VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Hospital San Leandro, California

Dog went to have 4 stichhes repaired she pulled from leg, came out after vet saw dog in worse condition than went in vet uses sedative hydromorphone which causes extremes whining, not eating or drinking. Dog is being given water via syringe for past 8hr, whining none stop for 12 hrs, all this to repair 4 stiches, we now have to go to regular vet for dog Dehydration, thanks vca you guys are awful

Today we had to put our cat down. Our vet gave us all the costs and heat options for our cat and the best was to put him down so he didn’t suffer more. They were very accommodating and explained everything. They also got us his paw print with a stamp pad and it was so sweet. We got some whiskers and some fur

This is not only the cheapest but the fastest I’ve been in and out of an emergency room. The techs are all super attentitive and sweet. The 600 dollar fee I was told I would be charged for my rue bear came out to only 280 after they were able to make her vomit out the thing she had swallowed. This is officially my new vet ER

THEY MARKED US AS CHECKED OUT WHEN THEY STILL HAD OUR CAT - 2.5 HOURS OF WAITING AFTER PAYING FOR NOTHING - UNACCEPTABLE

My cat was bleeding from a rupture on her belly. VCA was the only emergency vet closest to me that could take her. They were kind to both me and my cat Angelina, when they came to get her from my car. They were very busy, and when I called to check in they were once again very kind. Unfortunately I had to make the decision to let her cross over the rainbow bridge. They brought her out so my family could say goodbye and let me come in to be with her as she passed. They gave me plenty of time to say my final farewell. As they took her away the wrapped her in her blanket and treated her with such compassion. It's so hard to say goodbye, but the staff at VCA made it just a little bit easier. Thank you all for your kindness and compassion!

They helped me send my first born over the rainbow.. and sent a sympathy card!! ????????very nice and compassionate place..THANK YOU GUYS SO VERY MUCH!!

Dr. Sylvia Funes is a miracle-worker! After finding our 7 lb. chi, Louie, laying in his own urine and unable to get up, I rushed him to BAVS were, under Dr. Funes care, he was put in an oxygen cage for 3 days. The diagnosis was pulmonary hypertension, which is uncurable and progressive. I could tell when he was finally released that Dr. Funes was hopeful but not completely optimistic, but she said "Thank you for brining Louie to us! I really enjoyed him!" She put him on two medications "for life," and I think she felt like that would be only a few more weeks, maybe a couple of months. Well, that was about 5 months ago... and Louie not only has virtually all of his strength and stamina back (he still insists on walking on his own, but I keep an eye out and carry him when I know he needs a little break), but turned 15 today! Thank you, Dr. Funes, for your kindness, compassion, and competence! Because of you, we get to enjoy our Louie for a bit longer!

Silvia Funes saved mine and my dog’s sanity. I adopted this adorable dog a year ago and since I’ve had her she has had constant, explosive, bloody diarrhea. I think I took her to 3 different vets and she had about one appointment a month. No one could figure out what was wrong with her. Appointment after appointment, test after test, medication after medication. It was so bad. She couldn’t have a blanket or bed to sleep on because she would diarrhea on it and it would get all over her… it was crazy. Her nose got all dry and cracked and her fur was dry and corse from the lack of nutrients. My poor dog… finally one vet recommended I see Silvia and she was a life saver. She totally understood how I felt and sympathize with me and cured my dog! My dog ended up having some type of ulcer(s) and we got her on the right antibiotic and now I have a (semi) healthy dog! It’s still a work in progress because her system has been so damaged but it feels like a night and day difference to me. My little dog can even eat normal dog food now instead of the super expensive specialized food. It’s really amazing. Thank you so much Silvia. -Christina and Tikka

My 12 year old Schnauzer mix Mia was diagnosed with a heart murmur back in 2019. The previous cardiologist she had been seeing was no longer taking appointments so I went to Google and found this place. From the initial phone call to make the appointment to the day of my appointment, the customer service was excellent. At the time of my appointment you still had to wait in our vehicle but everything is very streamlined. My dog was see by Dr. Woodrow was absolutely amazing! After she examined Mia she called me and went through her findings step by step. I didn't feel rushed or hurried - you can tell she truly cares about her patients and their families. At the end of my appointment I received a folder with the echocardiogram images, and a detailed summary of everything Dr. Woodrow had went over with me. If I could give this establishment 8 stars I would.

