Sunset Veterinary Hospital

We really like the veterinarian, but the people at the front desk are another matter. When our cat was bleeding and in pain and needed to be euthanized — while we were in the middle of a crisis — I called and was immediately put on hold for seven minutes. When the woman finally came back on the line, she told me in the most cold-​hearted tones that they were busy and I should «find another vet.» I did that. I suggest you do, too.

Usually when you have a business you want the people greeting you on the phone and at the door to be friendly. I have personally witnessed and experience rudeness and out right nasty tones from one particular person at the front desk. I do not know her name, but is the older woman who works there. The first time I witnessed it was waiting in the lobby where she screamed at a woman about a particular piece of paperwork or CD that she had put in a bag and handed to the customer. The customer was calmly asking if it was in there because she couldn’t find it. The lady proceeded to berate her, take the bag back, pull out the CD and say «SEE! Here it is like I said it was». The customer was calm and collected the entire time. I thought to myself, well maybe she is just having a bad day.
Fast forward a week or two later, I had brought my dog in for shots. She had a pretty bad allergic reaction about 2 hours later and I called back to see what we should do. This same lady answered the phone and yelled that she had to put me on hold before I could even speak. I waited on hold for 3 – 5 minutes, hung up and called back. She answered again, yelled she had to put me on hold. I cut her off real quick to try and tell her the issue we were having. She talked over me saying she had to run someone’s credit card payment and I couldn’t be on the phone line at the same time. She didn’t listen to me and put me on hold again. I hung up and called back and finally was able to say my dog was having a reaction to the medication before she could even speak. She then said ok, bring her in right away. My issue here is not with the allergic reaction. That is completely fine. There was no way of knowing there would be an issue. When I brought my dog in Dr. Thomson was great and my dog recovered quickly.
Now yesterday, While waiting in the lobby a young girl brought her dog in for an appointment. Of course, like any dog when it comes into a new place it was curious and walking around. The young girl was trying to get her paperwork in order while trying to get the dog to sit down near the bench. The woman at the front desk asked «Who do you have there?». There was a slight language barrier with the customer. While trying to control the dog, and get her paperwork, she didn’t understand what she had asked. The woman at the front desk asked again, «who do you have there?», the girl said «I’m sorry?». Then the front desk lady screamed «WHO DO YOU HAVE THERE!?». Myself along with other people waiting in the lobby all looked at each other as if to say «Did that really just happen?».
At this appointment, I was there for my dogs last round of distemper. The tech then informed me that she was also due for her second round of Lepto shot. (The one that gave her the bad reaction before). If I had known this, I would have given her Benadryl an hour beforehand like Dr. Thompson had advised me to, but when we set up the appointment I wasn’t told she would be getting this shot. They asked if I wanted her to have a Benadryl injection instead so she wouldn’t have another reaction to the Lepto shot. They said we would have to wait 20 minutes before administering the medication after the Benadryl. I didn’t really have time to waste because I was in a rush to go to a doctors appointment myself. But I figured, while we were here might as well get it done so I do not have to come back. They administered the Benadryl, waited 20 minutes, gave her just the distemper shot and brought her back out to me. The tech then advised me the doctor didn’t want to give her both shots at the same time… then why did I just wait 20 minutes for a Benadryl shot if she wasn’t even going to get the Lepto shot? I was in a rush so I didn’t argue and went to pay. I gave this same front desk lady my card and got a receipt. I looked at the receipt and saw that the Benadryl injection was TWICE as much as the distemper shot. So we gave my dog a Benadryl injection she didn’t even need because we decided not to do the lepto shot, AND it cost twice as much as the actual vaccination she got. I found this ridiculous. I have a box of Benadryl at home that I bought for $ 5 and you’re going to give my dog a $ 40 shot, then not even give her the medication the Benadryl was suppose to counter react? I wanted an explanation from the tech or doctor Thomson because I felt this wasn’t right. But I might as well have been a prisoner talking to a guard when it came to me speaking to the front desk woman. Her attitude and discourteous tone toward me was uncalled for. I asked for a print of my dogs full medical records. I will be taking her somewhere new from now on. Dr. Thomson and the rest of the staff are courteous and friendly, but this uncivil person you have at your front desk needs to go. There is no way this is her first complaint.

