Oakton-Vienna Veterinary Hospital

I brought my new dog here straight from Fairfax Animal Shelter to Oakton Vienna Veterinary Hospital for all of her new shots. The office was very professional and helpful. They were caring, empathetic and their prices weren’t sky high like most other veterinary places are. They were reasonable. They even gave my dog Penny a little report card and ideas for food suggestions and treats. Dr. Jones is phenomenal and is caring, kind, and very knowledgeable about dogs, especially small dogs like my little pomeranian. On the 4^th of July, my dog got into some kind of food at a bbq and they were able to take us right away because she had a small stomach emergency of some kind. They did xrays and found she had swallowed something. They were able to help us out and she was back to good health in no time! I love Oakton-​Vienna Veterinary Hospital. Hands down– the BEST! The only problem I have is trying to find a parking space in the busy office area!

My life has been enhanced through living with pets. Oakton-​Vienna Veterinary Hospital has been great at helping me get the most out of the years I’ve enjoyed with those pets. Over the years, I’ve brought my ferret, cats, and dogs to the clinic. All have received excellent care and lived beyond what is considered «average» life spans. The supporting staff is helpful and attentive and Dr. Christmus is amazing. He is both knowledgeable and compassionate. He was diligent at finding a cure for my dog’s antibiotic resistant infection. And he’s currently helping me with my 20 year old cat to ensure she’s as comfortable as possible. He’s also very good at working with the humans and reading their desires when it comes to level of intervention in final stages of life. Additionally, his gentleness and compassion are comforting for us humans. I highly recommend this professional clinic.

Dr. Jones and all of the OVVH staff take excellent care of our dogs, and were especially thoughtful with the diagnosis and passing of two from cancer last fall.

The very best! Personalized care, ease in making appointments, heartfelt follow ups. I can’t say enough about this place!

Dr. Blevins really took good care of my sick kitty. I wouldn’t have known what to do without Dr. Blevins diagnosis and recommendations. The extent of his care went far beyond what I have experienced with other human doctors and family vets. This is a vet that truly cares about animals more than the bottom line. Thank you again Dr. Blevins and staff for being so wonderful to me and Pocky.

We had an emergency early in the morning and we were brought right in. I know we can be a handful as much as our pet. We appreciate your patience and your caring for the patient-​our beloved pet. Thank you.

Our dog developed a terrible cough the night before my now husband and I were leaving to drive to NC to get married. Oakton squeezed us in right before they closed and gave our chug, Franklin, an excellent checkup. They were so friendly and made Franklin and his very anxious parents much more comfortable! The vet prescribed a medication for Franklin that we were hoping to pick up on our way out of town the next morning, but unfortunately had a very difficult time filling (we later found out it was on backorder and hardly any drugstores carried it). The wonderful staff at Oakton Vet tracked our roadtrip, calling drugstores all along the interstate through VA and NC to see if they had the prescription we needed. When they discovered the backorder issue, the vet prescribed a new medication and called it in to a drugstore in NC we knew would be easily accessible. We picked up the medication just in time to drop Frank off and get married — and a few days later, Franklin was cured!
I was in disbelief the extent to which Oakton Vet bent over backwards to make sure that Franklin got his medication in time for our wedding. They spent hours on the phone with pharmacists all over VA for us! I can’t thank them enough for their hospitality both during the initial visit, and in every other encounter since. This is truly the best care and customer service there is!

After several less than happy experiences with other local vets, I’m happy to have made a safe landing at OVVH. Both in-​house care and timely referral to specialists have been superb, and they have an impressive computerized chart system that provides details after each visit, as well as appointment reminders. As noted before, this isn’t a cut-​rate vet hospital — but would you want that for your beloved pet?

