch: they keep a photo album of all the employees' pets in the waiting room for all to see.
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I love Dr. Morris! So do my cats...well, not really I think they actually HATE him but considering the circumstances, can you blame them? I mean, if he came to our house and pet them they would definitely love him as much as I do. He is always chipper and a little goofy but totally competent. He says things like "booty" when referring to my cats anus, you can't beat that.
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Cat had a check-up with Dr. Leyba (his first) and it went very well. Dr. L was happy to see me and my cat, seemed to genuinely care about his heath, and even gave me a follow-up call the next day to see how Cat was recovering from a minor procedure. I highly recommend them! Yep, it was 'spensive, but well worth it.
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I came here because of the yelp recommendations - and they were all right! I came in before work and was seen right away. The assistants behind the counter were all very friendly and Dr. Lebya was fantastic with Yuki. He also had a great sense of Yuki and her flea situation, and was great in talking me through what needs to be done to make her comfortable and make sure the fleas don't come back.
I felt very comfortable and so did the Kitty Mow. She almost got really comfortable on the exam table, but then decided she wasn't into getting a vaccine.
Also, he suggested a great dental chew for her tartar, and she gobbled it up when we got home.
I will definitely be bringing Yuki here again, and recommend them to any pet owner.
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Thank you Yelpers for this recommending this one! We moved here about 6 months ago and were having a difficult time finding a referral. After reading the reviews, I called up and got our cat in for an afternoon first time visit within about 2 weeks with Dr. Leyba. Everyone at the office was super nice and helpful, and very good with the cat. He was so relaxed that he took a nap on the scale.
But the major reason that I am compelled to write a review is that the SF Pet Hospital office really pulled through for me when I was in a bind last week. With only 3 hours to go before I had to be at the airport to leave for my sister's wedding, the kennel told us that they wouldn't board the cat without a shot record for something I hadn't heard of. I called up the Dr. Leyba's office, and the staff explained the vaccination and were able to issue a waiver within an hour. Their great, personal service saved the day (and my trip!)
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I am so glad I read the postings on yelp and gave SF Pet Hospital a try. I still hadn't found a regular vet that I liked to bring my pooch. (I had previously gone to Pets Unlimited, not knowing any better)
I'm just as crazy as my dog for Dr. Morris! I think it was the first time a vet has ever spent time to talk to me about some of my dog's health issues (allergies, dry skin, dental care, etc.) Dr. Morris was very thorough, listened to the issues, answered all the questions I had and handled my dog with the utmost care. Most of all, the visit was very reasonable (as compared to Pets Unlimited which charges an arm & a leg).
Also, the front desk staff are friendly and courteous, which says a lot about the place. (unlike that other place I mentioned above)
Kudos to Dr. Morris and his front desk staff! It's a huge relief to find a great vet in SF.
My wife and I recently took our cat Froggy here for a check-up and now understand and *agree* with all of the 5-star ratings! I'd like to join in thanking the Yelpers who led the rest of us here: Your comments convinced us to give SF Pet Hospital a try, and so far we are very impressed.
I had to schedule the appointment two weeks in advance, but that wasn't a problem because Froggy only needed a general exam. Our larger goal was to try to find a good vet and place with which to "settle down". I think that we have found that doctor in Dr. Leyba!
He was refreshingly friendly, funny, and compassionate in addition to being professional--I make a point of this become some vets have no people skills! He patiently answered all of our questions after examining Froggy and giving us his opinions. There was absolutely NO RUSH. Seriously--I think that the appointment was longer than any I have ever had with my own HMO or PPO doctor. We really appreciated the amount of time he spent with us. Froggy was very comfortable with Dr. Leyba, and thanks him for revealing the joy of cheez-whiz.
All of the staff we encountered, from the front desk workers to the vet techs, were extremely friendly, too.
We've got a dental cleaning scheduled for the Frog in the near future, so I will report back on how that goes.
*UPDATE*
11/29/2007
Froggy's dental cleaning this week was a great success! Tanya (sp?) reviewed the procedure with me over the phone the day before, and that really reassured me. We dropped Froggy off in the morning and he was ready to come home later that afternoon. Dr. Leyba met with us and patiently reviewed the xrays and the cleaning that he did. Thanks to the doctor and the staff, Froggy is now on the road to better dental health!
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Dr. Lee Morris was the best vet my dog had. Unfortunately, when we moved out of San Francisco last year, we had to go elsewhere. We found a good substitute in the Country Vet in Novato, but Dr. Morris knew my dog like no other vet ever could.
My dog had surgery to remove a tumor from his ass on the morning of 9/11/2001. It was scheduled for like 7am, so all the vet techs and doctors already knew what happened, yet they were still open and did the surgery successfully.
My dog had a multitude of health issues...ulcers in the eyes, weird cysts, etc. I wouldn't say he went often, but he was treated there not just for regular shots and check-ups.
The vet techs dealt with VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance) like serious professionals. When I had a claim denied for some reason or another, the techs were diligent and I always felt I could count on them to fax my dog's records, write letters, go through his files and basically deal with the insurance company, which must have sucked. They were always so kind and compassionate with my dog and always gave him that EZ CHEESE as a snack while they gave him shots or looked in his ear or did something that would have otherwise made my dog uncomfortable. They were great at distracting him with treats!
