Uniquely skilled at what they do (Fear Free Vet Care). Have tried to switch to a closer vet and…read moreit's unfortunately not comparable. The other vet was great but when you have a fearful/reactive pet, you need top tier animal care. For example, they have staff with incredible aim, that can do sedations so quickly your pet won't notice. Vet care can be emotional and I appreciate the efforts the team makes to care for both the humans and the pets. They've been pretty patient with errors on my part and that's appreciated.

Clarendon Animal Care truly does care about providing a quality experience for both the pets and…read morethe owners. I was connected with them after call several other vets in preparation for a military move. On 29 July I was connected with their pet travel team and worked primarily with Eddie. What separates this team from others is their honesty, transparency, and commitment. They made the process of moving to a new place with a pet and completing the requirements for international travel seamless. On 31 July, I was happily booked for my appointment and paid my necessary fees. The instructions the team provide are easy to follow too. I've never used FEDEX ship but the directions are easy to follow and seamless too. On the day of my appointment on the 12th, I arrived somewhat early. I was promptly greeted upon entering and considering my Cat was very vocal they worked to get me in a room ASAP. Both my cat and I sincerely appreciated that. My Vet tech Caitlyn was very easy to work with too and I appreciated how easy it was to converse with her. Lastly, my Veterinarian Dr. Carr was very thorough and engaged, I did not feel like I was pressed for time and following my appointment I also received an after care summary too. The team here does an amazing job throughout the process from start to finish and post. Lastly, they also confirmed that I received my international health certificate and that shows their due diligence. I'd highly recommend this team for all Veterinarian needs and will especially recommend them for international moves and military customers. You are truly in good hands with Eddie, Caitlyn, and Dr. Carr.

I cannot say thank you enough times to vet tech Sammy and Dr. Drueler for putting up with my high…read moremaintenance dog. They are very patient and understanding with both the dog and dog parents. When Dr. Drueler is not available, I have seen Dr. Fred and Dr. Bharathi. They too have been thoughtful and understanding with my dog. The front desk staff are all kind too.

We have been coming here for years and recently have loved Dr. Shah! He is so thorough and kind,…read moreand the support staff are wonderful as well. Our dog Benny loves coming here and the love/attention he gets.

I had an exceptional experience working with Dr. Thornton to prepare my dog for an overseas move…read more Dr. Thornton was thorough and detailed, making sure that complex immigration paperwork was filled out precisely. Her clear communication with me and with our pet transit company led to a smooth experience all around, giving me comfort and reassurance throughout the process. Staff members and techs at Caring Hands were also kind and responsive, helping every step of the way. I highly recommend Caring Hands!

The front desk and manager are rude. I love dr E but I will be looking for a decent veterinarian.read more

Beware of Dr. Sampliner. She unnecessarily stokes fears and quotes ridiculous prices. My cat had an…read moreemergency over the weekend so we went to an emergency vet. We received a urinary tract infection diagnosis and were issued meds. When I took him into our vet, Caring Hands South Arlington, Dr Sampliner checked him out. Before we left, Dr. Sampliner asked if she could take a sonogram - for free. I said okay, and then she came back said she may have seen "something" and my cat COULD die - amid quoting high prices for further (unnecessary) treatment. She did something similar with my dog's teeth cleaning - stoked fear and quoted a ridiculous price range. I switched doctors. It's crossed my mind that maybe she's a "rainmaker" for the hospital. The other vets (Dr Maxey) are outstanding.

I used to really like this veterinary clinic. The veterinarians were always caring, and my dog's…read moreexams were done in the exam room with me present, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was a completely different experience. This appointment was my dog's annual checkup after he had recently survived a very serious illness. Because of everything he'd been through, I wanted to be involved in his exam and have the opportunity to discuss his recovery with the veterinarian. After we were placed in an exam room, the technician told me she was taking my dog to the back for a heartworm test and would be right back. Instead, more than 20 minutes passed. When she finally returned, I learned that his physical exam had already been completed and all of his vaccines had already been given while he was in the treatment area. The veterinarian did come into the exam room afterward, but by then I was so surprised and upset that the entire exam had already taken place without me that I wasn't able to have the conversation I had been hoping for. After everything my dog had recently been through, I had expected to be present for his examination and to discuss his recovery before it was over. To make matters worse, some of the information the technician relayed to the veterinarian was inaccurate, which only reinforced my concern that I wasn't included in the conversation about my dog's health. The following day, I received an automated text asking how Jack was doing. I replied by explaining my concerns about the appointment and how disappointed I was with the experience. I never received a response or acknowledgment from anyone at the clinic. Veterinary care is expensive, and I'm happy to pay for quality care. But I also expect to be part of my dog's examination and to have direct communication with the veterinarian, especially after a major medical event. I don't know why the clinic changed its procedures, but this experience was a significant step backward from the level of care and communication I had come to expect.

