Veterinary Internal Medicine Service

VMS has been nothing but professional, kind, and caring. The tech’s are wonderful with our Chows, both the easy, friendly one, Misty as well as the fearful one, Zuri. The time and patience they have exhibited with the fearful Chow was amazing. Dr. Helen Hamilton, Dr. Holly Hamilton and Dr. Appel, they all worked slowly and thoughtfully. Karen worked with us that day as well and made the whole process so much easier.
We recently visited Dr. Fitch to help Misty with her arthritis. She was limping and in pain. He was very good explaining our options, and the Ortho exam was extensive. We are happy to see the treatment has helped Misty, she has better movement and is more engaged and interactive with us.
All the Tech’s that have helped us have been great! From finding very difficult veins, to lending a shoulder to lean on.
Last, but not least, the emergency service was impressive. We needed to bring Misty in and Dr​.St. Claire was working that night. She worked with our girl all through the night and kept in touch with us with updates. We literally have two other emergency Vet’s that are closer, but felt the quality of care would be superior at VMS.

Took my dog there from Turlock, Ca had to have emergency surgery to have ruptured gallbladder removed. They literally saved his life. I can’t thank them enough. Dr Appel and her staff were wonderful and kept me informed during his recovery. Highly recommend them. Thanks again!
Tanner’ s Mom

I had a very pleasant experience with Dr Hamilton dealing with a very unpleasant situation of cat diabetes.
My cat Dim Dim was originally treated at Ohlone Emergency due to a diabetes emergency, we then transferred her to Veterinary Internal Medicine Service and Dr. Hamilton decided to take over her care due to Dim Dim’s complication with high blood glucose and liver/​pancreas issues.
Dr Hamilton was very detailed during the initial examination; she was also very calming and patient when explaining the situation and the course of action. Urine/​blood/​ultrasound tests were performed right away in the office. My cat required 24-​hour monitoring for several days, and Dr Hamilton gave her all the necessary attention. During the hospital stay, Dr. Hamilton called me twice a day to update me how Dim Dim’s doing, this is really a bonus and help ease my concerns.
Dim Dim is released after a week’s of hospital stay, Dr Hamilton continued to provide expert care over the phone; she called EVERY morning to check how Dim Dim’s doing at home even when she was out of town over the weekend. Dr. Hamilton correctly predicted the recovery progress, and adjusted the treatment plan based on my cat’s current state. I found Dr Hamilton very professional and knowledgeable. What she had done was beyond an ordinary vet, she not only gave instructions on how we should do the medication (insulin injection) to my cat at home, she also educated us how we should react (adjusting medication dosage and diet plan) if situation changes over time. She was accessible via calls and emails, providing immediate access while minimizing the time/​cost of office visits.
The staff: office manager Cheryl and couples of the technicians, I remember one of them is Jan, are also very pet-​loving, friendly and patient. They took good care of my cat (e.g. feeding, administering medication, cleaning, even exercising her), accommodated for daily visits, responded efficiently to medical questions/​requests, and even offered billing discounts.
I really appreciated what Dr Hamilton and her staffs had done for us. I would HIGHLY recommend Dr Hamilton and her staff.

Maddie had exploratory survey at her regular vet to try to find out why she wasn’t keeping food down. She ended up at Ohlone Emergency after the surgery to be watched overnight, and Dr. Hamilton took over her care. I cannot say enough about the care Maddie received. She had complications from the first surgery and needed further emergency surgery (that will be another review for Dr. Appel) and Dr. Hamilton continued her care after that. The story is too long to relate, but Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Appel saved Maddie’s life. Over a week in intensive care and several close calls, but Maddie is on the road to recovery. Dr. Hamilton maintained contact even while out of town over the weekend, and has listened without reservation when I called with concerns. Her staff is also wonderful. They all love what they do and treated my wife and I with compassion when we thought we would lose Maddie.
Thank you Dr. Hamilton and staff!

In response to the comments by the business: there was a time when a veterinarian left when my dog was suffering & we were not kept properly apprised of the inability to see our dying pet.

