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San Francisco Veterinary Specialists
Rating Details »
Category: Veterinarians [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission600 Alabama St
(between 18th St & 19th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 401-9200
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145 reviews for San Francisco Veterinary Specialists
This is our second experience with SFVS. Our first visit about three years ago was when one of our cats sustained a severe injury, and received amazing treatment. This time we had a cat who was extremely ill, and we showed up at our regular vet, she took one look and sent us back out the door, faxing up the information to SFVS while I drove to the City.
The experience was similar to last time - they were waiting for me as I walked in, someone called out for triage and the cat was whisked away. Dr. West admitted her and took a detailed history, and was very friendly, I think this was the first time I had met him. The next morning we started receiving calls from Dr. Stewart, also my first encounter, who was amazingly willing to listen to our totally redundant and inane questions and cat stories (like he probably hasn't heard all of this kind of stuff from pet owners a million times) and he was clearly well versed in the detailed history I had given Dr. West the night before.
As before, it was very expensive, but this was major medical care and hospitalization, not a trip for a vaccination. Our cat had lipidosis and pancreatitis, and she was in really bad shape. In the hospital, they did a blood transfusion, blood tests, inserted a feeding tube, did an MRI to get to some of the diagnosis going and started her on at least seven medications. Some of the more immediate life-threatening symptoms cleared up after a couple of days, though she was still incredibly sick.
After about 4 days we were able to bring her home and continue the process - pretty much round the clock tube feedings, fluids and the continued medicine regimine (my SO is a a stay at home parent, so we could pull this off - if he wasn't able to do this, we would have had to leave her in the hospital). Truthfully, if it was more affordable we probably would have left her in the hospital, they could certainly do this better than us, but you balance this the best you can. We brought her back for several follow up visits and tests over the next couple of weeks. It was one of those situations where you just couldn't know if you were treating the right things and if they would work. After about three weeks of this, the cat finally pulled the tube and started eating again. During this process, Dr. Stewart made a number of follow up calls to us to make sure she was hanging in there and that her condition was stable.
I really hadn't expected the cat to last the first night in the hospital, so the recovery overall was pretty amazing. She seems very much back to her old self - she's a very odd cat to begin with, but you can tell that she's happy to be feeling so much better. Total cost, probably somewhere between $6,000 and $7,000, but she wouldn't have lived if we had tried anything else - it was more than the local vet could have handled, and we have a great local vet. If you have a very ill pet, and you believe that your pet is entitled to the best medical care and the cost issue is secondary to you, than this is the place to bring them. Between our injured cat from a few years ago and now this episode, and the many follow ups involved in both situations, I haven't had a bad experience. I'm really happy these guys are here.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/3/2007
I almost didn't go here when I had read some of the other reviews, but I am really glad we did.
One… Read more »
I've had the misfortune of going back to these guys recently. And I say misfortune because my dog is really sick, not because I have to deal with them. I still love them (mostly. there are a few people here I could do without ever seeing again, but I'm not going to focus on them).
I brought my dog here late one night because he was just not right - lethargic, not interested in food or walks or car rides. So I knew something was wrong. He spent the night here and was ultimately diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. There is no cure for this and the internists gave me a very bleak prognosis.
But then I went to see Carlos Rodriguez (the oncologist) again and he didn't seem to think it was so hopeless. He basically said it's a hemangiosarcoma, my dog is eventually going to die from it, but there are treatment options that can prolong his life - and most importantly, make sure he has a good quality of prolonged life. That was almost a month and a half ago and the pup is still going strong - his meds don't seem to bother him, his appetite is strong, and he has a wonderful joie de vivre. If I lost him tomorrow, I'd still be eternally grateful to Carlos for the extra quality time we've had together.
I think most of the front desk staff is wonderful, but one in particular really stands out - Justin, the cute boy with a lot of tattoos. He is very professional, very compassionate, and he makes a kick ass hot chocolate. If you ever find yourself in there sobbing, you'll be happy that Justin is there. He's just a really great human being.
This place isn't cheap, I realize that. And I am lucky to have the means to afford treatment, I know that. But I don't think there's a better facility in the area - and Carlos, Ella, and Justin really make this place shine.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/27/2009
"I need to leave early today, my dog has an acupuncture appointment."
That's always sure to get a… Read more »
One day, our dear cat -- who was more like a son to my wife and I -- was having trouble breathing; it was a wet, wheezing sound. We made an appointment for the next morning at Especially Cats, out in the Sunset. As soon as we brought said cat in, Dr. Korol checked his lungs with a stethoscope and said "Get this cat to an emergency room, ASAP!" She telephoned San Francisco Veterinary Specialists to let them know we were coming, and we sped over as fast as traffic would allow.
When we arrived, they were ready, and had parking in front for their emergency entrance. They whisked our cat away and began doing tests on him. After draining his chest cavity of about a pint of fluid, they did an ultrasound, took X-rays and did a host of other things to try to determine what was ailing him. We waited an hour or so. Dr. Johnson was our contact there; a very nice and clearly well-trained young vet. He took a considerable amount of time to explain what they had found out, and what they didn't yet know. They definitely wanted to keep our cat overnight, on oxygen so his labored breathing would benefit from pure O2. He brought our cat into a private room for a few minutes for us to play with him, and then took him back to his oxygen room.