Dr. Morris also has a great sense of humor. Not only does he have a great rapport with animals, but he really lightened the mood and made me and my dog feel better about being in a not-so-fun situation. When my kitten came in for a check-up, Dr. Morris took one look at the size of my kitten's gigantic testicles and said (no joke), "THOSE SUCKERS ARE RIPE!", i.e., you need to have your cat fixed now.
Basically, my dog had very good care with Dr. Morris and his fine staff of techs. I totally trusted them with my dog (and cat) and I recommend them to any pet owner in SF. My dog lived to the ripe age of 14 and I attribute a lot of that to the fine health care he received at the SF Pet Hospital. Thanks, you guys.
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Brought my boy cat in for a little check-up and had an excellent experience. The office is nice and clean, the staff is very friendly, and Dr. Morris was fantastic. He went WAAAAAY out of his way to explain things to me and find me resources so I could better understand what was going on.
*I'd* go to Dr. Morris if he took care of humans--that's how courteous and thorough the care was.
Good stuff.
Thank you, Yelp, for helping me locate such a good vet for my cats. Yelp and all those that reviewed San Francisco Pet Hospital just got huge karma points for this.
I just wrote a1 star review for Irving Pet Hoptital and then went on to write a 5 star review for San Francisco Pet Hospital when I noticed that San Francisco Pet Hospital had almost all 5 star reviews while irving Pet Hoptial had lots of 1 and 2 stars. Seeing that just furthered my reslove that San Francisco Pet Hospiatal is the place for me.
When you 1st walk into the place admittedly it's not much of a reception area to look at, but it makes me feel like their priorities are in right place and they're putting their money into things that really matter.
The staff have always been friendly, even remembering me.
My dog Otis has been seeing Dr Morris for about 3-4 years now. I like that there's a history there unlike you get from some of the other hospitals with revolving vets.
Dr Morris has also seen a few of my dogs that I have fostered and that have been injured. The ones that have been injured have been seen almost immediately upon my entering the hospital. He somehow makes room for them squeezing them between other dog patients.
I appreciate his experience, his mild manner and humor. He's been a great doc for me, my dog and the dogs in my care.
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My pooch and I just LOVE the SF Pet Hospital. Now, if they only started treating humans... I could get two appoints out of the way at once... hmm! 5 stars for you!
Within minutes, my kittens were crawling up Dr. Leyba's leg so that they could climb on top of the exam table. Yes, you are good little kittens, aren't you? Dr. Leyba had them both cuddled up while he did the exam and answered my questions. Kitties didn't even know that they were at the doctor's office - they just thought they were getting extra pets and treats from a stranger. We were all having so much fun that when he was packing up I was like, "wait, it's over already?"
And for the cost-conscious of you, it was $153 for two kitten examinations, a dose of 'Revolution' (flea and mite treatment), and their second set of shots. That didn't seem unreasonable to me.
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Tyra (the wonder dog) had buggs in her food!! Eek! This being our first "emergency" with the Teenster, I looked to Yelp for a pet hospital. The SF Pert Hospital had the highest ratings in their class, and now I can see why. Dr. Leyba was really great with Tyra. He was kind, thorough, and he put his patients at ease (both doggie and human). He assured me that based on the symptoms, or lack thereof, those bugs had nothing on Tyra. Tyra and I walked away feeling happy, healthy and full of cheeze-whiz. Any doctor who feeds me cheese gets an A in my book. Would I go back? Abso-friggin-lutely!
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I have an insane Chihuahua who gets excited when he walks by veterinarian clinics and wants to go inside. Very strange! Although once the vet needs to hold him he thinks he is in a game of hide and seek and wants to nip, not bite just nip!
Dr. Leyba is amazing and sweet and incredibly informative. He didn't make me feel bad about my dog nipping ,Like another not so nice vet in the city, He even calmed my dog down and analy probed him without a whine or shreik from the lil' guy. Which makes me wonder if the anal probing is the reason he gets so excited to enter the clinic.
Anyway, I highly recommened this place the staff is very friendly and it's easy to get an appointment.
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My cat was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur and I wanted a second opinion, so after cruising reviews on yelp I decided to try SF Pet Hospital.
My appointment was with Dr. Leyba. Before addressing the heart murmur issue he gave my kitty (Pai) a thorough physical exam and addressed every comment or check mark I'd made on the questionnaire I'd filled out before our appointment. I greatly appreciated this thorough approach and Dr. Leyba's care not to jump straight to the "problem" and possibly miss something else.
Because Pai has a "transient murmur," Dr. Leyba wanted Dr. Morris to listen to her also, so for a few minutes I had two vets alternately listening to Pai's heart. Not only did I get a second opinion, but a third too!
