Please do not take your loved animals here. coastside NEEDED routine bloodwork on my healthy 2 year old puppy. she came out of the back room trembling and still actively bleeding, it caused a huge hematoma and the inability to walk. she hasn't moved in 5 days. Look elsewhere fur your baby's care. read more

I would not recommend Coastside Vet clinic to anyone. You are treated very poorly. Talk about hiding behind the mask. They take the Covid pandemic to a whole new level. You get little to no interaction with professional. I took my puppy in for a check in and a review of a lesion/growth on his leg. I am not sure if the vet(Dr. Lawson) was having a bad day, or had no ability to interact with the public, but needless to say I had no explanation, experience or knowledge shared. I did get a recommendation for braces for my dog and a neuter. What? Talk about an upsell job. Go over the hill to San Mateo or Pacifica. This was terrible. read more

Always do their best to provide high quality care. They love our 3 dogs and treat them so well. Sometimes very tough to get an appointment but they try to work with you if it's urgent. Great staff! read more

Normally I would never call out a local business like this but it has become crystal clear that Coastside vet is only motivated by money and once it was clear that our Cat's treatment would need to continue (to them, they literally never told us anything besides she may need to see an optometrist) at a specialty vet they ceased all communication.  I want to be clear that I tried to reach out to Coastside Vet directly to talk through my concerns and I was told I would get a call back from the practice manager but that NEVER HAPPENED. That promise to reach out was made on Presidents day and so far i have had zero communication via text, email or phone call. As a result of their callousness and incompetence we had to put our beautiful cat Alice to sleep after weeks of needless suffering  and I am posting this in hopes that no one ever has to go through what we went through.  In addition to this post we have filed a formal complaint with the state Veterinary Board and have full records to back up everything in this post and that complaint.  Our cat went to Dr. Lawson for an enlarged pupil that would not dilate accompanied by sneezing and nasal discharge. After two rounds of testing they only told us that her teeth badly need to be cleaned and were a likely source of infection. Their records indicate her dental health at 2/4 which is one step below "pristine" and the internet says this grade is "mild tartar and gingivitis are present".  We did all the testing and the cleaning (2,600 worth) and when we got the lab and x-ray results over email that indicated "rhinitis with associated nasal mass" we called back immediately to ask what that meant the receptionist literally read back the report with such an accent that it was unintelligible. When we explained that we read the report but did not know what it meant we were told we would need to speak to a doctor. We asked to do so and that fact is on her records, in fact it is the last time they bothered to update her records. We now know that these are TEXTBOOK symptoms for nasal lymphoma, the MOST COMMON form of upper respiratory cancer in cats.  I don't expect medical professionals to be miracle workers but a lack of follow up given the symptoms and investment in time is nothing short of absolute incompetence. They NEVER followed up or responded to requests for additional information. When her condition deteriorated a month later and they still refused to communicate we asked for her records to get a second opinion and then we were rudely told "well she needs an MRI" by a receptionist and not the Vet.  When we finally got a competent vet to look at her and got the CT scan results NOT an MRI, it turned out that her disease had progressed so far in the month and a half between when we first brought her in and when we we were able to get a biopsy scheduled (after calling literally every single vet in the bay area that is qualified to do the procedure) that there was only 40% chance that she would survive the procedure and the biopsy would be successful, let alone the till that any follow up treatment would have - if she lived that long.  We can't know what didn't happen but considering the complications were a direct result of her disease progressing after being seen and getting all tests and procedures recommended and then being ignored it does seem likely that she may still be alive and responding well to treatment had Coastside bothered to pick up the phone and explain what needed to be done. read more

