They are wonderful with dealing with my large dog and are great with follow-up.  You can tell they are very straight-forward and dont try to "sell" you more than is necessary-not like some vets I've visited..keep up the great work Animal Cove!!! Read Less

We love Dr. Cowing. He is our Portuguese Water Dog's doctor since his first visit when we brought our puppy home. Dr. Cowing is very knowledgeable and experienced. He is the best vet we've ever worked with in 25 years of owning pets. He has a great bedside manner for pets and their people. He spends as much time as needed to answer all questions. The office is very clean, well organized, and run efficiently. Yes, front desk staff aren't necessarily warm and fuzzy, but they're busy. Having said this, we haven't had a negative experience with the front desk staff. If you want small talk at the front desk, perhaps think again about coming to Animal Cove. If you want first rate vet care from a fantastic veterinarian in Foster City for your pet(s), this is the place for you! Read Less

Was our first doctor visit for Cupcakes, 3 months old kitten. The staff was very nice and efficient. The clinic was clean and in a nice location. Dr. Cowing examined Cupcakes and gave her a clean bill of health. He was assuring and answered all our questions with regards to taking care of her. Will always be going back there. Read Less

Dr. Cowing is really friendly and knowledgable! I recently brought my dog (Toby) in to get a checkup for a skin infection. Even though Toby gets kind of anxious around strangers and especially at the vet's office, Dr. Cowing knew how to handle him. I was also able to get all of my questions answered and we talked about what to expect with his medication treatment and what the next steps were if the medication didn't work. It's been about two weeks and his skin has nearly completely cleared up! I'll definitely be coming back with both of my dogs when I need any advice on their care. Read Less

Dr. Cowing is awesome!  Animal cove is more like family than any other vet we have been to.  Back in the late 80's we brought our family dog Casey, the king Charles spaniel to see Dr. Cowing, and my mom always praised him.  Now fast forward to the 2000's, my wife and I have been bringing our two rat terriers to Dr. Cowing for almost 8 years now.  He and his staff are always very helpful and receptive to our problems and needs.  Dr. Cowing has called us countless times well after closing time to keep us posted with updated or to just check in on our sick older dog.  He is so caring and really goes above and beyond to help.  There is always parking out front, staff at the front desk are always really cute with our pups, reasonably priced compared to a lot of other vets, but most of all the family atmosphere is what takes the cake! Highly recommend Animal Cove & Dr. Cowing. Read Less

Absolute worst front desk staff I have ever encountered. The lady receptionist was rude and the vibe was awful. It really made me uncomfortable to bring my pet there. I would not recommend for anyone to visit due to the terrible customer service! Read Less

I was referred to this pet hospital by a co-worker.  She loves the vet and nothing but nice things to say.  I just got off the phone with the rudest receptionist.  The minute she answered the phone the thought of hanging up went thru my mind.  She was very abrupt and I had asked her if I caught her at a bad time and she grunted NO!  I scheduled the appointment with hesitation.  As I asked her for her name, she slammed the phone down in my ear!  I mentioned this to my co-worker and her response is "yeah the office staff can sometimes be not so friendly"  I am going to cancel my appointment as I do not want to have to deal with that type of behavior.  I am sure the vet is very sweet as the reviews have indicated, but having to deal with a receptionist that is so rude is not the way to go! Read Less

Dr. Cowing is totally awesome!!!  I've recommended a couple of people to him and they think he's great.  And yes, I'm very aware of some of the front desk staff.  The yelpers are right.  There are a couple of them who are pretty rude and think they know it all.  I think it's just one now.  Hahahahahaha.  The yelpers are not lying.  She just comes off a little stand off-ish?  Something like that.  She kinda grows on you after a while and you're like wow, she's actually pretty cool.  Hahahaha.  He has some who are very friendly, too.  They are great!!!!  The first time coming to the office was a bit of a turn off, but I've learned to deal with it.  It's all good. Read Less