Pai was in the very next morning for xrays and an EKG. Rather than jumping in with an anesthetic (?) or strong sedative, Dr. Leyba said he felt he might be able to avoid medicating Pai (she's very mellow) or use something minimal. Avoiding unnecessary medication (and cost) = wow! Before I came to pick her up, Dr. Leyba and I had a long phone conversation about the xray results, and when I arrived Pai was getting attention from the front staff ;-)
I am happy to have found SF Pet Hospital and highly recommend them.
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I admit I've become one of those "crazy" dog people I've always made fun of (and never understood until my first dog). So for every limp, sniffle, and shake, the staff and both Dr. Morris and Dr. Leyba have been patient, attentive, and thorough everytime I bring in my dog.
They take the time to explain what is going on with my dog and we never feel as though we are being rushed in or out! I know my "little man" is in good hands at SF Pet Hospital!
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After moving across the country with two cats, we had to find a new vet. An alien looking growth on one of my cat's legs prompted a visit to the SFPH. They were real nice on the phone, and offered to call me back so I didn't have to sit on hold. I was able to schedule an appointment only 3 days away for both girls to come in for a check-up and to check out the "alien".
When I came in, the staff and Dr Leyba were great! Everyone was real sweet to the cats and on top of the info gathering since they were new patients. Dr Leyba explained things to me very well, not too technical, not too general, and even brought out a book with pictures and more information on what he thought the alien was. Everyone was great, and Dr Leyba didn't even blink an eye when one of my cats embarassingly decided that the plant was a proper place to go. The exam room was nice and big and both cats felt comfortable exploring and checking things out.
All in all I was very happy with our visit, and the fact that it's walking distance from my place is a big plus!
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Dr. Morris and his staff rock! We've been taking our pets here since 1985, and he's added years to their lives. There was a point in the late 90s when our cat had something mysterious wrong with her, and I myself happened to be struggling with a managed-care doctor to get my own health problem diagnosed. This doctor never spent more than 5 minutes with me, and rarely looked up from his clipboard, even answering his own questions. I eventually got a diagnosis and treatment, but not before saying to my husband, after Dr. Morris spent more than an hour examining our cat, that I was going to make an appt with him for myself. I'm convinced that if he'd let me hop up on one of his exam tables, he'd have given me a diagnosis and treatment many months sooner than my doctor! He's been a vet for years, but he remains just plain interested in his work. That's what makes him a great vet: He's a geek, determined to figure out what's wrong with animals who can't speak for themselves. Don't know what we're going to do when he retires...
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I had to face facts this week: Carter has stinky breath, and his sweet little teeth are turning brown. It's been three years since we've been to the vet because, frankly, I'm scared shitless of veterinary offices.
When he was neutered at the SPCA I thought I would never see him again. That place, while they offer wonderful services at prices that nearly everyone can afford, feels barbaric.
I read all the great reviews on Yelp about SF Pet Hospital, so I took what felt like a great risk and made an appointment for this morning. Carter and I had to wait inside the exam room for about a half hour before Dr. Leyba was able to come in and give him a check up. The wait actually turned out to be an opportunity for Carter and me to bond-- he was so scared, but trusted me so much, that as he was lying on the table, he buried his head into my chest and nestled there for a good five minutes. Of course, when Dr. Leyba finally arrived, I was teary-eyed and so much renewed in love with my sweet little kitty.
Dr. Leyba was awesome. He complemented Carter in lots of ways and gave him squeezy cheeze, which was promptly licked up. In fact, Dr. Leyba and Nora, his assistant/trainee were *so* good that we never heard a peep from Carter the whole time; he never once extended his claws, he patiently offered his rear end for inspection, and he didn't even jerk when given a shot.
And the funniest part of it is, it's been about 8 hours since we got home, and he is still sitting in his carrier. He'll come out to meow and crunch on some food, but then goes right back in there. I guess the squeezy cheeze worked!!
update 5/4: he got his teeth cleaned, and they are sparkly-white. i love dr. leyba and reese the receptionist. xoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxox
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Great doctors (both Leyba and Morris) and great staff. They've tended to the health and well being of my pets for over 20 years, through good times and bad times. An added bonus star to Dr. Leyba for showing incredible diplomacy in letting me know my dog, Cogswell, was too fat.
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I came back from the east coast to find my kitty has had an ongoing tummy ache. All over the floor. Poor kitty!
These guys fit me in right away, they are really sweet and Dr. Leyba is really caring and attentive. We're still not sure what is going on with Miss Stella, but I believe that she is in good hands.
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Like many folks, I had the Pet Food scare with my 15-year old kitty. Based on Yelp, I came up here instead of going to a vet that was geographically closer. So glad I did... Dr. Robert Leyba was beyond personable and professional. If only I could find a human doctor as brilliant. Fabulous "bed-side" manner with my obviously-distressed kitty, Dr. Robert pulls out a can of squeezable cheese to placate the poor puss. Dr. Robert kept in phone contact over tests and also dismissed the concept of immunizations. Other doctors might have insisted and put more money in their pocket, but it makes sense -- why immunize an indoor animal that is the equivalent of an 80-year old?
Can't recommend highly enough! Great staff and great care. Worth the extra distance I had to travel.
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We are huge fans of Dr. Leyba - he diagnosed our poor Payton with an orthopedic issue yesterday. Alth