I had been taking my dog to OVVH for over 10 years. She is elderly. We will never go back for any animal.
She had a mass that was growing alarmingly. I discussed options with Dr. Jones, and given the dog’s overall good health, Dr. Jones convinced me that removing the growth was going to be the best course of action. I did not want to put her under anesthesia at her age, but Dr. Jones was confident. She estimated a 30 minute procedure, which seemed reasonable for an elderly dog. I spoke at length with the vet about not wanting to put the dog through any pain at her advanced age and thought she understood.
The procedure «was more complex than anticipated» and took 2 hours. My dog came home in severe distress from the extended time under anesthesia. She screamed, whined, and paced all night long (she slept for approximately 30 minutes). When she still had not settled down the next morning, I wanted to bring her in and the receptionist informed me that there would be an additional charge because it would be an emergency appointment. That was even more upsetting since it was their fault that we had the emergency.
We had to see someone, so we went. Dr. McGremis saw us, and she waived the visit fee, gave the dog a shot and prescribed an additional painkiller. She was very compassionate, but there was not much that she could do. The next day my dog had a seizure. At that point, I called another vet and got an appointment. When Dr. McGremis called to check in, I told her I did not want to speak to any vets from OVVH and to send the pathology report to the new vet.
I believed that Dr. Jones understood that we did not want to put my dog through any trauma. My understanding is that she determined that it was «more complex than anticipated» before starting the operation. I wish she had called me then so that I could have put a stop to it. I wish she had not tortured a very old, very good dog. I have had several dogs, and there comes a time when the most loving thing you can do for them is to euthanize them. I am not sure this vet understands that.
I would not recommend this practice to anyone. I do look forward to the rebuttal that I’m sure will be posted.

I love this place. Excellent vet, great doctors and very nice staff.
They saved my dog’s life and my dog loves going there.
Thank you OVVH!

I raise the rating to 4 starts because of our vet’s diligence in following through with our requests for pet records and a letter to the pet store’s insurance company regarding the sick cat we had adopted. Dr. Megremis did the best she could do with our kitty and the front desk staff was very kind and helpful. I don’t give 5 stars just because I wanted the kitty to make it, but she didn’t, there was nothing they could have done though, they are not miracle workers.

TL;DR: We love Oakton Vienna Veterinary Hospital! The doctors and staff obviously love pets and are very nice and sincere.
Tucked in the back row of buildings on Maple Ave, Vienna’s main street, Oakton Vienna Veterinary is a great place to send your cats.
With separate cat examination rooms upstairs, your cats won’t freak out too much beyond a regular vet trip (which is already a lot). We haven’t seen a lot of dogs there when we bring our little guys, so we have lucked out.
We have had to bring our one kitten in a couple of times due to him being a careless little guy and the doctors, we have seen both Drs Christmus and Megremis, take great care of our cats. Their front desk staff is always friendly and greets you with a sincere smile.
The price is a little high ($ 80 per visit minimum) but each visit is a full check-​up and the doctors provide extra service, like a personal follow-​up call by the doctor a couple of days after your visit to see how everything is going. Our one little guy was still a little lethargic after his booster a day later, and they called back a couple of days later just to check up and make sure he was back to normal.
OVVH also provides product recall alerts, a website to track your cats’ health, and reminder cards for when their vaccines are about to run out.
Overall, while it is a little pricey, we leave each time with all of our questions answered, a clear path forward, and armed with the necessary tools for our cats. You honestly don’t get that with a lot of other places.

Strong recommendation, would return.
New to the area, found this Vet’s office here on Unilocal,just brought my dog here today.
My Dalmatian had an ear infection. Appreciated that I was able to make a same day appointment.
Vet (Jackie) was kind and took her time. Entire staff was friendly too. Made it a point to make my dog feel comfortable.
Quite office with potty area in the front.
–Kevin

I have taken my pets to OVVH for 20 years. They have cared for 4 cats for me over the years, and I find their vets caring and knowledgeable.
I adored Dr Holland, and was concerned about a new vet when he retired. I need not have worried.
Dr Christmus has been excellent. He is soft-​spoken, empathetic, and gentle with his patients (and their owners!). He also gave good advice about bringing a new pet into the home with an existing adult cat.
Dr C even came to my home to euthanize my 18-​year-​old cat so he could pass away in the comfort of familiar surroundings. That alone speaks volumes.
The vet techs seem to turn over a lot, but they are all friendly and competent. The staff calls the day after an appointment to check on your pet, and they are prompt to get back to you with test results. Count me as a fan.

