VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center Fairfax, Virginia

My dad and I took our family pup, Bella, to see Dr. Boostrom. Because of COVID we couldn’t enter the building so our conversations happened over the phone. We were both really impressed by his sympathetic tone and how clearly he explained …

It breaks my heart to say, but this is where I had to take my best boy when it was suddenly and unexpectedly time to say goodbye. I feared this day for most of my pup's adult life. But SouthPaws made my last moments with my best friend as best as they could be. It's not easy during Covid. But they not only let me physically be with my dog at the end, but they allowed my family to visit, too. Giving us proper masks to be safe and compliant. I am so thankful that I could be there for my dog at the end of his life. SouthPaws were professional, but kind. They even sent me a handwritten card days after. I want to give a special thanks to Dr. McGee who administered the final medication that put my dog under. It was painless, peaceful, and fast. Thank you all.

Being somewhat new to this area, we are so happy we found this place! Before finding this location, I had stopped at other 24 hour emergency vet and they told me there was a 5-6 hour wait and it was best to come back and try again early in the morning or just make an appointment with my regular vet. Not what I wanted to hear while stressed that my pup wasn’t feeling well. My fiancé was able to call in advance letting the staff know that I was on my way to bring in my pup & they had started filling out the paperwork before I arrived and let him know the wait time. The staff was very nice especially whoever answered the phone when I called when I arrived and took my information. The doctor called to update me & let me ask any questions I had & there was no rush to get off of the phone, he took time to answer everything I had asked. They had a few pups that were sicker than mine & let me know that was a reason for there to be a bit of a delay but assured me my dog was healthy & not to worry! 10000% will recommend to anyone!!! My Snoopy is feeling much better!!

My dog passed away from a bowel perforation. They sent him home and told us not to worry on the phone after multiple calls. He died 1.5 days later.

I took my 8 year old Pom in 10/28/21. My vet told Dr Wingerd (in ER) the exact problem and that he was sending us there asap. He told Dr Wingerd that my Pom was in trouble and needed immediate attention. I heard him say this on the telephone. It seems she refused to listen to the severity of the problem. Seen on an x-ray there was a spot near his bronchi and he could not breathe properly. I thought it was an obstruction- something stuck in his throat. This x-ray was forwarded to Dr Wingerd. I arrived at 1:11PM and found out later he was not even "admitted" until 7PM.... 6 hours later... Nothing diagnostically was done at all on Thursday and they allowed him to go without food until 7 PM the following day. He only weighed 6 lbs. They kept telling me he was "stable" when I called to check on him. Yet his entire trachea collapsed while in South Paws and Dr Wingerd had to intubate him Friday night. She went home for the night and he was intubated for 16 hours. This means he could not breathe on his own. His breathing was labored when I dropped him off but he was breathing fine on his own. They operated to put a stent in his trachea at 12 noon on Sat (48 hours after I took him in) and he died. I am furious. The "bedside manner" was atrocious - arrogant, confrontational and abrupt. I was a mess and got no consolation whatsoever. I was told multiple times he was stable which was a lie. He was entirely too weak by the time they took an action to even go into surgery. He did NOT need surgery when I dropped him off on Thursday and his trachea was NOT collapsed. I feel he would not have died had I stayed away from South Paws entirely. I discovered when it was too late that he was stressed to the max while there, with no food or sedation and he collapsed while in their facility. I had emailed videos and x-rays so Dr Wingerd could see his coughing and he had a referral from an excellent vet to be admitted. She completely ignored him. Stay away from this place at all costs. They killed my baby Pom and not one Doctor has called me since he died. His death was by slow suffocation after surgery and he suffered. They did call however, to ask for an additional $16,000. Footnote: VCA Southpaws was purchased by the Mars Company for 9 billion in 2017-2019. They also bought the labs. Do your homework. NO warm and fuzzy here.

My fiancé and I are eternally grateful to VCA South Paws for saving our 7 week old kitty Gandalf after a freak accident. Dr Smolski, Dr Mullally, and all of their support staff were so helpful and compassionate towards us in our time of need. I pray we don’t need to use an emergency vet ever again, but if we do this will always be the first place we take our pets. Gandalf is feeling good as new. Thank you all so much for the work you do.

I know most veterinary practices are completely overwhelmed. I had an emergency with my dog and thankfully her regular vet could take her in; however, she needed some extended care. There were some communication issues in my taking my dog to SouthPaws ER for a consult, but they were very professional and thoughtful with recommendations. Ultimately I don't think this is the longterm solution because it appears I'll be able to get her in somewhere else sooner (thanks to a cancelation), but I am very happy with the emergency services they provided here in the interim. I will note that I had to take my dog to another emergency center in Springfield a couple of months ago, and they were COMPLETELY unprofessional - I was waiting for more than 6hrs and they refused to answer the phone. When they said they were discharging my dog, it still took 2hrs and I was waiting in the parking lot the entire time and ultimately had to beat on the door (after they ignored the doorbell for more than 2min - and the receptionist was sitting right at the desk). My experiece at SouthPaws was a COMPLETE 180 from this. They gave me a realistic expectation of how long the visit would take and told me I could leave or stay, and they were an hour faster than they stated. I would highly recommend them. Thanks for all of your help and for the great work you all are doing.

