South Bay Animal Hospital & Emergency

Jeanette To

2024-02

The team at South Bay Animal Hospital is wonderful. I was recommended SB by another emergency vet center after having trouble finding cardiology services. I was able to schedule a cardiology visit within one week. Unfortunately, my dog’s prognosis was poor; however, I felt well supported by their team. I utilized their medical boarding services. They sent me photos and texts daily. My pup spent a lot of time with the staff rather than in a kennel. Unfortunately, she had two relapses in the following months because of the severity of her condition. They talked us through what to do at home and notified us when to bring her in. They checked in with us weeks after each discharge. They were extremely compassionate through the end of her life. I cannot recommend this hospital enough. The doctors were kind, knowledgeable, and communicative. While the price is high, it is worth the quality of care and kindness we were given.

Richard

2024-04

Our pet was misdiagnosed with full confidence from the vets here and they never apologized after their mistake. They kept insisting our pet had a benign tumor and that they were certain that it was benign. The vet tech told us the day we checked our pet out to "look forward to good news" regarding the biopsy.That night we were told it was malignant, aggressive, and that we'd have to do further treatment. When we started asking more questions, they cut off communication and stopped responding. The surgeon also refused to speak with us after the fact, going as far as to not letting us schedule any sort of followup appointment.The only time they followed up was to ask us for an update a week after we put our pet down, to send us a Christmas card to rub it in our face, and then to send us periodic checkup reminders.Tens of thousands of dollars and not even a simple apology at the time of malignant tumor diagnosis. We are past the point of simple apologies, so don't even bother. It's no longer possible for anyone who works there to be genuine about a damn thing to us.

Deanna Rosa

2023-06

When our three pound chihuahua mix became very ill one night after hours we called Sage and they told us that they could not see her for hours, but we could come sit in the parking lot and wait. We called South Bay Animal Hospital and they could take her right away. They did just that, and diagnosed her with a blockage. They definitely saved her life. They sent pictures and videos over night… and were so nice!! We are grateful.

andrew hsu

2022-05

I want to give this place five stars because I hate to be the person the complains about price. That being my only issue, this place was the only place open on new years eve 12.31.21 that had any availability to see my cat.Cat injured his leg and it was getting worse to a point where he couldn't even rest and was acting scary. Wouldn't put any weight on it at all and I thought it was broken. I called all the sage hospitals from the peninsula to San Jose, all the medvets, archvet, any animal hospital I could find on Yelp or Google maps while my cat was crying for hours. Every place said they just couldn't take him, or had a 4-5 hour wait (And when I called back, they said the updated status with no more availability)South Bay animal hospital right away said they could see my cat if I brought him. I brought my cat over right away and explained to them a bit of his symptoms. I ended up sitting in the car for over an hour trying to get approval for a loan because the diagnosis for his leg injury was over $3,000, And I don't think he would be seen without upfront payment.Thank God it turned out not to be a broken leg or worse. My cat had gotten attacked and his leg was getting infected so they drained and cleaned the wound.Overall, so grateful that this place was the only one that could see my cat, but I'm wondering if it's because of their prices. Not sure if that is normal, but if it is I probably will try to call all the other vets before I come back here. Reliable but expensive.

Clarissa Reichner

2024-04

Took our beloved cat here for an ingrown toe nail removal, they did not explain any of the procedures well and the cat's bandage came off less than 5 mins after we arrived home. When we asked to speak to a Doctor (they kept referring us to a tech) they did not call back. Inadequate care and frankly I'm appalled at this place. Do not bring your fur baby here.

Nicole Callinan

2022-05

The staff at SBAH misdiagnosed my dog’s tooth abscess, and were disorganized, uncommunicative and unprofessional during my entire experience with them.All in all, it took 3 appointments and $4,670 for SBAH to correctly diagnose and treat what had taken me a 5 minute google search to recognize.I highly suggest taking your pet elsewhere for their medical care.

