San Francisco Animal Medical Center

"Warning to pet owners seeking oncology services: My recent experience at SFAMC has left me compelled to share my extreme disappointment. After entrusting them with my beloved 3 years old dog's cancer treatment, I encountered a series of shortcomings that have led me to caution others against seeking oncology services at SFAMC. Despite expressing concerns about his condition at a recheck these were dismissed with minimal attention and I was told he was responding well to the chemotherapy. Over the next three day his health deteriorated, I brought him back to SFAMC under their emergency services as the oncology vet is not in on Fridays and he was give fluids and anti nausea medicine. The next day he became even more lethargic seeking a second opinion at Sage Animal Center exposed further issues, with the on-site oncologist suggesting that the chemotherapy was ineffective and the cancer had spread. My beloved dog passed the next day, again only four days after being checked by Dr. Sabhlok and cleared as being in good health. This was also only three days after his fourth birthday. Moreover, SFAMC's on-site oncology vet is only available four days a week, frequently takes vacations, and the department is unresponsive by phone, taking more than 24 hours to reply via email or text. The absence of a backup oncologist raises concerns about accessibility during emergencies. Adding to the disappointment, it has been three weeks since his passing, and there has been no communication from Dr. Sabhlok or the SFAMC oncology team expressing condolences. Even though I called to cancel his chemo appointment he had for the following week after his death. In summary, my experience at SFAMC's oncology department fell short of the expected standard of care. I caution pet owners against entrusting their furry family members to SFAMC for oncology services, urging them to consider alternatives for the well-being of their beloved pets."

"Passed through on a long road trip and my dog needed medical attention. After basic examination it seemed like they wanted to just rack up a bill with a bunch of tests and push medication. So I rushed home and went to a friend recommended veterinarian who easily diagnosed and properly treated my dog, that is now recovering. I recommend getting second opinion (if you can) before paying up."

"Wow, once again I am blown away by Dr. Ybarra, her team, and the SFAMC clinic and their care for my dog. Henley’s case and diagnosis is not that memorable but Dr. Ybarra’s attention to detail is amazing. After the diagnosis 1.5 years ago, she was so available for continued help on medications and dosing. Last summer, as I worked to salvage the stress of vet appointments, she and her team were absolutely wonderful in working with my training to make the vet appointment as stress free as possible. She did not have to include the vet behaviorist’s recommendations and yet she was so willing to do so to help Henley. Most recently, we did a virtual appointment, as Henley was stable but I had a few questions. It is a rare experience for a vet to take the time to explain the research, come up with a plan, and answer all of my questions kindly and without rushing. Thank you for the wonderful care!"

"My 8 year old dog had never needed an emergency appointment before last week. We brought him to SFAMC and it was the best decision ever. I was terrified of losing Milo and he had to stay in the hospital for two nights. The staff is made up of the most communicative, caring and helpful individuals you could ever ask to care for your family. Milo has a long medical journey ahead of him and it feels so reassuring to know Doctor Ybarra, AnnaLisa and the entire staff are by my side. Thank You!"

"Where to begin? I will try to condense this review as much as possible. I love sf amc and their doctors. I have known one of the internal medicine doctors, Dr. Ybarra, for a few years now. We worked together at a previous specialty practice and I saw first hand her high quality of care and compassion she had for each of her patients. I personally took my own pets to her. She diagnosed my 4month old puppy almost 3 years ago with renal dysplasia and because of her care and recommendations my dog is now 3 years and doing really well despite her disease. So when she left previous hospital to come to sf amc it wasn't even a question if whether I would make the drive to sf for her to continue caring for my dog. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, our other older dog started showing signs of illness and I took him to our local emergency(I live 45min away from sf amc) where he was diagnosed with severe kidney failure. You can imagine the stress and tears not knowing if our dog could recover or if we would even be able to take him home again. I contacted Dr. Ybarra asking about getting our dog transferred to sf. Amc and she reassured Me we could if its what we wanted and he would be in good hands. We do have per insurance but our yearly limit is not very high for the amt of care and hospitalization our dog might need. Dr. Ybarra was amazing and really helped delegate our available funds to what was priority in getting our dog better if possible. This allows us to keep him in hospital for a longer amount of time. My heart is filled with gratitude and everyone at sf amc from the front desk to the ccu team who each showed kindness at such a heart wrenching time for us. Our dog went home yesterday and will continue care at sf amc for hopefully a long happy life."