I found a kitty on my backyard. He seemed weak and I didn't want to invite it to my house because I was afraid he might pass on something to my pet. So I called VCA and asked them if I could take it there. They said yes, but they neglected to mention that they had an 8 hours wait list. Upon arrival they took my pet right away before any paperwork. They handed me a form asking me to say that the pet wasn't mine, despite the fact that they reassured me over the phone they were not going to give away the cat to the city and they were going to treat it as mine. I said that I was willing to pay for treatment but that I wanted to take the cat with me. They said (before I signed) that it was all a formality and they gave me a second form for pets that you own. Supposedly, it was all part of a transfer process. But after signing the first form they took the kitty from me. I said I wanted to take it with me and they said they could only transfer it to another clinic after speaking with a veterinarian. So I called another clinic. After that they changed their story and said they were not going to allow that either and that the cat now belonged to Oakland Animal Services. These people are very sketchy. Don't trust them, they can take your pets from you.

I had to wait over 4hours to get my dog back so that I could come the next day to put him to sleep , it is dark now and I didn’t get to take him to his favorite places because they kept him inside for no reason. I wish this place gets more organize and actually care about what these pets mean to people!

I had such a great experience at VCA Bay Area Vet Specialists. I took my dog here for an echocardiogram to figure out the cause of his heart murmur. They were incredibly organized. They're still following COVID-19 protocols and have each parking space numbered and come out to your car to retrieve your pet. When they did this, they gave me a print-out of the heart so that I could follow along when the doctor gave me a call to discuss my dog's condition. They explained things in detail and I left having a really good understanding of the heart condition my dog has and symptoms to look out for. Thank you, VCA!

I just want to say THANK YOU TO the Dr. And staff that saved my sweet kittens life after having some head trauma. LIL STEVIE ???? is so precious,

We had to take a cat to be cremated and the staff were compassionate, gentle and professional despite it being in the middle of the night. They took the best care of both us and the animal and we cannot thank them enough.

Terrible management of the place. They told me they were available for urgent care with 2-3 hour wait. I go there and tell me it’s actually 4-6. After waiting for ONE AND A HALF HOURS they told me they couldn’t take my pet. I get it’s sometimes unpredictable but that’s just terrible management. They just didn’t seem to care.

Kind, patient, and compassionate. They were upfront about the long wait times, the diagnosis and options, and what the costs would be.

They’re expensive. Pay $110 for an emergency office visit and wait for more than an hour to be evaluated. Why charge $110 for emergency visits if it isn’t treated like an emergency? I should’ve gone to the Berkeley vet instead. An emergency animal hospital that charges fees at emergency rates, but can’t perform the treatments necessary immediately. I had a two hour wait before going into an exam room. Then they couldn’t perform treatment on my dog until maybe 4-5 hours after that because they’re seeing other patients also. Thanks. Because I don’t have to get up and get ready for work at 3:30am working out of the city at 6am.

I have no complaints about the quality of service but clearly there are some pricing differentials because we’re in the Bay Area. But, we knew going in what we were getting into and I can bite my tongue on that issue because at the end of the day my dog is getting better and every service in this part of the state is just designed to gouge you. It’s sadly become a fact of life. What I cannot stomach and am quickly getting tired of is how little respect they seem to have for your time. Look, I chose the treatment and I knew it would take time each visit but I am here no less than 2 hours every single time. Even when they say the appt is going to be “quick.” I work 40 hrs a week and while I can take an hour here or there, today I had to call my kid out of school to sit in their parking lot for 2 hrs for an appt that was supposed to take 45 min and now I am risking missing a super important meeting because they are still not out with my dog. Its making me crazy and I have no idea how i am going to balance my life and continue treating my my dog when every appointment sucks away my entire day. The last time I forgot to turn my car off while I was waiting and my car died. There’s literally nothing I can do but take it.

During a difficult and heartbreaking time Phillip was a truly kind and compassionate soul ❤ He is a gem. Thank you

