SF AMC

09/03/2024

🎉🥳 Piper just graduated chemo! This nearly 12 year old sweetie has been through so much, with every specialty department coming together over her long health journey. The resilience of her and her family is incredibly inspiring to say the least.

Back in January, Piper’s parents noticed a decreased appetite and lethargy. Luckily they were on top of it and got her evaluated at their wonderful primary care vet where a splenic mass was suspected. Splenic masses can rupture and become life threatening very quickly. She was sent to us where Internist Dr Maretzki confirmed a splenic mass on ultrasound. She was hospitalized by ER for supportive care and the next day Dr Mehl did a splenectomy. The samples we sent to the lab revealed lymphoma of the spleen that had metastasized to her liver and an abdominal lymph node. She began chemo with Dr. Sabhlok and the oncology team in February, and after 7 months of many chemo visits, she is now in remission! We’ll still get to see that smiling face a few times a year to monitor her remission.

09/03/2024

We are so excited to announce the addition of an amazing third Internal Medicine Specialist this Fall. Dr. Bianca Zampieri will be joining our team of board-certified internal medicine specialists at SF Animal Medical Center this October 2024. She is originally from Houston and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Texas A&M University. She then completed a comprehensive small animal rotating internship at VCA San Francisco Veterinary Specialists where she first met several of the specialists that ultimately became the founding team at SF Animal Medical Center. Dr. Zampieri pursued additional advanced training as an Internal Medicine specialty intern at VCA Animal Specialty Group before undertaking her Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2022, she became a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). Dr. Zampieri worked in Los Angeles as a skilled specialist for a few years before making the decision to return to San Francisco to join her colleagues at SF Animal Medical Center.
As a board-certified veterinary internist, Dr. Zampieri manages a variety of chronic diseases and has a particular interest in feline medicine – especially senior cats, immune-mediated diseases, and gastroenterology. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring her love for film and music, staying active through boxing classes, and spending time with her two cats – Murphy and Noah.
With Dr. Zampieri joining the team, the Internal Medicine team will be available 7 days a week to see consultations, manage hospitalized ICU patients, and perform full diagnostic tests including ultrasounds, endoscopies, and CT scans.

08/31/2024

Hoping September brings as many adorable wellness visits as August 🥹 Just a few of our new little friends: Ruby Rose, Mabel & Bertie, and Vinny

08/31/2024

Hoping September brings as many adorable wellness visits as August 🥹 Just a few of our new little friends: Ruby Rose, siblings Mabel and Gertie, and Vinnie

08/20/2024

A beautiful success story! Many may not know this, but when a pet is in need of a life saving treatment but there is a lack of funds to do so, we work very hard to make sure the treatment can happen- both through obtaining grants and contributing ourselves. Meet Ares, a unique situation of a shelter puppy who had a fracture. The sad truth is that due to lack of shelter funding, most pets needing a specialist procedure would either be put to sleep or have to get an amputation. The shelter Pets In Need came to us and we were able to all come together to make the fracture repair happen, piecing together funding from the shelter, AMC, all doctors involved in treatment, and a couple of outside grant sources.

The first two pictures were taken during recovery at the shelter, and the next three are from Ares’s new forever home. Mom reports he is doing well, his goofy personality continues to blossom and he is clearly loved dearly. See if you can spot where the fracture is in the 6th pic, and check the 7th to see if you were right !

08/19/2024

A farewell post to Suzzy, we are really going to miss you but are so excited for this next leg in your career journey!

Suzzy has been an Internal Medicine (IM) tech at AMC since our genesis in 2022, after following our specialists from another hospital. She’s been an amazing go-to person for clients and staff members alike for all things IM, she does such an incredible job of making sure that treatments are coordinated smoothly and that pets and their parents get the best care possible. She even makes beautiful sympathy arrangements that we send to clients which you’ll find in the photos above (IG: furever_serene_succulents)

She’s really got such a huge heart, it’s no surprise what she has chosen for this next leg of her career journey. Suzzy is going back to school to become a veterinary social worker, where she will provide invaluable support for pet parents and veterinary staff. She is also interested in working with under-represented communities, particularly Spanish-speaking ones. We hope to work with her again in her new role someday, we know she’ll be such an incredible support system for people!

