The doctors and technicians are responsive and informative, they give maximum attention and…read moreexplanation, and are patient and professional.

I've been a client of McLean Animal Hospital since 2019, when I first got my dog, back when Dr…read more Sexton Sr. still ran it. It's now run by his son, Dr. Sexton Jr. Over the years, I've found the front desk staff to be inconsistent -- friendly some days, dismissive on others -- and the vets themselves are generally competent. But after several serious incidents, I can no longer recommend this practice. Incident 1: A misdiagnosis that nearly cost my dog his life. In 2021, when my dog was 2, he ingested rat poison. We didn't know the cause at the time, only that he was showing symptoms, so we brought him in to see Dr. Norway. He coughed up blood in front of her, and she sent us home with a diagnosis of pneumonia, telling us to go to emergency care only if things worsened. He survived, but not because of anything she did. A dog coughing up blood in an exam room should never be sent home. I moved on from that experience by switching to a different vet within the practice. That vet was excellent, but she left. I eventually landed with Dr. Sexton Jr., which brings me to the more recent issues. Incident 2: A grooming deposit that vanished into thin air. I've also used their grooming services, and I want to specifically credit Stephanie, who was consistently kind, attentive, and easy to work with. When she took a leave of absence following a death in her family, the practice canceled my upcoming appointment and offered to put me on a waitlist. I agreed and let them keep the deposit. Over six months passed with no update. When I finally called to ask whether Stephanie was back, they confirmed she was -- and had been, apparently for some time -- with no attempt to contact me despite holding my deposit. When I raised this, I was met with no acknowledgment of the oversight. Incident 3: Billed for an exam that never happened. Most recently, my dog was having urinary issues. I'd already had testing done elsewhere but wanted Dr. Sexton Jr.'s opinion, given the history above. He spent a good amount of time walking me through the results, which I appreciated -- but he never physically examined my dog. When I paid, I was charged a full exam fee regardless. I let it go initially, but on reflection, I asked at my next scheduled appointment that the fee be addressed, since I'd paid for a service I didn't receive. No one at the front desk could resolve it, so the practice manager called me. She first suggested the charge was for vaccines -- which I pointed out were billed separately, and she conceded the point -- then explained that because time had passed since his last visit, an in-person visit was required. I asked why, if that were the case, no actual exam took place once we were there, and why a phone consultation -- cheaper and more appropriate given no exam was needed -- wasn't offered instead. Rather than answer that, she began recommending other vets to me. She called back shortly after, informing me that the practice was terminating our relationship. When I noted that their response to a billing concern was to drop me as a client, she replied that she was sorry I felt that way. In my experience, this practice does not take accountability for its mistakes, has inconsistent front-desk service, and charges for services not rendered. I'd encourage anyone considering this practice to look elsewhere.

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 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.

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.

Just switched over and had a wonderful experience. We moved from our vet of over 6 years and this…read morepractice was so welcoming and gracious. They were able to treat my guy unlike his previous vet could. Parking can be a bit of a challenge but this is a great practice.

I've finally officially have given up on this vet and his staff. I moved to DC about 2 years ago…read moreand was looking for a new vet. I wanted a place that was more of a locally-owned office, hoping it would result in more personalized care and attention. That has been the complete opposite of what I've experienced of this terrible operation. This is an office run by a father and son vet. Our first visit was with Dr. Jerrold Boone (the son) and my partner and I were slightly confused by his evaluation. During our first visit, he went off (without us prompting) on how he was not responsible for the death of a dog from nearby Life of Riley (a pet hotel, which is known for several dog deaths...Google it!). Apparently, they bring the dogs to this vet. Dr. Boone insisted he didn't kill any of them. Okay, we didn't think that. But maybe we should now? He also has incorrectly written up the dog's prescriptions, which is incredibly concerning as our dog has a number of health problems and needs his medication and accurate dosage. The next visit, we saw his father, Dr. James Boone. We surely thought he must be better. But in fact, he was even worse. Our dog had a growth on its body and we were wondering what it could be. He said it could be cancer. Or it might not be. It could be anything. Well, we were certainly glad we made that visit. He also got weirdly transfixed on a comment my partner made about the dog occasionally having an accident in the house, which then took up the majority of our visit. The final straw is the way we felt treated by the front desk. They often would pick up, then immediately put us on hold. They of course were never friendly, and sometimes would hang up before we could even ask them anything. On a recent call, I asked for the prescription to be refilled for my dog for a medication that was vital for his survival. I called it in that morning, and when I called back, they INSISTED that they called it in. I called my pharmacy, and they never got a call. I had to call the vet back again, and learned the reason it couldn't get filled was that the hospital tried to give a different pill size dosage. It's a discrepancy but they should have called me back. They knew this medication was vital and now it was the end of the day. The vet had to re-issue the prescription but by this point, my pharmacy was closed so I had to send it to the nearby CVS (not ideal, but whatever). I gave them the exact address, and went to the CVS pharmacy...waited in that line (we all know!) and when I got to the front, they actually didn't have the prescription. Where was it? At another CVS pharmacy over 5 miles away. I don't have a car in DC so I then had to get an Uber, just so I could get my dog's medication. This incompetency runs SO deep here. You've been warned. And I've now switched to another vet that is nowhere near me but was referred by another doctor. Here's hoping they are an improvement. Honestly, they couldn't be much worse.