They rob you of your money if you dont pay thay talk about your pet dieing

They were kind, communicative, competent, and saved my pup’s life. 5 STARS ⭐️

Do NOT bring your pets here. They are understaffed, expensive, and extremely disorganized and unprofessional. I unfortunately brought my cat on a Friday night, as he was not able to urinate/use the litter box. Otherwise, he was a young, healthy, and full of life. After 3 traumatic and confusing days, I lost my pet. Throughout the process there was no transparency, overly expensive, and understaffed. It concluded with this hospital LOSING my pets' ashes and paw print (and giving me a paw print from another pet- dog instead of cat). 1. LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. After dropping him off and being examined, I received a call from the vet confirming he indeed had a urinary blockage. They quickly created an invoice and I paid upfront upwards of $1,500. I EXPLICITLY told the front desk once I paid that I REQUESTED THE VET to CALL me immediately to go over exactly what they were planning to do to my cat before they did anything to him. She said "I will pass on the request". She NEVER called back. Two hours later they called me to indicate that my cat had gone into cardiac arrest. 2. UNDERSTAFFED. Over the following 36 hours, my cat was comatose. I received 2 calls/day from the attending vet, who after her rounds would give me a status of the cat. At every single touchpoint she indicated that there were over 12 other animals, that they were extremely understaffed, but she was trying her best to stay on top of it all. My sense is that she saw my cat only 2-3 times/day for a quick check. I was not able to see him at any point, due to covid. 3. DISORGANIZED. With every call, the prognostic would change, and so would the invoiced charges. I cannot stress enough how DISORGANIZED this hospital is. In the morning vet would provide one new invoice and recommended procedure, the other vet would update that. 4. DETACHED AND VERY COLD. After about 36 hours, my cat unfortunately stopped breathing on his own. They called me past midnight and indicated that he was about to pass away. I rushed to the hospital to say goodbye. As I stepped in, the vet repeatedly told me, in a very cold way, "he is comatose and suffered brain damage, he might not be able to hear you". Seriously, the lack of compassion from this particular vet was APPALLING. They gave me no more than 15 minutes to say goodbye to my pet. They didn't let my sister come in with me (due to the covid restrictions they only allow one pet owner only for euthanasia). 5. UNPROFESSIONAL and RUDE. I moved ahead with paying for the paw print and cremation services. After 3 weeks they called me to pick up his ashes. Turns out that the paw print I received WAS CLEARLY NOT MY PET. A woman named Alexa came out to apologize and explain next steps. She had no answers to my questions: Does this mean that my actual pet paw print was given to another customer? How can you guarantee that these are my pet ashes? how can you be sure my pet ashes were not already given away to another pet owner? She indicated she would put me directly in contact with the crematorium. I pushed back indicating that I did not do business with anyone but VCA, no other third party. And that this was THEIR responsibility. No more than 5 minutes later, her supervisor (Christine) came out to reiterate that they would put me in contact directly with the crematorium. She indicated that this was not their responsibility and that they could not help me as they did not work directly on the cremation process. She also indicated that her colleague "felt attacked by me and my questions" and that she was not able to support me unless "I stopped yelling". I want to emphasize I was neither yelling nor attacking anyone. I was asking direct and rational questions because THEY GAVE ME A DOG PAW PRINT WHEN I HAD A CAT and it was clear they were unsure of the location of my pet ashes. They had zero answers. She continued to interrupt me. The manager did not called the following day, we had to call and inquire at the end of the day. They apologized, and identified the "correct" ashes. At this point, who knows? The issued a refund for my ashes.

(Tl;dr at bottom- ABOVE AND BEYOND SERVICE, read for taxidermy options) I took in my beloved Cosco and did not at all expect to be faced with the decision of 4k-6k up front to save him vs. euthanasia. I knew he was weak, I knew he might be dying, but i still didn't expect to be met with that decision... Alternatively, I could've taken him home to pass but I could not bear to let my furry child suffer like that. Thousands of dollars with still a chance that he wouldn't make it was something I sadly could not afford.... so made the decision, and God it hurts. All of the vet techs/receptionists were extremely comforting, warm, and empathetic. I felt that they genuinely cared about what I was going through which should always be the standard in this practice. Now, I will say, I felt the Doctor herself did not actually care. I cannot speak for the other doctors and I do not know her name... She was mildly sympathetic, but it seemed to be out of practice and not a genuine response. Her approach was very cold and it would've angered me had I not been so overcome with grief. But to be a caring and empathetic vet that also has to be the one to put down pets takes an exceptionally strong person which I think is somewhat rare, which is why I won't ding any stars for that. Also, the crematory they worked with wanted to charge $45 for just a lock of hair when what I wanted was a full shave of his hair, which they did not offer. I called BAVS (my dog was still awaiting pick up) and they said they would try their best to get some hair between patients, but he was in the freezer and had to thaw so they couldn't make any promises. I got a call back not even 2 hours later and they said they managed to get some of his hair. Even if it was just a lock, it's still something and they didn't charge me for that. I am eternally grateful for them to extend that courtesy to me in such a painful time. Tl;dr- vet techs/receptionists were extremely caring, empathetic, and warm. Actual Dr. was somewhat cold, but that's to be expected. Vet techs went above and beyond to accommodate me in retrieving a lock of my beloved dog's fur. I feel the vet techs/receptionists here truly care about their patients. EDIT- I decided to get my dogs paws preserved. I goofed and didn't call BAVS to hold his body and the crematory picked him up... I am still getting the rest of his body cremated, so after the taxidermist cut his paws I needed to return the rest of his body to be cremated. The crematory would not allow me to return the body directly to them, I'd have to go through BAVS. Thankfully, BAVS is willing to accept his body back so it can be picked up by the crematory. These guys have went above and beyond to accommodate me in these troubling times and I am eternally grateful for their service ????