Let me start by saying the Veterinarian himself is incredible. He was great with my dog and super nice. Unfortunately the horrible lack of customer service from the front desk staff caused me to leave this office and choose never to come back. They had a real attitude with me that was not appreciated or tolerated. Read Less

We have had 4 dogs, 2 at a time.  The first two, Cookie and Rinnie, were extremely well cared for by Dr. Cowing.  When it was time to put them to sleep, we went to his office outside of office hours so it would be private for us. Of course, we broke down and Dr. Cowing was also visibly moved as he knew these two dogs since they were pups.Our next generation of two dogs, Taz and Tali, have also been going to Dr. Cowing since they were pups and they are now 9.  Once again, great care.  It has been 24 years total of dog care with Animal Cove Pet Hospital.Also, our youngest daughter had a guinea pig a number of years ago that became very sick.  We called Dr. Cowing and he came by our house on his way home to care for it.I have seen some of the negative comments about the front desk and I know that the situation has been rectified.This place really does deserve a 5 star rating. Read Less

The staff was really nice and helped me get all the necessary info in the system. Dr. Cowing was awesome! He was playful with my dog and you could really tell he cared about him. He got his shots and exam and when I asked for his nails to be clipped one of the girls up front said she was about to go on her break but she'd help clip so I didn't have to wait. I asked for additional information about a teeth cleaning estimate and she said she would email me by the end of the day and she did. Mo and I were very happy leaving Read Less

I'm really surprised to read some of the negative reviews on Yelp as all our phone and in-person interactions with Doctor Cowing and his staff have been professional and courteous. Our dogs, Max and Milo, love Doctor Cowing! He's been our vet for many years and he's helped us through chronic allergies, teeth cleanings, and managing Max's autoimmune issues. I really appreciate that he doesn't try to push expensive medicines or procedures with us. He worked with us to identify a long-term course of treatment for Max's health issues and after a few months our 12 year old maltese is happily eating and horsing around with his 2 year old brother. Doctor Cowing is a wonderful vet, knowledgeable, direct, and caring. He is very patient with pet parents and there isn't anyone else I trust with my kids. Read Less

I like Dr. Cowing and Kristi who helped my dog who has heart failure get better each day. My gratitude to both of you!Sorry I have to say something about one of your staff, Sylvia who is very rude over the phone the other day. I was holding for Kristi and she picked up the phone. During our conversation, she had a bad attitude thinking she is always right and the customer is wrong. She shows aggressive in her speaking to put down the customer. Read Less

I completely  agreed with opinion of Katryn U from 07/22/15. The new girls on front  deck are rude, insensitive  with bad attitude. If it wouldn't be Dr.Cowing  who he's been taken care of my dogs for 14 yr.  I would leave the office right the way. I hope  he checks  reviews  and consider his patient experience with new employees while   he is on the back office taking care of animals Read Less

While Dr. Coving is knowledgeable and will not make you spend money unnecessarily, his front desk staff members are extremely rude and insensitive. He should look at getting better staff. Despite being a good vet, I can't deal with his staff and will be taking my pet elsewhere.Read Less

Unfortunately Spammy has been sick for the last few weeks and we've been to Animal Cove Pet Hospital twice in the last 2 weeks.  I just wanted to say though that the friendliness of the front office staff has made the experience so easy and Dr. Cowing is very nice.  The prices for services (blood test, xray) have been reasonable...but boy are pets a money pit!  Extra plus about Animal Cove is that they try hard to squeeze in your pet in for a same day appointment and the office stayed a little later than their closing hours to make sure we were able to come by and see the vet and pick up Spammy.  Big thanks! Read Less

I do not understand the negative reviews of this place. Both the front desk staff, and Dr. Cowing were an absolute pleasure to deal with. I was able to bring my cat  in for a first visit, and get him neutered the very next day. The whole process was seamless, efficient, and honestly for something on the peninsula, not very expensive. Front desk staff whose names both escape me were pleasant to deal with, and made scheduling easy. Cowing seemed super knowledgeable, and very old school but was also very good with my cat. He was a nice guy, and very easy to talk to. Assuming my cat does not spontaneously combust within the next couple weeks, I will be bringing my pets here in the future. Read Less

