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South Peninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic
Category: Pets Veterinarians Veterinarians [Edit]
3045 Middlefield RdPalo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 494-1461
Announcement
Chocolate is toxic. Show your pet your love: prevent chocolate & candy ingestion. If a mistake occurs, call your veterinarian immediately.
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6 pm - 8 am
Sat-Sun 8 am - 8 am
64 reviews for South Peninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic
64 reviews in English
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Review from Kathleen R.
Santa Clara, CA
1/15/2012
The staff at this vet is wonderful, if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation they are top notch. To date I've been very lucky and only needed to go their twice.
Today was my second time their when they were kind enough to refill some eyedrops for my bird Taz that my Dad accidently packed and took back home to Roseville (sigh...). Taz had been to Wildwood on Saturday (wonderful bird vet) and had an eye infection. They checked and made sure they had what I needed and the vet said it was ok as long as the box had a perscription label. They are life savers!
Also today some very kind people brought in the cutest Sheltie mix that they had found, it was microchipped but never registered...if you love your dog register the chip. The vet staff looked up the chip and were working to reunite it with it's owners.
4+ years ago I went when my dog Molly was a puppy and picked up Giardia at A Dog's Life, they got her in and out and on meds.
If one of my animals was sick and it was after hours I would make a bee line to this emergency clinic. -
Review from Emily M.
Palo Alto, CA
11/26/2011
I took my previous dog, Scout here on a Sunday. She had been to Mid-Pen due to acting really sick. Long story without going into her illness, she was a very old, very sick dog. Mid-Pen sent me over to this clinic to keep her overnight for surgery the following day. The clinic admitted her and the doctor called me in to speak with her. The doctor here basically told me that my dog's situation was much more dire than realized and she didn't think my dog would 1. make it though the night to wait for surgery, 2. make it through the stress of surgery.
While this was extremely devastating news, I really appreciated the honesty from her. The surgery was going to be several thousand dollars and if my dog was not going to make it or come out of it with a crappy quality of life, I wasn't interested in that. I told the doctor I knew what I needed to do was to put her down.
Deciding to let a dog go is one of the hardest choices you'll ever need to make. You'll wonder if it was the right decision. But I knew I needed to do this. So, I told the doctor and she said she would give me some treats to give my dog and as much time as I needed.
Up until this point, I was very satisfied with the way that we were treated. I was crying and upset, but felt like I was being treated with dignity.
Now picture this... I'm in a room saying good bye to my best friend forever and I counted THREE nurses come in and try to offer me "Care Credit" - their credit card program so I could afford the surgery. I was NOT ok with being made feel guilty over choosing to put my dog to sleep, rather than doing a very risky surgery. It wasn't about the money... it was about the quality of life for my dog. I had made my difficult decision and yet I had several nurses/techs trying to sell me on the surgery.
After that, I said good bye to my sweet Scout. I was glad that my last memories of her were of her stuffing her face with treats and cuddling with me. -
Review from Alexia N.
Palo Alto, CA
10/27/2011
The staff at the clinic are incredibly nice and helpful, and I felt the level of service was superb. They were all genuine animal lovers and were very gentle with the cat. Their vet tech, Lauren, was especially kind and understanding, both when we arrived and when we came back three days later to get the stitches out.
Here's my story: there's a cat in our neighborhood that everyone loves and feeds, but doesn't belong to anyone specifically. I noticed she'd developed a ping pong-sized lump on her face and from growing up with cats, I knew she had gotten an infection, likely from a fight. I took her in on a Saturday and she had to have surgery to get the wound cleaned out and a drain put in. They did an excellent job and kitty was already vastly improved the next morning. They did the follow up a few days later at no cost, checking her out and removing the drain for free.
Many of the complaints here are about the cost. I'd just like to say that vet care is generally not cheap, especially on an emergency basis. Just like a human emergency room, you pay more for the convenience of after hours availability. South Peninsula Veterinary Clinic is one of the few places open at night and on weekends, and they have to pay to keep the office open and staffed at off hours.
Also, the clinic is very fair and up front about the cost of the treatment your animal will need. They presented us with an itemized cost sheet before they did anything. It's not like they surprise you with the bill. You are making a fully informed decision to pay for treatment, and I don't think it's fair for reviewers to penalize the clinic because they judge it too expensive. -
Review from Carolanne R.
Union City, CA
Updated - 1/24/2012
My dog was acting very starge & sick in the middle of the night (like 1am) I live in the East Bay & drove accross the Dumbarton Bridge to have him seen at South Pen. Vet Emerg. Turned out he had bloat. (very serious - requiring surgery right away- his life was in jepardy) I was able to call in Dr Harish (from Peninsula Pet Hospital) By the way it was 2am when I called Dr. Harish come down. The front Staff, technician & doctor at S. Pen kept me calm (which is near to impossible when your best friend is so near death) The diagnosis was quick, caring & correct, the surgery was done with expertise, knowledge & compassion.Because of this facility my dear friends life was saved. In any urgent matter you can count on South Peninsula Emergency to what is right--- right now. I will forever drive accross the bridge for you!! Thank you!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/12/2011
The worst possible thing is having a pet emergency. My dog had bloat & needed surgery right away. He… Read more »
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Review from Ms. A.
