The Lifecentre

I brought my little kitten for an emergency physical exam. People there are very patient and nice. The doctor even waived the exam fee because my little ragdoll just made her day. I will recommend anyone around me to visit this place! Read Less

As a referring veterinarian (and client), I have had the opportunity to work with the Ophthalmology (Dr. Armour) department, Oncology (Dr. Gordon) department, and the Emergency Critical Care (Dr. McCorkle) Department. Every single experience, from the client service representatives, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, to all doctors, has been above and beyond my expectations. I know that by sending my clients there with their beloved pet, they will be taken care of with the most up-to-date treatments and with the most sincere compassion one can find. When I bring my own pet, Hagan, for hyperbaric oxygen treatment, I commonly have to help him to the treatment area and get to briefly see "behind the scenes." All patients are clean, carefully monitored, and given love and attention, which is critical for recovery. All staff members greet my big guy warmly and he continuously wags his tail which warms my heart.... Some staff members even come in on their day off to make sure Hagan receives the treatments needed for his illness. Talk about dedication! I cannot say enough good things about this specialty practice. They treat their patients as their own family members and you can rest assure that if your pet has to see one of the specialty services here, they will receive the best possible care veterinary medicine can provide. If they had an exotic animal department, I would find a way to weasel my way in to be a team member! Keep up the fantastic work! Read Less

We took our cat here because she needed an ultrasound. We found out she had cancer and it wouldn't be much longer. It was horrible, but the staff there were friendly and professional. We saw Dr. Sybille Miller. She was amazing! Very kind, empathetic and she really took time with us and explained things in detail to us. We even called her because we had more questions and she called back and took time with us on the phone. I highly recommend going there. The wait time was very reasonable and they were kind and took time to answer all of our questions. Read Less

TLC has been great when we took our pets there previously (Bush Veterinary and Neurological Service is awesome). Last Thursday at 7AM, we found our oldest cat to be in distress and exhibiting symptoms of a stroke, or poisoning, or some serious condition (tracking with his eyes, drooling, walking in circles). He was not aggressive, and has never bitten anyone in the past. We called TLC advising of condition and rushed him there. They took him in around 7 or 730AM for exams. They took me to a room to sit and wait, and not too long after they brought Chance back in. He was in his cage and was growling, stretching out and still looking to the right repeatedly. He started convulsing so I rushed out to find someone to take him immediately. Someone came in and took him away. Doctor came in and told me that Chance had bitten one of the techs, and since he wasn't up to date on his rabies vaccinations, the tech had to go get treatment. I explained that Chance was indoors only, had exhibited no symptoms and we had not had any animals enter the house that could have transmitted rabies. None of our pets are sick.. my infant is not sick, and neither are my wife or I. They came back around 930 or 10 and told me Chance had passed while they were trying to do an MRI. To make matters worse, because he wasn't up to date on his rabies and had bitten someone, they explained that they had to send his head off to a lab to perform testing, and we probably wouldn't get it back. We're going to be left with the cremated remains of 80% of our pet, knowing that he suffered up until the end. Our doctor was very kind and explained things, but I can't get past how their techs were so inept at handled a cat that was in obvious distress and managed to get bit. They do this for a living. I called and left an emphatic message asking that they contact lab requesting his partial remains be sent back / cremated so we're not left with partial remains (I'll go pick it up, pay for shipping, whatever is necessary). We left several messages. The head of training at TLC left us a message on Wednesday, but has failed to return any calls to her. I've tried calling TLC today to discuss with vet, and left message after waiting for 20 min. VET called back and the lab cannot or will not return my cat's head.. This is incredibly frustrating, and I could not be any more disappointed than I am... the vet was friendly and understanding, but please know that if you take your pet to TLC, you may not get what you bargain for. My wife and I will be traumatized by the dying moments of our beloved cat, coupled with fact that his partial remains will have been disposed of like medical waste. Read Less

The staff at The Life Centre: VCA Animal Emergency Critical Care are experts at attending to animals and their pet parents/families. Our first visit was unplanned and unwelcome, as in the end we made the difficult decision to euthanize our cat. Everyone we encountered was understanding and sincerely sympathetic. They explained the situation, answered all of our questions, and comforted us in our grief, even after our visit. The staff members were attentive to our cat and his condition. We hope that we never have another emergency situation like this again, but if we did we would return to The Life Centre/VCA. Read Less

We've taken our Lab here a couple of times - one time for therapy and the other time for an emergency. On both occasions, we have very positive experiences with the attending vets and their staff. They were all very professional, courteous and friendly. Are they inexpensive? No, but you pay for the convenience of having a 24/7 facility for emergencies after regular business hours. Read Less

We've taken our Lab here a couple of times - one time for therapy and the other time for an emergency. On both occasions, we have very positive experiences with the attending vets and their staff. They were all very professional, courteous and friendly. Are they inexpensive? No, but you pay for the convenience of having a 24/7 facility for emergencies after regular business hours. Read Less

My cat swallowed something he shouldn't have and had to have emergency surgery. He's a tough kitty and they took good care of him, so he was able to come home in only 24 hours. I was encouraged to call whenever I wanted to check on him (and I did... even when I woke up randomly in the middle of the night). Docked a star because it was just so expensive... I almost couldn't afford it because I didn't have the money saved up, but I love that damn cat, and now he's home. Read Less

If I could rate them a 0 star, I would! They nearly killed my dog! I took her there for a simple 15-minute procedure that turned into a life or death situation. She now is dealing with a LARGE hole (that cannot be healed) in her chest due to improper plate placement which was not grounded properly during one of the many surgeries she had to undergo to reverse the original 15 minute one. All they could say was "Oops." Oops! Really?! How can that be treated with shrugged shoulders and then act like everything is okay? The bill after was OUTRAGEOUS too! We were told that we needed to pay it all before we left, or we could not take her home. No option of a payment plan or half down- nothing. Trying to give them one more chance to curve their mistake, we tried to take our dog back to them yesterday for another look over and were turned away by Dr. