Sadly, we required end of life services for our dog. The staff were absolutely amazing. I called…read morebefore coming in, which wasn't a requirement, but the front desk sent an online registration form so that we didn't need to wait long when we arrived. Upon arrival, the staff greeted us at the door and escorted us back to a comfy room with a couch so we could sit comfortably with our fur baby. Since this was our first time going through the procedure, the entire process was explained in detail. They also gave us all the time we needed to say our goodbyes. Finally, we received a beautiful card in the mail signed by the staff which was so thoughtful and meant a lot to our family. Our hearts are still heavy but the staff at VEG ER made the process bearable. We are so thankful for their big hearts.

This place MIGHT be okay for a quick emergency, but only if you have no other option. But do not…read moreadmit your pet to the animal hospital under any circumstances. Take them to Dogs and Cats or Friendship. The vets here are fresh out of school and not well trained. They'll try to throw every medicine an intervention at you to get the bill up. Our dog was given plasma transfusion and after we transferred him to Dogs and Cats the vets there said there was no therapeutic reason for the plasma. They also administered thousands of dollars of duplicative meds that Dogs and Cats streamlined. Just don't do it if you care about your pet. They might mean well but they're not qualified to handle anything complicated.

This clinic is amazing - if you have any kind of emergency with your pet, do not hesitate to bring…read morethem to VEG. The ENTIRE staff is incredible; they keep a surprisingly calm environment, they exude the deepest empathies, and they'll explain repeatedly without judgement. This place has an outstanding open-door policy where they don't restrict visiting hours, EVER. We could've stayed through the procedure (bedside, no less!), we could've spent the night if we felt so inclined; I saw another pet-parent IN the crate with his dog. These hard-working folks understand what pets mean to people, and you can tell from their gentle care of both the animals AND the humans. They saved my cat's life, and I'll forever sing their praises. Parking around M street can be abysmal. They $10 validate a nearby garage.

Our 13yo Italian greyhound was in distress at 3.00 am and received the best of care from the team…read moreat VEG ER Georgetown, especially Dr Ashland Roquemore. Thank you so much.

I cannot say enough good things about our experience today. My dog is extremely anxious at the…read morevet--every visit over the past four years has been stressful for both of us--so I walk in bracing for the worst. Today was completely different. Honestly, it felt like a dream. From the moment we arrived, the team was so intentional about creating a calm, supportive environment. Lead nurse Zephyr was incredible--so patient, gentle, and intuitive. He took the time to read my dog's cues, move at her pace, and make her feel safe. You could tell he truly cares and has a gift for working with anxious animals. Dr. Devine was equally amazing--kind, reassuring, and incredibly thorough while still being mindful of my dog's stress level. Nothing felt rushed, and every step was explained in a way that made me feel completely at ease. For the first time ever, my dog wasn't panicked the entire visit--and that is saying everything. It was hands down the best veterinary experience we've had in four years. I'm so grateful to have found a team that not only provides excellent care but truly understands how to handle anxious pets with compassion and skill. Thank you for turning what is usually a stressful ordeal into such a positive experience. We will absolutely be back

If I could give it zero stars I would. An extremely unprofessional vet technician gave us…read morecompletely disturbing advice for our puppy that had a broken paw. Unsolicited, the vet technician said to let them know if we want to put the dog down so that we didn't have to pay for his treatment because it can get expensive, he also offered to take our puppy because it might be hard for us to tell if he is in pain... very odd and unprofessional behavior. We went elsewhere and our puppy's paw was healed three weeks later. I wouldn't listen to their recommendations.They just want your money and don't care about your pet.

If you are looking for the absolute best veterinary care in D.C., ask for Dr. Folgueras and her…read moreassistant, Maria, at Friendship Hospital for Animals. As a self-proclaimed high-maintenance pet owner of two dogs and two cats, I demand a lot from a vet, and this team exceeds every expectation. They are highly skilled, patient, and deeply responsive. When we relocated to the area, they took over the care of my 14-year-old, blind Labrador who had extensive medical needs. Thanks to their dedicated, compassionate care, we got one more beautiful year with him before he passed. They also provide phenomenal care to my two cats, ensuring my high-needs cat is always well looked after. The staff here deals with so much difficult emotional labor every day, yet they always show up with kindness and love. They are a true blessing to the D.C. pet community.

