Clarendon Animal Care Arlington, Virginia

As others have expressed, the front desk techs are extremely nice and great, but this is a very MONEY HUNGRY vet clinic. Go to VCA MacArthur or Friendship Animal Hospital instead. I was told my dog needed to have a tumor removed and the cost would range from $900 to $1500 depending on how the surgery went. Big surprise, it was $1500. When I asked what went wrong to make it so far on the higher end of the estimate, I was told by a different doctor that the cost mostly depends on how long the surgery takes. She said this type of surgery could never take the amount of time that would warrant a cost as low as $900, and pretty much always takes long enough to be around $1500. To make matters worse, when I picked up my pup, I immediately noticed that the stitching for the wound looked suspect. I couldn't see how it would ever hold. Sure enough, that night the stitches began to open. The wound was severely infected within a day and I had to take him back to the clinic for 5-6 more visits. They charged me EVERY SINGLE TIME even though they weren't giving me an actual appointment. They would have me drop off my dog in the morning and the vet would pop in to see him when she had time between other appointments. When I complained about the extra expense, I was told they were being extremely generous and not charging me as much as they could be. It was overall a very horrific and costly experience. My dog's recovery took months, during which he was in a lot of pain, and I think I ended up paying around $3000 total. I have since found out that it is standard practice at other clinics in the area to continue seeing an animal free of charge until the issue is resolved when something like this happens.

I really cannot recommend Clarendon Animal Care - North enough. Every since we adopted our sweet girl, an 8 year old cat, we have had some ongoing health issues with her. We continued going to CAC as that was where she had gone her whole life, and we couldn’t be happier! Dr. Plough is simply fabulous- she is so thorough, helpful, and explains everything in detail so we know exactly what is going on! I highly recommend her. Every single vet tech and front desk/admin employee we have worked with have also all been amazing! They are super responsive, which I love. I really appreciate their kindness, especially since our sweet girl is apparently not so sweet when getting any vet exams, lol. Any prescriptions we’ve gotten have also been filled quickly, which is a huge plus. I highly recommend CAC!!

I can’t say enough good things about CAC. We are first time puppy parents and started visiting CAC when our golden was 10 weeks old. Not only are office visits calm, not rushed, and oriented around ensuring a positive dog experience, but the staff really goes out of their way to make sure the humans have all their questions answered. I also can’t thank the front desk staff enough who I’ve talked to several times in a panicked, first time puppy mom state. They are great at providing helpful advise to let you know what is normal, what is cause for concern, and helping get care/meds arranged. Also love that they are extremely responsive to email (<30 mins usually). CAC has really helped us get our pup all the shots and care she has needed, and it have been overall a great experience for us too!

Recommended from a friend. Love this place!!! Took great care of us.

Great service and care. I brought my cat Taco in for a check up, they have soothing music and soft surfaces in the exam room to make it as comfortable as possible. Taco didn’t even realize he was at the vet!! Highly recommend.

I took a terribly frightened dog and they were wonderful with her. Patient and kind.

They now allow people (wearing face masks) go to inside with their pets which is good. Very nicely decorated and comfy space. See my new photos. ::::: This clinic is conveniently located in Clarendon; staff are cheerful and friendly; above all they are very responsive on emails and phones; we especially appreciate how Dr. Adkins even responded to an email about illness on a Saturday. Due to COVID, they practice social distancing and do not allow clients in their lobby. We had to wait outside, call them, and they came outside to meet us. Overall the best part about this clinic is their responsiveness.

I took my dog here for a number of years however with the pandemic and more people getting pets they clearly need to hire more people. Every time I have tried to make an appointment there is nothing available for days or if outside of work hours…weeks. Also, they seem to have a lot of turnover in vets as I think we saw the same person once or twice. Finally, they charge fees for random things. For a number of services they charge a vet tech fee plus the price of the service. Why would the vet techs, who presumably have less training than the actual vets, command an additional premium? I’m given them two stars because they are centrally located and everything is always clean.

I adopted a dog in April 2020 and was having a hard time finding a vet that was accepting new clients due to COVID. CAC was able to see make an appointment for my dog almost right away and the process was very smooth and easy. My dog is reactive towards other dogs and they were very understanding and accommodating. We always went in the back door and they made sure the coast was clear before bringing him in. As a new dog owner I had always heard horror stories of pets hating the vet, but after the first visit Gus would always go bounding in he was so excited. Once he was so excited that he hurt is tail from wagging too hard and they let him hang out in an office with someone until I could come pick him up. All of the vets that we saw seemed knowledgeable and eager to help. The only issue we had was they accidentally gave me the wrong medication, but I noticed before giving it to my dog and we were able to get the new one with no problems.