VIMS is, literally, the vet’s vet. I am a vet and have sent VIMS many cases over the past seventeen years, usually the sickest of the sick, the very toughest cases. All my clients rave about VIMS and I do too. My clients drive thirty minutes to get there, past many other vet offices, but I know they will get the best possible state of the art care at VIMS. They are nice people too and highly ethical. If they say a pet needs a test I know with confidence they need that test, every time. VIMS always call me with updates the very same day. Your animal friend could not be in better hands.
Glynn Echerd, DVM

My family and I would give both of my dogs table scraps aside from their normal dog food. One of my dogs got really sick the next day. He ended up vomiting multiple times until we brought him to the Ohlone Emergency Veterinary Clinic. During the weekends and after hours, VIMS would turn into the Ohlone Emergency Clinic so he stayed at Ohlone EC for 2 nights and at VIMS for 1 ½ days.
My dog was treated for dehydration and was given medications to ease the pain and nausea/​vomiting due to pancreatitis. The staff are very friendly, especially the manager Cheryl. She was very welcoming and answered all the questions we had regarding my dog’s state. She was even nice enough to let us go see him in the back. Dr. Sergeef was very nice and explained thoroughly in how to take care of my dog when we took him home. The staff are patient and understanding and I would bring my dogs here again.

My poor little kitty Pinky has been suffering from asthma for over 3 years. I have been to 3 different vets trying to find a better relief. I understand that asthma is a chronic condition and at best it can be managed. I would like to know if there is a better medication to make my cat feel better, or if there is something I’m not doing. Perhaps, he needs and inhaler? I asked how the approach to treatment would be different than my regular vet visits (where he takes predisone and terbuline). The answer I got was that their doctors were more educated to deal with chronic conditions.
Question was not answered.
Ardenwood pet hospital recommended me to call this place. Receptionist on the phone stated that the consult is $ 160 without any test. Lab Test would be probably be double what a regular vet would charge. Regular vet visits are at most $ 60 at a regular vet visit.
I told the receptionist that I would get labs for my vet before I bring my cat in (because I am positive it would be more affordable for me to do it this way) she recommended to do it there and that the Dr. might order additional besides a Complete Blood Analysis lab.
I understand that, but why would I want to be over charged to do a Complete Blood Analysis when I can do it with my vet and bring it over there? If you need additional test during the consult then I can decide then if I want do them.
In Veterinary practice, I think that people should give you advice about how to meet the needs of your pet. Instead of chatting with me and trying to sell me lab test and raping me on the consult.
My quote was $ 160 and additional for test. What the hell does that mean? What am I looking at?
I’ve also called around to other internal medicine and their consults were lower.
Overall, I don’t mind paying $ 160 if I know what I am getting. Just seem like it was all about Sales, sales, sales.

AMAZING. I had a life changing experience bringing my dog here. They saved my sweet little 11 year old papillon when I and my family thought it was too late. It was a very emotional time, when my papillons energy decreased and was unable to walk or eat. we thought we would be losing him. The other vets I took him to prior were no help at all. Here at veterinary internal medicine, Doctor Hamilton was incredible! She is a very skilled and wise doctor who told me every possiblity and walked me through the whole process with they’re amazing staff. Everybody was so nice and caring. One of the workers named Cheryl really stood out to me and I want to thank her so much. I saw how much love and care she had for my sweet little papillon tippy. She was so loving to my dog and cared for him with exceptional care along with everyone else who cared for my dog. I had only good experiences with this vet hospital and I thank them so much! They literally brought him back to life! And to this day my sweet little tippy is now living his life to the fullest. He made a complete turnaround in his life. He now is up and running! Back to his old self playing and eating :) I am so thankful to have come across this clinic. I will be coming back for all my future appointments! Thank you Doctor Hamilton, Dr Sergeeff, and Cheryl for saving my doggy. I will never forget my experience here Thank you so much, keep up the great work :) !

We owe the life of our 8 yr old GSD «VMAX» (yama-​howler) to this veterinary practice and Dr. Hamilton. He suffers from autoimmune disease –contracted from multiple vaccines as a 3yr old. Beware! The doctors saved his life, and continue to manage his quality of life 24×7×365 — whenever we need them! We trust them implicitly and are so grateful that we are able to continue loving and giving the best care to this very special member of our family.

