Ballston Animal Hospital

This vet is awesome. We brought our dog Vegas here today. The staff and vet spent time with us. The vet was attentive and knowledgeable.

We’ve been taking our dog to Ballston Animal hospital for a few years now and they’ve been good for the most part, even though the costs are high. Recently we changed our minds about the costs, they are exorbitant. Our dog is diagnosed with a condition that requires twice daily medication. These pills are cheap online at about 8 cents per pill. Ballston Animal Hospital charged us $ 20 for 10 pills! That’s $ 2 a pill or a 2,500% markup over online prices!?!
If they grossly overcharge for generic pills what else are they excessively overcharging for? We’re looking for another vet.

We have been taking our cats to BAH for eight years and have never had anything other than an excellent experience. First, as everyone else has noted, the doctors are simply amazing. We have seen Drs. Tripp, Collins, and Gallitz, and each one is extremely knowledgeable and caring toward both the animals and the humans. A few reviewers below mentioned difficulties with the front office staff in prior years, but we have never had this issue; indeed, we visited a few weeks ago, and the staff were very friendly, attentive, and professional. (And we don’t envy the receptionists their job — it’s more complicated than it looks!) We have appreciated the front staff’s skill in finding us an emergency slot when we needed one. The vet techs are also terrific! We would never take our precious furry ones anywhere else.

I felt like this place was not up front and honest about their costs. I brought my cat here recently for a tumor removal. Dr. Gallitz treated her and did an amazing job. However, the procedure was not cheap, which I was fine with because it needed to be done. But I specifically asked if there would be any additional charges for the follow up visit. The nurse acted like that was a crazy question and was like, no of course not. Then when I went to the follow up visit to get the stiches removed, the Dr. asked if I wanted to get the rabis shot. I asked how much it was first. She said it was $ 30 so I agreed. Then when I went to check out my bill was considerably more. What they didn’t tell me was that because I got a shot for my cat, I then had to pay for the office visit again during for the appointment that was suppose to be included. If this is standard procedure for pricing, then that’s fine… I just felt like they were not up front about this and I was suprised when suddently had a much higher bill. This especially irked me since I had specifically asked about the costs throughout each visit.
Like I said before though, Dr. Gallitz was a really good vet and my cat responded very well to her which means alot. I don’t like my cat to have to experience a new vet when she is ill so I haven’t decided where I will take her next. I was just very dissapointmented with the sudden extra fees.

I cannot speak highly enough of Ballston Animal Hospital. Every time I’ve taken my dog in, it has been nothing but seamless. They have correctly diagnosed my dog’s condition twice. In addition, they were able to see my dog on extremely short notice (in 30 min) for something I thought was concerning. Dr. Tripp and Dr. Snow are available by phone and will call you back if you leave a message. Dr. Snow called to follow-​up a week after an appointment to make sure everything was ok. The prices are reasonable.

I’m a bit puzzled at the previous reviews that claim the office staff is rude, and unpleasant in general. I had the opposite experience today — I was greeted by pretty much everyone in the building upon entering, and was attended to in a timely manner. The three women at the reception desk were extremely friendly and polite, and the vet tech was also fantastic. We saw Dr. Tripp for a routine exam and vaccine — the appointment was on time and to the point. Dr. Tripp seemed knowledgable and as though she truly enjoyed meeting and bonding with my dog.
They’re losing a star only because I found it very pricey, though I’m relocating from another city. The prices could be comparable to the area, but I had a bit of sticker shock at a $ 75 well exam fee! YIKES! Otherwise, a very good experience here.

