Animal Internal Medicine and Specialty Services/ Animal Emergency Services Reviews

I know that the reviews on AIMSS are all over the map because I looked them myself before taking my dog here for an eye infection, but my experience was ultimately just fine.

My dog developed an eye infection on a Sunday so most vets were closed. On Monday morning I started calling around, but because of COVID vets are impacted and either didn't have any availability same-day or weren't taking new patients. I learned that AIMSS is essentially an Urgent Care type of place and that I could get him in to see a doctor same-day with the knowledge that that type of service would cost $120. My dog's eye infection was bad enough by that Monday morning to warrant seeing a doctor that day and I thought the cost was reasonable.

When I arrived I did find it difficult to see the place (it's behind a big tree) and also difficult to see their parking lot, which is immediately adjacent to their building - between them and the auto body shop next door. I will say that the staff they have answering general phone calls are pretty blunt and uncaring. When I didn't see the parking lot and parked just beyond the auto body shop I called and they asked me to park in the parking lot. When I parked in the parking lot and called they asked me to take my dog to the front door. All of that didn't generate a lot of confidence, but at that point I was there and took the risk.

From then on I'd say that I was happy with the service I received. I got a phone call within 40 minutes of the handover asking a few more questions about my dog's symptoms before the doctor saw him. A reasonable amount of time later I got a call from the doctor herself with a diagnosis. Then a call from a tech with discharge instructions. They handed my dog back to me within 2 hours of me dropping him off, maybe even 1.5 hours. The techs and the doctor were much nicer on the phone and explained everything thoroughly.

Overall I'm happy with the experience. If I were to ask them to make one change it would be to train their general office staff (who answer general phone calls) on being a bit warmer and empathetic with the customers and potential customers who call in.

The go-to emergency vet for our family. They've been taking care of our pets for years after hours and on weekends, when our usual vet is unavailable. Top notch care and service. Always.

Dr. Williamson and staff at AIMSS saved/extended my cat's life. Kitty may be down to 2-3 lives, but still kicking and having a good quality life. Thanks all!

Took my older dog in very sick late at night, as they were the only one in the area not at capacity. They are more expensive than others (private practice). Unfortunately, they're horrible. The doctor told us what she thought was wrong and had him admitted for aspiration pneumonia and another issue. She explained what they needed to do and why. I agreed but asked they wait on the ultrasound. She agreed. She told us that we were going to be contacted between 8 and 10 the next morning by the doctor for an update and results of some blood work, then again around 6 in the evening and that we can call anytime, as many times as we want to, just to check on him. No problem. Sounds great. Signed paperwork virtually. Since we weren't allowed inside because of COVID-19. I'm all for their protective procedures. The other lady who takes care of the front desk stuff was supposed to send me paperwork to sign without the ultrasound on it. Nothing. Then came morning.

8am. No call. 10am. No call. I call to check and they say the doctors have a couple of critical patients and haven't made rounds on current patients yet. Ok. Call at 12. Get attitude and the same excuse. Call at 2. Get more attitude and the same excuse. Call at 3:30 and get even more attitude and the same excuse. Now I'm wondering if they're even treating him and I start questioning them about if they're even treating him and what the hell is going on. I talk to the nurse and told her what I was told by the night doctor before leaving. Then she starts to argue with me because she says that's not how they do things and that no news is good news and I just have to trust them. I've never even been there before so how can I when I was told one thing and they can't even have a doctor call me after him being there for 14 hours with no communication. Then I was told they're not sure why she said that but that's not how they work. I told her that they need to 'school' the overnight doctor about the procedure. She said she can't do that but she can teach or advise her. I told her its the same thing, she said its not. The last straw of excuses was when she said something and I told her 'so what. Is this because he isn't a regular patient there and the others are?' She got quiet for a moment and then said 'let me see if I can get the doctor on the phone.' Then the doctor came on, gave me some information, answered my questions, and then proceeded to tell me that the ultrasound I asked them to hold off on wouldn't have given them any information about his condition because it doesn't tell you what they needed to know. I'm thinking ok, so you tried to get me to agree to a $600 ultrasound that would have done me no good to find out anything related to my dogs condition. I had enough. The doc agreed to see if he will eat and, if so. He will go home and see his primary for follow up xrays and that she would send the records to his regular vet immediately. I picked him up that evening and called his vet the next day. Of course, no one sent the records. My vets office had to call over to ask for them. I was supposed to receive a call the next morning to talk about a hefty refund of what I was charged for but they didn't do (he was ok to come home earlier than they said he would be). Never got a call from anyone. I'm going to check my credit card statement to make sure that they issued the promised refund. If they did, cool. If they didn't, they'll be receiving another call from me, except I won't be so patient this time.

Needless to say, I will never take my dogs there again, nor will I recommend them to anyone. Be wary of this veterinary practice.

Our regular vet didn't have the ability to diagnose or help our dog. We called around looking for someone who could help our dog right away and had the capability and equipment to diagnose and treat him. AIMSS was the only true emergency pet hospital with the ability to help our pet right away. We called and told them what was happening and they were ready to take him right away - this is truly rare as we called so many places. They gave our pet excellent care and were able to find out what was wrong and came up with a plan for care. They communicated what was happening throughout and gave us answers and options and addressed our worries and concerns. I can't speak more highly of their care and expertise. I will forever be grateful for the care and attention they showed our dog and the sensitivity to us wanting excellent care for our pet and to know what was happening a critical moment. Dr. Kramer & Dr. Kelly were amazing.

The Doctors, Vet Techs, Nurses and entire staff at this hospital are amazingly talented, professional and compassionate. They have saved the lives of 2 of my pets. If you have an emergency or an animal with a serious illness or injury, you are in the best hands here at AIMSS.

Avoid at all cost. The staff at AIMSS is terrible at what they do and even worse at communication. Their catch line is "We're concerned about your pets health we should run some more tests just to be safe."

I had to admit my dog to AIMSS after hours on a Sunday and didn't know what to do but say OK to every procedure. The catheter they had inside my dog slipped out the second day, and they charged me for an x-ray because the vet couldn't remember how long the catheter was and wanted to make sure nothing was left inside.