My girlfriend and i have only had our new cat for two months who is a senior cat age 10 and we have already spent over $1200 in vet bills. We expected a considerable amount due to his age but this vet office conducts procedures and tests for things they do not upfront disclose to you in terms of what they are doing as well as the price. This is something we do not appreciate since we have spent so much on vet bills. Our most recent vet bill we were charged extra for things we did not know were going to be tested until after the testing concluded. When we asked for a refund since we did not consent to additional testing they only gave us back 20% of what we were charged. The end result was they said they will be sure to tell us next time what the prices are before we make any decisions when in reality they should have told us from the very beginning what those prices were before we gave a yes/no answer. We will no longer be coming to this place and will be finding another vet office that will be responsible and let us know what we are signing up for and how much it will cost before we make our choices. For anyone that is living in the Arlington VA, Washington D.C or Maryland area, DO NOT go to this establishment unless you want to be charged extra for things you are not told about in the beginning or did not consent to but will eventually figure out later on when your bill is two times higher then what it actually should be. Your time, money and pets care is better suited somewhere else.

We've been going to Clarendon Animal since they opened. Amazing doctors, amazing staff. Most importantly, I trust them with my animals' lives.

Clarendon Animal Care is the best! We've taken our very nervous dog and their stress free policy is fantastic!

Poorly trained and unprofessional front desk staff. My dog has been having chronic gastrointestinal issues unresolved by my current vet so I was eager for a second opinion. I spoke to a staff member yesterday and was given the option to either establish care as a new client or call the next morning at opening to get an urgent care appointment. I called this morning and found out that the prior staff member misinformed me. This was disappointing since I could’ve spent that time to seek out care from an alternative provider, but I understand that a mistake was made and that is the policy. I understand and respect the policy but I tried to calmly explain the misinformation I received in hopes that staff would be better trained in the future and no one else would experience this. However, the receptionist I spoke to this morning was extremely short and dismissive towards me. She continued to speak over me then denied that there was any possibility a staff member misspoke and insisted that I was the one who didn’t understand. Again, I understand and respect the policy just wanted to point out an area of improvement since I’m sure the clinic would want to prevent misinformation. She just kept repeating the same thing over and over and would not acknowledge what I was saying when she cut me off which ultimately ended in her hanging up on me while I was speaking. I was not trying to work around the policy, just point out a concern to the business so I don’t understand the rude and unprofessional behavior. Particularly in this field I would expect more sensitivity. I am sad that Clarendon Animal Care won’t be an option for my fur baby and I but I truly hope staff training will improve so others do not have the same experience I did.

Best bet in the DMV! Always friendly and my dog loves going there!

All the vets here are great! My dog has been coming here for 3 years now, we have seen most of the vets on staff, and each time has been a great experience! My dog hates the vet but they do a good job managing her anxiety and always answer any questions I have.

Best veterinarians ever! Professional and knowledgeable staff.

Good place and caring staff

I've been taking my golden retriever here for the last 2 years or so and I've never had a more responsive, responsible, and caring veterinary clinic take care of my dog. Choosing a vet to trust with your pet's health is one of the most difficult decisions to make as an owner and they have earned every bit of my trust. From explaining every option, to giving follow-up calls the day after to see how my dog is doing, they've definitely earned my business.

I took my little girl here at the recommendation of a friend. They were incredibly. The staff, the doctor, the follow up phone calls and emails. I couldn't be more pleased.

I had a great experience with this clinic!

Very nice and good customer service however they are somewhat passive and conservative with care and treatment.

I cannot say enough amazing things about Clarendon Animal Care North. As a new puppy owner, everything is new and sometimes scary. Everyone is so helpful and patient. And Bruni loves Dr. McCrory!

Clarendon Animal Care has always gone over and beyond for any dog we bring there. Everyone that works there is always so nice to us and my dog is always so excited to visit! The doctors have been quick to respond and happy to answer any questions we have, and the after visit follow-ups show they really care about our pets. I'll always recommend them to anyone in the area.

