Mary Burns Wrote:
Hi -- my daughter will be getting a dog soon (from a shelter, hopefully a Bichon Frise, not a puppy). She's done a TON of research already, but there were a couple of things we'd love your opinions about: 1. favorite veterinarian/animal clinic (we're in San Mateo, near Hillsdale mall) 2. do you have pet insurance? What should we know about that? 3. recommendation for animal dental clinic, and groomers Thanks in advance for what I know will be lots of very helpful information. -- Mary

Ray Avanzino Wrote:
We go to the Laurelwood Vet Clinic, up off Hillsdale Blvd, by CSM, Dani Weber owner, great group of people. Have never looked at pet insurance as of yet. Grooming, we go to Laurelwood Clinic, Petco, Scrub a Pup, all are good.

Ray Avanzino attached these links:
Scrub A Pup
Laurelwood Veterinary Clinic

doodycalls Wrote:
www.petinsurance.com has taken care of all our emergency needs from my lab needing her eye removed due to glaucoma to a dog bite injury. They even have insurance for birds, rabbits, lizards, etc.! and remember, if scooping your dog's doody is not on your fun list, give us a call! Great special going on now. Free first time clean-up, two free dog wash tokens from pet food express and a 20% off coupon off anything Pet Food Express carries and 10% of the first year's cleaning revenue is donated to the Peninsula Humane Society!

doodycalls attached these links:
DoodyCalls :: Peninsula's franchised backed Pooper Scooper, San Mateo, San Bruno, Millbrae, Hillsborough, Burlingame,

Vandy73 Wrote:
Grooming- I love Paw Spa Salon... everyone there is wonderful! My dog LOVES the place.

Neighbor104933 Wrote:
Hi Mary - So glad you are asking about this.... I am a bichon owner....My sister has had bichons for yesrs - has 3 now...our neighborhood seems to be teeming with these adorable little puff balls! Be careful and aware....bichons are very very stubborn little babes....they are also known as the couch potato of dog breeds. But as you say, she has done her research... 1) I highly recommend Dr. Steve Sutter at Aragon Vet Clinic - on the corner of 9th and B (see webcard below). He has taken care of my boy for years and years. They are great! 2) Do the research on pet insurance. I never got it - stupid! My dog has severe allergies and got diagnosed last year w/diabetes (so I give him 2 shots a day for the diabetes and 1 shot a week for the allergies - not to mention pills galore). Note that bichons - as they are white haired, pink skinned dogs - are prone to skin conditions (hopefully she won't need this info - but if she does - my dog sees Dr. Kim Boyanowsky - pet dermatologist in RC - highly recommend her as well!) 3) Groomers: do not go to Superpups - they hit a friend's dog - and admitted it. The dog is groomed right out in front and kept in cage right in front as well....for dogs who are prone to stress - this is not smart. I highy recommend Pawsitively Groomed - on Broadway right off El Camino in B'game. Evelyn is great = does a lot of bichons! You can get teeth cleaned by someone that actually comes to her salon...although I am of the belief that to get a really good cleaning job - you need the dog sedated and thus need to have your vet do it. My 2 cents!

Neighbor104933 attached these links:
Aragon Veterinary Clinic

Neighbor104678 Wrote:
I hope she enjoys the new addition to the family. 1. favorite veterinarian/animal clinic (we're in San Mateo, near Hillsdale mall) Based on several recommendations, we've been using Belmont Pet Hospital for years and have been very happy. For serious issues, or a second opinion on potentially serious issues, we drive up to San Francisco Veternary Specialists and see Dr. Stewart. We had a horrible experience with Bayshore Animal Hospital. If you want, you can see the details at: http://www.local2me.com/readMsg/704873490 2. do you have pet insurance? What should we know about that? We don't. I once looked into it. The value of insurance to me would be making regular payments, but if your pet needs $10K worth of treatment, you don't need to make the difficult decision about whether you should put a down payment on a home, or take care of your loved one. Unfortunately, from the one company we looked at (we grabbed a brochure from the vet), pet insurance doesn't work that way. The plan was structured completely differently than medical insurance, but you had to read the fine print and request additional documentation to figure that out. Instead of covering you for whatever treatments are necessary, a separate document defined specific conditions and the maximum payout for each condition. I used my previous cat, Leroy, who passed away from renal failure after 13 years as a guide. Leroy was reasonably healthy his entire life, up until the last year. So, we'd be paying the premium for little use of the insurance. For "renal failure" the insurance would pay up to (I vaguely recall) $1500. In Leroy's case, we had several different procedures performed over the course of the year to maintain his quality of life, and we spent much more than $1500. Getting and maintaining pet insurance for Leroy would have hardly made a difference. In fact, investing the premium we would have paid over 13 years would have netted us more. Maybe there are better plans out there. This was one that had a brochure at our vet's office. For a modest cost, it seemed to protect you from having to make unanticipated payments of several hundred to a two thousand dollars, but did not protect you for expenses above that. After researching that one company, I decided not to dig any further. I guess my recommendation is to look into all the details of the plan, don't assume it's just like medical insurance, do a long-term rough financial analysis, and talk to your vet. David

cnme Wrote:
If your dog needs to be taken out for walks, Vicki Stephens is like the pied piper of dogs. Our dog has been going on Vicki's Little Rascals Petcare dog walking adventures for more than 5 years. Vicki is wonderful, kind and loving with the dogs and they love her back. She takes them on wonderful adventures, hiking and to the beach for 3-5 hours at a time. Check out the dog walking adventures online at her site. The dogs come home happy and tired. That makes us happy! I think they can be reached by checking the website... look up Vicki's Little Rascals Petcare. OR call 650.593.4286. Or e-mail vnstephens@sbcglobal.net. Good luck!

Hilary Wrote:
I have 2 cats and have been very happy with Holly Street Veterinary Hospital in San Carlos. There are several pet insurance companies, but do some research to find out what they cover and the deductible. For a pedigree puppy, you probably want to get insurance, but it may not be worth it for an adult dog if it stays close to home and lives inside.