Front desk staff were very welcoming, nurses were warm and sweet with my kitten. Options were…read morecommunicated well and next steps made clear. Look forward to returning soon!

I waited for some time to write this review, because I really wanted to show some grace in what…read morecould have been considered a complicated health issue. But now that I've had a few months to reflect, establish a great relationship with another hospital nearby and consult with my sister (also a vet) I was left feeling so uncomfortable and upset about my experience here this summer. I originally came here because my former vet had begun working here. My dog was diagnosed with nasal cancer earlier in the year and while I was away on a short trip, it appeared as though the tumor looked to have doubled in size just in a matter of days. When I got home, I set up an appointment immediately and was hoping to reconnect with my old vet (who is wonderful.) Unfortunately, although it seemed like he was on the schedule for booking that day, I received a call the morning of the appointment indicating that he was actually out and that I would be seen by another vet. Because the priority for me was that my dog be examined by a medical professional ASAP, I kept the appointment. The tech was very nice and so was the vet, however after a brief exam and being given an antibiotic and steroid (per my sister's suggestion) the vet pretty much told me I needed to make an end of life decision for my dog over the weekend. When I asked if she thought I had enough time to take my dog up to NYC by Wednesday for my sister to also examine him, I was told she couldn't confidently say he'd make it until then. I left with my heart shattered, so confused and conflicted because he was still eating, playing, sleeping well and otherwise behaving "okay" aside from the slow growing mass on his face. As a family, we decided this was not the direction we wanted to go in and I set up an appointment at District Vet at Eastern Market. My dog lived for an additional 5 MONTHS after that appointment. If I were to have just blindly taken her suggestion, I would have missed out on almost half a year of our time together. Additionally, two days later the swelling over his head that appeared rather abruptly ruptured. Turns out it was just an abscess! I'm so confused why this wasn't identified as a possibility considering the rest of the tumor was firm, while the newest inflammation was soft and appeared rapidly within a few days. Thankfully, I was able to have the abcess drained and cared for and my dog was able to enjoy life in the months ahead with palliative care and monthly steroid treatments at District Vet- Eastern Market. I'm so glad I took my dog elsewhere for a follow-up and trusted my gut that it wasn't his time. Now that my dog has passed away, I thought it would be helpful to share my experience in case it could be helpful to anyone else in the future.

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.

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.

A very long time ago, I went to District Vet for a quick need…read more My dog had a tick and because I tend to get squeamish, they were happy help me and my dog out with a quick appointment for tick removal. Since I had a primary vet, there was no need for me to return on a regular basis but they left a good impression. Now, I have an elderly dog with a terminal condition and needed a hospital to visit for a non-critical emergency need. I had taken him to another hospital nearby the week prior, and they suggested I make the decision to put him down over the weekend despite the fact that he's eating, drinking, playing and sleeping as normal. They thought his nasal tumor growth had progressed enough to impact his quality of life. What they didn't catch was that his new, swelling over his eye was actually a huge abscess that then erupted two days after getting an injectable antibiotic. Quite frankly, it was disgusting and caught me way off guard but it also became immediately clear that once ruptured my dog's eye visibility resumed (despite a very messy process to recognize that.) To ensure that there wasn't any additional care needed for the abscess site, I set up an appointment here because I refused to go back to the other hospital. Luckily, from the moment I arrived I picked up on good vibes. The vet tech that I met with first had done a great job reviewing all of the notes and health history files I had sent over prior to the appointment so I pretty much only had to just confirmed the accuracy, Dr. Thomas Landes then came in and he was just wonderful. He was friendly and asked thoughtful questions to better understand the current state of affairs. I was appreciative how communicative he was throughout my dog's exam (commenting positively on things like my dog's strong heartbeat) and they proposed a game plan for next steps. They took him back, further took care of the abscess and gave me some instruction on how to manage the care at home. Honestly, it was just so refreshing to have a positive but realistic doctor that had a great understanding on my dog's life stage and was helpful in ensuring that my dog received care as well as maintains a high quality of life as long as possible. Grateful to have DIstrict Vet nearby should any other non-emergency needs come up in this late stage of my dog's life.

When Capitol Hill Animal Clinic closed, my dog's paperwork was transferred here. It's more pricey,…read morebut a very different user experience. Making an appointment easily via the phone, we wanted for one minute in the nice lobby before going back. The vet is friendly and knowledgeable. A wellness check and two shots later, we were checking out. The entire experience lasted under 30 minutes! There's easy street parking nearby!