Friendship Heights Animal Hospital at 5025 Wisconsin Ave NW has been incredible for our dog, Oscar…read more He had cancer surgery and a lipoma removed from his rear leg, and the entire team took care of him with so much skill, compassion, and genuine kindness. When he later developed an infection (entirely our fault for using the wrong size cone), they were amazing every step of the way--responsive, reassuring, and always willing to see him immediately whenever he had a setback. You can tell everyone there truly loves what they do and cares about the animals as if they were their own. We chose Friendship Heights based on their outstanding reviews and even though we were driving 45 minutes to an hour from Alexandria each way, we would make that exact same choice again without hesitation. Oscar is doing great now, and we are so grateful to the entire team for getting him through all of this. If you're looking for a place where your pet will be treated with expertise and heart, this is it.

VEG-ER is the best…read more Eariler this week one evening, we had to take our Siamese boy, Pablo, to VEG-ER not long before midnight. You know you've heard that if your indoor-outdoor cat who always comes home one day doesn't come home one day, something has happened. Well, it's true. Usually, Pablo (a.k.a. Bunky) comes back within minutes after being let out, but this day was different. We looked for him and looked for him, but came up empty-handed. Pablo has an AirTag and, curiously, it showed he was on our property. Finally, he appeared around 10:00pm at the back door. We were relieved, but noticed he had wounds on his hind legs. Because of our excellent experience we had last year with VEG-ER, we brought Pablo here. Pablo received top-shelf compassionate treatment from the VEG-ER staff, each of whom has a heart of gold. I really admire, respect and appreciate people that devote their lives to the care of pets. They're a blessing. We were told Pablo did not experience an animal attack, but maybe got stuck on a fence, and slipped. Pablo is home recovering now, getting stronger by the day. We basically live in the woods, and realize fully now that it is just too dangerous here to let him outside unsupervised anymore..

My dog was stung by a bee and we went to a different ER vet that didn't offer 24 hour service, so…read morewhen it seemed like my dog was having more of an allergic reaction we were transferred here. It was about 7pm on a Thursday; we were there for a few hours. My dog had her heart rate checked, ECG, ultra sound and blood work. The bloodwork was concerning and they wanted to keep her overnight. In the meantime, this is an open concept vet hospital and you see it all. These people are saints to take care of these animals! We saw everything, with dogs and cats as well as a squirrel and bird. The next day we were able to visit our dog 2x until coming back that night for another round of bloodwork where she was cleared for at home care. The Friday night animal emergencies were even more in number and seriousness. The reason I removed a star is just due to the payment options. You are texted the bill before any work is done and must pay 100% ahead of time. There was a low and high option and you are charged the high automatically upon accepting. It is just too bad they don't let you pay half up front or the lower amount or something. It's a shock to deal with that on top of your animal's emergency. However I would definitely come back here if I had another emergency with my pet.

Man it's so difficult to have to take your pet to an ER but if you're able to stay with your pet…read moreduring the entire experience, it's well worth it. I unfortunately had to take two pets to the ER on two separate occasions and the staff is compassionate and very very accommodating. If you have the need to go between South paws and veterinary emergency group I would pick the ladder. Still expensive, but it puts you at ease being with your pet during whatever procedure they have to have

10 stars! I'm a helicopter dog mom, and when my dog started having an issue with her backside, I…read morepanicked a little. I called this practice and they immediately connected me with a vet to talk through her symptoms. They suggested I bring her in just to be safe. When I arrived, I was checked in right away and even offered a drink or snack. A doctor quickly came out to make sure nothing was urgent, and after about a 20-30 minute wait we did a full exam. The team was so patient and kind--consulting with each other, keeping me with my dog the whole time, and making sure she was comfortable throughout. Thankfully it ended up being full anal glands and some irritation. They took care of it and gave me guidance on meds (which I already had on hand). Checkout was the biggest surprise: only $205, which feels incredibly reasonable for Northern Virginia. The clinic was clean, organized, and calm, and it was obvious the pets there were genuinely cared for (even the ones in cones having a rough day). For a stressful night, this place made it a really good experience.