I've used their services several times for our cats. They are prompt and professional, both front of office and back office. The veterinarians explain everything clearly, and discuss next steps and pricing, and have tried hard to make sure they do what they can with what people can afford. My sister is a good veterinarian and they generally agree with her when I compare, so I'm confident in them. They don't mind collaborating with her either, which is another sign of a professional. I have been very happy with their services, and highly recommend them. I especially appreciated their courtesy and empathy when I had to bring my little buddy in for the last time. R.I.P Linus Fuzzybutt 2003-2019 And then his lovely sister, R.I.P. Gypsygirl Babycakes 2003-2020????

Our 9-year-old Labradoodle woke up on July 3, suddenly in extreme pain. Covid required that we wait outside, and there was pretty long wait, but the staff were courteous, responsive and kind. We returned for additional help 2 weeks later with similarly excellent care, but shorter wait times. We returned 2 weeks after that for a neuro evaluation. We were impressed with the thoroughness, compassionate and detailed care we received. A month later, our dog was up and around, back in his normal character. 6 weeks later, while on a 3-week road trip, our dog had an episode. Not as extreme as the first but certainly something. I called VCA at 10pm, asking them to email the medical history to a local vet in Colorado. When we turned up at 8am the next morning, the vet knew the history and was able to provide appropriate care. VCA is wonderful. We appreciate all the work and thoughtfulness.

We went in today because our kitten moka was acting strange and unresponsive ,as well as hissing when her chest was touched I called and we were told to bring her in right away. The person I spoke to met us at the door and got someone to take a look at her even with how hard Covid is hitting businesses they were very kind and perfesional as well as understanding moka ended up being fine as far as they could tell and told us to monitor and not hesitate to come back if anything was wrong. As a frantic cat mom I appreciated the kindness and assurances I got from them. Thank you

Phillip the Vet tech at the front was amazing. He was kind, helpful, and attentive. Thank you so much for the peace of mind during a stressful time.

Though at first they promised a 4 hour wait, it was actually about 2.5 hours when we arrived at 10pm. The service was so friendly and assuring. My dog can be fear aggressive and the vet tech Carl was amazing. My dog was as relaxed as he could be— they said no aggression occurred. Also, when the doctor called, she took lots of time explaining and listening. Her tone was so kind and helpful. It makes a big difference when you’re stressed! They did multiple follow up calls to check on our pup in the following week. I definitely recommend this place for quality service. Thank you, SL VCA.

I’ve always had the goal of getting the best health care possible for myself and my pets. I had a marvelous vet but she left the practice before the pandemic. Her new replacement seemed caring. I thought she might be ok. I must say I never met her in person. Unfortunately, ok wasn’t good enough when my little tuxedo boy, Francis, got really sick. By the time the maybe ok vet gave up and referred me to Dr. Funes, I thought he was going to die. He had lost a significant amount of weight and could barely walk. Immediately, Dr. Funes had an idea of what was going on- even though it was uncommon in a young cat who was not overweight. When she called with the test results, she was right. She says she sees this problem once or twice a year. The prognosis would all depend on how he responded to the treatment. I know this is a life long journey. Throughout this journey, Dr. Funes has been an absolute goddess for my cat. I feel totally comfortable with the professional calls she makes for Francis. If she emails to tweak something, I do and this guy with a chronic condition gets better. In all my years, I have never had a medical professional- for me or my cats- to reach out not one but several times to inquire about the patient. This marvelous level of care and dedication is what is so often missing in the human and pet medical systems. Yes, I know I’m thrilled my cat is still alive. And, I think if he passed on, I’d still be thrilled about Dr. Funes and the practice. I think the techs and receptionists are real pros. I have not felt they dropped balls. They get it right. If I was reading this review, I might be thinking San Leandro VCA must charge at least double what other places do. And I find this amazing- I’m paying the same as what I paid at the other place. I never feel like I came out of the previous vet thinking I got my money’s worth. I leave San Leandro VCA - after handing them my credit care- thinking I’m going to go home and write a great review because that place is AWESOME. Dr. Funes is the best vet I’ve ever encountered!

I recommend this place few weeks a come here and ask a question they were very friendly Even the Chico was not a petition here, three weeks later come back and had to do the most hard thing of my life put my baby (puppy)down they were very helpful and very professional all the way. we really appreciate the card they send us back.