Late that night, we got a call from SFVS; our cat was in cardiac arrest, and they were performing CPR. We rushed down there and found a team of 5 working over him, doing everything that you've seen an ER team doing for a human without a heartbeat. For about 15 minutes (after we arrived), they labored on, bringing his heartbeat back a couple of times, but never getting his breathing going. Finally, they had to admit that he wasn't going to come back.
The next day, we went in to see Dr. Johnson. He patiently explained to us that the results of the tests had come back: our cat had lymphoma, and a growth the size of a softball in his chest. He told us that -- even if our cat had been diagnosed earlier, and even if we had started the most aggressive regimen of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc. -- our cat probably wouldn't have made it. Our cat was huge (25 pounds on a very big frame) so it's understandable that a growth that size could've gone undetected by us, and Dr. Johnson's information greatly comforted us, despite the loss of our cat.
Yes, it was expensive. For about 15 hours of care and the tests they ran, the total came to over $2,000. And since both my wife and I had recently been laid-off, we were basically below the poverty line. But in retrospect, would I do it again, if there was even a remote chance that our cat could've been saved? Yep, in a heartbeat. SFVS did everything humanly possible, with the greatest professionalism and state-of-the-art equipment. You can't compare them to a normal veterinarian; they only have specialists, and they only treat emergency cases. This, I am convinced, they do as well as any veterinary hospital possibly could. I hope to never need to go there again, but if our other cat ever needs emergency care, we would not hesitate to take him to SFVS, cost be damned.
They are truly the smartest group of vetinary doctors I have seen. I have a very sick pug with many complications which the team of specialist there have been doing an amazing job of diagnosing and treating him. I definately feel my money as been well spent.
The group treating my dog consist of Carlo Vitale, DVM, DACVD for Dermatology; Diana Bowen, DVM, MS, DACVIM for Internal Medicine and Aarti Sabhlok, DVM, Board-qualified for Oncology.
The last month has been very difficult but has been eased with the great compassion they have shown Buster and myself.
Never Again!!!
To all of the yelpers out there who take pride in taking care of their animals and think of them as a part of the family, DO NOT VISIT THIS GODFORSAKEN MONEY-HUNGRY ESTABLISHMENT!! One would think a veterinary "specialists" would be sensitive to the concerns and questions posed by the pet owners, this is not the case at this place.
We cannot speak for every veterinarian who works here, but the Cardiologists is unprofessional, rude and reminds me more of a used car salesmen/woman drinking from a Styrofoam cup than a caring pet lover.
She verbally "bitch slapped" us because we own a pure breed cat and patronized our ability as pet owners, this all came about when we had to question ourselves whether or not we were doing the "right thing" by getting a $500 diagnostic test on top of her $124/hr consultation fee.
After consulting each other and deciding to pass on the $500 diagnostic ultra sound test, the Cardiologists sat next to us and stated, "...I understand if you want to play the odds of not confirming what kind of heart murmur she has, because after-all she was a gift!" Are you kidding me, she isn't a commodity but a integral part of this family!!!!!!!
Its obvious we care, if we have the spent the time and money to take our kitten to a specialist. Honestly, what veterinary specialists would talk to their patients owners that way? Our advice is simple: avoid this place.
hahaha! We got thrown out of SF Vet Specialists !:! :o) The first thing that really impressed me
They sent me a very nice, formal "DO not come back here please, here are all your dogs medical records" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
as if ! We've been VERY happy with how my new vet already Swiftly dealt with my dogs' issue in an open, upfront honest way. Surgery was done, the tumor safely and entirely removed, and every 2 days we get to go back for the Dr himself to check him out and rebandage him! my new vet even called me over the weekend to talk about my dog's progress!
The bunch here at sf Vet Specialists have a LOT to learn about human relationships. Alek, the letter said few times the Mutual respect between patient-vet blah blah blah. What, was I the patient? WTF ? The actual patient was BROKEN at this place.
body and spirit broken! Where was the mutual trust and respect between PATIENT and vet then ?
... oh the gall. such foo-foo nonsense I've not experienced in any other place
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/6/2009
Never EVER EVER again
$1,500 , mind you, $2,000 upfront with a $500 refund.
What we went in for : an… Read more »
This review is for Dr. Ella Woods, the acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner at the SFVS. We have been taking our dogs to Ella for the past four years. She is wonderful with the animals- she is kind, gentle and compassionate. My dog loves to see her and even pulls towards the SFVS office when we are on a walk and pass by.
We first took our dog Georgia here for an acute neck strain. She was limping on her front leg. After the first acupuncture treatment, she stopped limping consistently. After the third treatment, she was completely better. We have taken her to Ella when the arthritis in her lower back acts up. Several treatments combined with herbs have been very helpful to loosen her up and decrease her stiffness and discomfort. Ella also gave us herbal recommendations when Georgia went into Kidney failure, and these seemed to help tremendously.
I have referred other dog owners to Ella, and each of them have had a positive experience. Ella is not a vet, but works closely with the vets at SFVS. She is a Doctor in Traditional Chinese medicine with a specialty in veterinary medicine, which means that she has had significant training in acupuncture and herbs- far more than the vets who practice acupuncture. I feel so lucky to have found such a warm and highly skilled practitioner to support my dogs' health.
This place is such a dissapointment.
Their one and only concern, $$$$.
The least of their concerns, your pet.
Ask your neighborhood vet if people have come to them complaining about SFVS. I bet the answer will be yes.
My baby boy was referred here for allergy concerns. Dr. Power, the staff allergist, isn't in the office often (only on Tuesdays), but she knows her stuff, listens well to my concerns about my pet's health (and even anticipates my needs as a caregiver), and has the perfect touch when it comes to making a care plan, not too pushy, not too lax.