Kaila Kiefer

2023-08

I visited South Bay Animal Hospital for the first time last week at 12:30AM because I caught my cat eating about 10 inches of a birthday bag ribbon. I have a leg injury and wasn’t quick enough to stop him, so off to the ER we went. Staff and Dr. Atwal were so kind during this stressful time. They were realistic about our options and we opted to follow Dr. Atwal’s advice to use an injection to induce vomiting. They worked quickly, and said it was about a 50/50 chance that he’d successfully throw it up and sure enough he did!!! A staff member even called to check in on how my cat was doing a few days after. I’m so grateful for the South Bay team and Dr.Awtal!! 🐈‍⬛

Mengmeng Niu

2023-05

Very professional, fast and caring. Glad that I took my puppy here, much better than the other vet I went to several days ago for the same service.Update a year after (5/18/2022):We took my dog Champ to South Bay Animal Hospital two more times (both times due to dog biting accidents). I love the clear communication and the responsiveness in both email and in person interaction. The doctors are very experienced, they are quick and caring. The technicians (Stella, Jessica) are very sweet and I can see they really love dogs. Champ also likes them. Although they are expensive (mostly the initial consultation fee), but given that they operate 24 hours, I think it’s reasonable. Their per service charge is not necessarily more expensive - I did a comparison for ear infection treatment between SBAH and another Vet (non-emergency). This hospital has become my go to hospital for Champ even though it’s a 20 minutes drive for me one way.

Mike G

2023-10

Our German Shepherd who was just shy of 11 years old needed to be euthanized over the weekend as she was diagnosed with a tumor on her heart and spleen and was dehydrated and retaining water. She had been declining for several months and had to be hand fed as she did not want to go to her food bowl anymore.Our regular vet was not open on the weekend so we tried the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. They were booked for over a week out but they were kind enough to refer us to some alternative places and one of those was South Bay Animal Hospital. We decided to call them and were blessed to speak with Amanda. She was so calm and friendly and understanding. There were many emergencies on Saturday afternoon so booked us for Sunday afternoon.As the afternoon went in it was evident that our dear dog was struggling to breath and uncomfortable. We called again and spoke to Jasmine who was also very caring and friendly. We asked her try to book earlier on Sunday but asked if there was any way they could take us on Saturday night. They checked and said that we could come right over. They were waiting for us and even brought out a gurney in case we needed it to get our beloved girl inside the facility.All of the staff were so friendly and sympathetic. They took our beloved into the back to put a catheter on her and escorted us to a huge room with couches where the procedure would take place. Kendall came in and was so friendly and reassuring and explained the whole procedure and asked if we had any questions. A little while later our beloved came in and we had as much time as we wanted to spend with her.A little while later the Doctor Row (please forgive the spelling Dr.) came in and was so sympathetic and calming. She administered the sleeping injection through the catheter and within a few seconds our girl was out. After that the second injection was administered and she left peacefully within a few seconds. We could not asked for a better way to let our beloved go. We are so thankful we were able to send our dog off at this hospital. Thanks to all who helped during a most difficult time to make the experience so peaceful.

Merry Wirth

2023-05

Total scam. Brought my dog in and they wanted $5,000 worth of tests. I didn’t have the money and left with my dog in horrible pain. Terribly cruel! This is after they made me prepay $125 to see him. DO NOT USE.To clarify response below, I asked for some pain management. I was told the doctor refused any pain medication. No shot, no muscle relaxer, no NSAID. The technician told me "we don't work for free." I remarked that I understood I would need to pay for the medicine. the technician replied it was $5,000+ or nothing. She explained the doctor refused to help manage his pain and paying the money was our only option. I asked if he planned on performing a miracle in the next 24 hours that nothing could be given to help his pain until I could get him to the regular vet. I was told that she didn't need to tolerate my response and I had to leave. NOTE: no physical contact was made and I admit to ugly crying when I figured out my dog would left in pain. The vet is welcome to post the estimate and let future clients determine if the solution was realistic.

Patrice Navarro

2022-05

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful everyone was with my fur baby Serena at South Bay. They were so warm, patient and understanding when I had to make the decision to let my baby go. They explained everything in detail as to what was going to happen to my baby girl and all the options available to me. Although it was most difficult decision I had to do, I would not risk my baby's quality of life. The staff gave our family all the time we needed to say goodbye.They treated my girl was the utmost respect. I decided to have my Serena cremated and the staff was there every step of the way to see my girl came back to me.During my most difficult time, the wonderful staff sent me a card with such thoughtful words of sympathy letting me know that their thoughts were with me and that touched my heart. Not everyone understand that some people like myself see our pets as family or in my case child. To know that South Bay Hospital understands gives me the trust to leave a family member under their care again. If you are looking for a hospital that cares South Bay Animal Hospital & Pet Resort is the place to go.

