Union Veterinary Clinic Washington, DC, Virginia

I have been taking my dog to Union Vet for about 5 years. We have loved our experience. The team at Union Vet is super friendly, informative and helpful. Their exams are thorough and they take the time to answer any question I have. My dog is often very nervous and skittish at the vet but the team does a great job remaining patient and doing everything they can to make him feel safe. I highly recommend Union Vet!

Services are fine, no better or worse than most other clinics I’ve used with different pets over the years. Unfortunately, it’s been unreliable with last minute cancellations at bad times leaving customers to scramble and find alternatives.

I chose this clinic during the pandemic as a referral from another clinic who was overcrowded. I am very happy with the all staff I have interacted with since last year. This is not my first pet so I have a great deal of experience with veterinary clinics. Union Vet, is great in my book.

The vet was super kind with my dog and very knowledgeable! Prices were fair and it was a very quick in and out process. Totally recommend!

The staff at Union Veterinary is knowledgeable and friendly. I just moved to DC and am very happy I selected them as the vet for my new cat! Overall very positive experience for me and my pet.

TL;DR Don't come here if you value convenience or customer service. We loved going to Union, but will be seeking a new vet after their recent policy changes around medications. Our dog is on a daily medication regimen for thyroid issues and until recently we had no trouble doing auto-ship through Chewy.com every 6 months for both her thyroid meds and her flea/tick/heartworm meds. It was simple, easy, and affordable, and it helped us stick to the regimen. With their new medication policy they will no longer approve the thyroid medication auto-ship through Chewy - they will ONLY approve the "preventative" and require us to come into the office to pick up a paper prescription to fax to Chewy. Paper and fax...? What is this, 1996? When asked why they could not continue approving both at the same time (the buttons on the Chewy request are LITERALLY next to each other) their response was "well, this is just easier for the doctors and it's what the owners want to do". Reading between the lines what they're really saying is "we want to make this a hassle for you to do through Chewy so that you cave in and pay 20x the price to buy the same medication through us for convenience instead" (seriously, it's that much more expensive through them for the same meds). Terrible customer service mindset there, and it's just cost them a repeat customer and vocal referral source.

I moved from overseas and my dog had not been able to necessarily have the same level of care where I was posted. The team was very understanding, talked me through different tests vs. vaccinations in addition to types of illnesses to watch out for in the DC area and helped answer all of my questions. Can't say much on costs as I'm coming from a place where I had house visits for less than $50. :)

I just can’t recommend this vet. We brought two cats here and they were siblings. Four years ago, due to liver failure, we put her brother to sleep and they botched it — he was facing away from us and as soon they sedated him, his heart stopped. And we didn’t have a chance to say good bye. This time, her sister was 19 years old and in rapid declining health. She absolutely hated vets so we didn’t bring her in. Would not take pills or even mixed in food. She wasn’t stupid. And because it was some time since we last brought her in, they said they had to do quality of life exam and kept asking me - rudely and coldly - implying we could have done this or that. I was floored. We struggled with the decision but we knew it was time. And the vet made me feel horrible and she did nothing to assure me. Very judgmental. She reluctantly admitted there was a lot of issues with her at end. They went ahead and put her to sleep. To add insult to the injury, I was told it would be $170 on phone. No. The final bill was $420. Just be warned. And I honestly do not know why I returned to this vet again. I will not again.

After years of supporting this office, I am sad to say that I would no longer recommend. While the support staff at Union are great, it has been a night and day experience working with a vet at another location. Empathy, patience, conversations, and authentic care are things I did not realize were missing until I switched. And cheaper!

The staff is so kind to my Maizy - always patient and gentle with her. Dr. Appleby is great! He was thorough, never made me feel rushed, explained options and costs for my dog’s treatment and generally has a stellar bedside manner for animals and their humans. He is also very knowledgeable about Rx and specific conditions in my breed of dog. I recommended him to my friends seeking a vet. Thanks to the rest of staff, as well, who helped with the vaccines and payment. Everything went very smoothly.

We have been taking our dog for nearly one year (dog is less than one year old). She finally had a medical emergency that required immediate treatment and we were told there was no way to see her until the afternoon of the next day. We're seeking a new veterinarian in the area who is willing to see urgent patients quickly. I recommend you find a different veterinary clinic in the case that your pet has an urgent issue since Union Vet cannot be relied on.