Menlo Park, CA
9/1/2011
The people working here seemed to be very nice and adoring of my dog. I had to bring her in because she was sneezing blood and I thought it was a foxtail. The low review is primarily because my bill was about $550 to have the foxtail removed. I understand the procedure is costly due to anesthesia, but that is A LOT of money for me! My dog means the world to me, but I figured there must be a better way to deal with this (especially since the areas we walk her are filled with foxtails and I thought it was likely this would happen again).
Low and behold, she seemed to have gotten another one in her nose. I wanted to take her to a regular vet instead of here in order to avoid the high fees attached to emergency clinics. After looking through reviews for places open on Saturday, I found an open appointment at Reed Animal Hospital in Campbell. The total for treatment and medication was $400...certainly not cheap, but better.
I wish there were less-expensive options for pet medical care (sliding scale, payment plans, etc.) so people are not deterred from getting professional care for their pets. :( I guess I will be looking into pet insurance... -
Review from Kristen K.
Redwood City, CA
11/17/2011
I've had to bring my cat here twice over the years. They were caring and thoughtful as they dealt with my cat's problems. Both times they called a couple of days after to check up. You will pay a bit of a premium to bring in your pet after hours but it is worth it.
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Review from Tamiko B.
Sunnyvale, CA
6/3/2011
I found an injured crow while going on my evening walk. Poor little guy had twine wrapped around his legs. A neighbor cut the string off but his legs were too injured and his wings were bleeding. He was weakened to the point that he hardly resisted me and it became obvious rather quickly that he needed some serious help that home-care couldn't provide. As a side note, there were about fifty crows flying and crying frantically, watching (but not attacking) while I was tending to the injured bird, they're pretty amazing creatures. My husband found this place and we took him there. I felt good about leaving him with them, the staff were so nice, and they said they'd transport him to a wildlife shelter in the morning.
Didn't cost anything besides the time and the trip there but it was worth it and it was a good lesson in compassion for our daughter, who was totally excited about the entire adventure. -
Review from Addison D.
Sunnyvale, CA
Updated - 6/8/2011
Update to my last review.
Unfortunately we lost our rabbit. Dr. Thelan was the vet that had been seeing him that went out of town and referred us to a vet closer to where we lived. Although he did call to inform them of my rabbits condition- I don't believe word got to the vet. Not only were the vet/vet tech at the other practice incredibly rough with my rabbit (who was probably one of the calmest rabbits around, not to mention he was fairly lethargic from his infection) He ended up switching antibiotics because the medication that South Peninsula gave us was somehow 3 times more expensive there and they didn't have any in stock. Not even 24 hours after starting the new antibiotics (after my bunny had been recovering quite well) he started to lose muscle control and passed away
Since it was later in the night, we dropped the body off at South Peninsula.
The next day the Dr. Thelan called to console us on our loss and was incredibly friendly, apologetic, and told me that if we ever need advice on our pets, to just give him a call. I had also let the other vet practice we went to know that our rabbit had passed away. They never got back to me.
We have recently taken our other rabbit in for a checkup (it was more expensive than other vet visits, but we work long hours and South Peninsula works better with our schedules) He easily has the best bedside manner and passion for animals than any of the vets that I have been to in this area. Since it was a slower day, he gave her a really thorough check-up and then chatted with us about the loss of our other rabbit as well as a variety of things to look out for and his background working with rabbits. I absolutely love the guy and even though he is bit more expensive for general checkups (which I get since it's an emergency clinic) I'll be taking my animals to him as long as I live in the area.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/1/2011
I woke up on a Saturday morning to find that my rabbit's tongue was swollen to the point where he… Read more »
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Review from Rachael L.
San Jose, CA
3/5/2011
I do not recommend this "Veterinary Clinic" to anyone! Stay clear form here!
The last time I was here I took my dog to get her nails cut because she need them cut really badly. Why didn't I do it myself? because I was afraid to hurt her in anyway possible and I thought the vet would be gentle and go easy on her. NO they did not. Two vets were holding my dog down and one was literally CHOPPING off here nails down to nothing. Her yelps and cries were so painful to hear. And on top of that she was bleeding and what do they put on her paws to stop the bleeding? White Tape. What the hell is that?!
I really do feel that the doctors here have no compassion or love for animals. They just do it for the money.
If I could I'd rate this place 0 stars! -
Review from Mara T.