Unfortunately my dog passed away earlier this week. The urgent care facility I went to initially were unable to do an ultrasound because their tech was out for the week. VCA Southpaws was recommended and I was so glad they were. We arrived their a little after midnight. Within the hour my dog was admitted, and a little after that they doctor explained what he would need overnight, with the ultrasound being done in the morning. All the prices were discussed with us up front; we knew what to expect. When the results of the ultrasound came back and we found out we would have to put my dog down, the staff were very professional and courteous. We were allowed to take my dog out for a walk one last time, they let my parents be in there for the final moments, and from the doctor to the receptionist, everyone was friendly, professional, and courteous. I will not be able to bring myself to get another dog for quite some time, but when I do, VCA SouthPaws will be where I go for any emergency needs.

Our dog was having stomach issues and started getting lethargic so we rushed her to this hospital at 4 in the morning. The staff was so kind and informative. They gave detailed instructions on how to care for the issue!

Had to take my puppy here at 2am and was really thrilled with how everything was handled. I was able to get ahold of them prior to coming to confirm they had capacity, got my pup in immediately, and she was seen and treated immediately. Dr. Jackson, the nurses, and staff were amazing! They answered all our questions and took really great care of our pupper.

Never ever coming back here. The staff that I talked to had no sense of urgency at all and were quite rude and snappy while I was crying on the phone worried about my dog. Worst place to go for an emergency despite their name.

This hospital is amazing! Don’t listen to the negative feedback. People love to complain knowing that a doctor can not legally write back. This hospital has amazing staff.

Would not see our dog. We showed up with a dog who had been vomiting all afternoon - at first we were told it would be a 4-5 hour wait, and then we were told 5 minutes later that they weren't accepting patients at all. Don't hold yourself out as an emergency vet if you won't see pets during an emergency.

So grateful for Dr. Leguizamo and the team at Southpaws. They took time to explain my dog’s injury and answered all my questions!

Dr. Mullally was incredibly rude and unprofessional to me and was giving me attitude while I was simply asking questions on the status of my dog. She needs to be fired and learn how to be respectful and actually give good customer service. She charged me $300 just to tell me to follow up with my primary vet, she provided nothing. I’ve never encountered a vet that was so unprofessional and extremely rude. She does not care for the animals or the owners whatsoever. If you come here, avoid her at all cost and go with any of the other doctors they have in the facility. I only went here because I’ve took my dog here before and the doctor was great, I wish I remembered his name, but this time around I was provided possibly the worst vet here named Dr. Mullally.

Last week's visit with the Veterinarian (Dr. Brehm) went well, you can tell he's very knowledgeable. A couple days later the condition of my dog severely worsened, so I reached out to VCA Southpaws via email on Saturday. As of this Tuesday I had not received any communication, so I called and was directed to a voicemail box. As Southpaw's (2 minute long) voicemail box recording requested, I left a detailed message leaving my name, my dog's name, reason for calling, and the phone number I can best be reached. The voicemail box states they monitor messages left daily and during business hours. Wednesday goes by and I do not receive a response or communication of any kind. I call again Thursday and am again directed to a voicemail box. As I did on Tuesday, I left my name, my dog's name, reason for calling, and my phone number, and state the severity of my dog's condition and that I urgently need to speak with Dr. Brehm. Same as before, I receive no response or communication. My dog's condition is not improving, so I call again this afternoon and reach a receptionist. She says that I was scheduled for a call-back today (was not communicated to me prior to this call), and that I would be hearing from the doctor, but that she will confirm. I am placed on a ten-minute hold, then the receptionist confirms that I will be receiving a call "absolutely no later than 20 minutes". It has been over three hours since that confirmation, and I have not received a call from the doctor. It is a shame, because the knowledge of Dr. Brehm is clear as day, and I felt comfortable knowing that my dog would be in good hands with him. However, the lack of communication and complete failure to follow through on multiple guarantees by VCA Southpaws is jarring and completely unprofessional, especially given their "reputation" of being a first-class operation. While others may swear by VCA Southpaws, my experience has been a colossal disappointment and I will likely take my dog to one of the other reputable pet hospitals in the area (Columbia Pike, Hope, Town & Country, etc.)