08/16/2024

STAFF SPOTLIGHT!!!

Meet RubyLove, our incredible Oncology Service Coordinator. Service Coordinators are another unique role at AMC. They essentially are the go-to person for our specialty departments, ensuring that pets and their parents get the best care possible. They form deep bonds with pet parents as they are there with them throughout their entire AMC journey, and they are a hugely important part of the specialty teams- helping take a load off of the doctors and nurses. RubyLove was nominated for how much she really goes above and beyond to make sure pet parents have the best experience possible during a challenging time. She's also the glue for the oncology department, making sure things run smoothly. We are so grateful for all she does for clients, pets, and the team1 Here is a little interview we did with RubyLove to get to know her a little better:

1. How long have you been at AMC?
I have been at SFAMC for two years!

2. Do you have any pets? Let's hear about them.
I have two cats: Figgy Pudding and Queso and a bearded dragon named Small Fry. Pudding and Queso are two crazy tabbies who love to run all over my apartment or snuggle me on the weekends and Small Fry just likes to lay around and eat haha. Pudding is actually one of the pet models that has a portrait hung in one of the GP exam rooms downstairs!

3. Do you have a favorite story about a patient?
There are too many stories of patients that I loved. I speak to clients so often, I do get attached to many Onco patients and their wonderful parents. There was one patient in particular, Bosun who decided we weren’t giving him as many snacks as he would like and he decided to knock down our treat bin in our office and attempt to steal a mouthful of treats. I have also gotten tons of wiggles from patients when I notice them in the lobby and love getting to say hi to all of them when they come in!

4. Tell us about how your journey into the vet field.
I actually stumbled into the field, starting as a pet groomer then kennel aid, then CSR prior to my current role of SC. I had recently lost a pet of my own, and I fell in love with getting to work with animals and their pet parents. I love being able to help clients get answers, feel like they are being listened to, and validate their concerns. As a pet parents myself, vet care can be tricky and anything I can do to help people feel empowered and educated is a win for me!

5. What are your hobbies outside of work?
Besides spending time with my animals, I love to read, binge movies and TV shows, cook and bake and crochet anything from hats to pet sweaters for me and my coworkers!

6. Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I fell in love with Oncology because it is a service that helps families through a very difficult time and who might just need extra help. These are the most precious of our patients and a cancer diagnosis can be scary. This department aims to provide excellent care and compassion as we navigate this health journey for the pet parents as much as for the pets. It is an honor to be a part of that.

08/08/2024

Look at these ears! We love first puppy visits and the privilege of getting to see our patients grow up over the years. We are one of the few hospitals that combines primary care with specialists/emergency/247 hospitalization and ICU care. We hope you never find yourself needing us for these services, but if you do, rest assured that we have a full team of veterinarians and support staff to help when you need us!

08/07/2024

We have posted successful foreign body endoscopy photos before. Here is one that literally got away. Endoscopy is used for removing foreign material that is still within the stomach in most cases. Occasionally we can try to remove things that have just recently crossed into the small intestines. Once it gets too far down, the endoscope cannot reach and in some cases, it gets too risky to grab and pull back into the stomach. What you see here is the end of a sharp swab that an animal bit in half and swallowed. Even though we worked as quickly as possible, the swab had moved into the intestines by the time we had the patient safely under anesthesia. Because of peristalsis, the intestines constantly squeezes and contracts to move things along. In this case, it worked too quickly and the swab moved too far down and then disappeared around the corner where our endoscope could no longer reach. In this instance, we opted to skip surgery and monitored closely. Thankfully, the swab passed in the stool a few days later. This patient was very lucky and the sharp swab did not end up causing major damage and they were able to avoid surgery. Not every patient is so fortunate! This is why seeking veterinary care when your pet ingests something they shouldn’t have as soon as possible is so important. They can help you determine the best options. Some objects can be left alone to digest or pass naturally. Sometimes we give safe medication to help them try to vomit things back up (NOTE, this is not always possible and can cause more harm than good sometimes, leading to more damage to the esophagus, increased risk of pneumonia and choking). Other times, we will help you determine pros, cons, and costs of attempting endoscopy versus going straight to surgery, versus trying endoscopy and going to surgery as a back up option.