My family moved to Arlington in 1989 and have contacted this veterinarian practice multiple times…read morethroughout the years, always getting the same abrupt response that they are not taking new patients. No wait list, no suggestion on where to go for good care. It puzzles me how some of these reviews are from clients having been with this vet for 20 years or less. How do they "choose" their patients? We have had many pets throughout the years, luckily found a wonderful vet who has, sadly, just retired, and I'm now on the search for another great vet for our two fur babies. Should I even bother calling and getting the same rude treatment? I doubt it.

Tabby Loves them! she has been attending Northside for 17yrs. Dr Hahn is excellent with cats…read more.. Prior to having a cat, I had 7 dogs attending for over 20yrs. Gotta Love da animals.

Staff was so friendly and efficient!! Appreciated how they treated my fur baby while she was so…read moreanxious at the vet. Will be making this my regular vet!

I used to go to this hospital when I knew a vet there. However, rules were, and we were given a…read morepiece of paper, pet will not be seen unless current on all shots. Do not know if policy still in effect. My dog is very sick, 10 yrs old, because a different hospital nuked it at 15 weeks, with 2 shots same day, including the rabies, that clearly could have Waited, and 15 weeks being given shot is fking criminal . Brought dog to Shirlington since it was very sick, and meds and shots given to cure it. Then went to another hospital and more of same. Dog became fearful of hospitals as result, shaking each time. Other hospitals remedy for this is shots to calm it down in addition to 2-3 shots , that in vets view past due, and this was prior to a surgery. to me shots, not priority now, surgery is. Just read , article where "senior dog was abused and neglected for 10 yrs and now rescued" . eg dog survived abuse, lack of food, and clearly survived without the REQUISITE SHOTS, THAT ONE CLOWN VET IN MCLEAN CLAIMS, "WITHOUT SHOTS, DOGS DIE IN STREETS". REALLY? IN SUMMARY, MOST OF THIS RELATES TO ANIMAL HOSPITALS IN GENERAL. EG PROFIT OVER WELLBEING OF ANIMALS.

We've been taking both our dog and cat to CAC South for the last few years. We have consistently…read moreappreciated CAC's approach to both long-term care and acute injuries/illnesses. Our two pets are very different in a vet's office - while one is a cool cucumber, the other suffers from severe anxiety. CAC spends a lot of time getting to know each individual pet to provide the best possible care. They have found ways to successfully treat both of our pets with individualized approaches. We have seen a few of their vets, but Dr. Smith has been a stand out for us. She first saw our cat and we thought she was so fantastic that we switched our dog to her care, as well. We'd be devastated if she ever left the practice! CAC consistently spends the most time in the exam room out of any veterinarian we've seen in the past. CAC's techs and assistants are thoughtful and patient with each individual animal. Our dog is not easy at all to interact with but Dr. Smith has never expressed frustration, instead seeking to find ways to ensure that we can treat her without causing her any undue stress. There have been many vet offices where quality has gone downhill in recent years but CAC's staff and practices continue to give me a lot of confidence. They are also so easy to get a hold of via phone and communicate well via email to answer any outstanding or random questions. Knowing that there's a friendly, competent, and professional staff on the other end of the phone gives me a lot of confidence that we are doing the best thing for our pets and making sure that we don't have to bring our anxious dog in for every small concern we might have. They are a pricey practice - the costs here are sometimes tough to swallow - but we find that their vets are judicious in their recommendation for testing and diagnostics. They generally provide all the options up front and Dr. Smith has never pushed us into expensive or extreme options, always being willing to start with the most sensible and least invasive approach. We really appreciate the excellent care they've provided to our pets and we hope that we will be able to keep both of them within the care of CAC for years to come.

While our visit wasn't under good circumstances because Cinnamon, our dog, was sick due to…read moreuncontrollable vomiting. The staff was very nice and welcoming. We never felt rushed during our appointment. We had a family friend recommend Dr. Smith, which I'm so happy they did. We appreciated that Dr. Smith didn't order every test under the sun right away but followed a process. She said that if she couldn't figure out what was wrong with Cinnamon with the first test then she would move onto others. There was no need to over charge our family unnecessarily. She also explained everything thoroughly and was extremely patient with us. Unfortunately Cinnamon was an elder dog, 17, and was undergoing kidney failure. She explained his end of life options to us without in a judgement and allowed us the time to process what she was saying. We ended up taking Cinnamon home with us and he passed a couple of days later. A couple of weeks later we got a hand written personalized condolence card from Dr. Smith. (This warmed our hearts!) I know that once we're ready to have another furry friend, we will be taking them here and having Dr. Smith as our vet. Our only regret is that we didn't take Cinnamon here sooner.