Even though I had moved and it was no longer especially convenient, we continued going to BAH for many years because we trusted the doctors. Other reviews have pointed out that the staff is a mixed bag at best, and that was true — but we were willing to put up with it. Until…
My wife brought our diabetic cat in at opening time for a day of glucose monitoring, only to be told that they had to cancel the appointment because they didn’t have enough testing strips, because a shipment hadn’t come in the previous day.
Excuse me? The appointment was scheduled weeks in advance — why couldn’t BAH plan to have the needed supplies before the last minute? Why didn’t BAH call us the prior evening, given that they knew our appointment was at opening time? And does no one at BAH own a car or have a relationship with another vet, so they could quickly obtain a supply of strips and work out the details later — instead of making THEIR problem into OUR problem?
I made it clear to the staff that this situation was absolutely unacceptable — and the stonewalling by the Practice Manager, Wanda Hudgins, began almost immediately. She was defensive («I think I know how to run a veterinary practice» — obviously not, Ms. Hudgins, or you would keep basic supplies in stock). I said that an appropriate gesture to rebuild trust would be to waive the (relatively small) fee for the appointment, whenever it was rescheduled. She said she would have to think about it and call me back
And when Hudgins called back … her only thought was that since we were angry and had lost trust in BAH, we would be better off finding another vet (instead of, say, BAH taking responsibility for and fixing the problem in an effort to rebuild the trust). I said I would like to speak directly to the practice owner, Dr. Collins. Hudgins said that she had been delegated the task of speaking with us, and doubted that he wanted to do so. I pointed out that since she was apparently part of the problem, one would think the practice owner should handle the matter himself. (Dr. Collins never deemed us worthy of his time — apparently 10+ years of being a client meant nothing when we dared to suggest that BAH had screwed up and he needed to actually do something.)
So we have found another vet, who understands how to run a practice — and doesn’t hide behind a flunky. I’m saddened to the extent that the problem isn’t the vets at BAH — but maybe they’ll now be motivated to tell Dr. Collins to get his head out of his [ahem], or they’ll also be following the customers in heading for the exit.

Like other reviews mentioned, the doctors are great. I’ve been taking my puppy for his checkups and vaccinations with Dr. Hall and she is very knowledgeable and nice to my puppy. He really likes and licks her every time he sees her and she doesn’t mind. On the other hand, the front desk is not the best and it’s a bit pricey.

The main problem I have with Ballston Animal Hospital is that the customer service at the front desk is lacking. I previously brought my dog to Ballston Animal Hospital and when it was time for a checkup, I called to schedule an appointment. I wasn’t impressed the first time I brought my dog to this vet, but it is within walking distance from my house so I thought I would give them another try.
The receptionist who answered the phone immediately put me on hold. Then a different receptionist picked up a few minutes later and immediately had a rushed, rude tone. I asked her a question and she answered, right before putting me on hold again. When she picked back up she said «How may I help you?» and then she suddenly remembered she had previously spoken to me, which prompted her rude tone to return. I will definitely be taking my dog to a new veterinarian because when I am paying a company for a service, I expect, at the very least, to be treated with respect.

I give Ballston Animal Hospital 2 stars because the front desk staff is consistently rude with the exception of the young girl with the glasses, don’t know her name. The veterinarians that my two dogs have seen for annual check ups, teeth cleanings, etc have been decent but nothing to write home about. I also think they are more expensive than other vets in the area. This would be fine if they provided a better experience for customers but they don’t.
After 3 years of sub par service, I finally decided to find a new vet. I found Falls Church Animal Hospital a couple months ago and have been very happy.

I have never wrote a review, but felt that I had to write one in this case. I’ve heard good things about the Ballston Animal Hospital so I was looking forward to taking my newly adopted dog here and called to get an appointment as well as more information as this is my first time in adopting. When I asked about getting my dog in for his initial puppy exam and any medications that follow, the receptionist was so nasty and just downright rude. It’s a shame, because you can have the best doctors in the world but if the people up front making the appointments are this nasty, people aren’t going to come to your place of business. I will take my new puppy elsewhere for certain! I don’t know that I’ve ever been treated that rudely before!