I think this is the first Google review I've ever written, so this speaks to how highly I think of Clarendon Animal Care. I have been using this office for my pets' care since January 2015, and I wish I could use this vet forever! Sadly, I am about to move out of the DMV area and can only hope that I find a new vet that is half as good as this office. Over the last 6 years, I have taken 3 cats to this office. CAC has been incredibly responsive and thorough in providing them care. I had one cat develop a sudden limp, and their entire staff worked tirelessly with me to determine what was wrong and what the best course of action was. Once it became clear that amputation was the best option, Dr. Gloor and the rest of the staff answered my countless questions and provided the reassurance I needed to make the best decision for my cat. After the surgery, they stayed in touch with me to check up on us and make recommendations based on his recovery. Dr. Gloor and Dr. Ungerer even emailed me after hours to answer my questions about some complications. It has always been incredibly easy to reach their staff at any time, which is one of the many things I appreciate about this office. At the time, I was an unemployed nursing student, and they were also very transparent about pricing and cost estimates, which has always been appreciated. When my cat's health declined a couple of years later, they reached out to us with condolences after we had to use an emergency vet they recommended us to use after hours. Dr. Skorup was also very helpful in caring for my asthmatic cat and even made recommendations on how to find the cheapest medications for him! The care we have received from the vets, the techs, and the office staff has always had an incredibly personal touch, and I truly feel like I am part of a family rather than another name in the system. Their handling of visits during the COVID pandemic has been great. Even though they are not doing quite as much face-to-face stuff, I did not feel like my cats' care was impacted by the telehealth aspect at all. I was able to thoroughly discuss any questions/concerns/updates via phone, and dropping them off at the office felt very safe. Finally, working with their travel coordinator has been incredibly helpful in coordinating the international travel of my cats as I prepare to move abroad. The process can be really confusing and overwhelming, but Aleigh has been incredibly responsive and helpful in answering my endless questions and getting us ready for our move. I originally found CAC via Google Reviews, so I hope I can also help someone who is looking for a vet in the area! Please don't hesitate to use this vet - you will absolutely not regret it. I will likely be back to the DMV area in 3-5 years and will 100% go back to CAC for my vet care.

They are so awesome - my dog is a rescue and I’ve had him less than 2 weeks and they’ve already seen and treated him for kennel cough (he’s doing amazing already) & are taking his stool sample for a test today - and they’ve fit all of this in before he’s even had his official first visit. They care and take care of your pets! Can’t thank and recommend them enough :)

Great vet service. Always ready to answer questions.

Our dog absolutely loves every single person at this vet! I’ve never had a dog more excited to go to the vets, and we fully attribute it to the wonderful staff and their approach to making the vet a safe and comfortable environment (no matter what the visit is for!). We’ve brought our dog going since he was a little puppy, and despite moving a bit further away we can’t imagine switching! The care and attention has been beyond expectations, and we are truly grateful to the entire team for their knowledge.

We've been going to Clarendon Animal Care for about 2 years after trying several other veterinarians. Our primary is Dr. Gloor, who is great, but we've been impressed with Dr. Ungerer as well. The staff is wonderful - very responsive, professional and caring. My wife and I highly recommend Clarendon Animal Care.

My experience at Clarendon Animal Care was absolutely delightful, which is not a word I’ve ever previously used to describe taking my dog to the vet! From start to finish the customer service was superb. The front desk staff were friendly, patient and accommodating as I kept rearranging appointment times, and they diligently made sure I had all the information I needed to make the eventual appointment with the vet run smoothly the day-of. My appointment with Dr. McCrory was also excellent and it was the best interaction with a vet I’ve ever had. He kindly and patiently walked me through my pet’s visit and stayed on the phone with me to thoroughly answer my many questions. He made me feel at ease and never rushed me or questioned any of my decisions. At this particular visit, he walked me through the pros and cons of spaying my puppy before/after her first heat and provided general recommendations for care, all of which have been incredibly helpful. He also pointed me to online resources where I could learn more about some of the topics we were discussing, which was invaluable. I will only be taking my puppy here for major veterinary care moving forward and cannot speak highly enough of Clarendon Animal Care!

Very efficient pandemic process, but my 11 week kitten didn't like hearing the traffic on 10th Street. Very nice vet, who took the time to explain things. She followed up immediately with a comprehensive email that included a lot of tips and info. After 40+ years of living with cats, who knew food puzzles are a thing?