San Jose, CA
11/5/2010
We live in SJ. But we take our Westie to a vet in Menlo Park thanks to a friend's reco. We love a good recommendation.
In the wee hours of a recent morning, our dog started vomiting and couldn't stop. We decided to for the first time in her 6 year old life call an emergency hospital. We had no idea where to start. Local pet hospital Yelp reviews frightened me--like with any 'extreme' business like emergency hospitals, you either see the very good or the VERY bad.
I called up our vet in Menlo, and their message referred us here to SPVEC. We called and spoke to a gal at 2am. She was helpful, friendly, frank and what she said convinced us we should bring her in to be checked out. We were not relishing the 35 min drive in the middle of the night...but my hub loaded the pup into the car and headed out.
$700, an xray, an IV shot, blood work and a few hours later, she returned home. They didn't know what was causing it, nothing was visible, and they discharged her with explicit instructions for us on what to do for the next 12 hours. Included was a recommendation for her to be brought into her regular vet and followed-up on the next day.
She turned out to be fine after another day or so, thankfully. Still don't know what caused it. But this place was great. The same gal we spoke to on the phone called us 24 hours later to see how our pup was doing. I loved the follow-up.
Hopefully, we won't be back anytime soon--but the next time that we need emergency care, we'll be fine with driving the 35 min to PA to make sure she gets great treatment. Thank you SPVEC. -
Review from Carolyn P.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/10/2011
These people were very nice and empathetic when I took my beloved cat here after he was hit by a car. Unfortunately he passed away upon arrival but at least they were kind to him and me unlike some emergency clinics that actually said they were not accepting any animals.
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Review from jill j.
Mill Valley, CA
10/22/2010
While I was on vacation, my dog licked himself a nice "hot spot". (This is the canine equivalent of a clean skinned knee -- it's red and bloody and irritated but really a very minor problem.) My dog's sitter freaked out at the blood and took him to South Pen. Vet. Emergency Clinic.
Granted, a hot spot is not an "emergency", but most vets would simply clean up the area and send the pet home quickly with some sort of antiseptic/antibiotic ointment to prevent any infection.
Instead, I came home to a $450 bill!! $450 of full blood work, steroids, sedation, assorted other injections, etc. For a HOT SPOT?! That's ridiculous! Also, there was NO information about potential side-effects of all the (unnecessary) drugs they gave him.
I fully believe the (stand-in) veterinarian took advantage of the situation (inexperienced sitter who was freaking out about the blood) and gouged her with a lot of unnecessary tests and drugs, knowing also that SHE wasn't paying the bill. (It's oh-so-easy to spend someone else's money.) That doesn't seem like a good way to do business or a good way to provide "care". I'll go elsewhere in the future! -
Review from D E.
San Carlos, CA
1/3/2011
If I ever have another off-hour pet emergency, I will come here (again) immediately.
My cat had bloody tissue in her urine from an advanced UTI that had hit her kidneys. I bought her in and w/in 5 minutes she was getting examined, and within 30 min they had the (very bad) results from her bloodwork. The doctor walked me through what the possible outcomes were and what they planned to do. All charges were cleared up front.
I talked to two doctors, two technicians, and the receptionist. Everyone here was very kind and genuinely cared about animals. They also seem to have the intelligence and training to fix them.
Note: they are only open when other vets are closed. So if you need 24 hour monitoring (e.g., with IV, catheter, etc), they will do 6pm to 8am but you'll have to pick your pet up at 8am and bring them to another vet for the rest of the day.
They are emergency, so not cheap. I found them worth it. But I hope you don't have to use them. -
Review from Tanya A.
Mountain View, CA
11/6/2011
Every time an emergency happens, it's on a weekend or in the evening, never fails! So we've been taking our fuzzy little companions to this clinic for years - they're really exceptional! Great staff, wonderful vets, and our animals have all been treated beautifully here - they've saved two of our cat's lives, and our dogs have had immediate attention and gotten better quickly :) Thank you again for all you guys do, and your dedication and patience with frazzled, sometimes panicked people in the middle of the night! ;)
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Review from iPunchfish -.
Campbell, CA
9/19/2010
Might write a follow up review if we ever find our way back here.
My girl's little dog got into a small amount of chocolate and took her here at 1:20am roughly. Points for being open late.
Upon arrival; everything was cool. Very nice staff, friendly, and knowledgeable. They took the dog and that was that.
Almost 1 hour later they call us into their little meeting room. We wait another 20 minutes.
The doctor comes in with the scare story of the century. She says she needs to run all these tests, hook her up to an IV, etc. She even comes in and assigns a color to our dog using a toxicity wheel (she is red, obviously). All without really knowing how much chocolate it was. She kept telling us it must have been 2 or 3 ounces. In reality, it was about .5 ounce to 1 ounce of dark. Obviously this is toxic for dogs but doesn't warrant the horror story we were given.