I’m on the fence with Ballston Animal Hospital. On one hand — and most important, I think the doctors we’ve seen there are really great. Drs. Bidwell, Tripp and Collins (the owner) have taken such great care of my dog. They spend time with him, they give him hugs and pets — they’re great. They go out of their way to make sure they find out what’s wrong with him when he’s sick (even though he’s thrown them a few curve balls). Dr. Collins even sat down with me and walked me through a 3-​page blood test result and explained every single result to me. Dr. Bidwell brought back notes from a conference because he immediately thought of Shadow when they were talking about a specific ailment.
They’re also connected to South Paws — the 24-​hour ER pet hospital in the area. We had to take Shadow one night and Dr. Bidwell called the next day with information from South Paws that had been sent over checking to make sure Shadow was okay and wanted to know if there was anything he could do. We hadn’t alerted Ballston Animal Hospital that we’d gone to South Paws, so it was a nice surprise to have him calling to follow up.
On the other hand — the front desk staff makes is nearly impossible to get to these wonderful doctors. At times they have been rude, have no compassion for a sick animal or a worried pet parent. I called once with fears of something that may be an emergency, and the front desk person put me on hold not once, but twice. When she did it the first time, I thought she was getting the doctor, but she came back and acted like she didn’t remember I’d even called in the first place and I had to explain myself again. On several other occasions when I’ve had a question (normally follow up to a treatment the doctor prescribed), I’ve been dumped into a doctor’s voicemail (and not heard back from the doctor until the end of the day), or worse, told that doctor is out that day and they’ll get back to you tomorrow. With all the doctors there, one would think you could be told another doctor can follow up with you (which Dr. Collins always does when I press to speak with someone else).
Worst of all, the front desk and pet techs have given us the wrong prescriptions on multiple occasions. Poor Shadow spent an extra week being sick because he was given the wrong prescription and was taking a lower dose of medicine (it had his name on it, so I had no idea they’d given him the wrong strength). On another occasion, we went to pick up some stuff to sprinkle on his food and we were handed medicine for a cat. A third time — the wrong type of food was ordered for Shadow (he has a funky tummy so the doctor put him on a prescription food) and we were told by the front desk «oh they’re all the same — he’ll be fine.» He was not fine.
That’s not to say there aren’t front desk and pet techs that are great with Shadow, but on a whole, getting to any of the doctors is just a process I dread. I dread picking up the phone and calling.
Also, compared to other vets I’ve seen (granted, outside of the DC Metro Area) — the cost seems pretty high. Even for a standard visit. It’s a lot of money.
We’ve since moved out of the area, but if we ever moved back — despite the five-​star service of the doctors, I think I’ll need to look elsewhere for a vet.

Based on reviews and a family member recommendation I brought my puppy to Ballston Animal Hospital. Most of my appointments were with Dr Lynne Gallitz.
First, I was given conflicting information on flea and tick medicine based on what they had in stock. Not a big deal. Then I was charged over $ 150 when I brought my puppy in after she threw up. This would have been fine had they done anything, but I was simply told they had no idea and not to feed her for a few days. I was also advised that the lyme vaccine was unnecessary, which I later found out was a bad call.
And the kicker. .. I was told it is best to wait until 6 months to have my puppy spayed. When I called to make the appt 2 months before she was due, I was told there was a 3 month wait to get her spayed. I asked if I should find another vet since she would be 7 months and was told it would be completely fine. My puppy went into heat a week and half before the surgery. I called to ask what I should do and if I would have to cancel my spay appt. I was told a vet would call me back. After not hearing back after a week and 3 phone calls later I switched vets. My dog was in diapers for 21 days and I had to wait until the end of her cycle before the new vet could spay her.
I have been much happier all around with the new vet. I have heard good things about the other vets at Ballston Animal Hospital, but I can only speak from my experience with Dr Lynne Gallitz.

We’ve been using Ballston for eight years, and now our third dog. While we try to get Dr. Collins, we’ve been very happy with every vet we’ve seen, and always feel that our dogs are well cared for and we are never rushed. Dr. Collins and Dr. Snow were great when we had a termnal dog, and Dr. Collins alway calls when he gets records from our SouthPaws visits. Th vet techs were always understanding with our dogs (one was a big baby, one just overly excited).
The staff have also been terrific both times we had to make that final visit.

We’ve had some more in-​depth visits with Dr. Snow in the last couple months so I thought I’d update my review.
These are great people. Pebbles has some skin issues and Dr. Snow has been extremely helpful in treatment and prevention. I’ve called a couple times with follow-​up questions and she’s been very responsive and supportive, always giving me a call back the same day. Their office staff has been very good at taking my messages and passing them on to Dr. Snow. Can’t say enough good things about them.