CAUTION: Union Veterinary Clinic is a FACTORY, run by DRONES who treat our pets like WIDGETS. Took my dog in for ear surgery (hematoma). He left with pneumonia. I returned to UVC the next day, and it turned into a train wreck. Try as I might to get a consult, I was denied. I phoned and left messages for a doc to return my call. Nothing happened for five days, and then no one - docs or staff - would take responsibility. There was a 36-hour period when I seriously thought my dog might die. Fortunately, he’s recovering, no thanks to UVC. Run, don’t walk, from UVC!

It is so hard to find a vet you can trust which we all know. One of the biggest gripe everyone ALWAYS has with vets are their costs. No matter where you go, every single place is expensive! We know this! I truly don’t think it’s fair to expect anywhere in DC in general to be anything close to affordable BUT quality is the concern here. I have a six pound chiweenie mix who has been seen here multiple times and I have yet to have a bad experience. The staff is kind, they always answer my questions and they truly listen to me when I have concerns. I brought my dog in for a dental cleaning and his teeth look outstanding. I have called them who knows how many times with food questions, every time my dog pukes and so much more. They always work with you to get your dog seen ASAP if needed. I think they are great - yes spendy but overall great.

Getting a vet appointment anywhere in this city is a nightmare and Union Vet Clinic is no different. When you are able to land an appointment the staff is courteous and friendly and very attentive to my two cats. Vet care is expensive but the prices at Union Vet are within the same range I've paid living in other cities. I cannot remember the name of the doctor my cat saw most recently but she was easy to talk with and clearly laid out potential issues and recommended solutions for my cat and left it up to me to decide. I did not feel I was getting "nickled and dimed" as some others have said because I had the option to say yes or no to any of the exams, procedures, or tests.

I love Union Vet. They have been consistently great for several years. They are very helpful and professio al. They don't perform unnecessary exams and tests. They listen intently to get to the bottom of the issue with my fur baby. I highly recommend them and their services.

I appreciate that they take their time at a visit and are very through.

Today was my first visit after moving into DC. I was surprised at some of the reviews about the front desk crew as I thought they were extraordinarily polite and accommodating. The clinic is very efficient and the doctor is knowledgeable and they have a large staff to get you in and out. My situation is a bit complicated but the Vet was very helpful. I will return a few more times and see how it goes. So far, so good!

Brought my puppy in for his first vaccines. The vet called me to tell me everything went find other than he had a bowel movement in the exam room while left alone and dragged his leash through it - but they would wash the leash and thats why it was wet. Why was an 8 week old puppy left alone in the exam room? I was then called to pay, and when the tech brought the puppy out they handed me my leash in a plastic bag, unwashed, and covered in feces. Sooo, I had to carry my dog home from there. Great first experience.

Love bringing my dog and cat here. There is never a wait and they are always willing to answer questions and get on the phone in between appointments. Would highly recommend!!!

My little chihuahua is no angel, but the staff there always treat him like he is. I always get full information and a range of options for care from the vets there. I still take Poppi there even though I’m not in that neighborhood anymore

This place is amazing. I have a cat that is constantly sick and I know I can trust union vet with his care. They are def a very busy practice but I always feel like they go above and beyond to try and fit me into their schedule. I truly appreciate how the vets go over all of the options and let me decide. I appreciate the transparency and know that I can rely on them. I tell all my pet parent friends to take their pets there!

I brought my cat to this place because he was having tremors. I’m sure they didn’t give him the checkup that I paid for, in fact I don’t believe they even took him out of the pet carrier at all!

My cat is dying of cancer (but I’m in Florida due to covid-19) and I needed to speak with my vet. I’ve been trying to get a response all week and have not been able to get my vet on the phone. Finally this morning, after crying to the person who answered the phone - I was told a vet would call me back. I waited the whole day by the phone but missed the call by about 15 seconds. There was no call back number, and there is no voicemail system. Now, my cat will just have to suffer until Monday. I’ve already taken my cat to the emergency vet, and really just needed her primary care vet to give me advice on how to keep her comfortable as she dies. You pay a premium with this vet, I do not know where the money goes - the facilities are not very nice, their communication systems are non-existent, and unless it’s 15 minutes after they open or 30 minutes before they close - they do not care about their patients. I was even in there one day to pick up medication a few minutes before they close and the person at the front desk complained to me because they had to answer calls coming in (but hinted that if the call had come in after closing they don’t have to). As I’ve been calling vets in Florida to try to get her into be seen - even though they’ve never met me or my cat, they care more about me than Union Vet ever has or will. I had friends warn me to not go to this vet because of the poor service - I wish I listened. I went because the location so convenient. Please don’t make the same mistake I made, it’s worth it for your pets to take them to another vet farther away, that will give you the attention you need in an emergency. Update: We had to put my sweet kitty down, still no call back from Union Vet