The team here is great. They really treat the animals and their families well. We took our dog here for about 12 years. When we recently had to put her down, they were supportive and handled all of the arrangements. They even sent a sympathy card to us.

My assistant took my cat twice for vaccination to the Oakton-​Vienna Hosp. First time things went well, and the doctor asked to bring the cat back after a few weeks for vaccination and told us the price. At the end of the second visit, we found out that the price increased by $ 40 for no specific reason!!! Will not go back.

Update: The dog and I went back to this vet after an unfortunate incident involving a tennis ball and my accident-​prone dog’s eye. My dog had an appointment within an hour of my phone call to the office and the secretary was very polite and professional. The vet and her assistant were excellent with my normally skittish dog. Considering that it was an eye injury I was impressed at how calm the dog was in their care. The prescription seems to be working, so I’d say this trip was a success.

I moved to Northern, VA just over a year ago. One of the first things I wanted to find was a quality Veterinarian for my two cats. Having actually worked for my last Vet, I was spoiled by the personal care my pets (and I) received, so I expected nothing less.
I began searching «real person» reviews of several Vet Offices in my area. I also took the time to drive to several clinics to get a *feel* for the office and the people.
Oakton-​Vienna Veterinary Hospital had several favorable reviews on-​line, so I decided to make an appointment with them. I was not disappointed.
(I also checked out their web site prior to making an appointment)
Not knowing any of the Doctors, I was given an appointment with Dr. Sandy Christmus. He is wonderful! Very patient and willing to take the time to answer any questions. He’s very warm and caring with my cats. He has a genuine concern for pets and people. I just recently had to have my older cat put down after months of battling kidney failure. Dr. Christmus was very thorough in explaining the process and at the same time very sensitive to the situation.
Bethany at the front desk is always extremely welcoming and helpful. Alejandra, one of the assistants, is gentle and loving when she handles my cats.
The office is bright and clean. The waiting room is never busy when I’m there and my appointments are always on time.
And yes, veterinary care can get pricey, but you get what you pay for. Expect the best, pay for the best! Remember, we are not just paying for a commodity, we are paying for the Doctors time and knowledge. We would expect nothing less for our own health care.
P. S.- I also now refer people to Dr. Christmus when they adopt cats from the rescue group I volunteer with :-)

We’ve been taking our cat here for the past four years, and we’ve been taking our dog here since we adopted him a year and a half ago. Over that time span, we’ve seen all of the doctors here, and have been very pleased with all of them. They provide knowledgeable and caring service and seem to be genuinely concerned about the health of your pets. All of the staff members are very friendly, and they typically call the day after our visit to check on our pet. Yes, the cost is a bit high (when I hear about my parents’ extremely low vet bills in rural MD, it makes me cringe at the difference!), but in this area, I dont think you can avoid it – and if I did find a very low cost vet in this area, I dont think I would want to bring my pets there anyway. Overall, they’ve been wonderful to deal with and have provided excellent care to our dog and cat.

We’ve been taking our dog here for about a year and a half after the office came highly recommended from a family friend.
Our vet is Dr. Christmus who is very thorough, gentle with our dog and never rushes through the exam, despite my bombardment of questions such as «our dog eats magnets, does this mean she’s retarded?» He once took 15 minutes just to answer all of my inane questions about the random things our dog does/​eats.
Everyone who works there is very friendly and understanding when the animals act up, as they have occasion to do.
We once had what I thought was a health emergency with our dog and over the phone the staff there were able to give us a diagnosis and advise us to keep an eye on the condition and if it worsened in 24 hours to bring her in. We wound up not having to bring her in, and it was a great relief to know the staff there were genuinely interested in what was best for the dog, as opposed to just trying to get us to make an emergency appointment, which would have cost a significant amount of money.
I recommended Oakton/​Vienna and Dr. Christmus to everyone who’s looking for a vet in the area.