Since the lockdowns, I have been looking around for a vet that will talk to you in person. The practice of waiting out in your car while your pet goes in, and has to advocate for themselves (with their limited vocabulary :-)) is ridiculous, though I'm sure more convenient for them. Anyway, when my cat was limping for a few days, I decided to give these guys a try. I had visited years ago with another cat, and they were nice, and the facilities are a cute house, although I remembered them being expensive. I called, and they accepted me the same day! A good start., I thought... They quickly got my records from my last vet. I arrived and went into their lobby, but was ushered outside. Apparently they forgot to lock the door. All visitors must wait on the porch, no matter what the weather. They came out, and I explained my cat's problem. I asked if I could go in with my cat, and was told no, because the vet had a cold, and didn't want to infect me. This was a blatant lie, because it is their forever policy, but this was before they knew I wasn't one of those pet owners who was willing to pay anything for their pet. At first they said, I could watch the exam from the window on the porch, and I reluctantly agreed, although I thought it was less than optimal since I couldn't talk to the vet, at least I could at least see what was going on, (maybe make hand gestures?)but then they changed their minds and said the room with a view needed to be saved for a dog acupuncture (though no dog ever arrived while I waited out there on the porch) and my cat was whisked away. The vet came outside a minute later and started going through her mask on about my cat's teeth. She insisted he get a rabies shot. I told her I just wanted to deal with his leg that day. She said, "If your cat bites me, and his rabies shot isn't up to date, that cat is mine!" I said, excuse me? "He'd be mine for two weeks, so keep that in mind!" I asked about the leg. She said, "Well, I didn't want to touch it and hurt him.....here's some antibiotics. Call in a few days if he doesn't respond and we'll have to do X-rays." After a few days his leg hadn't healed, so I called and asked for the price of an X-Ray. I was emailed an itemized sheet, a page and a half long, that was over $800! I wrote back and said that the national average was $250, and the emergency room only charges $600, and the response was, "Maybe you should find another vet." Fast forward a couple of months later, this week, my cat was not eating and vomiting for a few days. I went to the Emergency rather than this vet, who gave him fluids, but the next day when he didn't respond they told me to go back to my primary vet since their services there at ER would be too expensive. So I went back to this vet, since all my records were transferred there, and told the girl who came out to the porch my story. (The other client waiting out there was begging to go in since the sun was shining in her face and it was freezing.) The girl went into the locked fortress, and came out and said there were no appointments until mid-February. I tried to ask her if this clinic was considered to be my primary vet, but every time I started my sentence, she'd interrupt me with her masked face with "no appointments until mid-February," three or four times. Finally I said, " I heard you the first few times, but what I'm trying to ask you is...." And she flung some brochure at me and started to turn to go in. I said, "Where are you going?" And she said, "You're giving me attitude, so I'm leaving." The. Worst. I hate to admit it, but I cried afterwards. It's just the lack of humanity that these people have, knowing they have you over a barrel because the love of your pet. They will abuse you, and charge you up the yin-yang. read more

Compassionate, sensitive and trust-worthy. Words cannot express the comfort the doctor and staff afforded me when I had the hardest decision to say goodbye to my family pet. Everyone treated me and Chuka with suck gentleness. They have cared for her for years. They understood costs and provided many options - all with compassion and consideration for the situation. Trust your pets are in the best hands - in the beginning, middle and end. read more

Coastside Vet is amazing. My husband and I are flying to the UK this week, and we needed an accredited vet to examine our dog Juni, create a health certificate for her, and give her a tapeworm treatment. Flying a dog to the UK is really complicated, with a lot of paperwork requirements, but they walked us through every step of the process. Jerrica, the Veterinary Assistant, was especially helpful. She went out of her way to double-check that we knew about the USDA endorsement, and when we didn't, she gave us the right number to call. It was a pretty hectic day because we needed to send the certificate to the USDA and get it back ASAP. Jerrica was AMAZING in making sure the cert was uploaded into the digital system, talking to the USDA to make sure everything was correct, calling us back throughout the day to keep us updated... basically she went out of her way to make sure everything was accounted for. And she was so helpful and positive on the phone. My husband and I kept singing her praises throughout the day! As for the actual vet visit, Juni is a really nervous dog, but they treated her very warmly and even gave her a treat to chew on when she was all done. They have a nice outdoor waiting area on their porch, while they take the dog inside for you (because of COVID.) All in all, it was a very positive experience, particularly because of Jerrica, and I really recommend them! read more

Very happy so far. Have been for one check up and one nail clipping. They explain everything well and treat my pup very well. Peace of mind provider. read more

Want to thank Dr. Lawson for taking great care of Lily the other day. She's our 6 year ol' Yorki. Dr. Lawson and her team always do a great job of explaining the issues if any and are always good with following up a day later when we get any of our three ( additionally two Snowshoed Siamese ) pets cared for there. read more

Decided to take our dogs to the beach two hours from home and upon arrival one of our dogs went into respiratory destress. He is a Frenchie. We immediately looked for vets in the area. We called and even though they were busy they saw him right away. It was touch and go for awhile . The staff was kind and knowledgeable. Without their efforts I doubt our baby would've made it. We can not thank them enough. Highly recommend!! read more

Please read these reviews and believe them. Dr. Lawson is the worst vet I have ever been to. And that is 50 years of dogs, cats, horses, goats. My vet moved to Los Gatos & I didn't want to drive that far. I don't need to go into the whole story but my dog received the worse care possible. He had a walnut size lump on his neck. She said it was an infected tooth even though no infection showed up in the blood work. She wanted to pull 4 teeth. I took him to my vet in Los Gatos. It was a tumor nothing to do with his teeth! I could go on and on. Flush your money down the drain, find a different vet you and your pets will be better off. I had to give one star or my review wouldn't post. read more