That being said I had the stitches removed earlier this week and there was one poking out of my dog's skin, and it looked like it swelling up, so I called them last night to ask them if the sutures are dissolvable or not. The guy who picked up the phone told me that he can't help me right now because he has other CLIENTS that need help.---- Let me get one thing straight my pet is not your client my pet is a patient! He might not need attention ASAP, but regardless of the situation, there is a proper way to communicate with worried pet owners.
I asked him if he could give me a time frame so I could give him a callback and he told me he doesn't know when the nurse or the doctor will be free. I politely thanked him and gave him a call 2 hours later asking the same question which is to check his surgery report and tell me if the stitches are dissolvable or not. This time he decided to hang up on me. I'm not going to bother you guys by explaining the # of times I had to call them. Long story short 4.5 hrs later I was able to get the surgery report emailed so that I could go to another Vet and find out if my dog's stitches are dissolvable or not.

They don't care about your pet. They will take advantage of you in your most vulnerable state, misguide you and stop communicating if you're not reaching for a credit card. Their practices are unethical and should really be fined for taking advantage of people.

I came here as my pup got her toe caught in the escalator. We came on a Saturday evening and didnt hear back from a Vet until midnight where they first said they needed my pup to stay over night to get stitches. Turns out they changed their mind the next morning and had a change of plans where we needed to wait another night for a surgeon since it was a serious wound. Why couldnt they determine this initially? The vet made it seem like it would be best for my pup to stay another night rather than have her come home where she is more comfortable. I was not going to pay a night in the ER nor have her be stuck there cold and sad so I took her home with meds and took her to another reliable Vet. Beware!

fast service, friendly staff. took care of the cat on a Sunday

I will be eternally grateful to the people here for the incredible kindness with which they handled my broken heart when nothing could save my poor little broken dog The brightness of their compassion saved me during the darkest time of my life

This great, women-owned clinic has been my vet for 5 years. Everyone knows our name, and our animals' quirks. Dr Black and Dr Williamson create great relationships with my cats and have been keen to research new, holistic ways to support my rescue Sphynx. I love that they discuss treatment options and never push for things that don't seem absolutely necessary. Nights vets have talked me though simple ways to monitor a sick animal's breathing, and calmed me down over the phone. Techs are sweet and competent, and front desk staff knowledgeable. Super grateful for this clinic! And if you have to wait, it's next to one of the city's best bakeries.

AIMS has been wonderful helping us navigate through some recent health issues our senior dog has faced. The vets and vet techs have been wonderfuland so caring in treating our Shiba, Crush

Great people, great service. I'm glad they're in our neighborhood.

I called to inquire about emergency services and was disappointed by the lack of help from the person that answered. We chose to go to a different hospital for out cat's emergency as a result.

I told the person that answered the phone (after a long wait) that my cat has a medical emergency and she rudely asked "well what is it."

I told her the issue and that based on what I saw online it's supposed to be checked on immediately to ensure no further damage occurs.

The person condescendingly responded "oh so you just heard that online."

The obvious implication was that I was overreacting based on "rumors" online.

But that's the point of calling a hospital!

If I wasn't concerned based on my research we would not have called the hospital to find out how to bring our cat in for immediate treatment.

If it's not a big deal and I shouldn't worry about it, how am I supposed to know that? I am not the vet, you are!

This was a very disappointing experience in a time of distress for my cat and me.

We took our cat to another hospital and they were able to run tests immediately to determine the cause of the issue and get it resolved. They were just as concerned as I was about the condition because of their knowledge of what the condition could imply similar to what I had read online.

AIMSS should focus on helping patients determine whether something is truly an emergency or not instead of belittling their patients for being concerned about medical emergencies. We are not vets, you are.

The late night female Doctor wanted to hold onto my dog past what was needed and incur me more costs, it felt like a tug of war dealing with her. I brought my pet in a night for toxic poisening and when I called in the AM in hopes I could take him out in the afternoon she insisted I wait until she came back on duty at 7pm, very obnoxious, but they did a good job treating my dog

Truly a place that cares! Took our 15 yr old beagle to 3 other vets before this one and they finally gave us candid advice. They were honest and upfront and aren't money-making machines like the others. We unfortunately had to put our dog down and they were super accommodating. Unlike the other vets (given Corona), they let us come into the room and be with him during his last moments. Definitely will be coming back with our other dogs. Dr. Katharine Andres is professional and gentle, highly recommend!

As others have said, the people in this "hospital" lack compassion and are generally unhelpful unless you're there to give them more money. The doctors themselves seem to be knowledgable enough, and have decent bedside manner for the few minutes they deign to grace you with - but everyone else is *terrible.*

- We are fairly certain that two of the vet techs we saw were stoned. They spoke slowly, gave us contradictory information, and had glazed over eyes.

- The night we went, there was simply no one in the lobby / waiting room... for 30 minutes. We asked if anyone was present (they don't have a bell or anything), but eventually had to call their number to get someone in the back to come forward.

- After the fact, we had questions about the treatment plan & medicine that they gave our 16 week old puppy, so we called to get clarification / express some concerns. We were essentially dismissed by the phone operator, and told to call our primary vet. The fact that we weren't able to talk to anyone in the hospital about the medicines recommended the night of, and then ALSO weren't able to call for clarification - is, frankly, unacceptable.

It's a shame that they are currently the only 24 hour pet care in the city proper (SPCA is no longer 24/7), but even so - I would highly recommend that you drive the extra 10 minutes to BluePearl in Daly City if your pet needs immediate attention.

The doctors and the staff at AIMS are amazingly kind, caring, and patient. I took my four month old puppy there a couple of times for ER services when he swallowed things he shouldn t. As a first time pet parent, I was a wreck but they calmed me, took great care of my puppy, and explained the treatment and post recovery care in great detail. I couldn t thank them more.

I have brought my Puppy here for fox tails in nose and eating rat poison. They got us in and got him treated right away.

I discovered at 1AM that my hatchling ball python had managed to dislodge athletic tape in his enclosure that I was using to hold the thermostat probe in place (dumb move on my part using tape; I took all of it out immediately and now use aquarium-safe silicone sealant). He got it stuck to his scales, and it wouldn't come off even with a warm bath. I was scared it might prevent him from excreting, and decided to see a vet.

To my knowledge, AIMSS doesn't normally see reptiles but when I called the receptionist was very polite and professional, and they offered to see him anyways. They were very prompt, got it off quickly, and didn't overcharge me at all.