The reception staff is helpful and friendly, and it's very nice that they have parking available, although the white zone gets filled up really fast while clients go inside to get the garage door openers.
This review is on service/assistance provided by the receptionists/desk personnel who are the first you interact with when you contact SF Vet Specialists:
Don't try to get a refill of needed prescriptions here unless you call a proper 24 to 48 hours in advance, because that's "the policy"- never mind the need. The gatekeeper receptionist won't work with you to make it happen, no matter how important, well, maybe she can get it done late this afternoon, but no promises, because 24 to 48 hours notice is "the policy" because they are very busy there.
But wait-- aren't there vets there 24/7 because it is also an emergency clinic? Aren't I calling very early in the morning to request these? Can't one of these many staff vets quickly be given the information and asked to re-authorize a routine, current prescription? Yes, there are vets here right now, but they are very busy there, thus, the 24-to-48 hour policy, you'll be told for the 3rd time.
My dog was referred there for specialist exams/treatment for stomach cancer, ulcer and a host of digestive problems. They'd prescribed an an ulcer med that she has to have 3 times a day. I'd ordered a new RX from a (much) cheaper online store - (shout out to http://petmeds2go.com, who charges me 28 cents per pill, vs. SF Veterinary Medical Specialists, who charge airport prices of 95 cents per pill). But the shipment hasn't arrived yet, and my critter needs this med today. Can they help? No, well maybe late in the day, but not before. You know, they're very busy, and that's why they have that policy.
So I called over to my regular vet's office (SF Pet Hospital on Fulton St off Divis). This is a small office with just 2 vets on staff and they are probably very busy there too. Yet lo and behold- i explain the same set of problems to the person who answers the phone over there, and she immediately sets about a plan to help-- she will look to see if it is in stock, if not she will get the vet to authorize a 'scrip at walgreens for pickup right away, she will call me back in 15 minutes to let me know what's happening... This person was able to get in to speak to the busy vet and get the plan in motion-- and this isn't even the vet clinic who wrote the original prescription!- Difference is, SF Vet Hospital responds to NEED, and makes things happen, but SF Veterinary Specialists receptionists prefer to stick "to policy"- your need is not their problem.
So-
- Thumbs down to SF Vet Specialists gatekeepers. They've got policies to protect.
- Thumbs up to SF Pet Hospital on Fulton, my regular vet, who took over the problem and solved it fast and eliminated stress for me in a wink.
- Thumbs up to http://Petmeds2go.com, who have been providing me with reliable medications for my dogs for years, and are cheaper than any other online vet store, and a hell of a lot cheaper than SF Vet Specialists' airport' prices!
I'm sure this place is one of the best for big time emergencies and surgical care. I'm sure that if I ever can afford them and my pets need specialized medicine, I may end up here. But frankly, I will search hard for another specialist if I ever do require that kind of care, because of my experience last night.
My cat suffered a fall and had a bad limp... I called to discuss their costs and my options for payments (while I am well-employed, I have no savings or credit to draw on since I am paying off a surgery I had that was not covered by insurance a few years back). The very nice person who answered the phone told me flat out that they have no payment options because they are a 'private practice' and that I should wait until morning to go to the SPCA (or whatever the public vet is).
Fail.
Private business are best suited for setting up payments or pointing you to vet credit options -- I have needed to do that twice before at two other private practices. Why they put money before health care is beyond me. I'm embarrassed that I even have to ask for this consideration when it comes to my pets.
I called another emergency vet hospital in town and they said to come in and that they'd work out payments with me if it came to it. Win -- I took my money and my cat there -- all the way across town -- and was thrilled with their service. My cat was treated, and I'm glad I didn't "wait until morning," because she actually needed treatment and pain meds that night.
In this financial climate, not being flexible to work with people (especially people who care about their animal's health and who are working) over money is petty. Giving the excuse that they are a "private practice" is appalling on so many levels. Believe me, should the need arise, I could care less if these surgeons are the best on the planet... I'm taking my business to a vet who puts the welfare of the animal above money, even if I have to fly/drive a great distance to get to it.
If it had not been for Dr. Herman at All Pets Hospital to refer my our mini schnauzer, Xander to Dr. Maretski and the rest of the staff at SFVS, our little guy would not be here today. Dr. Maretski is one of the best Vet's around and we can't THANK YOU enough. Xander has never felt better we know Alex (his brother) appreciates that too. He has Great Days that he has never had before in his teen years and he is 9 years old now. Hopefully we won't have to take him in again except for his check ups. THANKS AGAIN for giving Xander more years!
If there is a hell, this place is it. My cat Drizzle had stopped eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping for 4 days. I took her to 3 previous vets who gave 3 different answers. Not satisfied, I brought her to this place and thought they could help. The only thing the doctor could tell me is that it was best to put her down because of blockage. My heart said "no." I was furious at this point because this was now the 4th different answer I was given, and being the worst one possible, I took my chances and took back my cat and cancelled the check I wrote for nothing. I found a local vet the very next morning and they determined it was pancreaitits and curable. My cat is home and healthy after taking her to a vet where my heart said "yes. "
This is an absolutely horrible place. BEWARE.
