I waited for some time to write this review, because I really wanted to show some grace in what could 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. read more

I had been a loyal Small Door member and used to genuinely love the experience, but my recent interaction with management, particularly Nicole at the Navy Yard location, left me feeling completely dismissed and unheard. After a confusing and stressful series of miscommunications around my dog's vaccines (including being told he may have suffered organ damage due to a missed one), I raised concerns during my last visit in December and was told a manager would call me the following business day. That call never came. Months later, when I requested to cancel my membership and provided that feedback again, Nicole responded -- not with accountability or even an apology for the dropped communication -- but by trying to dispute the timeline of my experience. I had replied to their message on the same day it was sent, yet she still claimed I hadn't responded. When I asked directly if she was implying I was mistaken or lying, she never replied at all. That silence was the final confirmation for me: the concern wasn't being taken seriously. I understand mistakes happen -- but when a company positions itself as premium, with a high-touch, membership-based model, I expect better follow-through and communication from leadership. Nicole's handling of this made me feel like I was being gaslit rather than heard. I appreciated Small Door in the past, but this experience -- especially the lack of accountability at the manager level -- has seriously eroded my trust. read more

I love working with small door so much. They are always available for any questions about my son and they are super nice and helpful

My experience with Small Door Veterinary was Fabulous... they were professional first of all, they handled my old girl with gentleness and care which was impressive to me. We talked about her health and my concerns. They were kind, gentle, friendly, professional,knowledgeable and helpful I loved every minute of our first visit. Thank You read more

Don't fall for their membership promo. There's a reason why they're giving it out. Or else they won't have any customers! Now I understand why this place had such low rating. Yelp is usually almost spot on! To be fair, it was easy to book an appointment. Their app is convenient. According to my husband who took our sick dog there, they tried to upsell him. The doctor's visit was efficient but nothing extraordinary. And the front desk staff (Shantea and Sohanna) are friendly and super helpful. However their manager (Nicole) was extremely unfriendly when discussing some questions and concerns I had. Never spoke to a supervisor who was so rude to their first time client. She almost hung up on me. We will not be going back because of her. They also charge a $39 nurse fee each time you go in (?) for vaccines etc which will quickly add up. Stay away. read more

Adding to the chorus of kudos. Our new adoptee can be nervous around new people. This team was calm, confident, friendly and professional. We're at the Waterfront, but read some reviews and decided that it was worth the trek to come to Small Door in Navy Yard. It was. read more

Thank you for a year+ of amazing, compassionate care! Really like the vets and services!

This place doesn't feel like a health care facility. They upsell services and add-ons like a car dealership. This takes advantage of worried pet owners who don't know what's medically necessary and what is a just a money grab, so we just pay the bill and hope for the best. Staff seem nice enough, but no real feeling of "care or service." I'm used to vets having a bit of warmth but these folks don't even seem to like animals. Vet tech pulled my scared dog down the hallway, sliding on the floor instead of picking her up. She's 5 fucking pounds, but let's drag her instead. Great healthcare. Real compassionate. Pricing is absurdly high. Their "membership has its perks" branding is bullshit. A $950 bill but they still wanted to charge another $25 for a plastic collar I could get delivered same-day for $7.99. We had the audacity to ask for the collar to be added at no charge and the answer was no. I cancelled our "membership" for both dogs only six months into the year. There's absolutely no value here. I can't even justify paying a premium for phenomenal service, as I've had warmer hospitality at a drive thru window than I got from Small Door with a very sick dog. Lastly, they suggested a $2,100 surgery for one of our dogs via email weeks after the initial visit. After going elsewhere, it's been confirmed the procedure is entirely unnecessary. They wanted $2k to cut my dog open, seemingly for nothing. There are MANY better options available. I'm sure this place serves a need for someone, but it's not us. I will never go back and they will not fleece me for another penny. read more

Doctors are great and I bet the concept could be too, but to wait all day for a response only to get it 20 minutes before closure is unacceptable. The hidden costs always seem to come out! Their preference is to come in and get a new bill vs helping you via text. I have yet to not pay a bill when I thought "membership had its benefits". Welp, I'm still searching for them. read more

Avoid. While the veterinarians are GREAT, the staff are unhelpful and they have unwritten policies that will cost you. Being 5 minutes late for your appointment is considered a "no-show" and they charge you $100 when you're standing right there. This happened to me. Also disappointing is that their 24/7 chat feature that you're paying for in the membership is unreliable. Their membership is too good to be true--there are better options in the DMV. Very unfortunate for such a great location, but it's not worth it. Update: I was contacted via the app 3+ hours after I initially asked for assistance. They waived the $100 fee, and said they actually have a 10-minute late policy. I suggested that they express that in writing in their terms. While I appreciate them waiving the fee, I still canceled my membership. I acknowledged that I was a few minutes late and was willing to wait for the doctor, but the front desk staff made no effort to work with me. This fell on deaf ears, as their online team member told me that the doctor would have seen me if I had waited. I would have loved to do that if that had been communicated. All around, the DC Navy Yard location needs help. Please believe your customers and train your staff! read more

Killed my dog. I had a beautiful, healthy German shepherd, 1 years old, Hemingway. He got neutered and when I picked him he didn't seem okay- they assured me everything was fine. However shortly after he started having seizures. I took him to Seneca Animal Hospital who said he must have become hypoxic during surgery. We had to put him down because he deteriorated and had continuous, uncontrollable seizures. I'll never get over this. read more

This vet does not care about animals!!! Inhumane and negligent - all a money grab. They cancelled my appointment after packing up and lugging my sick cat to the vet because I was 6 mins late to my appointment. They're now trying to charge $50 no show fee, which isn't listed anywhere. The office was completely empty, no one else in the waiting room and open appointments all day and they wouldn't see my pet. I offered to pay for two appointments for my cat to be seen same day and they said no. Save your time and money and pets health and do not come here. All a cash grab. Not empathetic to animals suffering at all. All for profit. read more

