Animal Place Veterinary Hospital

Reviews 7

A

A Private User

This is the best veterinary office Ive found in the entire area. Back in 2007, I had a bad experience at Hampden Lane Veterinary Clinic - the staff and doctors didnt know about nutrition beyond Friskies and Iams, but one of my cats suffered corn intolerance. I found Dr. Foster through my local awesome pet food store, Pro-Feed, where she shops for her own pets food. In the more than three years since Ive been going to Animal Place, Ive primarily brought my cats to Dr. Foster, but Ive interacted with all the doctors over the course of healthy care, illness, and end-of-life care. And this is very important - end-of-life pet care is incredibly heartwrenching, and the consistent care and communication I received from all the staff and doctors at Animal Place were particularly essential in keeping me level-headed during one of the most difficult periods in my life. I bring both my current cats to Animal Place for all their care, both routine and illness-related. Both my cats have nutrition issues: Dr. Foster removed a diet-related bladder stone from one of my cats, and my other cat has some severe food allergies. Because the staff knows so much about modern pet nutrition, we were able to find premium foods with quality ingredients that give both my cats healthy stool, healthy coats, healthy digestive tracts, etc., while reducing the likelihood of stone reoccurrence or IBD. Im also impressed by their fair medication prices. One of my cats takes two pills a day for a chronic but manageable condition; Id checked 1-800-Pet-Meds and other phone/online companies to compare prices, and I saw that Animal Place charges within a few dollars of what the phone/online places charge for the same medication. So they clearly dont turn a profit on the medicines they sell - they offer medication as an essential service, and charge prices as reasonable as they can. (And, personally, I think its more convenient to pick pills up locally.) Ive recommended Animal Place to many people - and for many kinds of animals, even small animals such as rats that some vets dont see - and everyone whos gone has been impressed by their professionalism, their consistency of service, and their friendliness. The doctors, techs, and other employees are all obviously there because they love animals. I wouldnt be able to do the work they do, it must be really difficult some days when a really sick animal comes through. But theyre always so friendly, so upbeat, so helpful - I couldnt imagine taking my pets anywhere else.

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JE

Jen Boyd-Morin

I have been going to see Dr. Gardsbane at Animal Place for around 8 years and absolutely adore her. Dr. Gardsbane has a calm, quiet demeanor that has always gone over well with my pets, including my very fearful greyhound. Shes always gentle with her handling and the staff is as accommodating as they can be with my requests to make exams and treatments minimally stressful. Additionally, Dr. G is always happy to research something for me on her own time, and will often call me and talk with me at length on the phone for no additional charge. Ive always found them judicious with how they charge office fees as well. Additionally, the practice offers a few things that many vets dont - Dr. G is a certified acupuncturist and is educated about chinese medicine, including supplements. They also offer cold laser therapy, which has been really useful for one of my dogs for everything from a wound he got hiking to muscle strains. If I were rating the practice on Dr. Gardsbane alone, I would hands down give 5 stars. Im taking off one star simply because I think a few of the techs could use a little education in dog body language and/or people skills depending. :P Sometimes people are enthusiastic about greeting the pets and giving them attention, which is understandable, but not all animals, especially in that stressful situation, appreciate it. I also havent seen the other vets in the practice much, although I had great experiences with Dr Foster previously (she has since left the practice). I for one am a huge fan of Dr. Gardsbane and would definitely recommend her.

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JE

Jessica Berlin

When another vet completely gave up on my dog with Degenerative Disk Disease in his back (said he was as bad as it gets), Dr G and the staff at Animal Place didnt hesitate! They did laser therapy and acupuncture, along with Chinese herbs and standard pain meds and literally saved his life! He is now running and playing like a puppy again and feeling great! I could never express the amount of gratitude that I have for the staff there. They are truly the best veterinary practice I have ever been to - they care, they LISTEN, and they take the time to fully understand your concerns and to get to know your pet. I have had pets my entire life and have been to more vets than I can count, and they are by far the best I have ever been to. I owe them Diegos life. Thank you to all at Animal Place - you are the best!

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DA

Dar Thomas

Hands Down, the VERY BEST vet experience weve ever had! Ive used vets in Maryland, West Virginia & Texas and the care and attention that Animal Place has given to us and our little Belle is a cut above the rest! Until we moved to Rockville I thought it was normal for a vet to spend less than 5 minutes with your beloved fury friend and you, then charge an outrageous amount of money, sometimes without addressing your concerns or resolving the problem. Not the case at Animal Place! At our last visit Dr. Kristin spent at least a half hour with us (Belle & I) and charged half the price of the vet hospital we were using in PG County. Belle is finally healthy and we are happy, many thanks to Dr. Kristin and her fabulous staff (from the reception when you walk in the door to the tech)!!! Thank you ALL!

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TO

Tommy Two Times

Dr. Gardsbane is both a wonderful vet and a wonderful person. She was quick to pick up that something was wrong with out recently-adopted boxer when the shelter vet had seen the same symptoms but hadnt understood the seriousness. Our boxer had cancer when we adopted him. We were able to give the boxer a home for the last months of his life, and Dr. Gardsbane was able to keep him happy during that time. When the time came for him to pass away, Dr. Gardsbane and the staff provided a safe, gentle place for our family to gather and be with our dog when he passed. Dr. Gardsbane and the staff were kind, understanding, and patience and did not rush us or make us feel like we were anything but welcome. She is a gem and we are lucky to have such a great vet.

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C.

C. Chick

I have been taking my kitty-boys to Dr. Gardsbane for longer than I can remember (16+ years). She is knowledgeable, kind and caring - both for my cats, and for us "parents" when weve had to make some tough decisions. They give a discount for 3 or more pets, and provide excellent care. Wait times are usually 5-10 mins, but on the infrequent occasions its been longer, I know its because a pet is having a tough time. Ive needed more time on those occasions, so I surely dont mind someone else needing a bit more TLC. I am thrilled to have found such a wonderful vet, and I will never go anywhere else.

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LE

Leah Sera

I started taking my dogs here about a year ago and I am very happy. I have usually seen Dr. Davis who was calm and careful with my old nervous German Shepherd. She is a great communicator and makes me feel like part of the team that is caring for my animals. I dont feel chastised if I choose not to get a certain vaccine or test for my dogs. Yes, its expensive, but so is all veterinary care if you dont have pet insurance (and I dont). Its less expensive than other places I have tried in this area. The front desk staff are all friendly. I highly recommend this veterinary hospital!

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