University of California Veterinary Medical Center - San Diego — Local services in San Diego

I cannot thank the team at UC Davis Nephrology Department more for saving Santo’s life. Santo, my 13 year-old Labrador developed acute renal failure from leptospirosis. I remember kneeling, saying the rosary when Dr. Bierlein came into the room. All I was praying for was a chance that Santo could be a candidate for hemodialysis since he was not really urinating much at this point and had signs of fluid overload with puffy eyelids. Dr. Bierlein said that he was a good candidate for dialysis. His creatinine (kidney function test) was 18 before we started the first dialysis session. After the first session, Santo started urinating when he really wasn’t urinating before. A normal creatinine is in the 1.0 to 1.5 range. Santo’s value was 1.0 in November of 2023. This shows that it was definitely a case of acute (not chronic) kidney failure. Dr. Bierlein and her nephrology team is comprised of nurses Melissa, Emily and Tracy, all of whom helped with Santo’s care at one time or the other. I would say that Melissa was his main nurse. All of the nurses on his team were friendly, professional and committed to making Santo better and being aggressive with his treatments, all at the direction of Dr. Bierlein. Dr. Bierlein continued to be aggressive with Santo’s treatments at my urging because I started seeing Santo’s personality come around. He was becoming more active and mischievous compared to the lethargy that he had displayed upon his initial evaluation. Dr. Dufayet, Dr. Bierlein and Melissa had to change out Santo’s feeding tube a few times and I appreciate their diligence in doing this for me. Dr. Bierlein had to change out Santo’s dialysis catheter one time and she expertly performed this job. The receptionists at the UC Davis Center included Ashley, Libby, Yersinia and Abby who were always helpful and cheerful and even went so far as to dab on Our Lady of Lourdes holy water on Santo in my effort to have him experience a miracle. After a few weeks of hemodialysis treatments each of which would bring his creatinine down to less than 1.5 on each visit and oftentimes to less than 1.0, I could no longer afford to pay for dialysis treatments. After not having dialysis over the weekend, Santo’s creatinine had rebounded up to 7.1 on a Monday. This was very discouraging since I could no longer afford any further dialysis treatments. To my amazement, what Dr. Bierlein had hypothesized that 7.1 was his plateau appeared to be the case. On that Friday, the other nephrologist, Dr. Dufayet, saw Santo for evaluation. Santo’s creatinine had come down to 4.2 with no need for dialysis (they hold off on dialysis at less than or equal to 5.0). The following week, without dialysis, his creatinine was 3.5 and his dialysis catheter was pulled! We have now been told to return in 2 weeks’ time for repeat evaluation. Dr. Margo Karriker, the pharmacist at the center has been invaluable in advising me on the various medications, giving me tips on their administration and helping me understand the myriad of medications that Santo was placed on and that are now being decreased. I truly believe that the University of California Veterinary Medical Center-San Diego Nephrology Team and all of their dedicated workers are a Godsend! If it wasn’t for them, Santo would be dead by now. Thank you to Dr. Bierlein and everyone on the staff for your...

I highly recommend visiting UC Davis San Diego if your pet has kidney or heart problems. Don't rely on veterinarians who make general diagnoses without proper examination. Instead, bring your pet straight to UC Davis San Diego to have them check your pet. Yes, it may be more expensive, but it's worth it if you want to save your pet.

Unfortunately, only a small percentage of veterinary clinics in the U.S. have the necessary equipment and tools to accurately diagnose animals. Most clinics rely on blood tests to make a diagnosis, which is often insufficient and can lead to unfortunate consequences or even death. If I had known this earlier, my cat would have lived much longer. The vets in Los Angeles misdiagnosed my cat. If only the veterinarians I visited with my cat had informed me that more extensive testing was necessary for an accurate diagnosis, I could have sought out a specialist earlier and it could prolonged my cat's life.

Dr. Berlin at UC Davis San Diego was able to make the correct diagnosis for my cat's kidney issue because she had the necessary equipment and expertise. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Berlin, Stacy, and the other staff for their compassionate care of...

This vet center has been a wonderful experience in an often difficult circumstance. My cat has been experiencing heart failure, and first and foremost, this hospital has provided excellent care, communication and service. Everyone is so nice and easy to work with. The front desk staff are always so upbeat and helpful, the pharmacist is an absolute pleasure to work with and is very capable and kind and Dr. Orvalho is just wonderful. He takes the time to fully explain everything, walk through options and suggestions and he cares about how the animals is actually feeling, behaving and living and takes all of that into account rather than just looking at the numbers and facts alone. He is clearly very good at what he does, but he doesn't talk down at all - he allows you to feel that you are making a decision together. I'm so lucky I found this place and continue to be a...