Doc leaves for another 10 minutes and the closer comes in. She is stone cold and can deliver whatever news with the most monotone demeanor. She shows us a bill for $800 which would have included care for only a couple of hours. We were also told the dog would need more care throughout the week. She tried scaring us some more. Prepare your anus indeed.
My girl was frantic and almost gave the go ahead. Good thing I saw through their bullshit and we decided to take her home. The closer's late statement was a list of things to watch for. There was only one... death. DEATH? Really?
The thing that sent us home was the doc telling us chocolate will stay in her system for a week (which is why we needed to keep her there). Theobromine stays in the system for a total of 20 hours. We will continue to monitor her all week.
In closing; I am not impressed with the vet's motivation to make a quick buck from scaring my girl into thinking her dog was going to explode. The visit still ended up costing $200 for services we could have performed ourselves. Hopefully we never have to come back to the Swindlers on the Peninsula. -
Review from Mercy B.
Milpitas, CA
2/19/2009
Warning - cat food is bad for doggies!
Our cats' food is like crack to our little dog. She will gobble it up whenever she gets the chance and we're not looking. The result is barf all over the place. Ugh!
After having a major barf episode and concerned about her being dehydrated, I decided to bring my little doggie to the vet. Unfortunately, it being a holiday weekend, my usual vet was closed.
So - off to the emergency vet clinic we go!
The facility is a little hard to find - the sign is small and the building is set back a bit from street view.
The staff was very nice and took us in right away. The doctor did all sorts of tests and x-rays - and we were concerned that my little doggie may even need to have surgery (but thankfully, she didn't). They were great about explaining all the charges and what procedures needed to be done to assure the health of my little doggie.
I would give them 5 stars except for the fact that veterinary care is sooo stinkin' expensive. I've only had my little doggie for a few months and intended to get pet medical insurance - and oh, I wish I did sooner! It was nice that they helped me apply for a plan to pay my veterinary fee in installments or else I'd be in the dog house!
Good veterinary care is vital to the health of your pets! But word to the wise - if you have pets, make sure you have pet insurance! -
Review from Rosanna M.
Palo Alto, CA
2/8/2011
If I can give 0 star, I will. I highly suggest every pet owner to avoid this clinic.
Last saturday night, I realized my cat is terribly ill. He was moaning painfully and his belly is big. I don't know what happened until I saw some bloody pee came out. I immediately called the vet and decided to bring him to emergency.
I called Adobe Animal Hospital first since I heard excellent reviews. However, I scared that it will be super expensive since it is large, new and nicely equipped. They told me an emergency visit is $135. Then, I searched on Yelp and tried to look for another emergency vet. I found this one (SPVEC). They told me I should come immediately and a visit is $93. I decided to bring my cat here instead, thinking that Adobe is 50% more expensive. (BIG BIG mistake).
I arrived at 1:40am and there is a puppy checking out. No other patients were there. I filled out the form and waiting. After 10 mins, a technician came out and asked if she could take my cat. I asked what was it for and she said she needed to take the vitals. From here, I didn't see my cat until 30 mins later.
10 mins later, the vet came to talk to us in a small room. He said the cat is in danger since his urinary tract is stuck. The cat is somewhere in the back room with other dogs barking while we are in a quiet room talking to the vet without his presence. There is a high end sophisticated weighing table inside the room but the technician doesn't use it to take the vitals nor to examine the cat. The vet told me that my cat needs blood work, x-rays, IV fluids, catheter, medicine, anethesia ... He told me the cat will die within hours if I did nothing. He then told me he will prepare an estimate and gave it to me later.
5-8 mins later, the technician came in with the estimates. She repeatedly said what the vet just said and finally, she told me the estimates are $2250 for 24-48 hrs. I was shocked. I told her I didn't have the money and asked if they could save my cat with less procedures since we believed that blood work and x-rays are not a must. She said that we could call our friends for advice (borrow money?) or we could apply for a credit card with no interest payments for 6 months. She said that all procedures are necessary and we definitely need X-rays to check whether there stones exist (but 90%+ cats are stuck with crystals) and did blood tests to check its liver values before doing anethesia or giving pain medications and rechecked them afterwards. Since the cat was in great pain, the tech suggested I should just let him die if I am not going to go through the treatments. I asked them to give my cat some pain medications to make him feel better before I brought him to another vet and the technician refused since a blood test is needed before giving pain medications. (really?!?!?!) The vet never appeared again to discuss alternative treatments until the final good luck he said to us.
Since we were not be able to agree upon the treatment for the cat, we decided to bring him elsewhere. Time is critical since he was in pain and crying. We asked the technician to check us out immediately and gave us the cat back. We were waiting outside for 10 more mins until they are ready to check us out (we paid $93 for this visit) and saw the cat again. They were pretty upset that we refused treatment and asked where we planned to go. We told them we were going to Adobe animal hospital for a 2nd opinion and then the vet came out and said good luck. The technician also told us that we need to pay $93 again for a recheck fee if we decided to bring the cat back for treatment 30 mins later. It was 2:22am already.
