Vets in Vans -

angie stoyanova

Vets in Vans literally saved my mom’s kitten’s life! Sweet little boy fell ill - he wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t move, kept throwing up. When we took him to a local urgent care he was diagnosed with a linear foreign body which is a foreign object stuck in the small intestine. We were quoted 12k for the surgery there. Unfortunately there was no way we could afford that procedure and the doctor recommended we get in touch with Vets in Vans.
I emailed them and less than an hour later he was scheduled for a surgery the following morning. By the time we brought him in he was on his death bed and this was his last chance. I cannot say enough how grateful I am for what they did for my mom and her kitten. Everyone was so attentive and kind in this stressful moment. The surgery was intense to say the least, his intestine was perforated and had to be stitched up in multiple places. Dr.Park and Dr.Huang did everything they could to save his life and I’m so happy to say that he is back to living his best life with his sister!
Vets in Vans is truly a remarkable organization and I’m so grateful to them for providing care to animals at an affordable price. They’re an asset to the community and we couldn’t be happier about how well they took care of the little guy. THANK YOU!

TKR Vaccines

Vets in Vans has been a godsend for our rescue group, Toni's Kitty Rescue. Scheduling appointments is simple and communications have been flawless. The vets we have worked with have done a wonderful job of spaying and neutering our foster kittens. It's hard to fully express our gratitude for our partnership with Vets in Vans.

Savannah NE

Vets in Vans offers great value for dental and medical treatments. Affordable prices. Quality of care is exceptional. Great options for ferals as well. They’re in Alameda on Monday’s.

Evelyn Jo

Pet health and care isn't without its hiccups. I highly recommend Vets in Vans if you're looking for affordable, yet quality care. I really appreciate the incredible vets and staff at ViV. Thank you taking wonderful care of my puppy!

An epic of a review, tldr+pet parent tips at the bottom

Review:
I recently got my puppy spayed with Vets in Vans because it was a much cheaper alternative. Because it's in a van, I was worried about the procedure, but it's very clean (from what I could glimpse at), professional, and efficient. It's also convenient that the stitches ViV performs are the melting type, because you don't have to go back in to get stitches removed.

Appointments:
Appointments are pretty difficult to get because they are only operating 3 days of the week, Monday in Alameda, and Tuesday & Wednesday in SF. So it's your, the client's, responsibility to book as early as you can.

Weeks before our appointment I emailed the staff with questions regarding recovery and after care with which the staff members relayed their post-op document, and answered any other questions I had.

Surgery Day:
Once the surgery day arrived, I went earlier than 9am, but still had to wait in line (so time wisely). However, the front desk staff were efficient and tried to get everyone checked in quickly.
During pick up, I walked up to the outside front desk and one of the staff members available were quick to help me with check out, post-op procedures, med information, and puppy hand-off.
During check out, I received two medications, Carprofen and Trazadone. Unfortunately, I received less trazadone than prescribed, but upon emailing ViV past 6 pm, a staff member emailed back before 11am the next day, offering to prepare it for me for immediate pick up.
My schedule didn't work out, but I acknowledge that it's also my fault for not double checking at the practice site (tip for pet parents). Thankfully, the trazadone is an anxiety med for an as needed basis and not a pain med, so it wasn't a big issue.

Torn Stitch Scare:
However, on Night 9, around 9pm, my puppy had a torn stitch scare. She had a scab in one section that fell or rubbed off and started seeping fluids. This was despite proper healing of the rest of the incision.
I emailed pictures to Vets in Vans and called vet emergencies who referred to contacting the vet who performed the surgery. The next morning, I received an email asking me to come in for a drop-in urgent care so Dr. Tracy could double check the wound and, if needed, prescribe medication.
I got in at about 11am. The front desk staff gave me the option of waiting in the SF ACAC lobby or waiting outside. I waited in the lobby and did some stationary and "look at that" training with my puppy. Dr. Tracy and another ViV vet member came in around 1:30pm.
My puppy, who was pretty good about sniffing and ignoring other people in the lobby, was super excited to see them and started demanding kisses.
Once her incision was checked, Dr. Tracy explained in detail the healing process and how this was a normal part of it. She did note that my puppy's incision was a little inflamed because of her activity (limited activity with a herding dog's rough). Otherwise, everything looked great and no meds were needed.

It was a last minute, urgent thing, and I really appreciate the ViV staff for getting us seen, being professional and supportive, and communicating as quickly as possible.

Thank you again Dr Tracy and ViV Staff!!

Tldr:
cheaper alternative with high quality animal care;
timely email communication, especially for recent patients; amazing vet care for surgery day and for post-op urgent care (puppy's torn stitch scare);
my puppy loves the staff;
efficient for how busy and small of a clinic it is;
busy & long wait times for drop ins;
if you're impatient, weigh your pros and cons

Tips for animal parents:
book appt early;
double check med amount at the clinic;
take daily pictures of surgery site;
call 24/7 emergency vets after 5 pm;
email with pictures should something look wrong

Dionne Campbell

I became aware of Vets In Vans through Animal Fix Clinic in Richmond and I love that one of their locations during the week is the EBSPCA on Baldwin in Oakland, which is in my community.
I recently adopted two senior dogs, one of whom was having a difficult time (immobility & very serious pain). After several vet consultations, X-rays, bloodwork and many medications with no change, it became clear that Hemingway's quality of life was very low and would not be improving.
(BTW: My one regret is that I did not have Vets In Vans provide Hemingway's x-rays and bloodwork rather than a private vet).
I contacted Vets In Vans who had seen Hemingway once before regarding his mobility and they were able to get me in that day for a euthanasia appt.
Despite only having Hemingway in my life for a short amount of time, his sweetness and funny face made me love him deeply. Vets In Vans (Dr. Lauren Park & staff) were so compassionate to Hemingway and myself in allowing us time during the process, speaking to & petting him, and giving this act the respect it deserved. In the end I felt that Hemingway received the most loving and competent care in his time of need.❤ We both did.
I will continue to take my pets to Vets In Vans for their compassion & superior care!

Donna Wingfield

I have been here three times with my cat Fred in the past 14 months. He was a feral to begin with so he was neutered and vaccinated and dewormed on the first visit at a very good price and the second time he was seein for a skin condition, and the food that was recommended totally did the trick and now today he had a check up for the dental cleaning process and each time I am so impressed at the professional nature, their timeliness and efficiency, and their great front desk demeanor, although it’s outside. I feel like they are working in the trenches and I’m so lucky to have found them. Thank you VIV! ?

NotYerMom

Vets In Vans is the reason my older gentleman terrier mix was able to have the dental work done that he desperately needed . I knew he needed at least a few teeth pulled but put it off much longer than I should have because my regular vet quoted over $3k for the procedure! I sat with that terrible feeling for at least a year and a half. Finally I did some research and found Vets In Vans! There was a wait of about 2 weeks for the consultation and then another couple weeks for the procedure, BUT the cost was at least half of what I was quoted by my vet! Everyone was wonderful, professional, caring, informative, helpful, thorough, and kind!
Vets In Vans is most definitely improving the quality of life for so many beloved animals and their families!
I am beyond grateful for everyone’s commitment and compassion!
My sweet boy is now down several teeth, but his mouth is healthy and he’s ready to go into his golden years pain free and happy! Thank you!!!!

iris mejia

On October 5, 2022 I took two of my kittens to Vets in Vans for their checkups and shots and they lost one of my cats. They promised me they would find it, but it's been over 4 months and they haven't kept their promise. They no longer answer my emails and now because of them I am living a nightmare. Can someone tell me what to do to get them to return my beloved kitten to me?