(Note for the practice, the last name my account is under is Garvey) We take four pets here and overall we are very satisfied. Two of the pets are older/chronically ill/high need and I find that I always get prompt responses when I have concerns and need follow up. Also, now that we are established clients, it's easy to get medication refills or even new meds without a visit, etc. I'm going to give 4 stars instead of 5 just because the clinic is small and a little hectic. They have a lot of clients and it's just not quite the smooth, well-oiled machine somewhere like Friendship is. I've had a few minor issues like my cat seeing the wrong doctor and getting an incorrect/incomplete evaluation (I always request my vet so I assume the scheduler misheard or made a mistake in scheduling) and being told my cat didn't need to take drugs prior to a visit when he actually did, but overall, I don't fault the clinic for these - mistakes happen and considering their patient volume and expansive schedule, I feel like the overall rate of efficiency is high. As far as their prices, it's weird to me that a lot of people are complaining. Have they been to other vents in the DC area? When I moved up from Florida, I was SHOCKED at how high vet prices are here, but I find Union Vet to be on the lower end (WAY lower than friendship, where I used to take both my cats). I also don't particularly feel "nickel and dimed," but I spend a lot of money in general there, so maybe it's a different case for infrequent clients. I also understand because it's in an expensive neighborhood and they do a lot of really convenient services like evening visits and drop off visits... that's worth a premium cost to me. The vet I see regularly for my cats always provides really detailed explanations and is always available to answer questions. I usually email and get a response back very quickly, but sometimes she calls me if it's easier. I've seen a few other vets there as well and find them equally great. One of them has helped a lot with an upcoming move to Alaska by doing research I probably should have done! Overall, I highly recommend Union Vet, and I recommend people who are seeking a new vet to consider them if they understand that the clinic definitely has a neighborhood clinic vibe and isn't a large, robust operation. Although, they seem to have added the cool Pet.Ly system and I'm so excited about it!

We will never be returning to this clinic - I am so disappointed. Our dog was in a life/death situation and they turned us away because "no more appointments were available". Our dog needed immediate vet care when we called them at 5:30 - we live 2 blocks away and said we will be there shortly. We were then informed even though the clinic remained open for 30 more minutes they would not let us bring her in and rudely informed us to take her to the animal hospital 45 minutes away in rush hour traffic. She was barely responsive at this point and these critical minutes matter in a life/death situation. You would think a neighborhood vet would actually care about animals and want to help a dying dog but this veterinary office instead opted to close their clinic on time rather than assist our sweet girl. Thankfully our dog is alive, but in no way, shape, or form thanks to this vet.

First impression are lasting rude people unprofessional I got that energy I would never entrusted. My dog with them bad energy!!! Stay away

We were clients of this vet until we had a sudden life or death emergency with our dog. We live just a block away and could have been there in just a few seconds, the clinic was still scheduled to be open for another 30 minutes, but we were told that none of the doctors were seeing any other clients before the end of the shift and we were forced to seek care at an emergency clinic 30+ minutes away. It’s hard to believe that these doctors and staff could care all that much about their clients and pets if they are so willing to leave them to die in an emergency. It undid any goodwill that we had with the vet and our dog is lucky to be alive despite their carelessness. Update: upon raising this concern, the person we spoke with on the phone labeled us “entitled a**holes” for trying to get care for the dog. So that was nice.

They are trying to sell you anything they can as long as they can make money of you. Overcharging-on basic vaccination !!! DO NOT GO HERE.

Very bad experience with Union Vet. Vets unprofessional, unprepared, ask remedial questions and tried to vaccinate my cat with shots he had received a month earlier — that were listed in his medical record. Extremely poor bedside manner too. Will NEVER be back!

They saved my cat’s life, when I brought him in with a cough that turned out to actually be a very serious medical problem that he needed to go get surgery for. I feel like another Vet may not have spotted the real, potentially fatal, problem. Many years later, Bingley is totally fine!