I love Dr Hamilton… I have a Brazilian Mastiff, Fila, that became listless and had trouble moving around… she was referred to Dr Hamilton from Mission Valley Vet… Dr Hamilton diagnosed polyarthritis and was able to stabilize her and get her back on her feet… love her… love the staff…

Dr. Hamilton is a wonderful Veterinarian. She is compassionate, caring, and sympathetic. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Hamilton and the staff members. The staff is welcoming and very supportive. The past week has been a very difficult week for my family and I. Our dog was diagnosed with pancreatitis and diabetes. I was experiencing all different kinds of emotions. I was scared, afraid, nervous, sad, and upset. Dr. Hamilton calmed us down and explained the process of how she was going to treat our dog. She couldn’t guarantee anything but she would do her best. Our little Oreo had to be admitted to the hospital for 3 days. On the first day, after a few hours, Dr. Hamilton called to inform us about our dog’s progress. She also told us to frequently visit our dog to help her feel better and to raise her spirit so she can continue to fight the battle. Dr. Hamilton continued to call to keep us informed about our dog’s condition. At first we were very nervous about leaving Oreo in the hospital for a few days because we didn’t know how the staff would treat Oreo. We were afraid that Oreo would be mistreated. What if they didn’t like Oreo? What if they didn’t give her blankets to keep her warm? So many what ifs but those concerns disappeared after our first visitation. They had given Oreo warm blankets, they walked her to give her some body movements, they were gentle with her. After 3 days, our dog was released and we took her home for the weekend. Unfortunately, our dog’s condition took a turn for the worse. We had to bring her back to see Dr. Hamilton. Our dog had to be re-​admitted but money was a problem. Dr. Hamilton knew we were a little tight with money so she did her best to help us stay within budget without taking away from our dog’s care. Unfortunately, our dog’s condition was not improving and seemed to be declining dramatically. On top of pancreatitis and diabetes, my dog’s kidney was failing. This was all too fast for me to register. We didn’t want to put our dog down, we wanted to save her life. Dr. Hamilton was honest with us, she told us that she can try to treat our dog but we may just be dragging it out because our dog’s organs were declining drastically. It was a difficult decision to make but ultimately, we had to put our dog to sleep. Dr. Hamilton was sympathetic and understanding, she comforted us. She helped us through the process. We were in a lot of pain. She didn’t want us to blame ourselves, she told us that we did the best we could. Our dog was just too tired, too fatigue, and too exhausted to go on. We had to let her go. Thinking about little Oreo still shatters my heart a little. Though, we lost our beloved little family member but we met some wonderful people at this hospital: Dr. Hamilton and her staff. I wish I had found Dr. Hamilton earlier then perhaps we wouldn’t have lost our furbaby.

Words are not enough to express our gratitude and appreciation for all that Dr. Hamilton and her team have done for our cats over the years. They are true healers and care deeply about the patients in their care as well as their pet-​parents. We had some very difficult cases with two of our cats and Dr. Hamilton didn’t rest until she found the right diagnosis — even going so far as to call other vets at UC Davis and other facilities. Her dedication is unsurpassed. Dr. Hamilton and her team are professional and caring and I can’t thank them enough for all that they’ve done. Thank you!!!

Thank you Dr. Hamilton and her team to help us and our dogs. Her experience and credentials in internal medicine is unquestionable. What I am reviewing is the «humanity» side of her practice. Dr. Hamilton is sympathetic to senior pet owners such as us. She provided not only medical support but most importantly, the mental support that we needed during the final 2 years in caring for our 14.5 years old dog Missy. It is not an easy path if you have been though similar situations. She also shared with on her own senior pets and her personal experience had helped us on important decisions and what to expect when the time comes. Personally, I think medical service to senior pets can itself be a specialty.

when my Gucci fell from my dad’s tundra truck, she broke her leg and our regular vet referred us to this place. dr. appel took a few x rays and said Gucci broke her leg near her elbow and since it’s very uncommon and near the joint area, surgery was about $ 5k. but dr. appel knew that I didn’t have the money so she was willing to work things out for me. the staff were very helpful and nice too. while you wait for your furry baby, there are a few places to eat/​hang out on the first floor. my Gucci is completely better thanks to dr. appel and the staff :)

Dr. Hamilton saved the day for me. I was referred to her from another vet who did not have the equipment needed to take care of my dog, Olive, an Australian Sheppard. My dog had a foxtail (don’t underestimate the dangers of foxtails folks) that had penetrated her privates and caused bleeding and was extremely deep. She had the equipment to get it done and she moved her to the front of the line because of the danger involved. She was fixed in an hour and was back to her old self in two days.
Dr. Hamilton called me a week later to check on her which I really appreciated and did not expect. She definitely cares about the animals she meets. The price was reasonable and she was able to reduce it somewhat to help us out due to a shortage of funds on our part. She was not going to turn my dog away. 5 Stars from me.