08/01/2024

Dom is one of our lovely clients. He has three adorable small breed dogs that were all rescues. They all have various medical conditions but all are feeling well thanks to his love and dedication. We had to share their adorable faces. Can you tell which pup is least excited to be here today? Hint: He’s in the middle of the pack and just here for moral support today 😂

07/28/2024

This is Cryptococcus! The sample below is a cytology result from aspirating a large swelling on the face of a young dog. Unfortunately for this patient, the fungus had spread into his nose, behind his eyeball, and into his brain. Cryptococcus lives in the dirt and can cause skin lesions, random swelling, tumor like lesions, and neurologic symptoms like blindness and seizures. Early diagnosis and treatment is key!

07/28/2024

We have exciting news…Our Internal Medicine
team will be expanding and will be available 7 days a week starting this fall! No other hospital offers this much needed specialty service every day of the week. We can’t wait to share more information about our third internal medicine specialist that will be joining us soon.

07/28/2024

Let us know what you think this is. No clues yet!

07/28/2024

Who doesn’t love Corgi Butts??

07/27/2024

Sharing these amazing photos of Scrappy and her amazing human. Scrappy is on several medications that are keeping her feeling well including anti-seizure medication. Her human made a customized medicine bag to keep all of her drugs and medical notes organized. The photos of Scrappy are an added bonus! Our favorite is the photobomb of a pregnancy announcement!

07/27/2024

Sneak peek of our next big upgrade! We have started construction for our new MRI space which will allow our specialists to perform detailed scans of brains, spinal cords, and other delicate soft tissue structures. This will also allow our specialists to perform intricate surgeries on the nervous system. There are very few options currently with some patients having to wait weeks to months. Some pet parents are having to drive hours and hours to find an available option. We will keep you posted on the progress! Thank you for your support!

07/26/2024

What do you carry in your pockets ?

07/20/2024

06/28/2024

Another 🌟STAFF SPOTLIGHT ✨!! Jazminn is a Primary Care Client Liaison, a special position here at AMC that doesn't exist at a lot of hospitals. It's hard to summarize her role as she does a little bit of everything. She coordinates many aspects of care, helping the team run more efficiently by supporting doctors, technicians and front staff while also acting as a direct point of contact for pet parents. Essentially, she helps ensure that both pets and their parents receive the best care and that the process goes as smoothly as possible. She was nominated for her incredible client support superpower and for being such a great team member, always helping others with a smile on her face. We are very grateful for what she brings to our AMC family!

Here is our full interview with Jazminn where you'll get a glimpse of that light heart we all enjoy so much. You'll also find out more about the critters in these pics, including some context on how she got to feed that gorgeous giraffe!

1.How long have you been with the hospital?
-I've been with the hospital since September 2023.

2. Do you have any pets of your own? Let's hear a little about them.
-I have a Chug (chihuahua/pug) tripod, named Isosceles, or Iso for short. He was my friend's foster, and he came at the right time as I sadly lost my other pet a few weeks after I got him.

3. Do you have a favorite story about a patient, an interesting fact you've learned since working at AMC, or a favorite thing about working in the field?
-All of my coworkers can attest, I'm a chihuahua person. There's one named Nala who was in recently for a dental. She's definitely the sweetest kindest pupperoni, just like her mom (Nala is the cutie in the second pic below!) I am so lucky to have been part of their care team. My favorite thing about working in the field is getting to see sick patients once they're recovered.