Since it is our first time going to an emergency vet, we have no clue how much it will cost. We just didn't feel comfortable in SPVEC. While rushing to Adobe, we were not sure what will happen there. Will it cost $3000? Is our cat okay? I was very worried.
Finally, my cat is happily back home after staying in Adobe for 40 hrs. He doesn't need any blood work nor x-rays and the a urinary catheter was placed right away. We were pretty concerned about the cost of the treatment but Adobe's vet is nice enough to give accurate estimates. We thought he was cheating when he told me it will be about $800-$1600, depending on the stay of the cat. Adobe is that it is a 24 hour hospital and u don't need to move your pet after 8am as in SPVEC. And it is an open hospital such that you can be present for all the procedures they perform on your pet, unlike in SPVEC they will take away ur pet for vitals and not return it to you afterwards. The total bill is $913 including $135 emergency appointment, medicine, food, hospital care, and all procedures (urinary catheter, IV, anethesia but NO BLOOD WORK and X-rays are necessary).
My conclusion: SPVEC is a huge ripped off and I agreed totally to other 1 star reviewers how SPVEC scared stressful pet owners and required a long list of procedures that are not seemed necessary by other vets. -
Review from Zee X.
Santa Clara, CA
3/29/2008
I thoroughly trust Dr. Thelen and also genuinely like him.
He is so kind and sweet. He eminates a gentle love of animals that is very touching to see.
He has always handled my dogs with such care. My dogs know they can trust him right off the bat.
They always call the next morning to check on my dogs. They really seem to care. To be honest, I wish he was in business during regular hours. They have saved my dogs' lives on more than one occasion, from serious peril. Lest you think I'm exaggerating, let me be more explicit: Dr. Thelan brought my Baxter back from STRYCHNINE poisening!!! We realllly didn't think he would make it and I was crushed. Lo and behold, he kept my baby alive. Ultimately, he did pass away, but two years later, and that was two years of Baxter love and joy and happiness that Dr. Thelan gave me. I sincerely thank him for that. -
Review from Stasha P.
Redwood City, CA
10/7/2009
I have waited a month to write this review to make sure it wasn't my emotions. Then I found out my neighbors cat passed away from the same thing two days before mine at this very clinic and she has the same thoughts about the experience as I did.
My cat was very ill and in a lot of pain. Just to get her in the door was $400. Then to run blood and get her oxygen was an additional $200. I was a complete wreck and knew my cat was probably not going to make it. The vet techs wanted me to leave my cat alone in the room so they could induce vomiting in a dog. This right after they said she was in really bad shape. i wasn't about to leave her.
After the blood test the vet (an older man) was useless. He wouldn't speak in plain English so I could understand what was going on but for $1500 maybe she'd have a chance. he then commented on never seeing a cat in so much pain but didn't give her anything for it until I begged.
While I cried my eyes out trying to make the most difficult decision of my life the staff avoided me like the plague. Not a consoling person in the whole bunch. After I decided to put her down a vet tech gave me a blanket for her and pet my cats head for a minute. The only kindness in my whole ordeal.
When I spoke to my regular vet she said if I would have brought my cat to her she wouldn't have given me a choice, that's how bad it was. Just thinking about this place makes me feel ill. -
Review from Leslie M.
CA
8/16/2007
Having a pet emergency can be very traumatic. These guys can make it all better!
I wish My dogs could see Dr. Thelan anytime they needed a vet. It's tempting to pretend that everything is an emergency. Don't lots of people do that anyway? :) -
Review from sam s.
Campbell, CA
4/16/2011
We bought a dog that was throwing up. So the poor thing got worst. We decided to come to this place for emergency. They did a parvo test and we didn't knew how serious parvo was and that the dog would die anyways. This place instead of telling us the truth, they told us that we should hospitalize the dog over night. I told them about the cost and they said $1,000 to $1,500 for a over night stay. I got a weird feeling and decided to go back home instead. They suddenly got all mad and said why don't you buy bunch of medicine. They persuade us into getting $300 worth of medicine where the dog died before she even took the first does that night. I called for refund and to return the useless medicine that they gave me and they said we are sorry no refund. THEY WILL TRICK YOU INTO SPENDING MONEY. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU OR YOUR PET. MONEY IS THEIR GAME.
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Review from Cattleya O.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/7/2009
Here's a riddle: how can you make a bowl of grapes cost $1,000?
Well, this summer, we adopted a precious little terrier mix from a shelter in the Central Valley. As far as they knew, he'd spent the first four months of his life living off the farmland, eating whatever he could find.
Now that he's a civilized urban dog, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he wouldn't CLIMB UP on the coffee table while I was in the other room and eat an ENTIRE BOWL of grapes, stems and all. Uh-huh. You know where this is going.