Great staff ! The. Et took time with me and my cat - very kind and professional…read more Highly recommended

Just avoid this place. It's gone steadily down hill since Dr. Brown sold the practice. The doctors…read moreare satisfactory but they got rid of all qualified and decent support staff and replaced them with subpar people. They will insist that you enroll in an app for appointment reminders and requests and then claim ignorance when the app doesn't work. Their prices are also sky high. It's really a shame. They were my vet for 20 years but they are really just awful at this point.

They are the most compassionate vets! They also don't push unnecessary tests in situations where…read morethe results should make no difference in the outcome. They have cared for my malti-poo until she passed at the age of 17 and now they are caring for my sweet kitty who was diagnosed with cancer. The dignity and compassion are beyond compare. Highly recommend.

I never write negative reviews, but I am extremely disappointed with this place…read more We have been bringing our dog here for two years, and our experiences with the other doctors have been good. Unfortunately, this was our first time seeing Dr. House. Our 2-year-old dog developed a serious eye problem. Dr. House stained his eye, said she didn't see anything concerning, and prescribed an antibiotic and steroid drops. His eye got worse, so we brought him back. She prescribed another antibiotic and put him in a cone, telling us not to take it off. When he still wasn't improving, we brought him back for a third visit. She switched him to a different antibiotic, which seemed like it should have been the first option. Because he wasn't acting like himself, Dr. House then told us we could remove the cone. We followed her instructions and threw it away, assuming he no longer needed it. I had no idea how expensive replacement cones were. Since there had been no improvement, I called my sister-in-law, who is a veterinarian and graduated from Cornell, one of the top veterinary schools in the country. She was very concerned that steroid eye drops had been prescribed before the underlying cause of the eye problem had been identified, and she was equally surprised that the cone had been discontinued. She explained how important it is to keep a cone on until an eye injury has fully healed and told me to get another one immediately. When I returned to the clinic to get a replacement cone, they wanted to charge me $54. Given that we had thrown the original one away based on the doctor's instructions, I felt they should have provided another one as a courtesy. If I had known he still needed it, I never would have thrown it away. I would have been willing to continue bringing my dog here if Dr. House had shown some understanding and empathy. Instead, I felt she became defensive, as though I was accusing her of doing something wrong. That was never my intention. My concern has always been about my dog's care. Based on everything that happened, I don't believe he was started on the right treatment, which may have contributed to his condition worsening. I also believe advising us to remove the cone was a serious mistake. As the treating veterinarian, she should have known how important it was to keep the cone on until the eye had fully healed and should have emphasized that it should remain on regardless. His eye is now in very bad condition, and we are seeing a veterinary ophthalmologist tomorrow. I understand that not every treatment works and that medicine isn't always straightforward. However, after three visits with no improvement, conflicting instructions, and being charged for a replacement cone after following the doctor's advice, I have lost confidence in this clinic. Unfortunately, I won't be returning.

My experience was always good, but Ballston Animal Hospital was purchased by a private equity firm…read morein July 2026, resulting in the usual higher prices and, unfortunately, noticeably worse service and a more corporate approach to veterinary care.

I was a long-term client of Ballston Animal Hospital,, for 15 years at least. Over the last few…read moreyears, their prices were going up for a simple Wellness Check, it seemed as if the price had doubled year over year. They used to be open on Saturdays for 7:00-12:00 and they are now not open on Saturdays. I requested an estimate of the cost for a teeth cleaning and was given a price $2000-3000 and the simple cleaning, with no need to have any teeth removed, was $1500. Previous cleanings were in the range of $400 to $600 - this included having 2 teeth pulled and medication. The last time I called the office on a Saturday was for a rare emergency about her eye. I was not offered one of their Saturday appointments (I had called at 7:30). Instead they told me to call South Paws or another Emergency Animal hospital DC. I felt that it was important she see a Vet on Saturday but did not need an emergency animal hospital so, I called VCA Alexandria; they got us in a few hours later. As I suspected, the Vet treated her eye and gave me medication, one of which she will need to use for the rest of her life. The price for the Urgent Care visit and medication was $350. We were told to follow up with our regular vet in 4-6 weeks to make sure that things were going well - no medication was given and the charge was a little over $500. I really liked one vet very much but when considering the nice vet and high prices vs an adequately congenial vet and lower costs - we changed vets. I felt like I was told to have expensive testing and other diagnostic procedures done. Prices quoted were 4-5 times the cash prices I had been quoted for the same procedure. I mentioned that to the Vet and was told, "you have insurance." not hearing me say the cash price. I would suggest that you consider other veterinary clinics.