We just left here but the quality of care was so great that i’m writing a review on the way home. we recently added a golden retriever pup to our family and we love him very much, but he was vomiting and had a loss of appetite with other symptoms. We were worried and took him here at 2am and got seen immediately. The doctors, nurses, and receptionist were all great. they were extremely thorough and kept us informed the whole time. They were super nice and made us feel comfortable, they even gave us some dog food to take home to help our little guy be more encouraged to eat. all in all, there wasn’t anything seriously wrong with him and the care was affordable as well. it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. We thank you, and so does Sunny!

Saw us immediately on Memorial Day for a true medical emergency. They took our cat in right as we pulled up and were helpful and caring throughout the process. Unfortunately the diagnosis wasn't a good one, but VCA SouthPaws guided us and explained all of our options with honesty and understanding. I feel good knowing we did everything we could.

I have mixed feelings about this place. First, let me say that my pup has a very unique problem and so the surgical outcome was tenuous at best. That isn't the why I have chosen to write this. Trying to reach the surgical scheduler Alex, has been absolutely frustrating. I am writing this the day before a second surgery and still have no idea of the cost, the time he needs to arrive, or if he will be staying over night. I have called 4 times this week; When he became very ill (not as a result of the surgery) I have to say that, in an emergency situation, this place ROCKS! The emergency vets were absolutely awesome! So all in all, if you have an emergency, I can't recommend more highly. For routine type of treatments or surgery, hands down I am staying at Pender with a shout out to Dr. Voell and Dr. Hyatt two of the best veterinarians that have treated many of our family dogs/animals for well over 15 years.

I called this vet to seek support for an emergency eye issue that my dog was encountering. They did not have an ophthalmologist on call, but they recommended two other emergency vets that could help. I highly recommend, as they listened to me blubber in fear and pointed me in the right direction. Thank you so much!

My Lab Barrett was hit by a car Tuesday. We called VCA and they were closing the Emergency room due to overfill. Once they heard what happened and how close we were, they accepted us in. Dr's Smolski, Hall and Montgomery were the team that got my sweet boy back to us. Lots of phone calls and updates initially. Then, once he was stable they set expectations on when we would get updates from the nurses and vets. They made arrangements for us to visit Barrett while in their care. His nurse Amber was kind and clearly a friend to my "sweet baby". When these things happen it is EXPENSIVE, stressful and full of fears. While natural to want clarity, information and return, we also need to be patient with the people that commit their lives to caring for and saving our furry family members. And, remember that they are also trying to run a business. To have quality staff and veterinarians of this magnitude cost money!!!!! Every day they take upon their shoulders the weight of saving our animals to try and send them home to us healthy or on the mend. Thank you to the VCA Southpaws team. While I hope to never see you again, if I do, I know you will take care of my family to the best of your abilities!!!!!!

This hospital is a scam. I took my dog there yesterday for a UTI and received no help at all. I arrived at 9am on Sunday morning, was on hold for 20 minutes before I was able to even tell anyone I was there and then waited another 20 minutes for a tech to come get her. We were told there wasn’t a long wait for the emergency room so we decided to wait in the car. It was over 2 hours before we heard from anyone again, while my poor dog was just sitting in the back in a crate by herself. The doctor told us she didn’t think it was a UTI and she wanted to run blood work as well as a UA, which was fine, she told us it would be “a few minutes” before a tech could take blood. Another 2.5 hours later we call and say forget it we can take her to her primary if it’s going to take this long, and magically they finally have time to take her blood and urine (for $300!!). After 5 hours they finally release our dog to us with no medication and no answers!! Why did you need my dog for 5 hours to take 1 vial of blood? We ended up paying $450 for them to tell us “follow up with your primary”. This would have been more acceptable (barely), but every time we called to check on her status, we were lied to and told it would be “just a few more minutes”, there was no communication between the staff and us as owners. Such a scam. Do not take your pet here, god forbid it’s a real emergency.

The most rude and unprofessional vet I have ever used. Would not recommend to anyone.

Dr. Brock McGee has a very bad attitude. I would not recommend anyone to have their animals seen by him. For the price the quality of my experience was subpar.

This place was straight and to the point. I do wish their front desk staff was a bit friendlier. I also had to call back to request my cats blood work be sent to me so I can give it to her regular vet and the staff seemed annoyed. They helped my cat feel better. All in all. They said her liver enzyme was slightly elevated and could be due to possible hyperthyroidism. My question is why couldn’t they test for that as well? Instead said to follow up with regular vet and explore more blood work. More money again. The one thing I’m highly irritated with is that they gave me a prescription that I cannot fill for my cat same day and I was told start it immediately. I can fill at Walmart but have to wait a few days I believe. I called 3 other pharmacies and no luck. Not cool. I hope I never have to take my pets to an ER again and if I do, I’m not exactly sure if I’d come back here. Update : the prednisolone was 200 dollars for 15 days. Walmart pharmacist told me to return the script because it was ridiculous. The other one was 44 dollars and I luckily got it down to 15. Don’t prescribe medication that you are going to have a hard time filling. And then when you do: it’s 200 bucks for 15 days? Update number 2: I received a call back from the doctor and he greatly apologized about the prescription and said they have it in house for 25 bucks. So, I feel better about the whole thing. Thank you for helping my cat. And bring prompt with returning my call regarding the prescription.