After doing some quick research on dogs and grapes, I was convinced that little Wino (name changed to protect the evil) had to go to South Peninsula Vet Emergency Clinic right away. I guess some dogs have no problems, and others have acute kidney failure. Not a gamble I wanted to take, so off we sped. The staff was very nice, and they saw us right away. It took a while, but hey - you can't hurry vomiting, or if you can, I really don't want to know about it.
I was impressed with Dr. Tomola - she was friendly and seemed very astute. She also took the time to check out a couple of other issues Wino was having, and when it turned out our regular vet had mis-diagnosed his skin issues for a long time, she didn't even make too bad of a face. I like vets who take the high road. Anyhow, she answered all of my questions, which I appreciated, since it allowed me to get a bit more out of the pricey office visit.
Part of the recommended treatment for this issue included an all-day vet stay, so we were referred to another day vet. All told, this was an EXTREMELY costly visit, and I don't know enough about vet care to know how much of it might have been extras (as some say). However, I've read up more on grape toxicity treatments and I think they followed the guidelines well, so I'm not worried about that. I suspect it serves me right for assuming Wino wouldn't "jump at the chance" for some grapes (ha, ha).
P.S. The final number? He puked up 81 GRAPES. Yup. 10 pounds of dog, 81 grapes. I need to find an eating contest for this guy. -
Review from Tyffanee S.
CA
6/3/2011 1 photo
Some of the reviews here are pretty harsh. Given that many of the animals who come to the clinic are in seriously bad shape and don't make it, I guess I can understand why some reviewers aren't that happy with the services rendered. But having driven Middlefield in the middle of the night with different animals at different times (the lights are maddeningly slow even after midnight), my experience is that the vets are above average, and that they and the techs do care about your ailing babies.
Since the vets rotate, there's no guarantee that you'll get your favorite the night your dog decides to start throwing up, but I have no complaints about their professionalism or level of effort.
The prices are high, so if you and your pets can wait until 8:30 am, you probably should. If your animal is going to need longer hospitalization, you're better off elsewhere (like Adobe).
I knocked off a star because the interior is depressingly dingy and they often make you wait inexplicably long, even when there do not appear to be other patients or imminent emergencies. But if your pet is in too much distress for either of you to sleep, this is the place to go. -
Review from Joe L.
2/24/2010
I brought my dog here last night after she had run into a speeding car. She walked away fine but was in pain and kept blinking. She was fortunate enough to run and collide head on with the car side door instead of ending up under it. Either way both of us were freaking out after it happened.
I called several nearby vets, but this one was the only one i called open late night with a working x-ray machine. Dr. Tomola sensed my worry and informed me well about what she was going to do and what my options were. She didn't pressure me to get the pricy x-rays but let me know that it was important to check for internal injuries despite how fine the dog might be. After getting x-rays and finding out that my dog just had minor bruising and would need pain meds, I was relieved. Lucky fuzzball. Too bad my dog was too shaken from the events from the day/visit to enjoy the treats Dr. Tomola offered her. I can't thank her enough for her help.
The diagnostic was 93, the x-rays 250, and the rest meds and tax. The bill came out to around 350 total. Kinda pricy, but better safe than sorry and considering the time it was when I got there, I was thankful. Raoul( I hope I'm spelling that right, sorry if I'm not) was nice enough to show me how to administer the medication and was helpful to mark it for me. I had a great experience despite the circumstances, and they were very professional. My dog will be 100 percent again soon, thanks to you. Highly recommended! Keep up the good work!! -
Review from Debra E.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/15/2008
They took care of my dog a few years ago when my dog had an obstruction in his digestion system. He came out with flying colors. More recently, I call and explained a situation over the phone and they gave me a very helpful consultation. All without being overly bureaucratic.
I showed up at 4 am and they worked on him right away. The examining table was a scale, so Culo only had to get up on one weird thing. I even got a take home CD with his X-Rays. Can't beat that. Two paws up to Shanna, the technician, and Dr. John Thelen.
I'm very happy with the South Peninsula Veterinary Clinic and hope to find ways to support them in the future. -
Review from jill p.
Wallingford, PA
9/6/2007
I felt like I was in good paws here.
I had to take my dog here when she suddenly exhibited signs of a bladder infection after hours. First, they were great at giving me advice over the hone on how to decide if it was an emergency or if it could wait until morning. When I arrived I did not have to wait too long, the staff were all very warm helpful and on top of their stuff. They tested her and determined she had a bladder infection, gave me antibiotics, and then later called to follow-up.
They also recommended I get pet insurance, which I am all for now. If I ever need after hours care again, this is where I will go. -
Review from tina t.
San Jose, CA
7/8/2008
I swallowed a Mango Pit. 4 inches in length, 3 1/3 inches wide, and about 1 1/2 inches in depth.