I had been going to Sunset vet because they are around the corner from me, not because I thought they were exceptionally good. From my experience since my first visit (~2 yrs ago?), Dr. Vivar and staff seemed somewhat awkward in how they handled pets; there was a strange sort of standoffishness or overcoddling, neither which are good for controlling the animals when they are nervous already, imho. Anyway, I always felt that I would need to find a more competent practice in case anything serious ever happened. Well, today, I finally had it, and it’s not even worth the convenience of being able to take a short 3 minute walk there.
First of all, I felt sort of «bullied» to make today’s exam appointment for my dog. My 8-​year old dog has been eating the same prescription diet for the last ~5 years. I order my food online, and the prescription orders often need to be approved each time. Well, this time, Sunset vet denied it because my dog was overdue on her annual exam. I called to see how long overdue, and they said her last exam was July 2014. REALLY? As far as I know, when I placed my order, we were still in July 2015; and is 1 – 2 weeks overdue on annual exam enough for them to not be able to show a bit of courtesy to a regular client? They could have been a little more flexible and just give me a call to schedule her exam asap.
Reluctantly, I made an appointment for the exam (so I could buy food for my dog asap) — but knew that this would be the last time. (Also, I couldn’t find a recommended vet who could take me as quickly.) Well, I got there 5 minutes early, was brought into room, asked all kinds of basic questions by the technician about my dog’s general health; then was left waiting for ~20−25 minutes. During this time, I could hear the vet chatting with another client, while she was already very late for my appointment. Then, finally, the chatting stopped, but I still continued to wait for awhile — with no update or anything. By this point, it was ~23 minutes past my appointment time.
SO I LEFT.
I’ve never felt so disregarded and unvalued as a client. Then to top it off, when I got home, there was a voicemail from the vet saying that she searched for me «everywhere for, like, 10 minutes» but couldn’t find me. Umm, that’s pretty nearly impossible because the hospital is tiny with just 2 exam rooms and I had only left maybe at most 5 minutes before. (Note: there was no apology for keeping me waiting.)
Anyway, I’m happy to be looking for a more professional practice. When things like this happen, it’s all for the better. Let’s just hope I don’t have any emergencies in the near future and find that they are the only ones available.
QUICK UPDATE: First thing on Monday, Aug 3, I did get a call from Sunset Vet with a message saying that Dr. Vivar was going to reject my prescription request (yet again) — because my dog was late on her annual exam. [No, you don’t say??] Btw, I went to Healthy Pets on West Portal today and it was exactly the type of animal hospital I would want to trust. They were prompt, professional, friendly, knowledgeable, knew how to listen, and sincerely cared about my dog’s welfare. Sunset Vet was basically withholding my dog’s prescription diet, which she needed, and presents themselves as oblivious to the fact that sometimes people’s lives get busy and can’t come in right away, but that doesn’t mean we won’t. Also, if there was no current health issue, approving my dog’s regular food could have really helped both my dog and myself out. They could have given me a quick call. (Also, let me remind you that I was just a couple weeks officially over the arbitrary 1 year mark from her last exam.) Plus, they could have kept a client because the trust would have been mutual. A bit of give-​n-​take and mutual courtesy would have been appreciated here.