These guys are great, I totally can't understand any of the negative reviews, those seem suspect to me. You always have to be skeptical of some reviewers intentions, or maybe they just had a bad day... in any case, we use them regularly for all 3 of our pets, one dog and 2 cats, and they have always been friendly, communicative, professional, and clearly caring. They have even called after a procedure to make sure our cat was doing ok. We've used vets in 3 different cities, and they rank up with the best. read more

So I was coming in for the weekend and I have a Yorkie with extreme car anxiety. The medication that my vet gave him for the ride did not work at all. Well he had collapsed his trachea and was having a hard time breathing. My sister called ahead for me and the staff at Coastside was waiting for me and my pup. They put him on oxygen and gave him meds to calm down. They also gave me meds for him to help with the anxiety and pain. They seem to actually care and wanted to help. They also called the next day to check up on him. We made it through the weekend and back home with 0 issues. I'm thankful that the meds and attention they gave him worked. I would highly recommend them. read more

First time bringing my furry butthead to the Vet and it was pretty comfortable. I did have a hard time looking for the place but I wasnt expecting a little house looking place. The people were friendly. Gave me plenty of compliments on my dog and she was really loving the attention. The Vet was quick, efficient, quick, answered all my questions and gave me information I needed. I was only there for Vaccinations so it literately took them 10min or less. Fun people. Cozy place. read more

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We have two cats and one dog and have been taken them to this place since 2015. The vets are nice and caring. The critic I have is the business side. In general I think it would be a good thing if vets would post what their services cost, usually anything more than standard tends to be a chock for your wallet. I recently called to renew the dogs Bordetella in order to be able to board her. The office informed me that the shot she got last summer was good for a year. Indeed, the receipt with the 'reminder' did say that, but for years I have been forced to do the 6 monthly in order to board the dog. Untangling this I found: - Bordetella in the parental/nasal/oral form has been FDA approved to last for a year, and recommended as such by 'Today's Veterinary Practice' (2014), AAHA (2011) ('or more often in high risk animals'), and again in 2017. The vet that got back to me said she had not prescribed the biannual for years, and blamed kennels to be behind science. When I called the two kennels we have been using, they answered they had been ok with yearly vaccinations for years. In Fremont a vet visit in 2013 was $47.50 and Bordetella $ 21. At Coastside vet a regular visit (2015) is $ 64 and Bordetella $ 34, $ 36 (2017). Being forced to do biannual Bordetella is more than money, it's inconvenience, subjecting your dog to something unnecessary, also sometimes, we have had to change or plans because we thought couldn't board the dog because we thought the vaccination was expired. (Coastside vet eventually wrote they will reimburse me for the extra vaccinations.) - Another cost related issue was when our old dog suddenly was incontinent over a weekend, and we thought it advisable to see if she had an infection. Over the phone I was told how to take a urine sample, but not to worry they could obtain one from the dog when I brought her in. I got a good sample putting a pan under the dog, but when I came to the clinic I was presented with what the 'not to worry' option would have been (posted in photo). I did pay for 'visit with medical concern' $ 71.40 and 'urinanalysis' for $ 52.94 (= 124.34). The option would have been $ 558.48 - 651.48 and included among other items 'hospitalization ward' $ 37.81, 'pain medication injection' $ 39.90, 'Fluid therapy' $ 37.81, 'cystocentesis ultrasound guided' $ 0-39.00, 'medication to go home' $ 54.00-108. The reception person wanted to take my dogs leash, so it seemed that the whole procedure was already determined without us seeing a vet. The urintest was negative and the dog stopped peeing inside shortly thereafter. I think that somewhere there has to be an intervention regarding what is reasonable. I wish that vets posted their fees clearly at their offices and on their websites, and that they discussed what is reasonable amount of testing and expense. If the Bordetella is good for a year I want to know that. As it is, it is very scary bringing a pet in, and it must be a big deterrent for anyone who isn't independently wealthy, which in the end might actually be detrimental to our pets health. I think yelps are a great resource and I think it can help change things if we post costs, as long as this isn't readily available at Vet's offices. read more

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There should be more stars! We had been struggling with an IBS issue with our buddy for 3 months. We went to the chicken/rice regime, always starting out with small portions to give the IT time to adjust. We would get to a point and fall back to square one. We had an appointment to see Dr. Janet Lawson. We explained what we were going through. She did a wellness check with some booster shots and suggested we try a Biome diet regime. It had worked for another patient. Well, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Dr. Lawson!!! It has been nearly a month with us slowly transitioning our buddy from chicken/rice to wet Biome/Dry kibble mix. There has been SIGNIFICANT improvement. We are sleeping better and our buddy has even more energy than before. Very professional team at Coastside Vet. Cheers. read more

Great business run by fantastic people. Affordable, good advice and always a positive experience.