Reyson Sioson

2022-05

I used to really dislike the vets in the area since moving back to the SF Bay Area and this Animal Hospital completely change my mind. My very loving husky had to have an emergency splenectomy last Thursday night and this was the only Hospital that would take her in. The staff here is phenomenal, there was not one time at all where I felt "it's just my job" attitude. Everyone here is extremely passionate about SAVING your pet. The doctors here are willing to answer any questions you have about your animal's care. They are extremely fast at responding to you 24/7, I was never on hold on the phone for more than 5 minutes. While our dog was undergoing treatment we called and visited often, they were very happy to accommodate our anxiety. This was probably the first time I completely trusted a hospital with the care of my fur baby. They were happy to send update pictures of her to ease our worry (one picture they sent is attached).I should warn that the price turned out to be very very $$$$ high. But we believe that, although we will be in debt for quite a while, we would definitely pay the price again or more for our special girl. With the service, knowledge, care, and bed side manner of this hospital, I felt like I got moneys' worth. The staff was able to mention mannerisms of my dog which they would only catch if they paid extra close attention to her. They described her personality exactly as how we know her. Although not all diseases are curable, this staff will do whatever they can for your loved one. Thank you again SBAH.

Jenn

2023-05

Great experience. Cat had an emergency dental issue where she needed surgery right away. They were the ONE & ONLY vet or even emergency place that didn’t have a month long waiting list for dental issues. For one canine tooth extraction with all the bells and whistles like head CT, blood work, putting her under, etc it was $2600… i didn’t know what to expect but I was terrified it would be past $5000 so yes, it was expensive, but it was more than worth it as I’m not a vet and my cat needed this tooth out. Luckily I qualified for 2k in care credit so it only cost me $600 after all was said and done.Also, doctor called me while she was still in surgery that she wanted to extract another problem tooth, which that ONE tooth would be an extra $800. I declined and am handling it at my normal nonemergency vet.I felt like my baby was in good hands. They even sent me pix of her fresh out of surgery. I would go here again if I had an emergency. When I called roughly 5 times to check in on my baby they gladly gave me an update.And after surgery they wrapped my baby up in blankets. this might be standard procedure but it made my day because my kitty loooooooooooooooooooves blankets, so it was the icing on the cake.10/10 Highly recommend.

Walter C

2023-10

They will lie through their teeth over and over again. They will give you abstract words like "guarded" or "fair" when asking for a prognosis. They will flash credentials telling you they're consulting with "double boarded specialists, with many awards, top of their field".They will pressure you into spending thousands of dollars on single diagnostics, and offer "solutions" they claim will absolutely fix your pet's issue.Their vet techs will give you false hope, saying that the diagnostics looked like "good news" and to "look forward to the doctor's call". Then after they realize they messed up and it isn't good news they'll pretend they never set the wrong expectations to begin with.They'll tell you to do more treatment options, at which point you've spent tens of thousands of dollars for no progress. They'll stop returning your calls, the specialists won't even book time with you anymore, once they realize you've moved on to palliative care and just want to book one appointment to go over some questions instead of opting to give them tens of thousands of dollars. They will lie about scheduling and never follow up.This place is like a Nigerian Prince. They feed you endless promises as long as your wallet is open. And once they've drained you for everything possible, you are dead to them.

Elyse Benito

2021-05

The staff there is very compassionate. I brought my dog who passed away after 14 years at home to be cremated there and they were so nice this happened at 11 pm and they are open 24 hours. The staff was really nice. I thought it was going to be extremely expensive but it was affordable. They gave my family time to say good. Yes!! they didn’t rush us.

Ahi Folau

2019-05

Friendly staff but woefully overpriced! My dog's $11K quote and questionable prognosis in front of my 11yr old led me to getting a second opinion. After consulting with the second Vetenarian, I purchased a $25 over the counter pill treatment. It's been 4 months and my dog's thriving and healthy. Always get a second opinion!

Elana Cooper

2023-11

I went here with my dog around 3 AM or so she couldn’t get up. Because of degenerative disc condition and arthritis. Neither of those by the way are neurological. They didn’t really even do an exam. They just Kaina looked at us with empty stairs and he said something about her needing surgery. Keep in mind my dog is 16 years old which if you look at it in human years is the equivalent hey They didn’t really even do an exam. They just Kaina looked at us with empty stairs and he said something about her needing surgery. Keep in mind my dog is 16 years old which if you look at it in human years is the equivalent of 80 just for perspective. When I said, I obviously wasn’t gonna do that they suggested bringing up her gabapentin to 90 mg at a time which now I am totally questioning as well. But the worst part is when theu wrote her prescription, They said put the wrong medication.and wouldn’t take ownership of the error so my dog is without medication 2 days which is actually dangerous and she could die tonight because of it . But they don’t care. They wouldn’t even let me pay for another appt to check her blood pressure to confirm she needs the medication. Like that’s how awful they are

Dirty Beats

2023-11

Horrible service took our dog here. The doctor wrote a prescription. It turned out. It was the wrong prescription. Then when we asked them to fix it over the phone and then send it back to the pharmacy they refused and said they did nothing wrong then they even tried saying that they can’t write prescriptions, when in fact, they did very unprofessional Rude and will just hang up on you. When you ask them to fix their own errors I would stay clear of this place 100% unprofessional. They do not take responsibility for their own errors. They will lie to you. The worst is the girl who works at night I believe she said her name was Megan.

