What Is The Sams Clinic?

Updated

The Sams Clinic is a veterinary specialty practice in the San Francisco Bay Area focused on orthopedics, sports medicine, and rehabilitation for dogs. It is aimed at pet owners and handlers who need advanced musculoskeletal care — from orthopedic surgery and arthroscopy to orthobiologic therapies and structured return-to-activity programs — rather than general veterinary services.

What the clinic does

The practice describes itself as specializing in minimally invasive and modern orthopedic medicine. Its work spans four main service areas:

  • Orthopedic surgery and arthroscopy — surgical treatment of joint, bone, and soft-tissue conditions, including TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy) procedures and arthroscopic evaluation.
  • Sports and performance medicine — care for performance-limiting conditions in athletic and working dogs, including shoulder, tendon, ligament, muscle, and carpal injuries.
  • Orthobiologic and regenerative therapy — biologic approaches such as platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow aspirate concentrate, cellular therapies, and bioscaffolds.
  • Rehabilitation and return to activity — post-surgical recovery, conditioning, gait and loading assessment, and guided return to daily activity, sport, or work.

Who it serves

The clinic treats companion dogs as well as athletic and working dogs. Its stated reach is Bay Area families plus performance dogs from around the world, so it is not limited to local pet owners seeking routine care.

Why it positions itself as a specialist resource

Beyond clinical services, the clinic states that its specialists have conducted sponsored research with academic, clinical, nonprofit, and industry partners, and have helped design, co-develop, validate, and clinically evaluate technologies used in veterinary orthopedics. Reported research and development areas include:

  • Cartilage repair, osteoarthritis, and joint preservation
  • Regenerative treatments for joints, tendons, and ligaments
  • Sports medicine and soft-tissue injury
  • Orthopedic surgery, implants, and TPLO
  • Musculoskeletal imaging and diagnosis
  • Rehabilitation, recovery, and return to activity

This research and technology-development background is part of how the clinic presents its expertise, and it may matter to owners deciding where to seek advanced or minimally invasive treatment.

When this clinic is likely the right fit

Consider The Sams Clinic if a dog needs:

  • Evaluation or surgery for a joint, ligament, or orthopedic condition
  • Arthroscopic or other minimally invasive assessment
  • Regenerative or orthobiologic treatment for joints, tendons, or ligaments
  • A structured rehabilitation and return-to-sport plan after injury or surgery

For general wellness exams, vaccinations, or non-orthopedic concerns, a primary care veterinarian is typically the first point of contact. The clinic's own site directs prospective clients to schedule a consultation or have a veterinarian refer a patient, which suggests referral or consultation is the normal entry path for specialty care.

Practical next step

The site offers two entry actions: Schedule a Consultation and Refer a Patient. If you are an owner, start with a consultation request; if you are a veterinarian, use the referral route. Because the clinic does not publish pricing or insurance details on the page reviewed here, confirm costs, appointment availability, and whether a referral is required directly with the clinic before planning a visit.