I can't speak for anyone else's experience, but if mine is a standard example then I would fully expect the negative reviews here have more to do with the pet owners than AIMSS. This is a solid, professional clinic of highly trained experts.

I fully endorse AIMSS and would happily go back if needed!

Best in SF! Caring and highly trained specialty doctors. They saved both of my dogs lives. Expensive but worth every penny. Everyone has been great. Dr. Stewart is off the charts great.

Better care than my human family gets!

This place is interesting. Efficient, but horrible bedside manner. I was very tired today and sick so I was slightly out of it but, they should treat the pets owner with more respect. Especially if clients are dropping a substantial amount of cash on the pet there. Not sure if I will go back for her ultrasound based on my experience.

Really appreciate the professionalism of this vet. It's the only 24/7 emergency vet in SF.

Great place, our dog was sick and we got help at 9pm. The staff was very friendly. We were waiting 10 min only.
They have customer parking which also help us a lot. Nurse called us the next day and ask how is Max doing

The vets and staff here are the best! My dog suffered for over a year with multiple misdiagnosis from other vets in the city. They immediately found the issue. He is now healthy and living his best life. Many thanks!

Friendly staff. Was able to get my pooch in right away. Glad they are there 24/7

My wonderful son had to deal with an old age end of life situation when I was in Europe with our dog. The staff could not have been nicer or more helpful to us! Thank you!

The animal care is very good, but their customer service is terrible and the cost is steep!

This place saved my cat Luke's life. I think some people don't understand that emergency veterinary care costs money. Shout out to all the vets, techs, and front desk staff who have been amazing. Luke was in-patient with them for many days. You can call for an update or visit your animal at any time.

If you love your pet, please take them somewhere else.

I wish I would have read the reviews before coming here. My dog had an elevated heart rate and was at risk of cardiac arrest and so I felt it too late to take him out of here and somewhere else. I had a hard time understanding whether these people wanted to take care of my dog or wanted to extract as much cash from me as possible.

If I could write a script or how to take advantage of somebody to get the most money out of someone in an emergency situation, the doc here followed it to the letter.

My dog is alive, but did not receive treatment beyond the expensive tests they were running for nearly five hours after getting here while having a heart rate of 250 beats per minute.

The staff has an alarming lack of empathy, and the communication is broken at best. Ambiguity with which this week and the oh so upfront palpable 'give me all your money' attitude is upsetting to say the least.

They took advantage of me in an emotionally vulnerable state. While I was waiting in my car to see what would happen I contacted a friend of mine who also had an unfortunate run in with this place.

Update: I brought my dog in for a follow-up appointment this morning to have an ultrasound. The nurse not only thought I was dropping off a cat, but she did not change the expression on her face once, hardly bent down, did not invite my dog inside, but just started dragging him by the neck to take him inside to give him the ultrasound. This behavior is completely deplorable. I immediately regret that I brought him back here instead of getting a lawyer to get some of my money back.

I give 2 stars because my dog is alive. The doctor seems to know what she is talking about, although her salesmanship is her stronger skill.

They took great care of our cat after taking him in late night for a injured paw. The vet who cared for him was attentive and made sure to regularly call us since we couldn't be there.

Always there when you need them since nothing bad ever happens to your pet when your regular vet is open. Many serious emergencies can't be handled by your regular vet. My only complaint is they don't always allow owners in the back.

Where to begin...
I paid $500+ for an x-ray because I believed my dog had a broken leg. Then, they tell me to see a specialist. Basically paid $500+ for them to tell me what is pretty obvious. I could've gone to a specialist directly rather than having to pay the extra $500+. My dog was limping, I did not need an x-ray to tell it was broken. This establishment is greedy and unconcerned about the well being of my pet. I heard my dog screaming on the phone and when I asked if it was my dog, the nurse said, yes, I am so sorry you had to hear that. 20mins later I get another phone call saying that it wasn't my dog that was screaming, it was actually someone else's. Obviously a lie. Furthermore, the staff is so rude. Like other reviews, the staff are just disgusting people. I call for my dog's x-ray several times because I wanted to send it to spca, in order to get an estimate on the surgery. I had to call them 4 times to finally get it. Lets not forget that on the fourth time I called, the staff just hung up on me before I got the chance to ask when I would get the images. Sending a scan of an x-ray should take 5mins. The staff and vet are so incompetent, it hurts my brain to think that this establishment is still running. Finally, I get a call that my dog will be ready soon and that they would call me when I can pick up my dog. I ended up checking back at midnight to ask if my dog is ready. They said she was ready a long time ago. I didn't want to start an argument with the staff so I sucked it up and drove down there to pick up my dog. I got there at 12:30am. I finally got my dog at 1:30am. I waited in my car for an hour, even though they said she was ready to be picked up. The staff and doctor at this establishment are genuinely dumb. I have nothing good to say about this place.

READ THE BAD REVIEWS!
It's so frightening and true!!
Many have written:
They are extremely unprofessional and will scam you for more money when your pet is sick!

Our beloved dog was transferred here from another vet because he needed critical care specialists. He had a severe aspiration pneumonia with severe complications. Sadly, he did not make it. We spent the whole day with him at AIMSS. And while it was not the outcome we had hoped for and fought for, we could not have asked for a more peaceful, and supportive transition. I work in human medicine, and have myself unfortunately transitioned someone else's loved one from critical care to comfort care. The care he received was solid, Dr. Black fought hard for us while keeping us informed throughout the process. AIMSS also allowed us space and peace even in their very busy treatment area. It was a very painful day but we knew that we did right by our beloved dog. We offered him the best care and a peaceful transition with us by his side. We feel that AIMSS fought as hard as we could with solid science and also empathy all throughout.

They took care of poor kitty after she got into something pretty toxic. Calmed our anxiety and gave us straight answers. You do have to pay the low end of the bill estimate upfront, so be ready with your credit card.

AIMSS is horribly understaffed and frantic (with technicians and front desk doing the best that they can) and you will not be able to get anyone on the phone for hours if you bring your pet to be seen. The owner of this vet hospital needs to staff properly. They had one veterinarian there the night I went to handle all cases - emergency and critical.

Horrifyingly, that vet decided that she would put my dog under, without my consent, to treat. She placed a muzzle on him (wound was on his snout) and put him under without giving me a call to discuss whether he, a senior dog, reacted well to sedation or had ever had a bad experience. Their team claimed there was consent because the medication was on the invoice that I agreed to pay (as costing $0.00). My dog does not react well to sedation or reverse sedation and he has been ill for 3 days since seeing the vet at AIMSS. They will not treat your animal well - their lack of communication with owners does not allow for best practice (or even standard practice) veterinary medicine to happen here.

It is comforting to have this hospital so close by. I have been in need of their services 3 times in my 24 years in San Francisco. Each time they gave my pet compassionate, competent care. The most recent visit was due to our terrier experiencing sudden onset ataxia and vomiting soon after a walk. The doctor immediately suspected that she had ingested marijuana, which was confirmed by urine test. Apparently, it is very common for dogs to be exposed in or near parks. Luckily, she is recovering. I can't thank the staff enough for taking such good care of our dog!

The only silver lining here is Dr. Kramer who treated my dog Sophie very kindly and made sure that she was comfortable crossing over the rainbow bridge. The horrible part is I paid for my pets remains to be mailed to me. The hospital charged me $500 which was fully paid last October. It's been 2 months and I STILL have not received my pet's remains. I call and follow-up every week and they keep saying they will call back but THEY NEVER DID. Plus their receptionist has ZERO customer service skills. VERY UNRESPONSIVE, VERY UNPROFESSIONAL.

I can't thank them enough for the compassion they had for me and my Kitty, Zoey today. They really worked with me and helped me through a very trying time. I am so grateful for the services they provided for us and I highly recommend them. May God bless and support them.

They were very responsive and did a great job, however, the immediate cost was very high and not many options for payment plans.

I went here for years under different ownership and appreciated them.
I knew their current reputation before I went, but my dog was dying at 1:30 am. I had no choice. I had to give her a chance. They took my dog, gave me a CPR release form to sign. The front desk would not let me talk to the doctor before I signed the form. Two minutes later they confirmed that my dog was dead and charged me $1k.
They technically did everything right, but I felt scammed. Their attempts at condolence felt like insult.
Unfortunately, choices of ER Vets in San Francisco are very limited.

Cruel. Cold. Incompetent.

All of these added up to the absolute worst, most painful experience of my life, this May of 2020.

Cruel:

I was referred to AIMMS by my regular vet, SF SPCA (because of them referring me here I will no longer use them either). My dog was in pulmonary distress, and AIMMS admitted her. For two days she stayed there, and being in the middle of the pandemic I couldn t even visit her (this I understood, it just made everything worse).

Two days later she was sent home, with four different medications to be administered at different times every day. Upon my arrival home I was greeted with the paid receipt in my email: Over $8,000. Yes. EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS. As long as she was feeling better, I didn t care about the money. She is my soulmate, and you cannot put a price on that. I was determined to faithfully administer her medicine, making sure the remainder of her beautiful life was safe and comfortable.

Unfortunately, back at home it was abundantly clear that my little girl was still in distress. She was shaking, lethargic and unable to hold her bladder. I called AIMMS again and they advised me to bring her back immediately.

After waiting, forever it seemed, outside to receive the vet s phone call from just inside the office, I was told there were a few things they could do, including adding more medications, running a urinalysis, etc. By then I HAD to ask if there was really any point to this. The vet hemmed, hawed and provided no real helpful information.

Without going into the painful details, after numerous calls to family and friends, I had to make the impossible decision to say goodbye, and put my best little friend to sleep. I have never cried more, and I do to this day. What made it worse is knowing that she had been put through hell for the last two days. WHY did they do this when it was clear she was not going to make it? Hence, DOWNRIGHT CRUEL.

Cold:

I was allowed in for the euthanasia procedure. It was in a cold room, with an equally cold female vet. I was crying so hard I could barely stand, holding my little girl and saying goodbye. When it was time, I was given no explanation of what to expect, other than she s going to get sleepy. She DIDN T get sleepy. Instead, she simply collapsed on the cold steel table, at which point the vet simply said, She s gone. She then began a matter-of-fact discussion with the friend I had called to be with me on how much more humane we are to our pets than to each other. I had to scream, SHUT UP, PLEASE!!! while I held on to my girl's lifeless body, erupting in convulsive tears. My girl was indeed gone. I was inconsolable. The vet was just COLD.

Incompetent:

I was told to call the following week to tell them what was to be inscribed on my girl s urn after her cremation. I called, told them, and had them read it back to me to make sure I got it right. Two weeks later, I retrieved the urn. I fell apart all over again. After many moments, crying in the car with my friend who brought me, I opened the cardboard box to see the actual wooden urn, only to realize they had MISSPELLED the inscription! Talk about insult to injury. Talk about shear INCOMPETENCE.

And, in fact, the close friend who brought me to pick up her remains admitted to me later that he had an equally horrible experience there resulting in his cat being put to sleep. He didn t tell me at the time because he knew how devastated I was.

In closing, I can only say beware. Just drive by this place and you ll witness what a dump it is from the exterior. You can be assured that the interior is just as bad. The staff is neither caring nor compassionate. My little pup died a horrible death at the hands of these people, and she should not have had to go through the hell they put her through.

And, to add even more pain, upon arriving back home, without my little girl, there was yet another paid receipt awaiting me. I couldn t even look at it. I just trashed it.

This veterinarian DOES NOT deserve your business. PLEASE AVOID!

Grateful to AIMS for treating my dog s bite wound after he was attacked by an off leash dog. My little guy is on the mend now thanks to the wonderful staff here. Thank you!

Nice front staff and convenient 24 hours clinic with bonus parking lot. However right now I'm not very happy, have a sick dog and vet said ultrasound needed, conveniently a radiologist has already been called. But when estimate given, they charge is for emergency radiologist. Then when questioned they say the radiologist has only been called for our dog. In the meantime I'm sitting on the most uncomfortable bench in the world and the oblivious tech keeps going in and out of the examination room. Not leaving a great impression at this point.

Parking is the only thing that makes it 4 stars, otherwise I'll give it 5 stars.