I came today to say goodbye to my friend's 24ish year old dog. (The rescue place may have been off…read more14 years ago when she was adopted.) I wish this place was around a year and a half ago when I had to help my fur baby cross over to rainbow bridge. Everyone we interacted with was very compassionate and they do not rush you at all. You can take as long as you need in one of their patient private rooms. They have a jar of Hershey kisses in the room because they say no pet should leave without tasting chocolate. :) For any emergencies I have with my fur baby, or if I can't get an appointment with my vet, Apex will be my first choice. Note: unlike other vets and emergency places, they do not prepay the cremation charges for you. You will be billed by the crematory and pick up the ashes here in about a week.

The staff and Dr Moncur especially, took the time to explain everything that was going on with…read morePixie and what was needed. They were empathetic and caring from beginning to end. Even the doctor that was on duty the next morning was great. We were seen pretty fast even though there was a critical case ahead of us. There were no hidden fees and the final bill was a little less than they estimated. I highly recommend and can't thank the entire team enough for the care they gave Pixie

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.

Dr. Wooten did an excellent job on our cat, Bella's teeth for dental surgery. She had to remove a…read morefractured tooth and some other teeth under the gums that could have caused problems. You can tell when your cat meets her that she's a cat lover! We are very grateful for knowing our cats are in good hands when they see Dr. Wooten! Carla and Huib Kooij Alexandria, VA

Today, we had to send our sweet boy to his next big adventure. The people at EMMAvet have always…read moreshown empathy in the care they provide, but today they went beyond anything we could have imagined. They gave us and our precious Atticus the greatest showing of true professionalism and sincere human compassion in a hard situation. I can never fully express my absolute respect and thanks to this group.

It's really hard to tell when your four-legged, furry friend is in need of some medical attention…read more My cat had been acting a bit off for a few days and it took me a while to catch onto the signs. I wish I would have caught it sooner for me to bypass some unneeded emotional damage. Once I finally did pick up on the signs I immediately looked for a nearby vet. But on a Sunday, there aren't many open. My choices were two emergency vets that were equal distances away. As you can see, I chose this one. On my way here, I was all in my emotions and almost bypassed the building. Luckily for me, I caught it at the last minute and whipped around. When I went in there was no hesitation about being seen. They are a digital establishment. Scan the QR code, fill in your information, and wait to be seen. I sat in the waiting room for what felt like an eternity, but we all feel that way in a time of need. Finally a vet tech came to see me and ask what was going on. I started to talk and only broke down instead. I was escorted in a room and they took my cat for a set of vitals. I was at that point where I thought she was attempting to cross that rainbow bridge. Instead, after the vitals and some talking to the vet, it was decided as to what was going on. I also want to thank them for being upfront with information. I was informed that they already know what it is and a course of treatment or I could spend a lot more money to do tests and come to the same conclusion. After a good cry I came to my senses and went with their suggested treatment. This was an emotionally exhausting day. Made a bit better by a good team at this place. My cat, upon returning home, was very lethargic because of the antibiotic and pain medication given. She was out of sorts for a bit, but back to normal within the timeframe quoted by this team.

We took our sweet boy Duke for an emergency follow-up after visiting a different vet earlier in the…read moreweek. The staff at Dogs and Cats Emergency & Specialty were amazing from the moment we walked in. They were extremely thorough while showing such care and concern for Duke. They explained what was happening, were transparent about the cost, and gave an honest assessment of the prognosis for our baby. Dr. S explained our options and gave us time to process everything. She answered all our questions and reassured us that there was no right or wrong way to go. Ultimately, we made the heartbreaking decision to let Duke go and she supported it, agreeing it was the kindest choice given his age, prognosis, and his current state. When I asked her what she would do for her own fur baby given the circumstances, Dr. S was transparent and told us she would do the same. That gave us a small bit of comfort that we weren't rushing into it prematurely. Dr. S gave us referrals to a few vets who could come to our home to help us with Duke's final care. We chose Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, who were equally wonderful during such a horrible time. We appreciate all of the staff at Dogs and Cats Emergency & Specialty, from the folks at the front desk to the nurses and doctors. There were small things that I appreciated... when they brought our baby to us, they put down a plush blanket so he could be comfortable and not laying directly on the floor. Also, right before we left, one of the nurses even came in to say goodbye to Duke and tell him he was a sweet boy. She loved on him and that small gesture will always stick with me. I thank everyone for showing such love and support during one of the most difficult times in my family's life. I would absolutely recommend Dogs and Cats Emergency & Specialty to anyone needing care for their fur baby.