Very unsettling experience! We went to Dr. Wingard for years regarding our cat and it was always anxiety inducing. We spent thousands on our cat to make sure we did everything we needed to do and yet Dr. Wingard always found a way to blame us for something and leave us feeling like we are bad pet owners. There was always a veiled threat that she would fire us and making suggestions that “we could see someone else,” knowing well that there are not many specialists in the area that deal with our cat’s issue. Thank God we found one and were able to move on from her. She doesn’t really seem to like animals or people, so I don’t really understand why she is in this field.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about this team. On July 14th, I experienced one of the most terrifying moments of my life when my dog, Oakley, suddenly began having what appeared to be a stroke or seizure. Her eyes were rolling back into her head, and I truly thought I was losing her.
The moment we arrived, the staff acted immediately. They were calm, compassionate, and incredibly professional. They stabilized Oakley, took the time to thoroughly explain what was happening, reassured me that she was not dying, and walked me through the next steps with patience and kindness.
In one of the most traumatic moments a pet parent can experience, they gave me something priceless: hope, clarity, and confidence that Oakley was in the best possible hands. I will never forget the care they showed both of us, and I am beyond grateful for everything they did.
VCA Southpaws Emergency Center in Fairfax - Wonderful emergency services on a Sunday. The staff was professional, kind, and patient. Facility was clean and calming. I don't ever want to go back due to another emergency, but I would definitely return here first if needed.
Our cat Sasha was a patient of Dr. Sarah Sheafor’s at VCA Southpaws for about a year after some concerning results from her annual checkup pointed to possible cancer, which was eventually identified as small cell lymphoma.The entire oncology team was incredibly kind and they always followed up quickly with thorough answers to my questions. Dr. Sheafor always took the time to clearly explain Sasha's test findings and walk through next steps. I always felt well-informed about Sasha’s options and never rushed into decisions. Sasha improved tremendously under Dr. Sheafor’s care and was responding very well to treatment.
We lost her suddenly last month due to an unrelated issue to her cancer (sudden cardiac event), but we’re very grateful for the care and compassion the oncology team showed her (and us) during that time. Thanks to their care, her last year of life remained a good one, despite her health issues. While I don’t have experience with other departments, I would absolutely recommend Southpaws’ oncology team.
VCA overall is a great place (especially the Opthamology department), but this review is specific to the Internal Medicine department. Please avoid Dr. Heather Hoch in the Internal Medicine department if your pet has any kind of complex issues. My dog has both Cushings and Diabetes, so that is why we had opted to go an internist for more indepth care. But I was very shocked at the appalling lack of care and professionalism shown by Dr. Hoch, who is the medical director of that department sadly.
The first time I met Dr. Hoch (before tests were ordered), she kept yawning and looked bored - the entire conversation lasted a few minutes and then I spent over 2.5k for tests. Then the second time when we got additional tests and she called me to discuss the results she seemed annoyed that I had the gall to ask her 3-4 questions, since it seemed I was wasting her time. And when I asked her what felt like a very important question "why has his insulin resistance gotten worse despite now being on treatment for Cushings?" - her answer was "if I started trying to answer these type of questions, I'd not be able to sleep at night". Please note that when I met a different internist at a different facility and asked the same question, she gave me very science backed possible reasons why this could be happening instead of making a comment about wanting her sleep. It was a world of a difference.
Additionally Dr. Hoch ordered an abdominal ultrasound without asking if my dog was fasting or not, which apparently is not as safe when not fasting and also results in not as high visibility in imaging due to the food. None of this was not told to us at the time. I only found out a month or so later because I went to a different internist after such a bad experience here. This other internist I now go to is beyond amazing and told us honestly to schedule the appt for a day when he was fasting, for his safety and to ensure the quality of images was worth the test.
I usually do not write bad reviews, it has to be a very worrisome experience that makes me write one. But I worry if I don't, then another furbaby with complex conditions may be subject to sub-par veterinary treatment by Dr. Hoch.
