Caring Hands Animal Hospital - Merrifield

4.5

Veterinarians
Falls Church, VA

About this business

Healthcare Veterinarians

Location details

8100B Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA, 22042, United States

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Weekday	Schedule	Status
Mon	7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Tue	7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wed	7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Thu	7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Fri	7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sat	8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sun	Closed

4.5506 reviews

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Ashley Z.

4 years ago

Terrible customer service! They gave my cat a medication for chin acne which made her worse to where she was bleeding. I told them she needed to be seen and that it made her worse and they put it off like it wasn't important. I called 4 days ago asking for a manger to call me and still haven't heard anything. I've been coming here for years but I'm now realizing all they care about is money.

Business response:

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us on the phone. We apologize for the miscommunication regarding your kitty. With being fully booked, it was difficult to get you on our schedule on the day you called. We recognize that it would have been best to have a doctor call you back during the day instead of referring you to the emergency hospital. Thank you again for your candid feedback.

Nadia P.

5 years ago

I would not recommend this clinic if you have a cat. Their website indicated that they implement the Fear Free initiative but this was not my experience at all. Because of COVID I was not allowed inside (which I definitely respect and understand). I wasn't able to witness what happened but I do know that they scared her so much she pooped on herself in the exam room! From the vet's summary, I learned that they used bird gloves during the visit and even scruffed her instead of taking a moment to stop and reassess the need to ... read more

Business response:

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We do implement fear-free techniques and utilize pheromones to try and help with stress at the office, but some patients unfortunately still experience stress during their exams. Our goal is always to reduce stress and we apologize that this visit was so stressful for your kitty.

Julie M.

5 years ago

My cat had a eye problem that wasn't diagnosed correctly. They had a vet tech call me to say, "Her eye is red. Your cat is overweight. What are you feeding her?" He focused more on her weight than her eye problem. When I called back to say she wasn't better, they asked me if I followed the instructions on the box. LOL. Again, didn't speak to a vet. The receptionist talked to a vet, came back on the phone and told me to buy more eye drops. Unprofessionalism in every corner. When I posted a bad review on Google, they did follo... read more

Rob B.

5 years ago

I went there to ask about my new puppy. They were "No, No, No" to my questions on the phone. No solutions, no options, no alternatives. How can I know whether you're the right vet for my puppy when I can't see the facility, meet a vet or see an exam room. Customer service was terrible! I could've come back to meet a vet at a later time as they were currently busy. Do not recommend as the staff are not problem solvers. I want to see creative solutions, empathy and initiative with my pets Dr.

Business response:

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are not allowing clients into our building and limiting contact for the safety of our team and clients. We know this is not ideal to build a relationship with a new veterinarian, but are still proudly providing the same high-quality care that we are known for. We offer several options for communication before and after the physical exam including phone calls or video calls with the doctor to discuss your pet's care plan. We know that this is a stressful time and h... read more

Sb B.

5 years ago

Update: the vet literally gave him the vaccine I had asked them not to give him in a prior visit as his breed is prone to serious side effects. I am so mad and scared for my pet. Your pet will not be cared for here, they don't care what you want for your pet. They care about $$$$$$. Worst animal care hospital. This is a factory for pets. Factory where they churn pets out. I had made a personalized vaccine schedule for my pet with one of their vets. Had an appointment with a different vet who did not bother to read the vac... read more

Sammie H.

6 years ago

On Monday, October 16th, we called the hospital and the doctor was still not available and only non-doctor staff person were answering to us. According to that person, the hospital staff was holding my cat the whole time and didn't notice any injury and the hospital refused to answer my questions about details of the incident and to conduct any investigation. I took Gaga to Campbell Animal Hospital to have her medically examined by Dr. Olivia Kim and her notes says "envidence of bleeding; surface even (cut surface)". Pictu... read more

Business response:

Thank you for returning our practice manager's call on Monday, October 14th. We too are surprised by your photo but are unaware of how an injury to her toenail occurred as there was no apparent injury to her toenail during her spay or at the time of her discharge from the hospital. While we understand why you declined the courtesy examination we offered you and your pet, it does make it more difficult for us to assess the situation further. We certainly want to address her injury and we will do everything possible to addre... read more

Caroline W.

6 years ago

I brought my husband's black lab Sally in to see Dr. Madigan about four weeks ago. We had to put Sally down two days after her appointment. About a month/6 weeks before our appointment at Caring Hands, Sally had been to South Paws for an emergency visit to be seen for a cough/tracheal infection. I explained to Dr. Madigan that Sally's cough was still lingering, and in the past week she was exhibiting an array of new symptoms: leaking urine, weak back legs and inability to stand, panting, loss of appetite. Dr. Madigan diagn... read more

Business response:

Thank you for speaking with us on the phone regarding your concerns. We extend our greatest sympathy for your loss of Sally. We appreciate your feedback and we are taking this opportunity to focus on our communication skills within our hospital team in an effort to improve our patient care moving forward.

V B.

7 years ago

Do they really care about the animal or money? Over memorial weekend, my dog got sick while we were out of town near Baltimore. He started vomiting and not eating, so we figured there was something wrong. Out of an abundance of caution, we called Caring Hands to have him seen asap. We were given a 3:30pm appointment. Immediately thereafter, we started to pack our stuff to get on the road in order to make the 3:30pm appointment. Unfortunately, being Memorial Day weekend, we hit some traffic. At 3:40pm, someone called m... read more

Business response:

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We would really appreciate the opportunity to be able to discuss your concerns over the phone. Dr. Vitulli, our practice owner attempted to reach out via phone. Please give her a call back at your earliest convenience. Thank you so much in advance.

Kimie K.

8 years ago

Warning everyone. This vet's negligence made my dog die. My dog (Welsh Corgi) visited this vet three times for checkups and problems my dog had regarding loss of appetite and a hard lump. On the first time, we requested for examinations like blood work and X-ray. By the way, GET THIS, they don't even have any machine to conduct medical images. For the blood work they said they did it and told us everything was fine but they didn't even tell us what they were going to do the blood test for. Anyhow, the doctor said everythin... read more

Business response:

Kimie - we are so sad about the loss of your beloved family member. Thank you for speaking with us by phone; I hope it helped to clarify some of your concerns and points of miscommunication. While we do have x-ray imaging capability, we do not have MRI at our facility, which is why we referred you to the veterinary specialist. We understand how terrible a cancer diagnosis can be, and are so very sorry for your loss.