VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center - Fairfax, Virginia

Jennifer Richbourg

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 Mclusky

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.

Joe Grubb

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 Holmes

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.

Lily Pingel

The neurology staff here is very caring and professional. Last fall, my cat Penny was referred here after I took her to an urgent care facility. Dr. Talarico was Penny's doctor, and she was extremely professional and empathetic, and she has a lot of experience. She conducted a standard exam, and unfortunately she concluded that Penny either had an abscess in her brain or a benign brain tumor. I couldn't afford an MRI, nor did I want to put Penny through that, so Dr. Talarico prescribed her a steroid to keep her active for as long as possible. While she wasn't able to give me good news, she gave me the closure I needed and was extremely kind and caring to me and Penny.

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.

Elizabeth Schwind

My dog seemed to be having an allergic reaction in the middle of the night. Southpaws was the third place I called and were able to get me right in. The staff and doctor were wonderful, very friendly and comforting when obviously I wasn’t having a great night. The doctor came in and kept me updated multiple times and explained everything going on, what could happen, treatment plans, etc. While I hope to not have to visit again I am comforted to know I have a place to go that will take care of me and my pups

Samantha K

Dr. Lazaro is absolutely fantastic! She is thorough and extremely caring. She explained all the medical knowledge in a way that was easy to understand and was even up front about cost. I felt extremely comfortable and confident leaving my cat in her care!