In March, I was on vacation with my partner and his 15 year old dog, who was already frail and in poor health, had a fall accident. Our live-in housemanager/dogsitter unfortunately chose to call San Francisco Veterinary Specialists for assistance. My partner had left the dogsitter with specific instructions to euthanize the dog if it became medically necessary because she was already so frail (and after a long discussion of what constituted this) and it was clear from the accident that the dog would not recover and that euthanasia was the humane treatment option. However, because the dogsitter was not the official "owner" of the dog, San Francisco Veterinary Specialists decided to ignore the dogsitter's instructions and, because we were unreachable on our vacation, then proceeded to unnecessarily treat my partner's unconscious suffering dog for the next day until she finally died -- at a total cost of well over $1,000 I might add (yes, they saw a great opportunity to run up a vet bill without the owner's approval and they went for it). In addition, in a particularly cruel streak, once our housemanager/dogsitter transported the dog to San Francisco Veterinary Specialists, they wouldn't even speak to him about her medical condition because he wasn't the "owner" -- or even let him visit her in the treatment room -- even simply to pet her. So, the poor dog was unconscious, suffering, being unnecessarily poked and prodded, AND was deprived of even being pet by someone who knew and loved her during the last horrible day of her life. When I think about what San Francisco Veterinary Specialists did to this poor suffering dog in the name of capitalism and racking up fees, to this day it still makes my blood boil!!!
Anyway, when our dogsitter finally reached my partner and me on our vacation to let us know about what happened to my partner's dog, we were devastated from the complete and total lack of compassion, as well as the financial greed exhibited by San Francisco Veterinary Specialists and Dr. Araba Oglesby, the veterinarian who treated my partner's dog.
Now it is August, five months later, and despite many conversations and letters from lawyers, Dr. Oglesby and San Francisco Veterinary Specialists are still pressing for the well over $1,000 bill which was unauthorized by my partner. Not only that, but somehow along the way San Francisco Veterinary Specialists conveniently added my name to the bill even though I was not the owner of this dog, and has stubbornly refused to remove my name from the bill and is now threatening to ruin my credit FICO score if I don't pay this bill. Where do they get off on billing people who aren't even the owners of the animals for excessive treatments that the owner himself didn't even authorize? It's ridiculous.
The veterinarians at San Francisco Veterinary Specialists seem to really be into your money. The are so into ordering expensive test without adequately building the case for them, they can leave you with the sense you've visited a used car lot.
I don't like the veterinarians at this place. Smug, manipulative, and not the kind of people I would ever trust with the care of my pet. Find a good veterinarian somewhere in town. He or she may advise you use the services this joint provides from time to time, which is probably ok.
Unless there are absolutely no other options available I would not recommend bringing your pet here for treatment.
Admittedly, the medical care, while your animal is onsite, is good. In fact, you can expect frequent update calls in order to get permission to run additional (likely unnecessary) tests in order to run your vet bill up to astronomical levels. If your experience goes anything like mine, once your pet is home (and they can no longer charge your credit card for care) there are no more calls. I never even got the results of tests that were run on my cat and my frequent calls went unreturned.
I have no problem with a veterinarian turning a nice profit -it's a business. But SFSV uses manipulation by fear and guilt to get your permission to Pad the bill and then shows complete disregard for your or your pet once the money making opportunity has passed. Not a good choice for care.
It's been a slow recovery but 5 months later and Blanca ran on the beach for the first time since her injury.
She still seems a little sensitive on that side after anything but on leash walks. I know this process takes patience but I am slowly welcoming my dog back into a more active life. I hope to take her jogging this week and see how it goes.
On the other hand, I talked to a neighbor the other day who did not get any surgery for this injury and the dog is completely lame.
----------------
For some reason the above text never posted. Well Blanca is running and playing with other dogs now. Best dog ever and I'm glad to have her back as a functioning part of our family.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/18/2008
3 weeks after a "tightrope" repair on my dogs ACL (CrCL), she is doing very well. She is still… Read more »
I brought my cat in last night, she has not been peeing for the past 5 days :( Everyone there was GREAT and very HELPFUL, the Doctor (a young, Asian girl) was super sweet, nice, informative and very caring. I am very impress with the Hospital and staff service, considering its a Pets Hospital is was super clean and no bad smell. I recommned this place to anyone in desperate need of help with their pets. Thank you all for you GREAT service.
While on vacation my dog was rushed to SF Vets and they did, in fact save her life and I am grateful for that. However, we were on the phone 3 times a day checking in and EACH time reviewed and authorized the charges.
I FULLY understand that emergency situations are costly.
When we went to pick up our dog that charges were DOUBLE than what a) we authorized and b) what the doctors reviewed with us.
In the last day of her stay alone they added on $2100 worth of tests and such that we did NOT approve.
This is no way to run a business and I left with both of my dogs records and will NEVER go back in there again. UC Davis here I come.
DON'T GO HERE, please, it will save you a lot of money.
My other kitty had to go in to be checked for a tumor. He saw Dr. Sabhlok for his diagnosis and Dr. Watt for his surgery. They were both great with my cat and me and explained how things would work and what the possible outcomes would be and what the potential cost was. Also the surgery tech Andy - i think that was his name- was especially nice and helped answer my questions. Kitty is all healed now.
It's very quick to get an appt here. It's a bit like a people ER or hospital vs a regular dr or vet in terms of feel which is fine because I have a regular vet I like. It can feel as bit rushed as they were ready to do the surgery almost immediately.
One thing to note is that if you decide to wait to think about things or figure out your finances before scheduling things be sure to ask questions when you schedule your appt. I think the desk assumed that we'd previously had specific instructions about presurgery prep which we hadn't. It was only prior experience that made me realize that I might need to pull his food and water the night before surgery.