Dr. Cowing is the greatest. He spells everything out for you, and will answer all questions without hesitation. He will try everything to help my chronically ill pet. The women who run the front office are equally as great. They know me and my cat so well that they know what I need when I walk in the door. Everyone there is truly compassionate and caring. I have no problem driving the 20 miles to their office because I believe in them. I would recommend Animal Cove without hesitation.Read Less

Dr. Cowing is such a great vet.  We are very happy with him.  He takes his time to examine our dog, and you can tell he really likes what he does.  We take our dog Princess in for annual visits, also shes gotten her teeth professionally cleaned by them. Read Less

Dr. Cowing is the bestest!!!Kristi helped me, patient and kind clipping my rescue Chihuahuas, with Dr. Cowing helping (it was lunchtime) and my latest baby Mochi, had a lame R paw, she walked fine for him going in, then he saw a missing patch of hair, did a skin scraping, found mites, gave me salve to rub on daily.My other one, Luna blew up like a balloon yesterday, Dr. Cowing told me to give her a dose of Benadryl, but after hours she was not better, took her to the doggie ER, and they gave her Prednisone, she vomited all night.  He spent 1 minutes by phone this morning recalling the events preceding her anaphylaxis.  He told me to double the Prednisone dose and continue the Benadryl, she is better now.I have gone to Dr. Chris Cowing for years, he is kind, intuitive, empathetic, conservative in meds and cost.  I would not take any pet anywhere else.  He is the best!!!! Read Less

Such a great staff. My 10-year old dog is healthy and just needed shots. The Dr was so patient and kind, just the gentle soul you want caring for your beloved beast. Huge bonus points for being on time, and relaxed. Convenient location, stress-free experience. Great front desk experience. Recommended. Read Less

I've been bringing my doggy here for 5 years and figured out what we love about Dr Cowing, he loves animals and it shows. He is very gentle with our shy terrier mix, and she loves him too. He's always very detailed and has excellent advice for the care of our sweet doggy. There's never been a time that I couldn't schedule a timely appointment, and the staff is very attentive,and friendly. Read Less

OMG we've been avoiding trying to find a vet, because our normal vet stopped working with the public.  She is now focused on spay and neuter only.  As you all know a vet is like a mechanic, they can charge you everything and your 1st born for your little pet.  But we love our pets right?  My story:  My cat had a bump that had been growing above her brow line.  Super scary.  We took her in and the vet said it was a tumor.  Ahhhh!  So he encouraged us to have it removed while she was under, since he had to do a biopsy anyway.  While she was down we also added her teeth cleaning for $80.  Our grand total was around $400 out the door.  My baby is cancer free and back to normal.  Very happy with this vet clinic. Read Less

Went to this Vet based on a recommendation and the fact it was closer to the house, ""WHAT A HUGE MISTAKE"". Completely unprofessional office, can you believe the office staff had no ability to email clients? They don't even computorize records, isn't this 2011? I believe most the front office staff are students or summer interns, completely unprofessional and at times down right rude. Hit or miss if Dr.Cowing will be in that day, seemed to me that he likes to take a lot of vacations or is at some meeting. In my opinion it seemed as though every time I went in there the Dr. Cowing had no idea who I was or who my dog was, although we had been going there for the past year!!! Not the main issue though. Brought one of are dogs in for weight gain, losing hair and a bladder issue. We literally spent a year and thousands of dollars trying to correct this problem. Test, including full scans, different meds, by the way this office does not have the ability to perform MRI's or other scans, they bring in an outside Vet and it needs to be scheduled. So after a year of zero improvement and piling up bills I pulled the plug and her records and went to Bayshore and VMS. WOW, within 30 days weight loss, hair grew back and what a professional office, staff and environment. Sure the upfront cost me a few extra dollars, but less expensive over all because they fix the issue in a month. Here's the kicker. I was so frustrated with Animal Cove. I call and told then I was done with them, they said I had a balance and that if I return the medications that didn't work they would tear up the invoice. I mailed it in but they say they never receive it. Can you believe that after 2 years they are still contacting me for money for medications that didn't work? I just finally gave up and paid the 300.00 bill, again for meds that were useless. All I can say is if you love your pet as much as I loved mine ""she past away 3 months ago"" don't be cheap, give your pet the best and don't go to this Vet. My recommendation is Bayshore/VMS in San Mateo....what a world of difference. Read Less