This is an edited version of the letter sent to AIMSS (edit due to character usage not content)
I have always thought that Veterinarians helped animals communicate with their owners. You are the conduit that helps us help our furbabies. You notice all the subtle nuances of an animal and are able to translate those nuances into needs for the owner. Communication and follow up, in any business is paramount, but is essential when you are dealing with the life and health of a living creature. In a lot of ways surgery is the easy part, it s all the aftercare that takes place at home that is vital for full recovery.
Our experience at your clinic comes with mixed review. While I feel that Dr. Willianson, Dr. Black, and Dr. Neilson are extremely competent and wickedly smart and your clinic is comprised of kind, compassionate staff, I feel that there has been a serious lack of communication and follow up.
On the rare moments you have had the time to speak with me, you ve explained the boom of business you ve been experiencing due to the other emergency vets in the Bay Area cutting their hours and how overwhelming it has been for your clinic. I saw this boom as I sat in your waiting room from August 9th - 13th. It is a revolving door. From admission to Discharge (4 days) I saw a vet twice.
When I told a staff member about my experience of only seeing a vet twice during our 4 day stay. Her response at that time was oh, the standard of care is for the vet to call owners twice a day when a pet is hospitalized.
In a 3 week time period I have sent 3 emails and made 5 phone calls to the clinic seeking advice for the care of my dog (med questions, activity restrictions, etc). In total, I have received one return phone call from Dr. Black and zero response to the emails. ***There are several intances where I reached out for help and no one ever followed up, but due to character limit, I am unable to include them***
After my 2 week follow up appointment I was doing some exercises with Bisquit when I noticed a lot of creaking and popping in her joint. I immediately called the vet to ask if Dr Neilson had made any comment about this in her notes. The receptionist sent me the progress note that Dr Neilson had written. After I read the progress note, I still had questions, so I responded to the email twice asking for clarification. These emails were never responded to.
I pose these questions, if I was a concerned parent calling in about creaking and popping in a joint of a surgical site, shouldn t the vet be made aware of that and if that vet was made aware of me calling that day, wouldn t that vet want to call me to follow up? This is the after care I am referring too. When an animal is admitted to the veterinary hospital for an emergency their care does not stop at discharge.
It is unfortunate that your clinic is experiencing growing pains. It is unfortunate that your clients are not receiving the aftercare that they need and deserve. Follow up care is vital for full recovery. Being there to support us parents so we can support our animals is fundamental to the Vet-Pet-Owner relationship. Will Rogers said The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what is the matter-he's got to just know. I trusted you to be my dog s voice. I trusted you to be there to answer my questions so I could support Bisquit to the best of my ability. I needed your help. Your clinic has let down not only me, but most importantly my dog. Please, every day in every second, while you practice, remember the Veterinarian's Oath that you took.
I hope this review will promote some changes in your clinic so other animals and their owners can receive exceptional care that they deserve. Have you ever thought about a Care Coordinator? Someone who is dedicated to solely following up with patients. I know you can t cap you admissions per day, but surely there has to be a way to provide emergent care while providing the proper follow up and support that each patient needs.

We took our dog for an emergency visit there. The nurse did some quick examinations and then we were waiting for the doctor for over 40 minutes. Then they took our dog and we didn t hear back from them for 2 hours. They run labs but the doctor was busy and didn t have a chance to look at the results earlier. The doctor did not do any diagnosis, they solely look at the lab results, which a person with no veterinary degree could do as well.

Terrible hospital and doctors, save your time and money , they do not care about your pets, all they care about is taking money from you

Expensive, admin stuff is not considerate, but very good specialists. Like a NY restaurant with tough service and long wait, but good food.

Wonderful staff! I thought my only Chihuahua child was choking and ran over to the pet hospital on a Saturday night (they are open 24/7). The staff took him back right away had him tested and treated quickly. They understood, as his mother, I was a anxious and scared my little guy wasn't going to make it... And they took the time to explain everything multiple times without judgement to make sure I understood the severity of his condition and treatment plan. He had a xray, blood and stool tests, and was seen home with medication and treatment plan. They gave me all the instructions in writing and we're happy to keep my Chihuahuas primary care informed. They called me three times to check on him...and with the treatment provided, my little guy is back to his tail wagging self! My Aunt was shocked when I told her I paid $1000...but if it was her child... I don't think she would have been so shocked. Thank you for all that you did! Chaos is doing great!

Terrible communication about what was going on inside and incredibly slow. Waited 1.5 hours outside and then another 2 while my dog was inside only to find out she had only had basic exam by that point. The vet I talked to was super lovely and knowledgeable but overall a very upsetting experience due to poor communication and incredibly slow wait times. When I decided not to go through with the recommended treatment (seemed like overkill), it also took a while and confusing calls to get my dog back.

Not emergency place. Got there middle of night and told shift too busy with severe problems. Day vets don t come til 9am weekdays (told 7am). Waited in car as told per Covid. Called twice to check. 12+ hours nobody could see me. My dog was vomiting many times and diarrhea all day so I d consider it emergency. They are understaffed. Drive to a hospital not a place with ONE vet. I went to SPCA 3 blocks away and was seen immediately. Pancreatitis, bloody diarrhea, and blocked intestines. He would have died waiting here.

This is our puppy s 2nd visit to this ER. The first time was from an infected bite wound from another puppy during play and the experience was good at their old location. However, we took our 7lb puppy to this ER for treatment of a potential poisoning last night, but rather than test immediately, the staff was incapable of subduing said small lethargic dog and had to sedate him 4 times to get a cone on him...at which point what he had consumed had possibly already passed since 7+ hours had passed since we initially arrived at their office. The discharge instructions and follow up instructions were MOSTLY paragraphs of complaints about his behavior and how he should be taken to a behaviorist with only a short line pertaining to the actual reason we took him to the ER. Our puppy hasn t had complaints the last time we visited here nor from his normal vet so it s possible this behavior was due to his sick state or how he was handled in this ER. It would be absurd taking your human kid to the ER and having a doctor give you discharge papers with just behavioral complaints about the kid (while he s sick and drugged) and how to treat those behavior problems so he behaves better in the ER instead of actual information relevant to his illness. I don t see why this is acceptable discharge instructions from a pet ER. Our puppy was clearly traumatized from the experience as well and is still recovering.