This place is expensive but I think they do good work. FYI if you might go here for something like surgery they prepare and estimate and you have to pre pay the high estimate before the appointment. The high estimate i got was 2500 and the actual ended up being 2250.
They don't offer an in house payment plan but they do accept care credit which is a credit line linked to drs offices offered through GE financial. I haven't yet figured out much about care credit except that it seems to be easy to get approved. You apply for an amount and get an acct number. You use that number to prepay the estimate and when you do you choose a repayment option - if you can do it in 6 months there's no interest. The desk was also helpful when I was unable to get my care credit number from the website.
Oh yes last thing to note - it's pretty easy to call a cab here.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/28/2008
Went in after the discovery of a lung mass in our 14 year old cat. After talking with the vet there… Read more »
My little black kitty was sick - and I mean sick as a dog. She had a struvite stone in her little belly and I had to get it removed. Yes, it cost me $3,000. It was expensive BUT what else can one expect from a hospital?
The place was immaculate and clean. The staff explained everything to me in detail and took as much time as I needed to answer all of my questions. They got her into surgery immediately and called me when she was through to give me an update.
She even had her own night nurse that I called 3 times (yes, even after midnight when I was still worried about my little kitty). Her wounds healed just fine and 3 months later she is as happy as ever. Her fur has even grown back.
I do have to mention that during our follow up appointment we did wait over 45 minutes to get seen - seems as if they forgot about us at the counter - but it was during the shift switch and there were other animals coming in with true emergencies. I was also spacing out in front of the TV and when I did realize how much time had passed and mention it, I was taken in right away with many apologies :)
Gretta gives this place one star of course since she hated every minute of it, but who can blame her?
I am just thankful I live so close to such an amazing facility.
I just discovered that something they told me to give my dog has a potential side effect of causing stomach problems - this for a poor animal vomiting all the time and in major digestive distress. I feel terrible that I listened to these guys and gave it to her now and it is making me second guess even more of their actions and advice (and there were other issues around drugs used and prescribed as well).
Well done :-/
An extra star remains for the good they can do there.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/1/2009
On the one hand it is great to have a facility equipped as they are available, on the other hand… Read more »
San Francisco Veterinary Specialists saved by 17 month old kitten's life. Lil' Moses had an extremely high fever with a sudden onset and unknown etiology. He was so lethargic, I was sure he wasn't going to make it. Our regular vet recognized their limitations and immediately sent us to SFVS, where they were waiting for his arrival and conducted immediate emergency testing to determine the source of the fever.
The staff was attentive, gentle, caring and extremely knowledgeable. Dr. Jamie Anderson, Dr. Ron West and Dr. Thomas McEntegart and the nursing staff were in constant communication, apprising me of his status, discussing treatment and additional tests that could be conducted to determine the cause of his fever. Every physician and nurse that I talked to listened carefully to my input about potential factors that might have caused the illness and also listened carefully to my concerns about Lil' Moses personality and reaction to suddenly being left in a strange environment that was the equivalent to an Intensive Care Unit.
It was a difficult diagnosis and the entire team worked cohesivley together to treat him promptly, bring the fever down and monitor him closely for four days while the fever remained erratic.
This is wonderful facility comprised of numerous specialists who have the expertise to diagnose and treat emergencies, life threatening illness and unusual conditions. We are fortunate to have specialists who are available 24/7 whenever a crisis occurs. I am an experienced nurse and am familiar with how difficult it is to treat emergenies that arrive unexpectedly on your doorstep. I could not have asked for more capable and caring doctors and staff to save my babies' life.
Lil' Moses is now back home, eating up a storm and playing with his brother. Dr. Anderson has called me several times to follow up regarding how he is doing. I am extremely grateful and touched by the empathy SFVS staff showed him and feel that if you want to obtain the best possible care during a crisis, this is the only place to turn for help.
kathy h
I have to say I was very pleased with SF Vets when we needed them last summer for a few of our cat's emergencies. The first emergency resulted in leaving our cat overnight for breathing treatments, which ended up to be very expensive. I will say the treatments / visits here can get up there in price but remember, these people are specialists. My cat saw a cardiologist almost every visit. First they thought it was her heart, then the heart meds made her kidney values jump sky high, and finally after multiple visits and multiple tests we found out she had pancreatitis. This resulted in her being euthanized, but I want to say that we were treated very kindly and with empathy. This was one of the hardest times of my life, loosing my precious kitty, but they made sure to do the best they could for her, my husband and me. I would recommend to anyone who is having a problem with their pet finding out what exactly is wrong with him/her. I won't hesitate to go back if I ever need to again. Thanks SF Vets for everything. And a special thanks to Dr. Lori Drourr, who was very kind, patient and understanding.
I was really surprised to read some other Yelpers reviews because we had the exact opposite experience. The staff were truly exceptional to us and our kitty in every way.
Unfortunately we had a terrible emergency with our kitty and we spent two of the worst days of our lives at SFVS. However, the staff were all so amazing and compassionate to us. If you have to go through something like what we did, there couldn't have been better people to help support you through it.
Everyone was extremely caring and understanding especially as my boyfriend and I were both crying messes for most of the time we spent there.
As for cost, it is emergency care which is always expensive. I was so relieved they had the Care Credit and they were very helpful in getting us set up with that. In addition when I compared their bill to the one we received for the 6 hours our cat spent in emergency care with our regular vet--SFVS was actually cheaper than our regular Vet.