4. What made you want to work in the field/ at AMC?
-Insert stereotypical "I've always loved animals" line. I've been in the field since 2008. I worked as a tech for 10 years, then decided I had enough. After working in college admissions for veterinary technicians, and as a hospital administrator at the zoo, I wanted to get back into the hospital setting but not as a tech. I was really delighted with the position here, as I'm able to use my tech skills and learn new ones about the admin side of veterinary medicine.

5. What are your hobbies outside of work?
-You can find me and Iso walking around the city on trails where he can show off his parkour skills, at a concert showing off my two-step, or at a new restaurant trying their potatoes. I also collect sneakers and earrings so you may catch me window shopping.

06/23/2024

🎉🌈 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!! 🏳️‍🌈🥳 We have so many q***r folks and allies working here at AMC. It’s so special to have a work family where we can all be our true selves and be celebrated for it.
🐶This little cutie is Gunner, one of Dr. Betchel’s patients in the Primary Care department.

06/23/2024

A beautiful success story of the vet community coming together to help a pet in need!

Meet sweet Max, who fractured his elbow at only 10 months old. This type of fracture requires a complicated surgery that typically only board-certified specialty orthopedic surgeons can perform. Max’s family loves him dearly and wanted to do everything possible for him but needed help to make it happen, so we teamed up with the incredible nonprofits and . Between their grant contributions and our own match, Max was able to get the surgery with Dr. Polidoro, one of our 2 specialty surgeons. Max is now a month out and happily recovering as you can see in these photos !

Also a special thank you to SF AFA and Sage Compassion for Animals. These organizations provide grant assistance for urgent/life threatening care and have helped many hospitals in the bay to save countless pets in need. If you are ever looking to donate to a good cause, these are the ones

06/23/2024

🎉🏅STAFF SPOTLIGHT! 🥳🌟
Next up is Katie, one of our techs in the Emergency and Oncology departments. She was nominated by a fellow tech for always going above and beyond. We are so grateful for her hard work, the exceptional care she provides, and for that infectious smile she brings to brighten people’s day.
It’s no secret that the veterinary field can be stressful and heartbreaking, but Katie knew from a very young age it’s where she belonged. It takes a special person to dedicate themselves to these two departments specifically- Emergency can be overwhelming at times, and Oncology helping pets with cancer to have the best quality of life possible. She puts her whole heart into making sure every pet gets top notch TLC. Head to our FB (link in bio) to find out how Katie got into veterinary medicine !

06/22/2024

Here are a few of our amazing veterinarians and nurses representing at ’s Best of the Bay celebration.

06/22/2024

Thank you for voting for us! We are so proud to have won best veterinarian (Dr. Winnie Ybarra) and best veterinary hospital. The people that make up our hospital are the heart and soul of .amc and make it a truly amazing place.

06/11/2024

Ramona a 14 week old Dogwood Rescue puppy had a successful repair of her PDA (patent ductus arteriosus) a congenital heart defect yesterday with Drs Mehl and Polidoro at SFAMC! The PDA was difficult due to the size of the vessel and how small Ramona is. Dogwood Animal Rescue saved this adorable chihuahua mix puppy and we loved taking care of her.

06/04/2024

🌟💐STAFF SPOTLIGHT!!🏅⭐️
Meet Katie, who has been part of the AMC family since the early days. She is a vet tech (think nurse) who works with the Emergency and Oncology departments and was nominated by a fellow tech for always going above and beyond. When we asked Katie why she chose veterinary medicine, she said she's always loved animals. When she was young, she would help her mom take care of their pets and always wished she could be the one behind the scenes when she would take them to the vet.

We are so grateful that veterinary medicine was Katie's calling. It's no secret it can be a very stressful and heartbreaking field to be in. It takes a special person to dedicate themselves to these two departments specifically- Emergency can be overwhelming at times, and Oncology helping pets with cancer to have the best quality of life possible. As hard as it may be, she consistently puts her whole heart into making sure every pet gets top notch TLC and she always brings that infectious smile to help us get through a tough day. Thank you Katie !!