We brought our friend's dog in for help. The staff was very responsive and quite helpful to our pets needs.....and ours. They diagnosed and treated our pet very efficiently and quickly. Our pet is now running around and back to the usual activities. We just moved here and wanted to find a quality, caring, professional group........this is the one!! Gil and Lynne DeVincenzi read more

I am writing this review with the hope that it could save someone's pet's life. Remember the days when a vet could treat even a pig , five minutes later a cow, and finish his/her day treating a bird. It's not the case nowadays, now you need to go to "specialists" for virtually any issue, and the vet is rendered as a person who just charges you money for tests that can't diagnose a single thing. The cleanliness or smiley faces in any office will not save your pet's life, that's the vet's job. This is not the case with Coastside Veterinary Clinic. I will try to make this short. The doctor is greedy , doesn't care for your pet( family member to be exact ) , and definitely doesn't care about you. "The dog is pale , lets run the blood panel and X-ray for $ 900." My response, "OK sure do it." One hour later and $600 ( in rush of going home I am guessing ) : "the dog is paled, go to the SAGE clinic they have specialist." Seriously? what are you? why did you even try to find something if you wouldn't be able to treat or diagnose the issue yourself? To vaccinate or treat an ear infection, nowadays, Google pretty much can instruct you how to do, but we go to the doctor when something serious happens, when we need answers . Sadly it happened to my baby. She sent us to the hellish clinic which charges $ 3400 over night to try, yes, to try to diagnose! Ok that clinic is a different story. Blood panel and X-Ray done by Coastside Veterinary Clinic was totally useless according the clinic she sent us to. So conclusion is : judge by the times when an emergency happens not by the day when you come for a teeth cleaning for your pet. If this vet knew that the problem is serious why not just say it to the owner, and not send us to feed someone else ! read more

I love the proximity to Coastside Vet to my home in HMB and I especially love the experience you get when visiting the vet's office. They tuck you in a room right off the lobby and you are the only patients there, so my dogs can roam about the room freely. The vets take time to sit with you, answer any questions and don't mind checking your dog/cat if you have concerns. My main issue with this office is the price. I know I live in a very expensive area, so I don't have much in the way of options, but a $1000 estimate for a teeth cleaning when my vet in Southern California (where I moved from) offers the same service for roughly $400 seems very, very steep. I would like to leave my dog with Coastside for a teeth cleaning, but for $800-1000 I just can't do it. And for both dogs? No way. So, for now I use them for simple vet visits but plan on taking the large-scale projects to my vet in So. Cal, even though a drive down there is long and arduous. But for the savings in cost it is still worth it. But for overall care, cleanliness and adoration your little ones will receive Coastside Vet can't be topped. read more

I have used Coastside Veterinary services for both my cat and dog. My cat doesn't like going to the vet, but surely she can't be the only cat who feels this way! Aren't vets supposed to know how to deal with this? From day 1, Dr. Lawson did not like our cat, and felt she was anxious and very mean. She insisted on a thorough exam of her which cost a lot of money to find nothing wrong with her. Because she was vomiting, Dr. Lawson thought she might have IBS. She put her on science diet and a probiotic. My cat continued to vomit on and off for over a year. When I tried to get help for this, she was put on antibiotics, a fecal sample was taken, and nothing was found wrong, nor did the antibiotics help. At the next year's exam the doctor told me my cat was on the wrong food (a food she herself had prescribed) and she put her on a different science diet plus told me my cat is schizophrenic and needs drugs, and that her diarrhea and vomiting were due to anxiety. My cat's symptoms worsened over the next few months and when I called to get help from them, they said "that's so hard, you have drugs use them, your cat is so hard to help because she doesn't like us". I proceeded to do my own research and discovered if I changed her to a raw diet I might have success. When I changed her diet, my cat's symptoms disappeared completely and there has been no more vomit or diarrhea. One simple change that I had to figure out has now alleviated over a year of terrible pain and suffering for my cat. Dr. Lawson is not a compassionate, caring vet. She made assumptions about my cat, decided she didn't like her, and did not figure out a simple fix. read more

Emma, one of the assistants, was so nice and helpful today. Although I'm still waiting for the results of all the testing they had to do on my sick furbaby and won't have the results until tomorrow, I'm so happy with the service I had there this time around. I really wanted to write a review for this girl! Emma didn't mind me calling in and checking on Brownie and giving me an update. She broke down everything they planned to do before hand, and then everything that was done when I went to pick him up. You can tell she really cares about the animals and being an animal lover myself it makes me really happy to know my dog is in good hands there. Really amazing! If and when she leaves there I hope I know where she goes so I can bring all of my animals to her. read more

I found Coastside Vet during a very sad time for my family, and was grateful at the kidness and service we received. I will surely return.