Our Yorkie, Fritz, had a little issue at 8:30 PM (involving a ruptured anal gland) and we got a bit worried. He was acting perfectly normal but we called SFVS to see if waiting til the morning to go to our regular vet would put him in any danger. Better safe than sorry, they told us to come in just to take a look.
Our nurse (EDIT: Found out her name was Sarah) took a look, affirmed our diagnosis and based on her 10 years of veterinary experience and the specific circumstances, Fritz would be in no danger for the night. She let us know that rather than charge us $400+ for emergency services, we should just keep a good eye on him, use a warm cloth on his sore bum and put an ecollar on for the night before taking him to the regular vet in the morning. The ecollar was $20 and that was it. No consultation fees, no desire to force any emergency care charges on us, no sweat. All the staff was super friendly and it was well worth the 25 minutes and $20 to walk away with an ecollar and some peace of mind for the night.
We have another vet we go to regularly, but would definitely recommend SFVS in the future and will surely return in case of a late-night emergency.
Yeah, their pricey, but they're SPECIALISTS. Hello?
Louie is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. So was his girlfriend who passed away late last year. She was limping for no apparent reason and when they took xrays (her vet was the same as mine) they showed nothing. She died.
Louie started limping last Tuesday and when the xrays came back negative, you can imagine my panic. My vet referred me to Dr. Watt, who also treated the other dog and understood my concern.
I need to interject that I have just lost my 25 year old parrot that I've had since I was 21 less than a month ago, so I was really on my last nerve. They had to keep the Beast overnight - I was a mess, and they told me I could call anytime I wanted to check on him. Oh, I took them up on that - I took them up on that REAL GOOD. I think I called there every two hours the first night! He had a dedicated nurse the whole time he was there - which ended up being two nights.
Long story sort of short, they diagnosed my dog and he's totally on the mend. Dr. Watt's assistant, Chris is awesome and totally put up with my stupid questions and my self diagnosis (did I mention I was recently laid off as well and have nothing but time to google stuff - yeah, it's been a good year for me...) As concerned as I was for my dog, both my husband and I felt comfortable that he was getting the best possible care there.
So YES I'll be eating ramen for awhile, but my dog is healthy and happy because of these guys and they couldn't have been better at dealing with me and my concerns. If I ever have a canine emergency again, this is where we're going.
I was referred here by my general vet. Let me tell you...this place gets down to business. The surgeon was able to give me a precise diagnosis of my dog within an hour. My dog's x-rays showed a torn ACL and dislocated knee cap. The surgeon and all the staff here genuinely love animals, and they understand the owner's perspective. They weighed the options with me, and showed me estimates for surgery.
They kept Frankie overnight for observation after surgery, but they offer visiting hours. It seemed like they took great care of him when I went to pick him up. My 80lb pitbull mix proved to be a handful for them even under pain and anesthesia. He was pulling the poor assistant everywhere. But they were nice about it and had no complaints b/c Frankie is so cute! The surgeon did a great job b/c the bruising went away after a few days. And the 6-inch incision is healing nicely.
Beware that this place is pricey! I spent over $5,000 so far on his surgery and expenses. They charge you for everything...consultation, assistant fees, bandages. BUT it's all worth it in the end because they are specialists, and they know what they're doing.
jeeze louize! this place gets more streesed out HUMANS then the ER at general. But i am so grateful they are here. It is damn expensive but these are our dogs. They deserve it.
My 110lb rotty/akita mix limped. the other vet( pet umlimited-fillmore) made an educated guess of torn tendon. Exray's and bone biopsy and exam by an oncologist(1600$) told me the poor guy has bone cansor aAND a torn liggy in the other leg. Not much we can do except now Im know and can treat the symtoms. It was worth the money for sure. One piece of advice. I also was worried about the high cost and being surprised. Well, i don't know about the other bad stories but i told them i was on a budget and they respected that. We talked money every step of the way . They also gave me a discount because i was broke. bless them.
I think my sentiment echoes what many of the other people have said. These are miracle workers. My dog just jumped on top of my bed. Only a few weeks ago, he fractured the head of the femur with a type 4 fracture of the growth plates. Dr. Watt & Co saved him. Not a whole lot to add to that.
What is worth mentioning is the level of service / "bedside manner" you get from these people.
1. Dr. Watt was great - full review of the procedure (before an after) with X-rays and all the details
2. The techs Chris and Andy were incredible - for 2 weeks after the procedure they changed dressings, counseled and consoled and everything free of charge and with hardly an hour's notice.
3. Front desk helped with a no-interest payment plan, gave estimates which always ended up higher - not lower than actual charges and always promptly processed credits and refunds
I don't really know if it is fair to call this place expensive - but you certainly get what you pay here - if not more.
V -
So I have a ridgeback/lab mix with allergies. Who would have guessed, a lab mix with allergies? Anyways, I saw Dr. Vitale here, who is a veterinary dermatologist. He was actually great. Very friendly wih my dog and had a decent bedside manner, except, he never called back with test results and was very difficult to get in touch with after test results were two weeks late.
The front desk staff was ok when I was there, but for my first appointment they rescheduled me twice, after it was like pulling teeth to get the first day off. Then we saw Dr Vitale and Lance started having problems later so we made a follow-up visit. Within two hours of making the appointment they called again and had to reschedule after I litterally BEGGED my boss to give me the afternoon off to see this guy. I asked them not to reschedule me and to fax my records to Dr. Doering in Berkeley. He was a lot more helpful and had a much easier staff to deal with.