Do NOT bring your pet here! This is the scariest and most unethical veterinary clinic . I still have not received a call from the Vet with any opinions, diagnosis or even the lab results from our September 8th visit with our sick dog. When I called 2 days after the visit, the girl hung up on me! They are only in it for the $$ ( $1,000.00 for nothing)

Very helpful to read MULTIPLE reviews that coincide with my experience.
As I wait for a broken down bill from AIMSS and SPCA (completely different experience in same scenario) still waits for the Xrays of my now dead dog that AIMSS took and did not send when requested at time of emergency.
I could work on telling my full story or I could just tell you te things that I experienced with them and that I see mentioned again and again in other reviews.
- don t care about your pet, just the money
-don t move fast in time of emergency
- no compassion
- no manner from most staff. Some are ok.
- contradictory information
- waiting for a breakdown of my payment
- have not replied emails
I ll probably come back and update this review accordingly when they get back, if they do.

Dr. Williamson treats Blackbearry like he is her own woofer baby. He actually likes going to the vet! I know he is in the best hands possible when we are there.

They were very responsive and did a great job, however, the immediate cost was very high and not many options for payment plans.

If you like to spend lots of money, wait a long time, and see an incompetent doc who can't speak softly around a frightened animal, this is your vet hospital.

I am grateful for the excellent service my sweet kitty boy has received over the years we have been going to AIMSS. He was a real tough guy who made the most out of his nine lives. I feel the care he received was always appropriate and the providers were consistently kind, super knowledgeable honest and clear (even in the middle of the night). I took him to a primary veterinarian until he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after which I only felt comfortable taking him to AIMSS.
One night after getting a clot in his paw (super painful) I took him in and Dr Williamson diagnosed him in about 2 seconds and gave me the facts about blood clots in cats. He was a lucky one and she saved his life again. The first save was when I brought him in because he was breathing with his mouth open, not normal for cats. I feel la debt of gratitude as we got more quality time with our sweet boy.
Is it expensive? Yes, but that is what emergency care cost. I never felt any procedure was unnecessary or that I was not informed about the cost or that I had no choice. Dr Black worked getting me set up with an outside pharmacy, and Dr Williamson suggested GoodRx to obtain better prices on medications; both excellent recommendations that made a significant difference in medication expenses.
Do you have to wait? Sometimes...just like the ER for humans. But I found that they do a great job of triaging the animals. So if you have to wait, be patient it just means they are working on saving a life. In the non emergency times when I had to wait for Cookie to be seen, I was happy to wait because Cookie could wait, he was alive and living a good life, a life he would not be living if it was not for the amazingly qualified and compassionate people at AIMSS. As far as how things went at the end of Cookies stay on the planet... well, true to form the folks at AIMSS handled me, my family and the sweetest cat in the world with the utmost care. That is never easy for anyone. So, if your furry friend needs emergency care don't hesitate, go to AIMSS.

Kind, attentive and intelligent. I'm glad I took my cat to aimss.

AIMS(doctors and nurses), listened to my explanations of my dogs changed behavior and pain. Dogs exhibit strange behavior when in pain only obvious to their owners that something is very wrong. They asked questions and were kind and thorough.

They did multiple tests, blood work, ultra sound and X Ray, over 24 hours, not giving up until they found a diagnosis. I was right and they were right, they found a serious injury in my dog s spine. They kept me posted on each test while I waited anxiously at home. My dog is now on bed rest with medications to keep him comfortable and heal him.

I arrived at AIMS a few hours after having taken my pet to a different emergency service(SPCA on Fillmore). The previous hospital had been dismissive of my dog s pain. They explained away and dismissed my reasoning of something being seriously wrong with my dog. The contrast in the hospitals is shocking to me.

Competent doctors, nurses and staff who listen, are kind and put the animals health first. They are also responsive and answer questions over the phone.

AIMS, thank you for taking care of my best friend.

They helped my sick cat in the middle of the night, the vet was really helpful and empathetic. It's a bit expensive to have a sick cat and they were considerate of costs too and there were no surprises.

Update: my sick cat got an extra seven months of life because of the medical help she got from the wonderful vet at AIMSS. Our cat was in really good shape, humor and spirit and brought us a lot of joy between leaving the hospital and her recent passing away. Due to covid she spent almost that whole time with me everyday, and I really appreciate it and I know she did too. Our vet also helped our cat to be comfortable for her final hours while the tests determined she couldn't realistically recover, letting us say goodbye. It's hard to run this place during Covid but they are making it work and that had a big impact on us. I was happy to see all the other animals going home while we were there.

AIMS has been wonderful helping us navigate through some recent health issues our senior dog has faced. The vets and vet techs have been wonderfuland so caring in treating our Shiba, Crush

Amazing hospital that is filled with love, compassion and perfection with all animals!!!

Thank you AIMSS!!

Nice facility with friendly staff, provided excellent care for my cat. I felt they were a bit too eager to get us to agree right off the bat to a broad (and expensive) array of tests instead of starting with the most urgent tests and going from there. Nonetheless I would go back if my cat had another urgent health issue.

Highly recommend Dr. Kathy Andres for vet oncology. She's very kind, knowledgeable, realistic, and honest when it comes to your pets care, condition, and options.

We love the care our 2 dogs receive here. The staff are always very friendly and transparent and they understand that we want what is best for our pets without going broke in the process. If you are wondering whether you should take your pet to the emergency vet, or if you are trying to decide between here and somewhere else, just know that I have had nothing but positive experiences here. There's even a dedicated parking lot to the left of the bldg.

I waited outside for a nurse to come out for over an hour. They told me twice they would be right there. They took two other dogs in that arrived after me. I asked, if your too busy, I understand and will go somewhere else and they said no no, be right out. Another 20 min past of standing on a sidewalk with a sick dog - so I left. Awful experience and totally wasted time and have to go to another emergency care facility now.