Phyllis Schmit

2023-07

Worst experience ever! The vet did not want to examine my cats in my presence! Told me I had to request the examination to be done in my presence. Waited an hour and a half. Very very expensive. Vet tech took cats in the back to do blood work. Vet supposedly examined them in the back and gave them their vaccines. Do not go there. place was empty and now I know why.

Farrah Lewis

2018-05

On Halloween night; I had a terrifying experience. As I was sitting down to do some sewing- I heard my cat, Layla start chewing on something. Keep in mind this is not new for her to confuse herself with a Billy-goat and eat everything. She had eaten some thread. I tried to get it out but in doing so I had tied a knot around her tong which cut off blood flow to her tong (yes I know I spelled that wrong) and it was quickly turning an awful grey color. Trying to find a 24 hour vet is very difficult that is not 30 minutes away. We did not have time for that. Thankfully this place is around. The vet on duty that night- Dr. Atwood, expertly removed the culprit and took extra precaution by letting her stay over night to be sure all was well. The staff is very professional and kind. I would not hesitate to bring Layla there again. Is it expensive? I'd say it's about average for this area.

Valarie Kitaura

2023-05

We had an emergency with our cat, he suddenly couldn't use either of his hind legs. What a shock. We called several local emergency clinics, they said we'd have to wait 4 to 6 hours. As we drove towards one in San Mateo I made one last call to South Bay Animal Hospital in San Jose. Her voice was so compassionate. She could hear our kitty was in pain and said they would see him right away. When we got there they took him in immediately. Unfortunately the prognosis was not good and we ended up deciding we had to put him down. The vet and staff were very sympathetic. About 10 days later we received a sympathy card from South Bay Animal Hospital. Not only did we receive the card but it was completely full of long personal notes from no less than seven people. It brought us to tears. We really felt like they felt our loss with us. We highly recommend South Bay Animal Hospital.

Alicia Rix

2023-06

Honestly, I would give zero stars if I could. My cat was not herself without an obvious cause, so we took her here. The vet came in and did his exam and basically walked out after saying she could have anything. He determined that she was dehydrated but when we got their treatment plan, hydration nor meds were on their plan. The vet tech was the one who explained what their plan was, not the vet himself. We determined that what they wanted to do cost too much money, but when we asked if they could hold off on a few of the tests they were pushing us to do everything. We left with a sick cat and help from them.

Alice Lee

2023-05

I called in at night with some urgent questions about my dog who had just undergone a mass removal surgery during the day. In assessing whether or not we should come in for emergency services I spoke with two truly caring and empathetic individuals who took the time to listen to our case, look at pictures, and give very supportive and thoughtful advice. I could tell they that were truly concerned and cared about our dog, even though we didn’t end up needing to come in. They didn’t have to do that, and I have so much gratitude for this. Thank you so much for all that you do.

Jason K

2022-05

Quick response and friendly staff. Very caring people work here. Our Husky had pulled on a long leash and ended up dislocating a digit on his paw (short leash for now on). Called around and happened to be able to get in here pretty fast. They helped explain everything in detail and made us feel at ease and comforted our dog. They were very helpful and we are very happy we visited them. Our doctor was very impressive and detailed in her responses, diagnosis and treatment. Pup all fixed up and getting better now. Thank you guys!