My favorite thing about Dr. Cowing is that he takes the time to explain the reasons for his diagnosis, let's you know when he's not sure, and enables you to make informed decisions about what kind of care is best for your pet. Our cat has a habit of eating things he shouldn't, so I am happy to say that Dr. Cowing has already saved his life twice. Dr. Cowing has also saved our cat's life from a massive internal infection that had his entire abdomen swollen (required major surgery to clear infection). While our cat was there recovering, I would visit him the kennels. Not only was it clean & warm, but all of the technicians go into the back room regularly and talk to, comfort & check on the pets, just because they enjoy playing with the animals. It's a small office, and they do their best to make time to see you quickly; allowing you to drop your pet off for the day if you have to go to work, but need urgent care. I love this place! Read Less

My favorite thing about Dr. Cowing is that he takes the time to explain the reasons for his diagnosis, let's you know when he's not sure, and enables you to make informed decisions about what kind of care is best for your pet. Our cat has a habit of eating things he shouldn't, so I am happy to say that Dr. Cowing has already saved his life twice. Dr. Cowing has also saved our cat's life from a massive internal infection that had his entire abdomen swollen (required major surgery to clear infection). While our cat was there recovering, I would visit him the kennels. Not only was it clean & warm, but all of the technicians go into the back room regularly and talk to, comfort & check on the pets, just because they enjoy playing with the animals. It's a small office, and they do their best to make time to see you quickly; allowing you to drop your pet off for the day if you have to go to work, but need urgent care. I love this place! Read Less

Extremely compassionate service is what I received from the beginning phone calls with Kimmy who squeezed me into a fully booked Saturday calendar to meeting with Dr. Cowing who was equally compassionate and extremely generous with his time before putting our pet lab Summer to sleep. Kimmy allowed me to stay in my air conditioned car instead of the normal waiting room until the private room was ready for me......very considerate. I highly recommend Animal Cove and found their fees to be very reasonable. Thank you Dr. Cowing, Kimmy and staff. Read Less

I can't recommend Dr. Cowing highly enough. I lived in San Mateo for six months, and during this time, I brought my cat into Animal Cove twice. His prices were more than reasonable, given how thorough his examinations are. The first time we brought her in, Dr. Cowing diagnosed a cataract that my cat had apparently been born with (and was slightly affecting her depth perception) that had never been diagnosed by the expensive cat hospital that we used (several times) back in Boston. Dr. Cowing is also very friendly and easygoing, reminding me somewhat of Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald from the Animal Planet show Emergency Vets. We were sad to have to leave him behind when we moved away from the bay area, but we're definitely using him as a standard by which to measure our potential veterinarians in Chicago. Read Less

Our puppy was really sick so I took him in. He went in and out of the hospital for days and spent the night in the emergency room. Dr. Wolf was great, and was shocked they hadnt given him an IV since he was dehydrated. Took him back to Animal Cove and they did x-ays, barium studies, and convinced me that surgery was now needed. I got the call that after surgery, and found nothing after flushing him 3 times. The doc joked that sometimes they just need to be aired out- not funny! They didnt send him home w/any pain meds, which cost me another trip back. Then we went to get his stitches taken out, the receptionist was the only one who remembered us. The doc didn't even come in to see how he was doing. Umm I spent $2200 I think you can ask how hes doing!!! Read Less