Dr. Vitale is not the only dermatologist and with the staff you have to deal with to get to him, you can find a better doctor.
I am writing this review as a counterpoint to all those who view these folks as money grubbing parasites preying on customers' feelings for their pets.
Rose the Wonder Lab (then two) leaped into the Pacific surf at Baker beach with her usual abandon in January of 2007. I could tell from the way the wave hit her from the side something was up, and when she emerged, her right leg was dangling off a really bad angle. Undeterred she kept leaping for the ball. Got her leashed and she gimped her way back to the van, smiling all the way.
Diagnosis took a week, Medial Patellar Luxation requiring surgery; how bad we would not know until they got in. Phillip Watt of SFVS was the guy with the knife, Lee Morris of San Francisco Pet Hospital on Fulton made the initial diagnosis.
Note: If your pet has a relatively common ailment such as a cat with an abscess, or infected gums, bad teeth. etc. take him/her to Lee. The guy is great, have taken pets there for over fifteen years.
Looked up everything I could find on palellar luxation on the U.C. Davis web site. Met Watt, he teaches there. Smart guy, very smart. Bedside manner was fine; I don't need a hug from a vet, just someone who is confident about their skills, with enough of a bedside manner to be patient with my questions.
Two days later, Rose goes under the knife. They called to let us know how it went, all good, went into detail about the depth her trochlear groove so I would understand what they did and did not have to do which had an outcome on both the cost and the prognosis.
First follow up was in a week. Rose the exuberant one had been too active. They bound her rear leg tightly and explained, again, the ramifications of too much activity, and what to do about dampen her which was, basically, drug her. We did that, from there it was a three month recovery. Regular follow ups, encouragement, etc.
We were billed the upper end of the estimate range for the surgery (about 3k), and were never charged for a follow-up. Watt was very pleased with the way she tracked at the last visit and it was pretty clear he knew he'd done good work and took professional pride in it. Today Rose goes into the water at Crissy field like a freight train and can hike for hours. She gets a little stiff but so do I, the doc did her right, and for that I was happy to pay what it cost.
Our "regular" vet was in Sebastopol, and we live in the City. When it was time to put our dog to sleep, the last thing I wanted to do was put her in the car for an hour and a half.
Even though we had no relationship with them, SF Vet Specialists took care of us on a moment's notice. They could not have been more compassionate and caring, from the desk staff to the nurses to the doctor. The Vet was amazing and great with the whole visit, explaining to us what would happen, and letting us take our time in the process. For an office that was likely never going to see us again or make another $1 off of us, you never would have known it. The experience was sweet and loving.
I highly recommend the place. The facilities are nicer than my pediatrician's office and parking is relatively easy. The cost seemed about right for the City. If we ever have another dog, I'd go back here in a second.
SFVS is simply the BEST place to take your pet for emergency and integrated medical care! Our cat was initially nursed back to health after kidney failure caused by a blocked ureter over 2 years ago, and his combined allopathic treatments (by Dr.Maretzky with some input from Dr. Stewart) and acupuncture (Ella Wood) saved his life. His follow-up care could not have been better, with every aspect of SFVS reflecting the highest standards-competent, kind professional staff (Justin-you rock!), amazing nurses and technicians, and unbeatable medical professionals, who are committed to offering the best care possible with compassion and competence. Dr. Maretzky has been AMAZING from day one, offering succinct recommendations on the best treatment options with attention to cost and the animal's well-being, and always answering follow-up questions in a timely manner.
Ella deserves special mention for her unique specialty-she initially put our cat on a chinese herb that helped prevent the formation of kidney stones, something no Western practitioner knew about, and gave him acupuncture treatments to speed his healing and minimize his pain! Moreover, she is great at what she does, loves her animals to death, and offers care that is both very effective and alas, very hard to find at a Vet. Our cat continues to benefit from her efforts, and is doing great!
Finally, with respect to Emergency Care, all of their Emergency Vets are certified in Emergency Veterinary care, and Dr. West did an amazing job when our cat was initially admitted after hours. My wife and I thank everyone at SFVS for taking such good care of us these past few years, and as I move on to medical school in another city, I hope to model my own future practice on the SFVS model: the best in integrated medical care offered with the highest standards of compassion, competence and front office excellence!
I have had very good emergency and specialist care for my 2 dogs here. My roommate has had great care for her elderly, ailing dog here.
I have very much liked both Dr Bowen in Emergency and Dr Powers in Dermatology. I've felt that they were thorough, communivative and VERY patient with my special needs dog (who essentially needs to be sedated and muzzled to be inspected, cultured, treated, administered to etc because of fear aggression). Until now, I haven't experienced a vet taking that much care and patience with him and I'm very very thankful for it. Dr Powers, did his ear cleaning/culturing/treatment, lights out, in room, with me holding him, under mild sedation. She took her time with him, It was very effective!
That said I will add, I am giving them 4 out of 5 stars not based on the quality service which has been excellent, but because it was excessively expensive. I've seen 4 different specialists there and have to say it is the most I have ever paid for any veterinary care and I'm a lifelong animal lover who has had many a cat, dog, ferret and hamster! After I'm through with my dogs current health dilemma I'll definitely sniff out a less expensive place for my babies to be seen regularly.
I will gladly be back to SFVS if we have an emergency or specialist need.