Took my dog here for a limp leg and leg swelling. They qouted me $3000-4000. It was an emergency since he had a high fever. He had a small knick to his tail at this time and a rash from chewing on it. They wrapped it and mainly treated the leg. The following day i visit my dog, about 3 inches of his tail was wrapped and his leg was supposedly more swollen from the knee tap. They gave me a knew quote that day, adding extra day and services for the knee. I had no choice because my dogs life might have been in danger. I agreed. And was supposed to leave him 3 days now. I called Saturday night to see how he was doing. They said he was recovering but now recommended ANOTHER day. I couldnt afford another thousand+ for another day when my bill was over $5000.... i said ill take him Sunday. They said ok and when i got there, the bill was a few dollars more than what they said in the morning. I asked why it wasnt the $5043 they had originally told me was my total and instead it was $5061 now. At this point, a few dollars mattered. After waiting 2 hours to get my dog, I noticed his entire tail was wrapped vs the 3 inches from Friday. They only left about 2 inches from the base of his tail. I didnt think much of it and they said we needed to come back Monday for followup appointment and another bandage change for my dogs tail. They told me my dogs tail was healing every time I talked to them. I didn't go back on Monday because they charge over $55 for just bandage and some other stuff so it would have cost me $100+. On Tuesday, I removed the bandages myself. My dog was crying as i was removing it. I was wondering why he was in so much pain. When o finally got the right bandage off, i saw that the tip of his tail was BLACK, SHRIVELED AND DEAD! Exactly the 3 inches that was covered on that Friday when i went to visit him. I didnt trust them so I never went back to them. I went to SPCA for their opinion and they said his tail needed to be amputated.... now my pitbull does not have a tail and had suffered about a month with a cone around his head...... i wouldn't trust this vet with your pet... all they want is money. I will definitely be pressing charges for them killing me dogs tail... whoever wrappes it was not a professional and wrapped it way too tight BOTH times! Luckily I took it off on Tuesday before the whole tail died.....

Incredibly Expensive
My 15 year old dog had a diabetic episode while we were out of town. Our dog sitter brought her to AIM and told them she was diabetic and that she had a seizure.
I spoke by phone to the vet on duty and explained that this had happened before and please do what you can but do not perform any unnecessary procedures such as x-rays.
She was there approximately 8 hours before she had to be euthanized.
The bill was over $4,000, including charges for x-rays. I paid the bill but a few days later requested a detailed explanation of the charges. I sent two follow-up requests but still have not received a response.
My dog had a previous diabetic emergency and we took her to VCA where she had to stay for 48 hours. The bill was approximately the same as it was for 8 hours at AIM. So, beware. If you have time to choose an emergency vet, AIM is outrageously expensive!

I live in Marin and had my mom coming from Contra Costa 1 hr away for a visit. Her pup had a terrible accident on his paw as he ran down the outside stairs, his nail got caught on our wooden step and 80 percent of his front claw ripped off. Mom's vet was closed and Animal Internal Medicine was open so we went! Super professional on the phone, excellent curb side service is being offered and they we're able to see us as soon as possible. We waited about 2 hours total the first time. We had to do a follow-up where we just called in to see the workload and also waited about 2 hours.

Honestly, great service! Brilliant Vets and staff all working together to help all our fur babies! So happy we found a gem in the city that is truly making a difference.

Truly they made a horrible experience bearable.

Coming off 48 h shift, sent here by my normal vet. Terrible communication while waiting, rude staff. Maybe when you can be in with your pet it's fine, but I will never come back here

We receive the best care for our guide dog every time we come here. They even have magazine for the animals to read in the waiting room.

Came in for my hamster s emergency. She was bleeding. We waited outside in the cold for over an hour and watched as nurses took in other people or went home. We asked about the situation twice and they said they wouldn t allow us in (due to Covid-19) and that a nurse will take care of us once she finished a medication. Waited another half hour and nothing. No further communication. Some other people were taken care of right as they arrived though! Terrible service and they don t have small animal specialists.

"Doctor" met me in the little room. Said the services would be $3-4000. Dog had a parasite. I said I could not afford that. "Doctor" said he would recalculate. "Doctor" came back at $650-950. I said OK. Later, charges were: $1200. I paid. I asked: " Did the charges incur interest during my 45 minute visit?"
Bill collector at counter: "I don't know".

They were responsive, understanding, and caring. My cat went in looking as sick as I have ever seen him, and came out in a few hours, perhaps not yet healthy, but getting better, and we know what the problem is and have a path forward. They gave me an appointment quickly even in the times of Covid-19. The only thing that knocks them down to four stars was that I was there far longer than expected because of an emergency. That, in and of itself, wasn't the issue, emergencies should come first. What knocks off the star is that no one kept me informed that was going on and I couldn't tell what was happening from my car in the parking lot (because of the pandemic). "We'll call you in half an hour" turned into a several hour wait without warning or explanation until I called them after a couple hours.

They were open @ 2 am. They've priced are reasonable and we were in and out in no time!

I would not recommend using this veterinarian unless you absolutely must. Communication and bedside manner were all quite poor. Prices are astronomical for overnight stays, and over all experience left me feeling uninformed and without control.

I have gone to AIMSS for two separate situations for my dog and both times I've been happy with the service. The most recent, in an emergency situation, I was very happy with the staff, their responsiveness and empathy to me and my pet. All of the staff I spoke to clearly cared about their patients and honestly, me. I was stressed out and got a little snappy with the staff, they never snapped back at me even though I probably deserved it, but only worked to make me feel reassured and said that they're there for me as well as my dog. It was rare to hear this, and I was impressed.

This place is great and I am happy they are here. They took wonderful care of my dog. My only problem is that we were told we could pick him up at 10:00 when we called at 7:00am. We double checked as parking is tough and we're told that our dog was still wobbled and they would keep him, call back at noon. NO MENTION OF EXTRA CHARGES. We called at noon and again we're told, we will keep him awhile longer call back at 4:00. AGAIN, NO MENTION OF EXTRA CHARGES! We thought all was good as we had paid $1100.00 the night before. When we finally were able to get our dog as we just went there at 4:30, we were presented with another 500.00 bill. We were home and could have kept an eye on him. This is very poor business practices. I complained 2 weeks ago and was told I would be called back. Today I spoke with Kara and was told I would be called back. Stay tuned.

I came here as a walk in and was treated very poorly. I left as soon as the mean lady in the front was disrespectful and unprofessional.

Also a customer outside told me they were really impolite and over charged her for thousands extra.

My sick kittens deserve decent treatment. I can t be assured that mean people will provide that to them.

Really smart , caring vets here. At times they get bit busy but will eventually call you back especially if you're persistent.

We brought our sick kitten here and ran into a huge amount of communications issues with the team there. Everyone we spoke with either gave us different answered about what to expect or left out important details. We now feel like we were swindled out of $600 because we were given half truths about what was needed and when we could expect results. We realize now we paid for tests that we won t get results for until it s too late. Ask A LOT of questions if you go.

I wish we read other similar reviews before taking him here.