I could not be more grateful to Dr. Boostrom and the entire SouthPaws oncology team. My dog Billie was diagnosed with oral melanoma by our vet, and I came to SouthPaws in a serious state of panic. It was such a relief to speak to Dr. Boostrom, who explained all aspects of the disease and offered several treatment options, answering all my questions along the way. When I shared I was moving in two months, he built a plan that would allow Billie to get all the necessary treatment in time. Every time Billie came in, the vet tech team greeted her with such love, you'd think she was a movie star. The vet techs gave me a thorough run-down at the end of each treatment on how things went and what to expect next. The receptionists, the billing department ... everything worked smoothly and effortlessly. I felt supported every step of the way. Billie is sleeping off her last radiation treatment as I type. It remains to be seen how her disease responds to the treatment, but I am certain that she got the best possible care.

While Southpaws was not able to save our dog Winston, he received excellent care from Internal Medicine staff from the minute we dropped him off. We were fully informed of both his treatment plan and estimated costs throughout his evaluation. We especially appreciate the vet techs and Dr. Hoch, who did everything they could to make him comfortable and get him healthy. Our regular vet recommended Internal Medicine at Southpaws to investigate anemia. We took advantage of an appointment option that allowed Winston to be seen quickly, in just a few days, if we agreed to leave him at Southpaws before 9 a.m. and the doctors would examine him throughout the day, as time allowed depending on emergencies. A benefit to this type of “appointment” was, if additional services were recommended, we could approve it over the phone and he could receive them the same day. After each exam or diagnostic service, Dr. Hoch called us to explain the results and presented us with options based on that information. She explained everything until we understood it. If we had questions in between these calls, we could call internal medicine and talk to a vet tech who would answer our question or have Dr. Hoch call us back. By the end of the day, Winston had a diagnosis and was scheduled for surgery the next day. We were allowed to visit Winston that night, despite Covid, which was really nice. We had been talking with one vet tech all day, but we were greeted by a different (night shift) vet tech when we visited. She was awesome. She was fully aware of Winston’s day and his treatment plan; she even knew when he had eaten. In surgery, they saw that, due to its location, removal of the tumor would be difficult without substantially reduced quality of life. Winston would not be expected to live long. Dr. Hoch called us during the surgery to give us this information and provide us with a range of options. There was no pressure to make any particular choice, and there was no judgment when we decided he should be euthanized rather than have to endure a recovery process which would likely never result in him feeling better. Southpaws also works with a cremation service, which delivered ashes in a memorial urn with a plaster paw print. We are grateful for the compassionate and excellent care our dog received.

I had a great experience with VCA today and am so grateful for their care for my puppy, Pebble. We came here because she had a massive allergic reaction to something (probably ate a bee), and her poor little face was swollen so bad she couldn’t open her eyes. I called to see if they’d be able to fit us in before I left, and they took my info over the phone and got me on the roster. When I got there, they took Pebble back promptly and called me with updates every step of the way. They were very straightforward about pricing and incidentals and communicated clearly. Dr. Morelo had to have been horribly busy, but when she called to update me she took time to answer my questions, explain what was going on, and she clearly was affectionate and caring towards my puppy. I felt very comfortable knowing that the team inside was taking good care of my puffy faced puppy. The price for an emergency exam, two injections, continued monitoring over 4.5 hours, and prescription steroids was half as expensive as I was thinking. I was so worried about going to an emergency vet - hearing horror stories of abrasive doctors and outrageous up charge, but VCA dispelled those fears and I am so happy to know we have a great emergency option nearby!

My dog became suddenly very very sick. She collapsed with white gums and I took her to southpaws. Her vitals tested normal but Dr Smolski felt like it was a good idea to get her blood tested. Results came back anemic and she stayed in the ER for emergency blood transfusion and we started investigating. I was referred to internal medicine with Dr Neiman as we started running more tests. I was called back when they said they would call back, I was told about worst case scenarios upfront, and the nurses, doctors, and front desk answered every single question I had and were extremely kind. My dog loves to go to southpaws. She gets excited to see the technicians and they all love seeing her. She got better, thanks to the expertise and meticulous testing of the staff. You saved my dog’s life. And I thought about it too, if she wasn’t able to come home - this would still be a 5 star review. I can rest assured I can rely on excellent emergency care for my pet just a few minutes away. Thank you all so much for what you do!

My dog’s been seeing Dr. Bromberg, a great eye doctor, for a couple of years and today’s the last day because she’s retiring. So sorry about that.