Mommie called the vet and called another clinic to get a 2nd opinion on what we should do.
A.) pay $160 - induce vomit
B.) wait to see if it'll pass
C.) wait to see if it won't pass
D.) wait to see if I'll need surgery
E.) pay $4000 for surgery
Of course we chose A. We arrived and there was no wait.
They were friendly and quick.
The front office had fresh flowers and it looked clean.
I was in and out of the clinic in no time at all. I couldn't have been happier to see mommie and I went back to playing all day and night.
Thanks! -
Review from Thighmaster M.
Ward, CO
12/28/2008
Took our little grey feline in to rule out an abscess versus fracture. Staff was great - warm toward the cat and professional. The doc was also very sweet and warm with her patient. The cat was loved by them, and now is on the mend. We also appreciated the follow-up call the next day - nice surprise.
It's clean and appears well managed. -
Review from Naomi T.
Santa Clara, CA
12/15/2009
In early November, my French Bulldog got into a large amount of "fun size" chocolate bars, and consumed them, wrappers and all. She was vomiting for days, and not passing stool (sorry, but dog owners, you know that is important). In a panic, I called Sequoia Veterinary Hospital (my regular vet, I have reviewed them), and they squeezed me in immediately.
Because she was so sick, they made overnight arrangements with the South Peninsula Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Palo Alto, who were wonderful. All I had to do was carry her records over to the Emergency Vet, and they already knew who my dog was, her name, and what was wrong with her.
The receptionist was very nice, and gave my dog lots of smooches before taking her back to see the vet on call. I waited anxiously in front, and was so obviously upset that they moved me into one of their examination rooms, so I didn't have to cry in front of the other clients. The doctor came in, and was straight forward about the danger my dog was in, but reassuring that she *would* survive, and I could tell (I work with dogs) that she really knew what she was talking about. Then she let me into the actual surgical area, which is unheard of, as far as I have experienced in the past, and let me give my dog a scratch and a kiss good night.
The one thing that was difficult was that I had to transport my dog back and forth between the ER and my usual vet in the morning, and back to the ER in the evening, but it was a small price to pay, believe me. My dog is totally better, which is more than I deserve. I would take my dog back there anytime, even though there is an Emergency Vet that technically is closer to where I live.
I had one very sick little dog on my hands. We thought she would have permanent damage from the ordeal. Not only did she bounce back, she has *no* permanent damage. I have nothing but good things to say about this vet.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Mel B.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/11/2011
I had to bring my cat here on several occasions. She had congestive heart failure and needed emergency attention.
I cannot tell you how kind and caring the doctors and nurses are here. They let me sit with my kitty to let me know she was alright, they let me call in at 2 am to check on her, and they gave her the highest level of care possible.
When the time came that I needed to make the decision to put her to sleep, they allowed me to take her home (which I wanted to do) and offered up the names of several house call veterinarians.
You can be sure that your pet will receive the best emergency care possible here. -
Review from bahare f.
Menlo Park, CA
2/24/2009
Returned from a nice dinner with the family and boyfriend to a lovely surprise.... my little dog ate my big brownie that I had left on the kitchen table as a little treat to satisfy my late night muchies.
Great.
First time dog owner and I had NO idea whether he was allergic to chocolate. So what do I do next, I asked myself. Well, Yelp has yet to fail me.
Thank you yelpers! This ER Clinic was fabulous and took good care of my sister's 'little prince.' phewee.
Not to mention, two days later they called to check in on Beau.
Great service, great people, and tasty chocolate bowl to satisfy any girl's late night chocolate cravings while she awaits her dog. -
Review from John K.
Mountain View, CA
9/8/2009
I came home Sunday evening after having been gone overnight to find my Manx kitty lying on the floor looking like he was really sick. I picked him up and he was even worse. So these guys were the closest and I got him there right away.
Don't get me wrong, it was expensive. 36 hours of care came out to $1800. But he does seem to be getting better. Dr. Thelan said he had treated this condition 1600 times at least and he knew exactly what to do. If Bailey makes it then it will be because they did the right thing right away. -
Review from Caro T.
Mountain View, CA
4/27/2010
I took away a star for the long wait (3 and 1/2 hours), which in a sunny Saturday afternoon seemed even longer. However, the service more than makes up for it.
The front desk staff can be a little taciturn, but they are kind with the animals and helpful. The doc here is amazing. She has a way with critters for sure (she won over my super shy dog in two seconds) and she is very thorough and clear, willing to take extra time to address every concern (which is probably why the wait can be so long).
My dog had a diarrhea that had not cleared up for a couple days, which probably put us in the bottom list of concerns, but other dogs and cats and one goat that came in with seizures, broken legs, open abscesses, etc, were all taken into the back room immediately and with great care and obvious concern.
