Bay Area Veterinary Specialists

I absolutely abhor this place and would never recommend them to my worst enemy!! I absolutely believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they thought they had Carte Blanche because I had Care Credit and did authorize an estimate of a little over $2000. for the first procedure. Unfortunately; it was over the weekend and the vet called that night and said he needed a blood transfusion and I said no but then thought about it and called back and gave the ok. The next day which was on a Saturday the vet called again and wanted to do another transfusion because my baby's levels weren't as high as she wanted them to be so I said ok once again to another transfusion. When I picked him up on Monday I found that he had a feeding tube inserted thru his nose and I had to feed him thru that tube. I found 4 or 5 inches of that tube on my floor a few days later. I could not force feed him to take any of that force fed food. I took him back and they reinserted the tube and performed an X- ray at no charge because they couldn't find all of the tube. Imagine that!! When I checked out I received another invoice of another $2,100. plus dollars. Now, I've found myself still payable in full by December 4th or I'll be charged retroactive to the date it was billed at 26.99 %. So, I find myself here trying to deal with this in my retirement years and a full time caregiver of my husband who has dementia and cannot be left alone. The final bill that they printed out for me, I could barely read. On Thursday last which is the first day I've had the opportunity to get out of here in a month, I went over there and got a somewhat clearer printout of their charges. I sat in the parking lot and analyzed it and come to the conclusion that I've been royally screwed. I went over to my original referral vet and spoke to the woman that I've known the longest. I showed her the blood lab results printout I'd just gotten and I told her from what I see here on these test results, my cat couldn't be rebuilt! As far as I'm concerned, my original vet should never have referred me over there because when I took my baby over there to be put to sleep, he had the gall to tell me that most of the time when a feeding tube is inserted in them they never return to eating again. I'm finished with all these SOB's. I am so ******! I would drive 1000+ miles not to ever deal with these con artists that is for **** sure! Why didn't any of these ******** not inform me of this on the front end? I feel like they all may be in cohoots in this type of ********! Just sayin! I don't believe I've ever been so ****** off about this type of scam! NO, I did not give Bay Area Veternary Specialists approval to freely charge my Care Ctedit credit as they deemed to do without my approval. If you've read my rant, thank you and I appreciate it very much. Please keep this horrible experience in mind and act accordingly because it is so true and heartbreaking! Thank you so much!!

After our cat was diagnosed with a chronic disease and our vet at the time made serious mistakes in his care, we started going to Bay Area Specialty Hospital. The health of our cat was stabilized through their efforts and we likely had many months more of quality time with him than we would have had. Once we found a new vet, we continued to take him in every few months. Drs. Kyle Brayley and Jenifer Lunney would share progress reports with our regular vet and vice versa.
The Bay Area Veterinary staff was always friendly -- from making appointments to checking out at the end of the visit. During the times when our cat had to stay overnight, we were able to spend time with him in the treatment area. Techs would make sure that you could sit comfortably and still reach the cage. Drs. Brayley and Lunney have great bedside manners and answer your questions fully.
Highly recommend.

I went to see the cardiologist Eryn Shipley at Bay Area Veterinary Specialists with my sweet boy. I had seen her six months before with my pet, but that is all, she did not know him well. I wanted to get his medicine increased and discuss other medicine as he was having more issues but he was still happy and would still do his happy dance for me and enjoyed his life. He was fine that day, in fact it was a good day for him. He was panting lightly when we came in, but not in distress. He was sitting on my lap and licking my face.

She came in and we discussed what was happening. I showed her a video of him coughing that day and she said when the time came I would have to do the right thing and put him down. But we were a long way from that. I said he wasn't that bad but if he was in pain in the future I would make that decision of course with my regular vet and I wanted him to die in my arms. I strongly expressed to her that my regular vet and I would make those decisions. He was only 3 and a half. We agreed to do an x-ray. Nothing more. When that was done she came in and told me she had given him a dose of a strong drug. I was so shocked that she had done this without my authorization. She said it might help. She went out to get my prescription and almost immediately came back in and said he had to stay overnight and she would give him injections and that would help. She must have gone out and seen that he was in distress from the injection and she needed to get me to sign an authorization for what she had done. Still thinking she would only do the right thing I agreed and she very hastily had me sign an authorization. What I didn't know and what she didn't tell me was that the first shot she had given him had sent him into severe respiratory distress.  I saw my sweet boy again and he didn't know me or respond to my voice. The drug had clearly put him into respiratory distress. I was very concerned about this and asked why he was like that and she said it was his condition not the drug, but it was clearly the drug as minutes before she gave him the drug he was fine and being his sweet self. In hindsight she appeared to be covering herself even at that point. I was so concerned but at that point still trusted that they were doing what was best for him. I was so wrong.

