First, I went back to Dr Smith because of his very ethical advice to see another doctor the first time I went (with a different dog), even though he was cutting himself out of a 3000 surgery. So, thinking that this kind of ethics is something to support, I went there this time with a young dog with a really inflamed eye. We only had to wait a day to get an appointment (since it was clearly a problem), were greeted immediately upon arrival. didn't have to wait long. and Dr Smith listened carefully to my description and saw the problem right away. My dog, Twin, had a seed and a blade of grass in the side of his eye. Dr. Smith removed it carefully, and also noticed that Twin had a freckle in his other eye. He explained what that meant, suggested we get it checked in about two years, gave me some antibiotic cream and sent us on our way. It was, in total, a really positive experience. and the bill was way lower than I would have expected from a specialist veterinary office. my local veterinarian said that it was going to be hard when Dr. Smith retires. So it's clear that I'm not the only one saying this is a great practice! read more

My kitten had a ruptured eye ulcer while her original eye doctor was out on vacation. I was referred to Dr. Smith's office, and they were incredibly accommodating--fitting me in the same day I stopped in. Unfortunately, surgery was necessary, but they were able to schedule it within 36 hours of the diagnosis. Considering how busy their office is, that felt like a huge relief and a win for us. This was an extremely stressful and emotional situation, but the staff was supportive, compassionate, and professional throughout. I'm so grateful to everyone who helped care for my baby during this difficult time. Highly recommend Dr. Smith's office! read more

Incredible Veterinarian Eye Clinic! My sweet dog needed cataracts removed after being diagnosed with diabetes... This was a lot of work to finally get to the date that we would begin testing for my dogs cataracts to be removed. After meeting Dr. Smith I had good feelings about him and felt I could trust him in addition to his education. I really felt comfortable leaving my dog in his hands. I still prayed but I didn't have a single worry. Incredibly confident, confident and knowledgeable professional who took care of my pet so well I am really grateful. The dog has his sight back and he's doing very well seven days postop. Also got me on the surgery schedule a lot quicker than I expected we had to wait about 4 to 6 weeks which was way shorter than some of the other surgeons in the area. Best care ever hands-down! Really grateful for Dr. Smith and his team. read more

Animal Eye Care Center - Rocky's Post-Op surgery check up! Dr. Smith restored Rocky's sight! - Veterinarians Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Horrible experience. Did not place a lens in my dogs eye 6 years ago. She has suffered for years and now she is blind. Also put non-absorbable sutures in that eye. Took her for second opinion and the other vet could not believe it. Very cruel. do not go to him. He will destroy your dogs eyes. read more

Animal Eye Care Center - My poor little dogs blind eye. - Veterinarians Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

My puppy had severe entropion and it was recommended by our vet to take him here. Everyone was so nice and knowledgeable. Astro has his surgery today and did great! Highly recommend them. read more

Our JRT, Gabby was having problems with an ulcer on her right eye. It had been months of antibiotics, etc., and it just wasn't healing. Our veterinarian referred us to Animal Eye Care Center. We scheduled our appointment and upon arrival, the staff there were friendly, professional and greeted us as if we had been a regular guest there which means a lot when you're afraid of what you're getting ready to hear. (You love your dog...you know what that's like.) However, Dr. Eric Smith is AMAZING! He immediately knew what was needed to get things going in the right direction and took charge! He explained that after a certain age (Gabby is 8), dogs have a harder time getting these ulcers resolved without help. Within minutes, he performed the procedure she needed right there on the spot as we waited. He advised us that Gabby would require an Elizabeth Collar and antibiotics for two weeks and a return visit to see how she was doing. We are so very happy to say that the procedure worked!! Gabby is back to being "Gabby" again and we could not be happier!! We HIGHLY recommend Animal Eye Care Center and like Sheryl Crow said...Dr. Smith is "our savior"!! Please don't wait...if your dog needs help schedule a visit with Dr. Smith! read more

Wow, what a great experience. Speaking as a veterinarian myself, I can't see how they even break even on these transactions. So affordable. Like orders of magnitude less than I anticipated paying. And at a time when specialists are booked out for weeks, they offered to squeeze me in the next day! And the doctor was kind, gentle, and thorough. Even though I live in Virginia I will be back for all my animal eye needs. read more

My dog has a protruding eyeball and it's getting worse and he's in pain and the earliest EMERGENCY appointment is in 1 week!!! Don't waste your time calling them, read more

