VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists & Emergency

We had a positive experience with them on an emergency care issue. They were really responsive with phone calls throughout the whole time period. Their prices are expensive but I think that they offer good care.

VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists and Emergency is primarily for animals that are extremely ill or their emergency service. I had my dog there for quite a while for almost a month because he was so sick. So I still use one of the veterinarians there as a go to doctor. They still follow up on my go to make sure that the information that I'm getting from the other doctor that I'm using is in line with the treatment that would work with him. They provided care and saved my dog. Their prices are right in line with the services they provide.

Our cat had a bone tumor and was referred to BAVS for oncology consult. There was a fracture and so they were able to schedule her in for an amputation the same day, after doing an ultrasound, urine and blood analysis to detect any additional tumors. Our cat is recovering nicely.
We had a mixed experience. The surgery itself was very well done. The surgery site is clean--people have commented on how good it looks. We also really appreciated our interaction with Dr. Seidlecki, the medical director and oncologist. She is concerned, upfront, knowledgeable, and professional. We also appreciated Dr. Merrick's input and follow-up. Everything was explained to us very clearly and we felt that we had the best available information to make our decision.
What was somewhat disconcerting was the post-operative process. When our cat was discharged, her bandage where they stuck the IV was not removed. We did not get instructions to remove it and did not know to do so, so the next day, her paw swelled up to twice the size. When we called BAVS about it, the person on the phone told us there wasn't anything they could do without us coming in, so we took her into the Emergency clinic. As they removed the bandage we found out that she had not received a fentanyl patch (narcotic) for which we had received discharge instructions for.
A week later, we went in to remove the staples. We thought it went fine until 5 days later, I found a staple that had been missed, and had our regular vet remove it. Then, today (almost 3 weeks after the surgery) I found another staple and removed it myself with some pliers.
So... while we have utmost respect for the actual vets and completely are grateful to them for being able to perform the surgery on the same day so close to Christmas, we are less impressed with the staff and the people involved with the post-op/discharge process.
I would probably go back if my cat needed surgery, but may invest in a metal detector to scan her at home for renegade staples, and ask a million questions about discharge instructions.

They were amazing. They were very knowledgeable and up to date on the latest treatments. They tried some different things. They were willing to let me make the decisions. They didn't force any treatments. They were very compassionate. The staff was great. They know you when you come in. They take a picture of the animal and put it in the computer. They put the picture on the label of your prescriptions. They also sent me a sympathy card when my pet passed. It was very sweet. The whole staff signed the sympathy card. The vet that I was using unfortunately was off on the day I had my Cat euthanized. And, she told the guy who was covering for her that I was probably coming in. So, they knew what was going on and communicated with each other.

Instead of waiting, we proceeded directly to Bay Area Veterinary Specialists, which is a group of internist, oncologist, neurologist, etc. (Our previous dog had gone through numerous tests, all with inconclusive results, at the local vet for her condition before we were referred to the Bay Area Vet Specialists, who diagnosed it as uterine cancer. Her experience and judgment ultimately was correct in the cancer diagnosis). We were not disappointed by going quickly to the Specialists clinic this time. I learned from calling the office that a dog owner can self-refer to this clinic to see any of the specialists, but the catch-all person to take a first look is the Internist. We made a same day appointment. Joyce, the receptionist, was exceptional in hearing our dog's problem, and did a great job helping us with appointment options, keeping costs down, figuring which specialist is best to handle our dog's condition. We saw Dr. Elisabeth Zenger. She listened to the symptoms and did a physical exam of the dog. She told us it couldn't be a slipped disc or sprained tendon as the dog didn't react when she ran her hand down the back, and the legs. She felt it wasn't an infection, as the 4 days of antibiotics did nothing except eliminate our dog's appetite; the fever remained. She then said she thinks our dog has poly-arthritis in both of his back legs, which explains the hunched back,inability to walk, and the mild swelling in the knees. She told us that we could go for a test called a "joint tap" to confirm her diagnosis; it was a procedure that costs $400+. She said she is 99% sure it was arthritis. Taking the steroid (anti-inflammation) medication would yield quick response, which should tell us whether the diagnosis was correct, before doing any more tests. We finally heard a diagnosis that matched all the symptoms and decided to try the medication first. We were stunned that 7 hours after taking the medication, our dog was able to get up, walk, even go up stairs. The medication obviously matched the diagnosis. From a lethargic motionless dog to one who can hold up his tail, his head , was simply amazing. As pet owners, we sometimes don't mind spending money on various tests. But we need the vet's competent and experienced judgment so that time AND money are not wasted. So although the office visit to the Internist cost twice that of the local vet, we felt it was more than fair. We think our local vet is probably fine with giving regular immunizations, but when pets has a sudden and serious illness, please consider going to an experienced emergency clinic. Bay Area Vet Specialists have weekend, weeknights emergency services, which are not available at local vets with limited staff. We recommend this clinic highly. Competence, experience, compassion, and accuracy of diagnosis is important not only for human patients but for animals as well.