I am an internal medicine physician for humans. I have been meaning to write a review of the veterinary hospital for years but have not done so until now.
Two veterinarians cared for my senior cat. He had eventually passed away in which I largely attribute to failure of diagnosis of his bladder cancer.
I had taken my cat in for clinic visits regarding his constellation of symptoms but was never diagnosed until the malignancy was late in stage. He first presented with unintentional weight loss, dropping quite markedly initially from 12 pounds to 10 pounds. This may not seem like a lot, except if you think about it, is in fact nearly 20% of his body weight. I was told this is not uncommon in older cats and advised to force feed my cat. Which I did, as the vet had showed me how to pry his mouth open and place wet food in his mouth. I was also purchasing special prescription Science Diet wet food from them. I attempted this for months, however he continued to lose weight while still eating on his own plus the force feeding.
I subsequently brought him back and was seen by another vet. She suggested that it was due to his thyroid based on labs, and prescribed me Methimizole. However he also had bloody urine by that time visible to the naked eye and was incontinent as well. She took my cat to the backroom to ultrasound the bladder and advised me that there is no evidence of a mass. She subsequently diagnosed him with «interstitial cystitis» (inflammation to the bladder) as the cause of the bloody urine.
Over the course of a month things worsened, and my cat continued to lose weight, and the hematuria (bloody urine) was worsening as well as his incontinence. By this time he was continuing to lose weight. When I brought him back again and voiced my concerns – I had suggested my concern for malignancy at the very first visit – this time they were finally concerned. They took him to the back room again and this time found a large mass in his bladder.
The vet could not differentiate whether this mass was malignancy or clotted blood. She said she would post this ultrasound onto a bulletin board to see if a radiologist would provide feedback. I’m not familiar with the veterinary world, but this would certainly be unacceptable in the human world. Why I was not referred to a radiologist or perhaps advised for using other modalities of imaging I don’t know. They later suggested obtaining a tissue sample by inserting a catheter through the urethra and obtain a tissue specimen. Unfortunately the yield was poor and the pathologic specimen was non-​diagnostic.
Eventually the doctor suggested this was malignant and referred me to an oncologist. The oncologist’s impression was that this was most certainly bladder cancer and not a blood clot as on exam the mass was very large and firm. (Could it have been a bladder stone, i doubt so with the symptoms of weight loss but we don’t know since definitive diagnose has never been obtained.) In the end I focused on comfort for my cat and he eventually passed away when he could no longer maintain his hydration status despite my subcutaneous saline infusions and we took him to the Parkside Emergency Hospital to be laid to rest. By that time he had been unable to stand as he was so dehydrated he would pass out unless I gave him more subcutaneou
My concern is multifold. When an older kitty is brought in for unintentional weight loss, the radar for malignancy in your differential diagnosis should be high. Suggesting force feeding a cat is wholly inappropriate. This would be malpractice in the human world. I can understand if this was thought to be normal aging amongst the geriatric, but the change in weight is too drastic. It was later misdiagnosed as a thyroid problem and my cat was prescribed thyroid medication when the underlying problem was in fact the bladder cancer. The second vet was aware of the bloody urine + weight loss. However instead of coming up with the unifying diagnosis to account for both symptoms, she attributed it to two separate incorrect diagnosis: thyroid and interstitial cystitis. My other concern includes the use of an ultrasound to rule out cancer. It was only around 1 month between her two ultrasounds. The first time she informed me there was no mass but shortly in 4 weeks i was told the mass was quite large. I attribute this to either two explanations. 1) in humans the work up for microscopic hematuria confirmed by the Urinalysis w/​microscopy includes cystoscopy. I fiberoptic camera through the urethra to look at the inside of the bladder for small early stage cancer. This was not offered, though I do not know if it is done in pets or not. 2) User error by the internist in handling an ultrasound. In 4 weeks it is unlikely that the tumor would have grown that quickly unless there was in fact user error. Why was I not referred to a radiologist as opposed to posting the single image on a bulletin board? Why not cystoscopy? Other imaging modalities?

Warning folks! If you leave a less-​than-​positive Unilocal review for Sunset Vets, you will be asked to take your business elsewhere. If you want to take your pet here, remember that honesty is NOT the best policy.

Sunset Vet Hospital is the best place in the world! The vets and the staff are kind, sweet, knowledgeable, and don’t mind me asking them a million questions. Drs. Wieman and Thomson have been so wonderful. I feel confident that my little guy is getting the best care possible. Also, the staff are very friendly. They’re always happy to see us!

Dr. Deborah Thomson is fantastic! I brought my Golden Retriever in the first time for an ear infection and she was able to get him treated and cleared up right away. She also gave me an ear wash for him to prevent future ear infections as he gets them often since he loves to swim, and he has not gotten one since! Not only does she continuously care about his health and well being but she adores him! :) Thanks so much, Dr. Thomson!