She said he would get better. I asked 100 times if they were going to take good care of him and call me if there was a problem. She said yes. I didn't understand at the time that apparently she was planning to put him down or at the very least had made a decision she knew was going to be fatal.  I drove home thinking I would get him the next morning. Before I got home she called and said she gave him another shot of the same drug that had sent him into distress and this time he had collapsed. If she was trying to save my pet she would have seen the signs that he was in shock and never have given the second shot. I just cannot understand this. She said they tried cpr but he didn't respond. I told her to try everything and give him meds as I raced back to the office. But they didn't try any emergency medicine beyond a breathing tube as confirmed by my personal vet the next day. They appear to have just let him die. I told her to call me immediately if she suspected a problem, but he was already dead when she called.

 I went back and they were stone faced. No emotion from any of them from the receptionist to the vet. She was so matter of fact it was chilling. My poor baby was apparently murdered as surely as if they had shot him. She must have decided he needed to be put down and despite all my instructions, apparently she did what she wanted. Or perhaps she made a fatal decision with the first shot and then tried to cover her tracts. The first words out of her mouth when I, crying and emotional, said "What happened?" were "You signed the authorization to treat him!"  That's true, I signed after she gave him the first unauthorized injection which sent him into distress. No emotion on her face! No "we tried everything to save him". No "I'm so sorry." No words of any reassurance that they did the right thing. She appears to have decided that she would do what she wanted. It was absolutely sickening.

Eryn Shipley appears to feel in a very nonchalant way that she treated him in a textbook way, that she had my permission and that oh well he was a sick dog. In a textbook unfeeling way that's probably true so she has her out. What is not true is that she actually had my permission to begin treating him with that shot although I'm sure she has probably altered her records to reflect that she did what I asked, however untrue. But I believe she knows in her heart that she killed my dog, whether through incompetence or on purpose.  My conclusion is that she either appears to have deliberately found a way to put my pet down with her own agenda or made a horrible misjudgement which was unauthorized and then worked to cover herself or perhaps some misguided combination of the two.

Although he had heart issues, he was still doing fine. He still had life to live and he was so loved. She did not know him at all and had no right to make that decision if what I suspect is true. Although she would likely say I am upset because my pet died, the truth is that if you even have one small tiny shred of doubt that your vet did the right thing, or that they acted out of their own agenda or incompetence, then you should never go to them. I want to save others from this kind of heartbreak. Had I known of their terrible reputation I would never have taken my sweetie there. This is why I am writing this review. Someone has said that their employees and relatives write good reviews to try to negate the bad reviews written by real people.

I wish to heaven that we had gone to our regular vet who cares so much about me and my animals. I made a critical and fatal mistake by going to Bay Area Veterinary Specialists and seeing Eryn Shipley. My boy would still be alive I have no doubt, and I have to live with the mistake that ended his life regardless of what I had planned for his future.  In the very least her actions appear to be incompetent and at the very worst they appear to be malicious and self-righteous.

Above and beyond this tragedy, the people in that office do not seem to care about anything. I got no feeling at all that they cared about my beloved boy passing away or me as a client. They laughed, they joked. No one even said I'm sorry he died. We called the next day to find out about the bill and the receptionist was glib and never said any kind words about our pets death. Absolutely incredible. I took my poor guy with the best of intentions to see a specialist and apparently because of her own agenda and lack of professionalism in giving him an unauthorized injection, she killed him. From the beginning she has been so defensive about it to everyone and would certainly make excuses if she read this review. She is so stone faced that she would certainly make a very clinical and sterile rebuttal because that is who she is. She covered herself with the paper I signed, but she knows that she gave him that first injection without my authorization. DO NOT GO to this person or this clinic if you love your pets. These people have no emotions and are clearly the kind of clinic that sees you and your pet as a number.  Beware! Your pet may not survive a simple visit.

They were very friendly and kind. It was obvious they both have a real love for their job. This was the least disturbed my cats have ever been by a vet visit. This is a revolutionary idea and I will never go out to the vet again, unless treatment requires.

Even though our Sophie did not make it, the care she received and the compassion shown by Dr. Brayley and his employees was evidence of their love of animals. When my husband had to make the decision to put her down,Dr. Brayley shed tears also and they made her as comfortable as possible. They treat your family pets with care and compassion.

Dr. Swanson is always very gentle with Buster and calls him a good boy, Buster still refuses treats from him ?

It was fine. It took my dog a little longer to recuperate. The doctor and service is great. Its a nice facility with several services. I am satisfied.

I first called several vet surgeons to compare price and bay area was a little higher, but they they explained all possible additional charges to anticipate. They also helped me with financing it. I took jake in for the initial examination and they explained the procedure and what to anticipate and how to take care of him until surgery. The day of surgery I took him in and they informed me that he may have to wait until the next day for surgery, they explained another emergency patient was coming in and the Dr may not be able to do Jakes surgery that day. They weren't able to do the surgery until the following day. I was not charged for the extra day. When I picked him up they explained how everything went, and gave all post-op instructions and meds. His first follow up appointment was comprehensive and went well. We still have one more visit for more XRays. All in all a good experience.