Not the Right Vet for Us. We took our kitty to see Dr. Smith. We understand that mask mandates keep changing in the county and elsewhere and that they are no longer required. We respect each business for choosing their own protocols and this office for choosing to follow a no-mask requirement, which we learned about during our first and only visit. For me and my family, we are not comfortable sharing a small room with people who aren't wearing masks and asked the doctor politely if he would please wear one for our visit. He declined, offering to examine our cat without us and talk to us outside. We decided that if he were unwilling to show us the "customers always right" courtesy of putting on a mask for a short visit, we did not feel willing to trust him with the care of our precious kitty. I learned from this experience to ask in advance if a doctor is willing to wear a mask and found another local veterinary ophthalmologist who was happy to do so. read more

Stop Looking! They are the best! I was referred to Dr. Smith by my regular vet because my shih tzu was cataracts/going blind super fast (6 months). Dr. Smith and his entire staff were amazing! Beanie was seen right away and surgery was scheduled for both eyes. She had her surgery almost 2 years ago and we go back to the office for periodic check ups and med pick ups. Dr. Smith always takes the time to explain exactly what he is looking at and what the follow up care is. I wouldn't trust Beanie's eyes to anyone else and now that I just moved to Miami I don't know what I'm going to do! We'll definitely being stopping in whenever we're in town visiting family. read more

From the first visit to Dr Smith you will be impressed. He is very knowledgeable and caring and our dog is definitely in good hands for his cataract surgery. The staff as well is awesome. They are very gentle and great if you have any questions. read more

Can't say enough good things about Dr. Smith and his staff. I came to them for a 2nd opinion on my puppies cherry eye and I'm so glad I did. I initially had to wait 2 months to get my pup in to see him (high demand bc he is that great of a veterinarian) but it was well worth it because her surgery ended up costing less than half of what another place in Leesburg quoted me and she received outstanding care. Dr. Smith is very personable, thorough, takes his time to explain everything, and shows a genuine care for your pet which is priceless. Highly recommend! read more

Dr. Smith deserves 100 stars - he is devoted to his speciality and we were very fortunate to find him. After our dog was diagnosed with secondary glaucoma and it seemed that the eye drops prescribed by a different doctor were not helping, we scheduled an appointment with Dr. Smith. Prior to our appointment Dr. Smith called us one evening to tailor a plan for our 80 pound dog who has anxiety every time he visits the vet - that initial visit could not have gone better. Though we were hesitant to put our older dog through a major surgery to have his eye removed, we felt comfortable and trusted Dr. Smith's recommendations. Our dog healed without any complications, and the recovery was better than anticipated. We were shocked to find out that a malignant tumor had been growing in our dog's eye, so are very grateful to Dr. Smith. He is a very experienced doctor, and we thank him for all that he has done from our first visit to the last when we returned to have the stitches removed! Thank you, Dr. Smith!!! read more

They give very personal attention. They really care about the animals & there people. Thank you for being there for my friend

Dr. Eric Smith is great. After spending over a $1000.00 at another veterinarian, I went to Dr. Smith. He didn't do any unnecessary exams and was very straightforward about my dog's prognosis. Walden recovered after we followed Dr. Smith's treatment plan, and I am very thankful for having a few more years with my buddy. read more

Visited here to assess our beloved, deaf, age-14 border collie's sight, based on regular vet's suggestion that she had poor vision due to cataracts even though her vision seemed not so bad to us. I am highly impressed that Dr. Smith's assessment was that she has normal, older dog vision impairment (floaters, nearsightedness, trouble at night and in low contrast scenarios, mild cataracts) and no need for surgery. In other words, he was honest, thorough, and not looking to manufacture unnecessary costs for us. Plus, his knowledge, manner, office, and staff all add up to a sincere professional doing good work for the community. He even charged a lower rate than expected for his examination. What an awesome veterinarian. Thanks Dr. Smith. read more

Dr Smith is really as good as these reviews suggest. My 14 year old dog properly diagnosed and treated in first visit for 1/3 cost of surgery other vet who misdiagnosed wanted to charge. Removed tumor from fur baby's eye and she didn't flinch. He's magic. read more

My review is going against the majority here. I've spent a lot of money for cataract surgery for one eye on my dog. The dog came through surgery with flying colors and two week check up was good. Last night he would not open his eye, I called the after hours number at 7:30 and multiple times after that and have not received one return phone call. I'm not sure what is wrong with the dog but called my regular vet and is seeing him this afternoon. With the type of procedures completed here there should be an after hours "working" number, especially if your offices are going to be closed on Friday. If you are planning cataract surgery for your 4 legged family member, ask a lot of questions. The initial estimated cost and the actual so far spent is doubled. Be prepared and the cost for medications is outrageous. read more