06/01/2024

🏳️‍🌈🎉 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!! 🎉 🏳️‍🌈
We have so many q***r folks and allies working here at AMC. It is so special having a work family where we can truly be ourselves and be celebrated for it.
🐶This little cutie is Gunner, he is a patient of Dr. Bechtel's in the primary care department.

05/28/2024

A beautiful success story of the vet community coming together to help a pet in need!

Meet sweet Max, who fractured his elbow at only 10 months old. This type of fracture requires a complicated surgery that typically only board-certified specialty orthopedic surgeons can perform. Max’s family loves him dearly and wanted to do everything possible for him but needed help to make it happen, so we teamed up with the incredible nonprofits San Francisco Aid for Animals and SAGE Compassion for Animals . Between their grant contributions and our own match, Max was able to get the surgery with Dr. Polidoro, one of our 2 specialty surgeons. Max is now a month out and happily recovering as you can see in these photos !

Also a special thank you to SF AFA and Sage Compassion for Animals. These organizations provide grant assistance for urgent/life threatening care and have helped many hospitals in the bay to save countless pets in need. If you are ever looking to donate to a good cause, these are the ones.

05/24/2024

Introducing our new STAFF SPOTLIGHT series, where you get to know more about the amazing AMC family that makes such high quality care possible. First up we interviewed Graham, a Veterinary Assistant for our Emergency and Primary Care departments who was nominated by a fellow team member for always being so helpful and hard-working. Veterinary assistants are in high demand in every veterinary treatment room, our doctors and technicians simply couldn’t do their jobs without these amazing helping hands!

Q:How long have you been with the hospital?
A: 9 months.

Q: What made you want to work in the field/ at AMC?
A: 6 years ago I needed a summer job after my freshman year of college and a family friend who is a vet offered me a veterinary assistant position. SFAMC seemed like a well rounded and interesting clinic to work for as their wide ranging specialties and training program allowed me to see many different sides of vet med and grow my skills as a technician.

Q: Do you have a favorite story about a patient, an interesting fact you've learned since working in the field, or a favorite thing about working in the field?
A: My favorite thing about working in the vet med field is holistic nature of the care. I enjoy being involved in almost all aspects of small animal health care from dental procedures, surgeries, vaccinations, emergency visits, to inpatient hospitalizations. Being present for our patients through the good and the bad and seeing our work take effect is what keeps me coming back.

Q: Do you have any pets of your own? Let's hear a little about them.
A: I have two pets. A bloodhound named Eleanor and a tuxedo cat named Mouse! Eleanor lives in Arkansas with my parents and my partner and I take care of Mouse here in the city. Mouse’s portrait is featured along the hallway of the Primary Care department. Mouse was originally a street cat from New Orleans that I adopted my senior year of college.

Q: What are your hobbies outside of work?
A: I enjoy playing with Mouse, exploring SF and the Bay Area, running, and chess. I recently was a docent for the marine mammal center at Pier 39’s Sea Lion Spot where I would answer questions about the marine life that made their way to the docks. My favorite fun fact about sea lions is that they love physical contact biologically, making them a term call positively thigmotactic. It’s why they all like to lay on each other.

05/15/2024

🚨 Exciting News from SFAMC! 🚨

We are thrilled to announce the latest addition to our diagnostic arsenal: the CT Supria Plus machine by Fujifilm!

With this cutting-edge technology, we can now offer advanced imaging services, ensuring precise and comprehensive diagnoses for your beloved pets. Whether it's intricate soft tissue assessments or detailed bone evaluations, our CT Supria Plus delivers unmatched clarity and accuracy.

At SFAMC, we are committed to providing the highest standard of veterinary care. The CT Supria Plus machine is a testament to our dedication to incorporating the latest advancements in veterinary medicine. Our experienced team is ready to use this amazing technology to ensure your pets receive the best possible care.

📞 For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!