Kahveh Kheymehdooz

2023-05

I brought my pets to South Bay Animal Hospital when I had an incident with my roommate leaving the cat gate open, as well as his door. They had a potential exposure to a poisonous lilly plant.I called the receptionist when they opened to see if I could bring them in. The receptionist (I forgot her name unfortunately) was so kind and helpful. She could tell I was anxious, and was super calm and patient with me when I was asking a lot of questions. They were able to make an appointment for me to come in that same day, an hour ahead, to bring both my cats in.I brought them in and the staff was very kind. They let me stay with my cats since they're still 6 month old cats. They ran blood and urine tests first to make sure there were no signs of poisoning, as they didn't want to rack up costs for me if we didn't need to while still ensuring my cats were healthy and safe. Their bloodwork came back a short while after.The vet doctor was also incredibly kind, patient, and he was explaining what he was doing to me while he was doing it (feeling their bodies, taking their temperature, what the blood work would tell them, etc.). It was very informative and reassuring.My cats' bloodwork came back normal and their urine test results came back normal the next day as well.The cost was high, but that's what will ALWAYS happen with any pet hospital, especially if they're Emergency. I understand the high cost is offputting for a lot of people and it may feel like a scam - but they're not trying to rack up costs for the sake of billing you. From my understanding, that's the cost of labor, operations, equipments, etc. that they need to bill in order to get these speedy results and treatments.My experience was really great with them. Every staff member I spoke to, from the receptionist to the vet techs, to the vet doctor, was delightful. I can only base this on my experience, but if I do ever have an emergency need over a weekend, I will bring my cats back here.

Carlos Sivira

2022-05

My pup suffered an emergency 35min after their vet closed. I was panicked and looking for a place to go with him, When I called South Bay Animal Hospital the staff member was quick to assist me and the staff was ready and waiting to receive my poor old pup once we pulled in. I was expecting them to keep him overnight but the vets and vet techs worked diligently and had me coming back within 3 hours to pick my poor puppers up. Though he had sutures the staff at this place offered to remove them for no extra charge once he was better. If you ever suffer an emergency with your furry friend I definitely recommend this location! Professional, extremely kind, and timely.

NF Robertson

2022-05

The staff at South Bay Animal Hospital are amazing. They are friendly, kind, and compassionate with their furry patients. The medical staff keeps in touch and competently answered all of my questions. My little dog, Rascal, had to stay overnight, and while he was there the night veterinarian sent me an email with pictures of Rascal and an update of his recovery. This was my first time at South Bay, but I would definitely come here again.

K C

2022-05

Avoid this place, it’s a rip off:My fur baby needed emergency care. This place served us a $2000 estimate. I doubted all of those services were needed for our young and healthy pet and I sure doubted the price tag. They pretty much told me if I cared about my pet, I would have signed the consent to treat her there. I refused.The nurse came out carrying my fur baby in her soft carrier while talking to a coworker, she let the entrance door slam into my suffering pet. My pet had a fever of 104 degrees and was in so much pain from her wounds. Can you imagine how much pain she was already in without the door slamming into her?!?!I’m so upset about the distress caused to my family by this hospital.Pure unprofessionalism and ill will is what you get from their paid “consultation”.We immediately took our fur baby to another hospital where a compassionate doctor and intake nurse really took care of her, offered her water and pain killers. They took a great care of her wounds and fever for a third of the price.To summarize, our experience with the South Bay Animal Hospital was appalling and heart breaking. Please go somewhere else if you need emergency services, this way you save yourself not only pain and suffering but the 130 bucks they charge for exam. You would have to pay for exam at another hospital anyway, might as well go directly to a much better provider.

Victoria Mlakar

2022-05

The staff at the South Bay Animal Hospital and Resort were very caring and genuine in my puppies time of need. Unfortunately my little guy didn’t make it and everyone was so comforting. Their end of life services are very personal and I think make it go a little smoother. I received a handwritten letter a couple of weeks later unexpectedly and it was very sweet. I would definitely recommend anyone to bring their pet here if you want them in an environment that cares.

Frankie Washburn

2021-05

I brought my pet here because she was experiencing something that needed immediate attention on a day our regular vet was closed. The cost of basic exam with X-ray and blood panel to determine course of treatment cost $1800. After tests, I was recommended a 2-day treatment that was estimated at another $3000 on top of the $1800. I chose to bring my pet home for the night and followup with our regular vet the next day. Our regular vet agreed with my decision to not move forward with the treatment recommended here and reassured me that the alarmist response I received at this clinic was not necessary. This clinic left me believing that my pet was in a critical position and needed drastic treatment, but my regular vet assured me a change in diet and followup monitoring would keep my pet comfortable and happy. The front desk folks here were all incredibly helpful and understanding, but the doctor was incredibly alarmist and made me feel like unnecessary and expensive treatments were critical to my pet’s care. I’m thankful for trusting my gut and seeking a second opinion from our regular vet. This is merely a reminder to everyone to ask clarifying questions, get a second option, trust your gut and follow your pet’s lead. It could cost you an unnecessary $3000 otherwise.