They took such good care of my pup when she had an infection on her backside, I was so worried it was going to be expensive but the prices are really reasonable! Highly recommend read more

We are new to Small Door. Recently, our older dog needed his teeth cleaned and a growth removed from his side, which didn't seem like a fatty cyst, and testing it didn't reveal any information. I was very nervous about the whole process because I feared he would be in pain, which would upset me. I was impressed with the entire experience: the consultation before agreeing to the procedures, the transparency of the consent process, the clear communication about costs, the helpfulness of the staff who prepared the room for my dog on the day of the procedure--like always lowering the shades because he reacts to passing dogs--and the excellent communication on the day of the procedures and afterward. The person who explained post-operative care took the time to clarify everything and even carried my dog to the car to prevent hurting him. They sent me pictures of my dog looking peaceful and calm all day. The doctor called before and after the procedures. The staff and the manager reached out the next day and again the following day to check on him. So far, my experience has been excellent. He seems to be recovering well! Thanks, Small Door Navy Yard. The only reason I rated it a 4 instead of a 5 is the cost if your pet needs more than basic services. However, I don't believe Small Door is more expensive than most places in DC. read more

Small Door has drastically changed since I signed up 10 months ago after getting a 16-week-old puppy. The way they're trying to take advantage of owner's wallets has become insulting. They just started tacking on $39 nurse visit fees for less than 15 min vaccine/test appointments (District Dogs does NOT do this as this is where my sister and friend go). A simple heartworm test just cost $39 nurse visit + $131 in lab fees totaling $170 before the medication (which I will definitely not be purchasing through them any longer). When I questioned the surprise charge, they said they started in early February. There was no communication of the change to existing members and the nurse did not mention the charge when I brought her in. She said it was a nurse visit but previously as a member, that was no charge other than the test or vaccine price. Very sneaky not clarifying given this literally just went into effect this month. They also quoted $1200-1300 for a routine spay + $334 for the bloodwork when my mom's vet in MD quoted $225 (including bloodwork). I know DC is more expensive and they may have more "frills" than my mom's vet but almost 7x as expensive is highway robbery! Finally, part of the perk of the membership was supposed to be the telehealth. Terrible service. They had me in tears after my 8-month-old puppy barely got into a plant overnight (knocked it over and carried to the couch, but I confirmed she couldn't have ingested much if any). They told me all parts of the plant are toxic and if she even had a bite I should take her to the emergency room immediately. I was due to fly out for work within 2 hours and it had been 12 hours and I simply asked whether she'd be showing signs by then (she wasn't) if it really was as bad as they said, and they said at the very least I needed call poison control right away. I got on the phone with them and they said it was categorized as a "mild" plant (she would have had to ingest the entire thing and even then would have likely just made her a bit sick) and that they'd thankfully waive the $95 fee for calling since my vet SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME THAT. Any other question I've had they've just regurgitated a Google search result aka not tailored to my dog at all unless I really pressed them to answer my initial question specifically. Really disappointed as they're really close by and were supposed to be a convenient option. Certainly not recommending to any of my friends in the area with pets. read more

Save yourself, your pet, and your bank account. I have never witnessed such ineptitude from a company that is be entrusted with the health of others. No response to messages (including the chat feature they prefer customers use, author-less emails when they do arrive, unauthorized credit card charges for medications at more than 6x the online pharmacy rate, etc). While I believe in the doctors who work at this location, being treated like a blank check is not something anybody should put up with. I will pay more to go just about anywhere else and never return to SDV. read more

Scheduling an appointment here was so convenient as they had good availability. The space was clean and very well decorated. The doctor and tech were extremely attentive to my pet, gentle, patient, and really took their time with the consultation. Both me and my dog left with some swag - mine in the form of a cute tote bag and some bubbly water which was perfect for the hot summer day and my dog got some treats and a bandana. The whole experience felt elevated and tailored to keep pets happy and calm. read more

This place is shameful. From the moment you pay your annual dues, they are trying to sell you more services, charge more fees. Everything is another charge. Not a small fee, hundreds of dollars recommended for the smallest issue. In addition, and more importantly, the support staff is dangerously negligent. One of them tried to give me a heartworm medicine for my cat that is for dogs only and toxic to cats. When I pointed it out, she said "my bad, I confused you with another customer". Thank heavens I looked it up first. That should have been my last straw, but I had 6 months left on my annual fee, so when my cat ate a piece of a mildly toxic plant, I texted them to see what I should watch for. They told me that I could call animal poison control for $95. That was it. I have had many pets over the years and have never once not been helped by my animals vet. Save your money and your pet and find another vet read more

I've been to a few vets in the DC area and this is by far my favorite. I was skeptical at first because I saw reviews of other locations that said they try to upsell you with tests that you probably don't need. But honestly, that's most vets. This location is spotless, everyone that works here is extremely nice and gentle with Rocky. The doctors answer all of your questions and don't try to rush you out. Everyone here seems to be very experienced. And the app is a game changer. You can text Small Door 24/7 and they will respond. If you have questions about prices and services, you can ask through the app in advance. And after each visit the discharge instructions, prescriptions, etc. are all added to your account on the app. Everything about the process of scheduling and follow-up is seamless. It's a little more expensive than other vets, but Rocky has insurance. And honestly I'm okay with the cost because my neighbors and I have had issues with several other vets in the area. Small Door just seems to have it together. read more

Great first visit. My only feedback was it definitely feels like your sitting through a sales pitch during the visit but otherwise it was way better than Banfield. read more