Once we finally got into the room, we had to wait more for some test results which ended up taking longer due to a machine braking down. The equipment, however, is acceptably new (I am grateful for the weighting table, which saves us the grief of having to coax our dog to stay on a scale of any sort), and overall, the place is comfortable and surprisingly fresh smelling as far as vet offices go.
All and all, despite the wait, which I sort of expected at an emergency vet clinic (Doggy ER?), it was a very positive experience. My dog got the care she needed, and I would most certainly go back there if any emergency arose. -
Review from Cristina B.
Pasadena, CA
5/17/2010
We brought our dog here one evening around 8 months ago, If I'm not mistaken, they were the first ones to finally diagnose our dog with Gastritis after several failed treatments. The attention was very good, I saw other people with their dogs and noticed the dedication they had on each one of them. One thing that caught my eye was all the thank you letters from people who brought their pets there, I have never seen this - that, gave me a good vibe.
Price: Pet EC-it will be pricey, but at least I can tell you, they are worth it.
What personally makes me give them a 5 star is that once I called asking a question regarding a dog me and my husband rescued and they were kind enough to give us helpful tips.
We are out of town and again, last night first thing that came to mind was to call them in order to seek advice before going to a vet EC that we didn't know. They gave us instructions on how to treat our dog until we would take her to the vet in the morning. This is like having a family doctor for your pet. I really appreciate that they are willing to help, even over the phone. -
Review from Ann F.
Mountain View, CA
6/2/2007
I hope you never have an emergency, but if you do, I recommend this place. My dog nearly died 3 weeks ago.
They gave me an accurate estimate, I felt that all the services provided were appropriate for his diagnosis of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and they kept me well informed of his status. Plus I got to hold him while he got his I.V. which made me feel a whole lot better. I was treated with respect and no question was too small to be answered by the vet or pet nurse. This was a wonderful experience in a time of extreme duress. I hope I never need them again, but if I do this is where I am heading. The only gotcha is that they are open normally when other vet services are closed and closed when other vets are open.
I have been back several times with the same experience. All experiences have been excellent. -
Review from Penny P.
San Diego, CA
3/17/2008
UPDATE: The following Monday from the Saturday visit, I get a phone call. It's the South Pen Vet Clinic! They were calling to check up on Oliver to see how he's doing! I reported that he was doing great with the antibiotics and has an appetite of a horse. Thanks again South Pen! Now that's what I call customer focus!
Big Ollie had to visit South Pen this past weekend. Since his Bi-Lateral ear surgery, his ears have been bothering him. After a early morning phone call, I was instructed to bring him in. The staff was very helpful and friendly. Big Ollie had quite the nerves, even with the ear cleaning and examination. After many antibiotics disguised as delicious meaty treats, he was a happy clam. These folks are patient and knowledgeable. They will even work with your pet insurance to help claim your dough back. South Pen you rock! -
Review from Abbey Q.
San Jose, CA
9/15/2009
South Penn EC is wonderful, Dr. Theiland is especially great along with his techs, they girls working that night were so nice and caring AND gentle.
We came in on a Mon evening with our nervous 2 yr old German Shepherd Mix who went missing for a few hours and was found limping with a swollen leg and minor cuts. It didn't seem too busy at the time, so we got seen pretty quickly. He ended up having a broken leg. They did the exam, gave an pain inj, which was also a sedative, took rads, then splinted his leg, got some meds and we were on our way.
This is our place when our regular Vet is closed!! -
Review from Johanna R.
Redwood City, CA
9/5/2010
I have brought 4 different animals here over the last 10+ years. Where else can you go in the middle of the night or on a holiday weekend, with a sick or injured animal, in total distress all while you are an emotional wreck? You come here. They welcome you with open hearts and open arms. All the staff is top notch. They understand animals and those who care for them. Coming here is never easy but, when I leave, I have a heart filled with gratitude for the loving care they always give. A million thanks.. for your recent care of Mel, the hyper but, oh so adorable, Choc. Lab :)
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Review from Michael H.
Palo Alto, CA
6/5/2011
Our dog got run over by a car. We ended up going to south peninsula. The staff was great, the doctor took the time to walk us through what was going on. Our dog ended up staying overnight. People on am shift as nice and responsive as evening. Not cheap, but we felt very comfortable having our dog there. Hopefully we won't be back, but if we have a pet emergency we will definitely go there again
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Review from Sarah B.
Palo Alto, CA
6/26/2008
I called this place after my Dog had surgery earlier this week because they were recommended by my vet. My usual vet is closed after 6pm every night, but I had further questions about my dogs behavior and meds. The woman who answered the phone was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. She made great recommendations to me and helped me understand why my dog was having some of the issues I was calling about.
They did not rush me off the phone or tell me they couldn't answer my questions over the phone like some clinics Ive called in the past. I was VERY pleased.
I will definitely go here in the future!