It’s true, after my first visit with Dr. Thomson I called to have a follow up appointment to have the dog thoroughly checked since he was recently adopted through Rocket Dog. I just wanted to make sure he was okay. My questions were answered and everything went pretty smoothly. I highly recommend doctors asking their patients (and owners) if there are any questions before dismissal.

Symba is doing okay. It took a lot to get him there. He had to have 3 fluid injections inside of 48 hours. It took two days for his fever to come down and over two weeks before he was back to himself, because he faced side affects from the antibiotics after the original reaction. I appreciate the kind message from Dr. Richard– it was good to see someone take some responsibility for what happened. However, it still just gets me that my original message wasn’t answered promptly. I feel that if my phone call was returned and Symba was seen that morning/​early afternoon, when his fever was ramping up, we could have potentially lessened his suffering and helped him get better sooner. I don’t know if it was a clerical error or a busy atmosphere that resulted in the lack of communication– I just feel bad for little Symba. It made us feel helpless. Because I called on a Saturday it meant that the next day the office was closed and so we were left high and dry with a very sick animal and worried about having him treated by people who had never even seen him. Please learn the lesson here and make sure that people’s calls don’t go unanswered.

This update is long overdue. New doctor for my little ones and she’s amazing. I feel very confident taking my little chihuahua and my large shepherd here. Everyone is always very sweet and knowledgeable.

I have been a client of sunset vet since 1985… Many pets and so much wonderful care… can’t say enough about these guys my pets (dogs and cats) have been well cared for… you guys are the best! and much love to the folks in the office too… I truly appreciate your patience !

Every pet should be lucky enough to have a vet like this! My cat developed a UTI on a Friday night, and I’m new in town, so I didn’t have a regular vet. No other vet nearby could see him on a Saturday, but Sunset went out of their way to get Eliot in.
What a great experience. Chevonne (sp?) is a wonderful nurse. She is so warm and kind; I felt reassured right away. Dr. Bannow even gave my kitty a cuddle before he examined him. I’ve never seen a vet be so sweet with an animal before, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have excellent vets. A UTI in the early stages isn’t that major, but I’m confident that he’d be equally wonderful with a more serious problem. I was very pleased with the care Eliot received, and I’m confident he’s on the mend now.
It’s very reassuring to know I have a vet I can trust to care for my much-​loved pets!

Instead of disregarding my need to see a vet for my pup’s «emergency», the front desk staff quickly fit me in while I was nervously speaking on my cell phone + driving down Van Ness to bring my pup in.
I got in THAT day and within two hours. My fluff, Simba, had thrown up repeatedly from taken a flea med and me, being the worry wart that I am rushed him over as if the world was ending.
Jourdan greeted me in the lobby, calmed me down and let me know that I was in safe hands. Dr. Lani Wieman saw me within minutes and we all sat down with Simba in the room to check him out. Simba got along wonderfully with Dr. Wieman and I was so relieved that Simba was just having an upset tummy from it all.
Dr. Wieman is gentle, thorough, and professional. I will recommend all my friends with furry babies to her! She goes over options with you, gives you her professional opinion and you do not feel like you need to spend money on tests/​shots/​etc just to get a peace of mind.
Also, I completely appreciate Jourdan coming out and keeping me calm before going into the patient rooms!
A hectic day, but made better because of the awesome staff and doctors at Sunset Vet Hospital. Thank you so much for being there for me and my animals!!!

I’d give them ten stars if I could. My first visit was an emergency just after I adopted my dog, Picasso, and the doctors here have taken excellent care of him through all his vaccinations, teeth cleanings and health issues, small and large, for the past six years.
The doctors are caring and highly skilled. Dr. Richard Vivar, Dr. Robin Hansen and Dr. Lani Wieman have all taken care of him at various times, and all three consulted during his most recent crisis when he had a life-​threatening infection and we nearly lost him. I can’t say enough about how wonderfully everyone treated him (and me in my occasional break-​downs), and they pulled him through against the odds.
His care and treatment was expensive, but they worked with me to find less expensive alternatives when they were available. The clinic staff and front office people are great too, and Nikki even picked me up at home one day when my car was out of action.
Parking is easy and there’s a nice little cluster of stores within a block, including a coffee shop, a bakery, a taqueria, and an organic grocery store, so you can multi-​task when you bring your pet in for care.
Highly recommended.