This is an amazing Vet and extremely affordable. They really care about animals and make you feel safe when they are treating your animal. I know for me I was panicked about my baby pug and they helped me calm down and reassured me he was gonna be fine and gave me clear instructions. I am so greatful they are here for my pugs needs.

They cared for my insanely complex Japanese chin who had glaucoma, gme, seizures and heart failure. Dr. Black was an angel to me and my dog. I will forever be grateful for their care, empathy and amazing medical expertise. This is a few years overdue but I had to share.

I've used this emergency clinic (and some of their specialty services) several times over the years always with good results and professional, competent service, but I had a really bad experience here yesterday. I don't want to single out any one person as it seems more like an institutional problem.

I brought in my older dog who was coughing and breathing more than 60 times/minute. They took him in as an emergency, but then things really slowed down. I didn't hear from the doctor for over an hour, and then only to tell me that he needed xrays and blood work. Of course he did, he was very sick! Then another 2 hour wait to tell me the xrays and blood work were done and was told the xray showed a tumor and maybe heart failure but the doctor wanted an outside radiologist to make a more expert interpretation and this was being asked for STAT. Another 3 1/2 hour wait to be told that the radiologist says he has pneumonia, no tumor, no heart failure. By now he's been there for more than 7 hours. By the time they discharge him at 8 hours, he had not received any medications or any fluids, although the doctor says she gave him a bowl of water at some point.

When I expressed my unhappiness that he had not received any treatment and the STAT read on the xray took 3 1/2 hours, the doctor agreed to give him his first dose of ORAL antibiotics rather than having me give it to him at home. If he has such a severe pneumonia that it looks like a tumor on xray shouldn't he be getting IV antibiotics and fluids?

Every conversation I had with the doctor was pleasant and I felt she really cared about my dog and was trying her best to get him taken care of. So where was the problem? It seemed to me that the clinic was extremely understaffed, at least from what I could see of the front desk and the very few nurses or techs who were doing intake. We were there mid day (11am-7pm) on a Saturday, which I would think would be an important staffing period for the only emergency vet in the city. Also, when I got my dog home, he had to pee for a very long time, and was incredibly thirsty which made me think he hadn't been taken out or given much water during his 8 hours there. The discharge nurse even told me his labs looked like he was dehydrated! So why no fluids?

One other bit of weirdness: when I got to the clinic there were several large puddles of blood and blood splattered all along the sidewalk in front of the door. Despite watching multiple staff members coming in and out of the door and literally stepping over the puddles, nobody cleaned up the blood for hours! That gave me the feeling that they just don't really care and don't have much enthusiasm for their work environment or respect for their customers. It's sad. Management needs to read all of these one star reviews and get their act together.

I have add to go into AIMSS a few times recently. Including when my pup most likely got into a toxic plant and then when he had an outsize reaction to a medicine for worms. The staff and doctors are kind and competent. It is too bad that with COVID I could not go in with my dog but they call during the exam and I would certainly feel confident taking him there again.

They saved life of my 14 year old dog, who was suffocating with larengeal paralysis. He had to spend 6 days in the hospital and the care, he received was marvelous. Great thanks to doctors and staff.

The staff was very professional and caring during a difficult time concerning a family pet.

My dog was hit by a car and had run off ( I thought to go die some place) afterwards . I didn't see her for 2 1/2 days and she was returned to me the following Monday. I took her here to make sure she was ok when I got her back it was Memorial Day. They told me it would be $95. To see her , don't get me wrong I love my dog and she is more then just a dog to me, she is my companion and my service animal. But I have no money if it wasn't for the fact I have a very good friend I would be entirely homeless. But I had the insurance info of the woman who had hit my dog and drug her under her vehical for 100 feet and ran her over. Yet this did not make any difference. They did however refer me to the SPCA animal hospital in Filmore and Jackson of which my experience will be posted later.

This was the only emergency pet hospital open in SF on Sunday evening when we needed to take my puppy that apparently ingested drugs off the streets of San Francisco to emergency. To say the least, we were extremely scared. He s less than one years old miniature Pomeranian. After waiting 1.5 hrs, I called to check in as they said they would treat him right away. Each person I spoke to communicated a different thing to me that was not adding up - including the admin, nurse, and even the doctor. I asked simple questions like: when are you going to treat my dog it s been 1.5 hrs already and I ve now been told it ll be another 1hr+ now, why is there such a lack of communication, what does he s stable mean, when do you think you ll be able to treat him I m very concerned that he s not comfortable waiting for treatment there, etc. The nurse diminished my concern repeatedly by saying my dog was not a priority compared to the other cases and attempting to teach me about what triage means as if relevant to my concern. Then, she gave me an ultimatum that if I didn t want to wait or wasn t happy with the service I could take my dog elsewhere - as if I had a choice and this wasn t an emergency situation. She said so what ll it be? You want us to treat your dog or not? Again, still wasn t clear on how or when they were going to treat my puppy. How does it help to provide general answers with no specific info or process to concerned dog owners that adore their pets and cannot speak for themselves?

This is late at night, of course during COVID so we also can t be with our little one, and we are sitting in our car out front waiting this whole time. There is obvious frustration that will arise and again, there was a total miscommunication between staff. After a little over 2.5 hrs of waiting, the doctor then called saying they finally treated our dog and then proceeded to threatened me that if I wanted to come back to ever receive service there that I have to be respectful. I explained to her pretty calmly that I felt the nurse was being incredibly insensitive and wasn t speaking to me respectfully and that honestly I hope not to come back again because this was an emergency situation where this was the only emergency open and all I wanted was to understand when and how my dog would be treated because I love my dog. Then, in our dogs discharge documents, the doctor who was apparently extremely busy and couldn t treat my dog for 2.5+ hrs, had the time to write a very disrespectful and long note personally attacking me calling me a trantruming child. FYI trantruming is not a word - it s a misspelling, Doctor. And, thanks for obviously taking your stress out on your already stressed our clients who are paying a ridiculous premium to get emergency care for their innocent animals. It s incredibly unprofessional to put a personal attack in the discharge documents for my dog which should outline how I care for him after treatment! How could you feel ok doing such a thing as a Doctor even after already threatening your client on the phone?

I cried in the car holding my dog that was passed out in my arms after the whole situation. I couldn t believe how this emergency situation to help my puppy became such an intense personal attack on me.