I've been fostering cats and dogs for Companions In Waiting for a few years now, The last one, Snickers really got to my heart. After a few months of settling in together, we found out that Snickers had cancer, a big cyst on the underside of her tongue. The folks at Coastside Vet, Erika, the vets (Dr. Huckabone and Dr. Lawson) were so kind and compassionate during this whole episode. I lived with Snickers knowing that she would have to be put down the last month of her life and had to bring her into the vet for shots to make her feel better. I can't say enough about the amount of comfort and compassion they showed during that time and when the day came. I was amazed to see little sprigs of lavendar and cat nip laying on the warm towel they put her on. I'll always be grateful for their presence during this time. Thank you. read more

My cats have been patients of Coastside Veterinary Clinic since they opened in La Honda. Dr Lawson is very knowledgeable and compassionate and if she doesn't know something, she will tell you she needs to research it and then she does. She was very kind and compassionate with my old cats and is always gentle with them. She listens to what you are telling her about your animals and takes all the time that is necessary. You're not pushed in and out in 15 minutes. In response to the woman who complained about not being able to bring her dog for a vet tech to express anal glands when the dog had not been examined, for Dr Lawson to allow that would be a violation of the veterinary practice laws. RVTs are not allowed to perform any service for an animal who has not been examined by a veterinarian on staff within the past year. The only exception to that law is life saving treatment when a veterinarian is unavailable. I am an RVT myself and no I don't work at Coastside. I would never use a shot clinic. Vaccines are a medical procedure and an animal should be examined prior to any medications being given. Not all animals need all the same vaccines. Your pet's age and lifestyle make a huge difference in what vaccines they need. read more

I started taking my dog to this vet clinic soon after I adopted her from a friend. I originally was seeing Dr. Huckabone who was delightful. My last appoinment with Dr. Huckabone was the beginning of a proprioception issue with my dog. I had to return when the issue progressed. Unfortunately, when I scheduled the next appointment, I was not told that I would be seeing a different vet. If I had, I would have waited. Dr. Lawson is a terrible vet and who ever was her vet tech that day was horrible as well. I unfortunately had to send my dog to the vet with my roomate that day because I had fallen sick suddenly. I called ahead to let them know and give them all the intake notes about why we were there to visit. My dog was sent home with pain meds for pain she did not have and I recieved an email full of treatment estimates before I even saw clinical notes. When I finally recieved the clinical notes three days later, they were a mess. The intake section had information that did not pertain to my dog and in fact had another dog's name through out the beginning of the report. I sent an email to Dr. Huckabone, my dog's real vet and got no response. When the office reached out to check on my dog, I told the vet tech about the situation. She asked me to send an email and the office manager would check in to the situation. The return email from the office manager basically stated that she had spoken to Dr. Lawson who said that the notes were correct except for the dog's name and that the information came from my roomate that dropped of my dog. I knew this wasn't true because as I mentioned, I called ahead. Then attached were revised clinical notes in which they just switched out the name of the other dog for my dogs name. I am writing this review after visiting with another amazing vet in HMB that had an actual discussion with me about how to proceed with my dog's issues. Save your time, your money, and your pet and do not bring your loved one to Dr. Lawson she is dangerous. read more

Very helpful and kind doctors and nursing staff in a homey atmosphere. They took great care of my kitty when he had to have urgent surgery. Not the cheapest place on the block, but staff and care levels are great. read more

i'm new to being a companion to two kitties, and the folks at coastside vet have been fantastic in easing me into this new role. each staff member i've met (especially emma) has been friendly, and each has provided wonderful service both to me and my two little guys. my decision to raise these "obligate carnivores" as vegan did raise some eye brows, but dr. huckabone has been wonderful in working with me and consulting with a vegan vet to ensure the health of my feline family. my 4 month old cats were lovingly cared for today as they finished their last round of shots, were "altered," and had their urine tested. all with excellent results. i definitely recommend coastside vet -- their wonderful staff and their inviting building, both make you feel like you're at home. read more