Dr. Hamilton is the best!!! She will do everything to figure out what is wrong with your pet. No stone is left unturned…
She has saved our dog’s life twice now. He’s 12 now and still goes for his annual checkup and bloodwork.

Unilocal, why don’t you have six stars? Or 10? I have an elderly cat with multiple health issues. We were seeing another «specialist» in Redwood City who was basically incompetent to care for him. Three days ago, he had what I now know was a small stroke. We spent two days ago at his former clinic where the vet told us she «didn’t know» what the problem was, «couldn’t suggest» any remedies, and «wasn’t sure» when would be a good time to talk to her directly.
Enter VIMS and Dr. Hamilton. They took us in on basically no notice. Dr. Hamilton is a SUPERB clinician, and an awesome lady. She gave my cat THE most thorough exam I have ever seen a vet give, and as he is 18, I’ve seen a lot of vets. She asked for a thorough history before even touching him. She took a blood panel and x-​rays, but also evaluated his whole little self.
While we were waiting between tests, instead of putting him in a cage and telling me to come back later, the Dr. Hamilton and the office staff found an unused office where I could curl up with my baby and cuddle.
The techs are excellent (especially Rachel, who is both super-​competent, and kind), the front desk staff is nice, but the real star of this show is Dr. Hamilton. I only wish I had found her a year ago!

I contribute to a local cat shelter «Town Cats» which does wonders in the community (all over the San Jose area) trapping, spay /​neutering, and releasing cats, as well as adopting cats. This facility is amazing and has the responsibility of supporting over 200 cats at a time in the shelter and at foster homes. As you can imagine for a non-​profit, this is very costly.
So where does Dr. Hamilton come into the picture… she coordinated a Saturday event bringing other veterinarians, vet techs and medicine and did complimentary services on all cats at the shelter!!! Wow. This lady is the real deal!
I have never met her personally but based on her kind outreach to this non-​profit, she has to be outstanding!!! If you are evaluating vets and considering Dr. Hamilton, consider that she must really love animals and her heart is huge — which likely means she cares about your pet!!!

Veterinary internist Dr. Helen Hamilton is extremely knowledgeable in current recommendations, research, and care of CRF kitties. Dr. Hamilton regards you as a team member in the care and treatment of your four legged friend and the staff are extremely compassionate. As a critical care nurse I know how medicine can change so rapidly and lives depend on being up to date. I spent days researching veterinary seminars and articles before taking my kitty to Dr. Hamilton only to find she was 100% up to date with care of a CRF kitty. Dr. Hamilton’s expertise gave me three extra quality of life months with my purball. 10÷8÷2009 — Diane Foxen
update 1÷26÷10 I met Dr. Hamilton when she cared for Salem my cat in renal failure. During Salem weekly visits I shared stories of our shelter. She was intrigued by the shelter and decided to adopt a cat and visit the shelter. On Thanksgiving Dr. Hamilton came to pick out her cat and brought us much needed donated medical supplies from her clinic and her collegues. Dr. Hamilton also brought gift certificates for services from her clinic, Dr. Browns clinic, and Animal Eye Care.
On January 7^th Dr. Hamilton closed her clinic for half a day and encouraged her staff and veterinary students to come to the shelter to examine and treat some of our cats. They transported 5 cats back to the clinic for further testing and treatment. All at no charge to Town Cats. Dr. Hamilton and her teams generosity and service did not end there. Dr. Hamilton’s team noticed the ear mite problems we were having. So on January 17^th she decided to head up a 6 person medical team and a Town Cat volunteer team to treat and examine every one of our 166 cats. 7 hours and a few scratches later our entire cat colony was seen and treated by a veterinarian.
Town Cats of Morgan Hill recognizes Dr. Hamilton and her medical team as our «Hero’s of the Year» for their generosity of time and services to Town Cats.