San Francisco Veterinarians

"My mother's dog ear infection suddenly recurred. The first available appointment was in 7 days. The previous infection rapidly progressed to such vigorous scratching that his skin was excoriated so I asked that either I be seen sooner or, in the alternative, get a refill of the previous medication pending the available appointment date. The receptionist, ...more although dismissive, called me back and told me to come in and wait. I had to make special arrangements for the care of my 99 year old mother because of the unknown length of wait time. I waited three hours being the last patient to seen just before closing. The vet was good. I told her I was upset by the way the receptionist treated me but thanked her for seeing the dog. 4 days later someone called me on my cell phone, saying I had been rude and was henceforth fired. Something like this had never happened to me before and that phone call out of the blue in the middle of a workshop was upsetting. I requested the dog's chart for the new Vet. Written on the chart was " very abusive verbally to staff and Dr.

, lmum(

) (cell) firing client. I was assertive but not abusive. I never use abusive language. I was polite. The written entry on the chart was not only untrue but it also caused me embarassment in front of the new Vet. Both the chart entry and phone call were libelous and unprofessional. I felt assaulted and maligned."

"Dr. Benefatto is the best. I've been bringing both our cats to for past 8 years. She really takes the time to listen and she reviews your chart before coming into the exam so she already knows details from your last visits (or she has an incredible memory). She's very professional and seems to really love what she does. She ...more is incredible w/ handling cats...she's the cat whisperer. She handscaled my 14 yrs cat's teeth without him putting up a fight. He just sat there. He had never had his teeth cleaned before then. The staff are also very good...friendly and efficient."

"They have been our general vet for 10 years. The older (long term) docs are good and others we've had mixed experiences with. They are very pro-technology, pro-treatment which can be good or bad depending on your outlook and your pocketbook. In general I think they care deeply about their work and all do the best work they know how to do. One complaint ...more is that cost is a conversation that doesn't happen until the bill is presented. It is awkward to discuss finances in the midst of a medical emergency which is often emotional, but it is important to understand costs going into testing/treatment and not get handed a whopper bill after and have to deal with that too. we've had some misdiagnosis and some other communications problems there in recent years. However, this can and does happen anywhere. I could recommend this vet with the caveat that you should be proactive about costs as well as making sure records are properly transferred to specialists and for any big treatment decisions get a second opinion."

"We have gone to SFVS for a number of unfortunate items which by nature are unpleasant. In light of this, SFVS does an excellent job. We are particularly pleased with Dr. Woods who is an acupuncturist who practices there. She is amazing and has helped our dog manage pain in her legs due to severe arthritis and she possibly cured ...more the dog of bone cancer. Our dog is so excited to go there and loves to get treatment. In the past there has been miscommunication between the general vet and the specialists there on diagnoses, but I attribute that as much to the general vet than to SFVS. On the other hand, if you are spending a premium to go there or if you are there in an emergency situation, I would hope that they would verify the pet's history in a timely manner. For example, our dog had an abdominal obstruction which had to be surgically removed. SFVS spent a wasted a day and more testing her for cancer as the general vet did not provide them her history which included past obstructions. This

to expensive and unnecessary tests and suffering for the dog. However, once properly diagnosed, things went well and she recovered nicely. "

"I have been through a lot of vets but I absolutely love her. We are both on the same page. I take my pets in to see her for severe medical issues because I need to have a good diagnostician. I go in there every other day. I spend probably about 7 or 8 thousand every year. They add it to my bill and I pay them at the end of the month. The meds alone ...more costs me 3 or 4 hundred every month for my pets. I deal predominantly with her. There is another vet, but I deal with her because we seem to be on the same page. That's very hard, but she is a great diagnostician. My dogs have severe problems and I spend a lot. A

came in that had heartworm so we are talking about thousands of dollars between x-rays and dealing with it. They are doing fine, but we have to keep up with meds, vet care, skin allergies and so on. It is an expensive proposition. Thyroid pills are cheap compared to the other stuff. The hospital is expensive as it is $54.00 for just a visit and everything else gets added on. But they are always there for me. I have been in animal rescue for 40 years. So many animals are being abandoned because of the economic situation and it is worse now than ever before. I wish I had a sanctuary. That was always my dream but now I am too old. I have my own carpet shampooer and I have special chemicals that I use."

"They are wonderful. Dr. is one of the most compassionate human beings that I've ever known. We're on our third dog with him and he's so loving, careful and nice. His wife works there too and we love the dedication they offer. There is 1 member of the staff, Joy, that has been there for as long as Dr. . ...more That says a lot about a location."

"Parking was easy. Dr. took care of us. He had excellent rapport with and spent a lot of time asking questions, reviewing her past history, and explaining his philosophy on animal care. I'm happy to have found a vet in the city that I can count on."

"They are the best vet that I know in the Bay area. They help animal rescue organizations. They have a really excellent staff of veteranarians as well as a fantastic front office staff."