VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center - Fairfax, Virginia

Tracey S.

Dr Black at VCA Southpaws is AMAZING!!!! My 1.5 year old Golden Retriever had been seen at her regular vet twice and an urgent care vet twice with no results. I brought her into VCA and Dr Black (and the entire staff) were angels. Through all of my tears, they explained all of the tests, all of the results, the prognosis, called me with all of the updates, including right before she went to get her MRI, and even showed me the MRI images. His team, explained all of the findings in a way that we understood, and in a gentle way bc it was not all good news. I would recommend Dr Black to ANYONE who loves their pup as much as we do. Worth every single penny to get answers. THANK YOU DR BLACK and TEAM for loving Oaklee like she was your own!

Jennifer R.

The entire staff is absolutely wonderful. They were all very compassionate and willing to answer all of our questions. Dr. Talarico was incredible and sympathetic as she treated and diagnosed our dog with a spinal tumor, and discussed all treatment options. Unfortunately, the tumor took its toll on him, and he was in too much pain and we had to make the hardest decision to end his suffering. We went back to Southpaws, as it was a Sunday, and all of the staff were so caring as we worked through this terrible time. The techs and doctor on shift talked us through all of the steps so we knew what to expect. We were able to hold our baby as they administered the medications. He is now at peace. Thank you to the entire staff for your compassion.

mark M.

This is a first rate organization. Many thanks to Dr. Bedard for a successful cataract surgery performed on our two year old lab, and many thanks to all the vet techs and staff that took wonderful care of us. Literally every single employee we encountered in this place was amongst the nicest, most helpful people you’ll meet. Highly recommend.

Caitlin C.

My dog had 20 rounds of radiation and the staff was amazing they took care of chalo like he was their one pet. The whole team including the radiation technician, oncologist, patient coordinator and front desk staff were all amazing and so friendly. I called several times to ask questions and they always answered the phone or called me back right away and they were always so caring a knowledgeable about my pet, his history and the care he needed. Of special note Rebecca and Anthony were incredible so friendly and professional and made the experience so much better.

Joe G.

We've been coming to this office for a few months now ever since our dog was diagnosed with lymphoma. The oncology staff is always super friendly and incredibly easy to work with, and they're always excited to see our dog. The estimates for each weekly treatment are always right on par with what the cost ends up being, and when they're wrong, it's usually a calculation in our favor.

The doctor has been very helpful to us through the whole process as well, as it's our first time going through the whole cancer thing, and it's made the experience much much easier. Can't say enough good things about the staff and our experience so far.

Elisa H.

I cannot thank Dr. Korec and the team at VCA Southpaws enough for the exceptional care they provided for my dog, Kevin. From the moment he was diagnosed with large cell multicentric lymphoma in November, I was unsure about pursuing chemotherapy. However, after meeting with Dr. Korec, who patiently explained all of our options and assured me that Kevin’s quality of life would always be the top priority, I decided to move forward with treatment. I’m so glad I did.
Over the course of 19 weeks, Kevin completed his CHOP protocol and is now in strong partial remission. As a senior dog, his ability to tolerate the treatment with minimal side effects was a huge relief. When Kevin experienced occasional nausea—the only side effect we encountered—the team was prompt in returning my calls and filling his medications. Their responsiveness and care made a world of difference.
Special thanks to Jay, who was always so friendly and kind during check-ins. Every interaction with the staff was warm and reassuring, which was especially meaningful during such a stressful time. I watched Kevin’s personality and spark return during his treatment—he became more active and playful, reminding me of his younger days. When he was first diagnosed, he was given just 4-6 weeks. Now, months later, he is thriving in remission.
Words cannot express how grateful I am for Dr. Korec and the entire team at VCA Southpaws for giving me more time with my beloved Kevin. You’ve made an incredible impact on both of our lives, and I’ll always be thankful for your care and dedication.

Matt P.

GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! If your reading reviews like this and that means you're a good parent to your pet..... trust us go somewhere else that doesn't just care about making money .Twice I've been given prices on procedures, when I pick my Dog up it's always several hundred dollars more. I'm not going to lie, this appears to be a very legit animal hospital but if you decide to use them I would record the conversation. They seem to have a habit of telling you a price, then after you've dropped off your animal, sending you a much, much, higher quote. When you ask questions they pretty much Tell you the person you spoke with isn't there or have no record of that. Also, it appears to be common practice for them to charge you four to five times the price of a medication you could get from Walmart or 1-800 pet meds. So please be mindful of that.... We were quoted $860 a month for a drug that we can order ourselves and costs $197 a month from the exact same manufacturer they get their drug from (I was also told when I said is there any option to reach out to the drug company? Maybe get some sort of coupons? that there was no way it could be any cheaper and all it took was my smartphone and 5 minutes). That being said, please research your animals medication prices. Now the surgery department did remove Hazels tumor but they were also very confident of getting clean margins based on all of the work up and visits and scans prior. Since then, however, we feel like you just been constantly taking advantage of and force to pay ridiculous prices that we didn't agree to. So be mindful of that. Ultimately we were given the hope of CLEAN MARGINS. That did not happen and we can't blame that on SouthPaws.
As an update later, just because it was so difficult to discuss, it spread to her lymph nodes + she passed away right before we were about to put her on chemo. Something important to note was that I said earlier they wouldn't approve the chemo drug unless it went through them. We had to go through a friend of ours who was a veterinarian to sign off on it because they were trying to make an extra $2,600 a month off of us for the exact same drug that we ordered through 1-800 pet meds that VCA South paws literally has an account with for the exact same manufacturer and dose, chemo drug ( won't mention the very nice woman from 1-800 pet meds who probably shouldn't have told me that, but it seems like they actually care) which they pay $239 for and charge us $2,839 total.... That does not include the visits that are just for them to middleman the drug. All that was after the almost $11,000 we paid for the surgery. Something that is extremely hard for me to talk about and I'm just adding now because it just hurts so much. When I called VCA Southpaws, the night out Hazel passed and told them she had just died they said "would you still like to bring her in" !!? Crying and sobbing I responded. What do you think? And they hung up the phone on me. I know this sounds hard to believe but I swear this on our loved lost dog soul. Ultimately we put her through a bunch of pain so southpaws could make about $14,000 of our money. Taking people's money under fictitious or fraudulent circumstances is a crime. We are not rich by any standard and I could care less about the money, we just miss our Hazel so much and she was put through a lot of pain and used for financial gain because we trusted these people.

Jaime L.

I did not expect to end up here last night after taking my sweet, newly rescued kitty Lucy to our local vet for what I hoped was a treatable illness.

I simply cannot thank Dr. Linh Lough enough for the unwavering genuine compassion she showed for my situation. Each word she spoke felt like a dagger to my heart, and I could tell it pained her to deliver this news as well. As I sobbed, Dr. Lin sat with me and just let me feel. She was honest and thorough about my Lucy's condition and what she perceived as the most humane choice for Lucy's little soul. I am heartbroken that I woke up with my baby and went to sleep without her last night. The depth of her loss, so shortly after losing a cat I had just before her, is something I cannot put into words. But Luis, vet tech, gently handed my girl to me and I was allowed to cradle Lucy in my arms as she was gently transitioned to eternal life surrounded by love from myself, my boyfriend, Dr. Lin, and the licensed Social Worker, Joelle, who was assigned to my case to help me through this absolute heartbreak. I know I will be in this position again one day with my other rescues, but when I am, I pray that I am met with the same grace and compassion as shown here to myself, and most importantly, my Lucy. Thank you again - and please, please, pass this message along to Dr. Lin and our social worker. I will never forget them during what was one of the darkest moments of my life.