Our vet (in Virginia) referred us to a different ophthalmologist (also in Virginia), but a coworker had great things to say about Dr. Smith. So after doing a ton of research online, reading various forums, we made the appointment. I'm happy to say Dr. Smith and his staff are wonderful. He was booked quite far in advance, but fortunately, they had a cancellation and got us in on a weekday. He was very friendly and gentle with our dog (who was a little nervous at first). He definitely knows his stuff as far as diagnosing and treating the problem. Very good at explaining what will work and what won't. I noticed from his wall diplomas that he's been licensed since 1986, so that isn't surprising. Also on the wall was a Washingtonian cover that listed him as top animal opthalmologist for 2011--something I wasn't able to find online. He was able to do the minor surgical procedure (corneal debridement) immediately. It only took 30 minutes, because the dog only had to be lightly sedated. The bill was quite reasonable. Initial exam, surgery, sedation, and four medications (including a steroid) to take home added up to about $500. Having gone to many specialist vets, this is not inflated at all. Almost any specialist will have to charge more than a generalist--but you're paying for that focused expertise. We're very glad we took our pup to see him. It also bears mentioning that his staff were all super-nice. Over the years, I've noticed that for some reason, a high number of veterinary office staff are brusque with their human customers. Not here. The office is in the shopping center across Gaither Road from the one with the Nordstrom Rack. (I.e., Dr. Smith is in the same shopping center as Don Pollo.) Parking is easy. If your dog has skin or ear problems, there's a doggie dermatologist next door whom he recommends. read more

I've taken both of my Shiba Inu's to this clinic for screening for potential narrow angle glaucoma (gonioscopy). Dr. Smith and his staff were extremely courteous and explained everything that they were doing to my pups. Great staff! read more

Dr. Smith is the best! Very skilled, kind, and caring. He's helped me with two cats who have had eye problems for the past 7 years or so. My cats don't even get too nervous there because he is so gentle. I wouldn't go anywhere else for my beloved furry friends. read more

I took our new adopted cat to see Dr Smith , referred by our vet. Dr Smith is an amazing dr and person. I'm so glad we went to see him. It was a pleaser meeting him. read more

I do not recommend Dr. Smith. He is competent but so are many other eye doctors, such as Dr. Corcoran at VetVision. Smith charged my sister an extra $60 for a blood pressure check for her shih tzu, in addition to the exam costs, and the hundreds of dollars she's spent there over the years -- and he did not tell her that there would be such a steep fee. When she voiced her concern, he said it was on her to ask. Her regular vet usually includes this in office visits, so it came as a complete shock. Buyer beware. read more

I took my puppy here to get his eyes checked and the service was great! There was barely any wait, the doctor wasn't in a rush, the desk staff was friendly, the place was clean and the prices reasonable! read more

I took my girlfriend's dog to dr. smith, and while he seemed competent his condescending attitude was beyond irritating. Also if a procedure is going to be expensive, a little heads would be appreciated. When you're at a vet, you are stressed enough, you don't need sticker shock at the end of the day. Asking the cost of a procedure is not something on my mind when my pet is sick. And his snippy response to my questioning it was salt in that wound. Never again. read more

I was referred to Dr. Smith's practice by our regular vet when my dog developed cataracts. I am glad I followed their referral. Dr. Smith knows his stuff; he is very professional, no-nonsense, but yet displayed care and compassion when he told me he can no longer do cataract surgery on my dog's right eye after it developed glaucoma and was blind. His fees are also reasonable. My overall experience with them was very good. read more

Our primary care veterinarian referred us to Dr. Smith. The staff at Animal Eye Care Center were GREAT! For myself, and "Panda", Thank You! The 5 Stars were earned. I am glad to have the opportunity to share this review. read more

Our vet referred us to Animal Eye Care when our cat experienced sudden and unexplained loss of vision. Dr. Smith and his staff were beyond our expectations. Our first appointment was at 4 pm the day before Thanksgiving, so the office was very busy and we had a bit of a wait, but the staff were all very nice and accommodating and Dr. Smith took the time necessary to examine and test our cat, without rushing or hurrying us. When we returned for our follow up appointment and our cat hadn't improved, Dr. Smith once again was very thorough and patient in dealing with her and us. Although the diagnosis wasn't what we were expecting, Dr. Smith's thoroughness resulted in a diagnosis of lymphoma. We are grateful for his skill and determination in finding out what was causing her blindness. It's been four months since, and we took his suggestion to try chemotherapy and so far she is responding well to treatments. I highly recommend Dr. Smith and Animal Eye Care. read more