My wife and I have four cats and two dogs, all seniors, so we spend a lot of time at the vet. Ballston is our vet of choice, Dr. Collins is our primary vet (although we’ve seen some other vets on occasion). Everyone at Ballston is always professional, courteous, and willing to work with our schedules. And, most importantly, they take great care of our pets.
Follow-​ups on every visit — if we need to take an animal to an emergency vet the folks from Ballston call the next day after getting the fax to make sure everything’s ok.
As for my favorite Ballston story…
We have this one cat, Frisky. She was my grandma’s cat. My uncle got Frisky for her when she went senile and, after my grandma passed, figured that the cat’s job was done and was actually planning on putting her down. Although we didn’t want any more animals we couldn’t stand for that so we took Frisky in.
Frisky was rough at first. Very shy. She lived in the walls in my grandma’s house after she passed and someone would occasionally leave food out for her. She was dirty and shook up. We nursed her back, made her comfortable, and now she’s a somewhat normal cat.
And then her kidney got the STONE OF A LIFETIME. It was a boulder. Real bad. We had to take her to one of the ²⁴⁄₇ vets and they wanted to run all these tests and do all of these diagnostics just to see if they could remove her kidney even though if they didn’t remove her kidney she’d die and the kidney removal itself was more than we would ever be able to pay. So our discussions turned towards whether we should put her to sleep or let her die at home. It was terrible.
And then here comes Dr. Collins, who sees we’re obviously upset and… I don’t know, kindness of his heart? Maybe we’re just good customers? Offers to remove Frisky’s kidney at ¹⁄₅ the cost of the ²⁴⁄₇ place but warns us ahead of time that it’s risky and she may die during surgery.
It was just honest and kind hearted and, well, we took him up on the offer, obviously. We had to give her a chance.
That was about a year and a half ago and Frisky is doing great.
Dr. Collins removed our dog Lucy’s tumor on her paw and amputated her tail that had a large tumor. He’s taken FANTASTIC care of our dog Becky who has a heart murmur. Our other cats have all received top-​notch treatment.
Dr. Collins (and the rest of Ballston) cares about our pets and never tries to upsell us on anything. If we have a dog that’s coughing it’s always «Let’s try this first and if that doesn’t work then this and then this,» and never, «Let’s just do everything now and by the way here’s this huge bill.»
Finding a good vet is like finding a good mechanic. Almost impossible but, when you do, you never want to go to anyone else. Two years ago my wife and I were considering a move to the West Coast. One of our big problems?
Finding a vet as good as Ballston.
We ended up staying in DC for reasons not related to our pets but, I’m not going to lie… I’m comfortable knowing they’ll have Ballston and Dr. Collins as they get older… and sicker…
Highly recommended.

Ballston Animal Hospital is convenient, friendly and knowledgeable. They have been taking care of our pit bull since we rescued him 2 years ago. All the veterinarians and vet techs are extremely friendly and spend lots of time getting to know us and our dog.
I fully recommend Ballston Animal Hospital.

Recently moved from DC to Arlington. Took my geriatric diabetic cat for Rabies, Feline Leukemia, Dental and boarding.
Doctor: Dr Polk. Two thumbs up!
Location: very convenient
Staff: everyone I came into contact with (front desk staff at different shifts, several vet techs) was very friendly, professional and patient.
Treatment: regular check-​up/​physical exam; shots and dental care. I was given a report when I picked up the cat from boarding and I received a follow-​up call the next day to be sure everything was ok.
Pricing: vet care is expensive in a metropolitan area! Deal with it!
Their prices were in-​line with what I have been paying at Dupont Vet for the past 8 years.
They provided clear estimates for all anticipated services, took time to explain all procedures, and empathized with my candor about wanting control costs with an aging animal. They were very thorough about my signing forms and waivers, and ensuring that I accurately filled out important details pertaining to my cat & his diabetes meds. There was one innocent misunderstanding/​mistake about a test and when I brought it to their attention they removed the charge.

Their receptionists aren’t very friendly over the phone, and not much better in person. I went to see Dr Morse because we saw a holistic vet at home in SF and I’d rather have my dogs titered than just shoot them up with vaccines. She’s nice enough and answered all my questions but I still felt rushed. The office is VERY small and cramped.
I had my puppy microchipped which they first put in incorrectly so they had to take her in the back to remove and redo.
I’m questioning whether to go back…

My 7 pound dog is afraid of many things: sneezes, booklamps, electric razors, wind, and doorbells — to name a few. He is not, however, afraid of Dr. Snow at Ballston Animal Hospital. Oddly enough, it seems like he enjoys his trips to the vet.
Ballston Animal Hospital is a great place for pets and owners. I’ve seen Dr. Snow and Dr. Collins and both were super professional and seemed genuinely interested in my dog. I’ve never felt like they were trying to sell me on unnecessary products or extra appointments — in fact, due to my pup’s weight Dr. Snow recommended spacing his vaccines out over several appointments. She said since it was her idea, I’d just need to pay for the cost of the vaccines and not appointment time. On another occasion, when I was having trouble with my pet insurance, she wrote a note of support to the insurance company without even being asked. Both Doctors Snow and Collins have called me to follow up after appointments when my dog was sick with a nasty eye infection. Both seem very reasonable when suggesting care plans.
I see some people have had problems scheduling appointments and getting face time with doctors as the practice has grown. I’m grateful I haven’t had that experience. I can’t recommend this practice enough.