I won't be back to see Ella Woods in acupuncture. She's a lovely person,very very sweet, but seems inexperienced or extremely timid about handling animals and at the very least scattered/lacking focus. Her intake appointment is a whopping $160.00, that doesn't include herbs she prescribes or B-vit injections-if your animal needs those they're extra. One of my dogs didn't even get acupuncture on his $160.00 intake and each dogs intake is a separate $160.00 - that is too much! I have had experiences with Ella being spaced out, forgetting within the span of an appointment which herbs or treatment she was planning to administer. Another time I had to remind her of what treatment she was going to do and her tech had to tell her "no not that formula." Again, I liked her so much I feel bad writing this but for those rates, I want experience, focus, concentration and results! I know acupuncture for humans varies in price and quality tremendously. I have paid between $45.00-120.00 for my treatments but I'm currently paying $45.00 for the best, most effective acupuncture I've ever had and that includes herbs and a brief massage (see my review of Robert Hayob-Traditional Chinese Medicine). Lastly, I'll say I found out that there is another acupuncturist on staff at SFVS, Dr Fong, my roommates elderly dog started seeing him and my roomie feels very confident about him. I called the front desk to switch my dogs to his care and was very upset to find out that we'd have to start all over again with $160.00 intake appointments for each dog to see the new acupuncturist, (and they were a little weird/frustrated with me this time). After complaining to Ella about this she eventually agreed to pass her records on to Dr Fong, so that I could potentially get the intake fee waved. I'm thankful for that but mystified as to why that was such a big deal in the first place, considering it's the same practice and department and how darned high these rates are.
The desk and tech staff are animal loving and usually very friendly, helpful, accomodating and likable! They always remember my dogs name, he's cute and his name is too but I think it's pretty sweet, (and for being such an awkward little guy he seems to like that too)!
In the waiting room there's beautiful locally made animal-centric art on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. The brick building is charming. The rooms are clean. There's an excellent selection of coffee/tea, dog biscuts, and hand sanitizer in the waiting room, love that!
They don't make you wait long and are usually right on time. One time I called to say I was running 5-10 minutes late they were very accomodating.
I like this place a lot. I can barely afford it!
The biopsy of my dog's growth came out "sarcoma", and a new mass started growing where the first one was taken off. So, I went to SFVS to have a more invasive procedure - removing the tumor and the tissue around it where, I was told, cancer cells burrow. Dr. Watt cut a 1/2-inch-square section from Bandit's snout, pulled skin forward, and stitched it up. Amazingly, this looks better cosmetically than the meaty-looking lump did. And he got all of the growth with "clean margins" around it.
There okay, not the best but definitely not the worse emergency vet in town. They seem pricey, but i could be out of touch on much it costs for vets services, I have an PPO and usually only pay my co-payment which is $20 bucks. I usually never see my doctors bill. SO I assume there would be sticker shock there too.
Now for the service. I've gone there three times, once for my cat Spencer who ended up dying--old age. and my soon- to-be-ex's dog buddy. Buddy is trouble dog and is F'ing expensive. On Wednesday night he darted out into the street and side swiped by a car on nose. Big gash, and blood everywhere.
I get there at 10:00 pm and it seems slow but the wait is long and to be honest it's so hard to tell because two animals are before Buddy and it's difficult to know how complicated their situation is.
We are treated fine, but it's not stellar. They shaved Buddy's nose and accidentally nicked him above the eye and gave him an another nick top the of his head-- lots of fur missing.
it's an okay place.
Hard to decide what stars to give this place. It can be maddening, it's incredibly expensive, but they work miracles. Last December I was told to put my cat to sleep by a substitute vet at Irving Street, that there was nothing anyone could do for her. (When my cat Quincey had her crisis, I found out that my vet at Irving Street had left, and no one had bothered to notify me that I no longer had a vet--a horrible position to be with an animal in crisis.) SFVS went to work on her and she's sitting at my feet as I type this, licking herself. It cost a small fortune, but they saved her. Since then she's been having acupuncture treatments with Dr. Fong, and he's an amazing vet--a bit strange in affect, but beyond that kind, patient, and caring. I absolutely trust him and his care is making Quincey's life longer and more confortable. My first experience with SFVS years ago I found Dr. Stewart to be disorganized and spacey, but his involvement with Quincey's care was also stellar.
I've gone there several times for emergency care with all 3 cats and got service pretty quickly--good service. One emergency vet there, though was ridiculous in making me wait, like I needed him to explain my cat's medication, and that part took like an hour.
I know one of the techs there, and from what he says, they treat their staff well.
Sometimes the wait is long, the prices are out of this world, but I've received excellent service. Counter people have always been helpful and courteous.
I had a really great experience here tonight, and Dr. West is the best.. My son's dog got lost, and he was hit by a car.. Thank God he is still alive and doing well. Dr. West took care of him, and explained everything to us, also the people at the counter we're very helpful, people just ask questions, and they will answer them as best they could, and explain things to you..I will be telling all my friends with pets to go here if they have an emergency.... :)
I was first referred to SFVS by my vet for the eye ulcer my cat developed. I was very fortunate to have DR Jennifer Welser (who has since moved to NYC) a Veterinary Ophthalmologists take care of Smarty Jones. The woman is BRILLIANT and a very compassionate and down to earth person. She treated the problem eye until it was completely clear of the ulcer and any hazing or cloudiness. Everyone at SFVS made it for a positive experience from the vet techs to the people at the front desk. They are not cheap but you truly get what you pay for. My one and only complaint is that parking is a pain the butt in that area.