The vets and staff are wonderful here. Even though we have moved out of the area, we still make a special trip to continue to go here to see the vets and staff as they are so wonderful with my 11 year old dog and my 9 month old puppy. I highly recommend this place and really five stars is not enough.

my boston terrier needed to have surgery for an infected, inflamed gland. he also had a large fatty cyst on his leg that we knew was benign but had to be removed. it was about the size of a golf ball and was starting to bind with his muscle tissue. our hope was that the vet would take note of this. how could you miss it?
we were given our estimate and it sounded reasonable — it did not include the removal of the cyst. i guess they managed to overlook it? when i said i wanted both things addressed at once and did not feel comfortable putting my little guy under 2x, they were accommodating.
brought him in about a week later to have the stitches removed by a different veterinarian than who did the procedure. almost as an afterthought they looked at his teeth and said there was a tooth that needed to come out asap. why they didn’t check for this when he was under anesthesia is beyond me!?! even worse was that they were so nonchalant about putting him under again and slapped us with a massive estimate. no way!
we quickly got a recommendation for another vet in the neighborhood. not comfortable continuing with a hospital that doesn’t put an animal’s welfare first. i hope they get their priorities in order.

This place is so great. Possibly my favourite establishment in San Francisco. Admittedly they help my dog which is a more critical service in my life than coffee shops and the ilk, but still.
Everytime I drive there from the Mission I ponder if I should find a vet closer. Driving down all those lights and stop signs on Noriega isn’t the greatest after all, but the moment you can see the Ocean you know you’re close.
I really like these guys: even though I’m fortunate enough not to have to visit too often. In fact, I wrote a review last year but was so impressed this week I wanted to start anew. (my previous review, last year, was equally effusive and delivered five stars.)
Thanks.

I love this place as they have been great with my minions and incredibly understanding. Shortly after I got them, just before their first appointment, they got sick and this hospital was wonderfully understanding and helpful throughout the entire process. Even for their normal check-​ups, they keep us posted and keep our notes as up to date as their own.

Marley passed on Sept 18, 2011 at the age of 12. She went peacefully at home. She had a wonderful life and is truely missed. We were in Chicago when she passed and I still thank Sunset Vet Hospital for giving us that extra year together.

Pretty long story; bear with me.
I was coming home one day from Jackson rancheria, pulled an all nighter with the boyfriend. As we were back home in the sunset, we left our pup in the car while we picked up breakfast. When we came back to the car, we found our Trident Vitality gum packet completely torn apart:(Poor Truffle wuffles got to them before we did.
I panicked and being the diligent researcher I am, I searched all over the internet on the iphone for symptoms and red flags. Apparently xylitol (sweetener for most gums) is deadly for dogs. I started crying on the spot.
Seeing how broken down I was about this situation, the boyfriend and I rushed to Unilocal a vet nearby. Sunset veterinary hospital came up as the number 1 search. I called in at around 930 am, and they said I can bring my baby in right away. When I got there, I was all out of sorts. I filled out paper work and sadly handed the pup to the vet tech. Everyone was very nice and calm about the situtation. They reassured me everything was going to be okay, and told me we brought him in right on time.
The vet was Dr. Bannow, and since he was performing surgery on someone elses’ baby at the time, the staff informed me on the procedure on truffles instead. I was to return at 5, after a phone call from Dr Bannow. I ended up calling him, and he explained that they had to induce vomit and had to be kept under an IV until 5. Everything turned out wonderfully. I was sooo happy to pick up my baby! He had to wear his YUCKY cone aka e collar, since he had to keep the needle in his pawsies for the follow up the next day. So truffles ended up yacking out the greeen trident vitality. I was so thankful…
Sure. the prices were a little steep. about 650. but how can you put a price on your best friend/​your baby? LOOK AT THE PICS…
Learned my lesson big time.
Thank you sunset veterinary staff, and dr. bannow for saving my baby.