My chocolate Labrador Ted got sneaky and ate a makeup remover pad out of the laundry and of course…read morehe did this on a Saturday late afternoon. We came to VCA Southpaws as an emergency visit and Ted was lucky enough to be seen by Dr. Molero, who rushed him back since we were in a race against the clock before an intestinal blockage. He was given some medicine and threw it up right away, saving us from a very expensive surgery. Dr. Molero was helpful, and made us feel extremely calm (and like Ted was in very capable hands) during a scary moment. We are thankful!!

I want to thank the entire staff of South Paws and especially Dr. Jeff Norton for performing LIFE…read moreSAVING emergency surgery for a flipped stomach for my big, beautiful, 2 yo, GSD male. Had my vets, and South Paws not acted so quickly and so expertly, Teddy would NOT be here today. We were so lucky and he made an AMAZING recovery (thanks to his age) but also because we all moved quickly! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Teddy (and Teddy's mommy)

We brought our dog here after severe GI issues. We saw 3 doctors over ~36 hours and all of them…read morewere amazing. We've been to many pet ERs/urgent cares in the 8 years we've lived in NoVa and this the only hospital where we spoke to a doctor within a few minutes of walking in the door. They were thorough, took time to explain our treatment/testing options and answer questions, and made us feel like Norman's care mattered even when more severe emergency cases came in. At VEG, you can see everything, stay with your pet, watch their treatment, and staff are readily available to talk to or answer questions. That alone eased so much anxiety. Kenzie, one of the nurses that was assigned to Norman, was so kind. It was clear that everyone in the room cared about making these animals feel comfortable. More than one nurse came over to introduce themselves when we were preparing to leave Norman overnight. They offered us a room where we could stay with him if we wanted, and even asked what he liked to watch on TV to create a comfortable environment for him after we let them know he suffers from separation anxiety. The discharge and follow-up notes were also incredibly detailed, which made following up with our primary vet so much easier. No one ever wants to bring their animal to an ER, but this is now the only place we will go when we need urgent medical care. A HUGE thank you to everyone at VEG Alexandria for taking such good care of our dog!

They are always fantastic. Have had to go a couple of times…read more The staff goes above and beyond to help you understand what is going on with your pet, what they are intending to do and keeping you updated in a timely and courteous fashion. I won't go anywhere else in the area and they do have other locations, which is great. Highly recommend - especially when you are in an emergency and you want excellent care fur your fur baby. While I hope to not have to go back anymore, it's very comforting to know they are there.

The saddest days of my life were spent at this location where VEG made several mistakes and my dog…read moredied. I made a snap decision to go there based on high Google reviews, not realizing they were they were capital-venture shop with limited medical staff. Please go to Friendship Hospital for Animals or similar.

ALWAYS GET A 2ND OR 3RD OPINION before getting treatment at this location…read more I waited months to write this ro make sure my opinion isnt bases only on emotions but what happened. 1. I had my cat of almost 15 years euthanized based on the veterinarian opinion. Before hand they give you all the time you need alone with your pet. Needless to say I was in a room crying. After crying in the room. As I walked out of the room. A female doctor was imitating a fake ugly cry while the 2 other female doctors were laughing. I was literally just in the room crying. When the procedure is done they stop talking to you. I stood there for 15 minutes. They literally forgot to get rhe paw prints and fur. I had to remind them The lady at the front desk was very nice. They better not ever fire her cause her friendly demeanor is helping their business. The female doctors are catty like teen from mean girls. 2. They judged me based on my appearance. I felt bad about myself. Like I made them uncomfortable. I believe it was my hairstyle that was a distraction because the doctor couldnt hold eye contact without looking at my hair. 3. I felt judged because of my financial situation. I obviously dont expect and didnt ask anyone to work for free. I went there out of desperation for suggestions and to buy pain medicine and ointment to clean my cat eyes. 4. I did not like the way they made my cat scream. If she had done that before I wouldnt think anything of it. However she has NEVER screamed like that which is why I believe it was intentional. I regret taking her there in her last moments. I still remember that scream. I just pray she was fully transitioned and that I made the right decision for her. Please dont wait to get insurance. Get a 2nd opinion because ive met other pet owners who vets worked with them far as payment or showing them how to do certain things at home to care for their pet and cut cost. If I ever have a pet I would never step foot in that facility again.

Best 24-hour animal hospital I've found so far…read more The front desk staff were excellent, especially when you're arriving in a panic during the middle of the night. My mom and I rushed in with her cat after she thought he might have had a stroke. The staff quickly spoke with us at check-in and explained the process: they would take him to the back exam area first to evaluate him. If he was stable, they said the wait time to see the doctor would likely be around three hours. We were taken to a room shortly after arriving and ended up waiting about three hours before seeing the doctor. Since we were waiting that long, we assumed he had been determined to be stable, which helped ease our minds a bit. The staff did offer us something to drink, and the front entrance being locked at night definitely makes the place feel safer during late hours. One small improvement I would suggest is checking in periodically with people waiting in rooms, especially during longer waits like ours. Even a quick update after an hour or two would go a long way in helping anxious pet owners feel reassured. Another tip for visitors: keep your exam room door closed if possible. We left ours open because we were seated right across from the exam area, but we could hear several emotional moments from other pet owners, which made an already stressful situation feel even heavier. While waiting, I looked up some of our cat's symptoms and saw that they could align with feline vestibular syndrome (cat vertigo), especially since he had received flea medication about a month earlier. Reading about that possibility helped calm us down while we waited. When the doctor came in after about the three-hour mark, they diagnosed him with cat vertigo, which was a huge relief compared to what we initially feared. They also mentioned hearing a possible heart murmur and recommended a dental cleaning along with follow-ups with a feline cardiologist and neurologist for additional peace of mind. They offered a head scan for about $1200, but because of the potential heart murmur they explained it might not be ideal to do under anesthesia and could produce limited results. We ultimately declined the additional treatments and paid the diagnostic exam fee for $200 something and took him home. The next day, my mom followed up with her regular vet, who didn't detect a heart murmur. They hypothesized it may have been stress from the situation. Overall, despite the long wait, we were happy with the visit and grateful they were there when we needed emergency care. Finding a reliable 24-hour animal hospital can be difficult, and this one handled a stressful situation with professionalism and compassion.

I recently had my worst nightmare happen when BOTH of my dogs needed emergency attention at the…read moresame time. I got checked in and was in front of a vet within 20 minutes; this has never happened to me at an emergency vet before (I should've come here!). They were able to give me answers very quickly and sent me home with one dog and kept the other for two nights. During that grueling 48 hours, I called every four hours to check on Kina and each and every time I was provided with an actual solid update on her condition. Every single staff member met me with compassion and kindness while I was freaking out about my little girl. The staff here saved her life and then sent her home clean and even returned the THREE(!) blankets that I brought for her to lay with. By this time, I did not even care about the blankets, I was fully prepared to never see them again. I just wanted my dog back home with me, and boy did they deliver. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so so so much to MAEC. I hope I never have to come in again, but if I do I know I'll be in good hands.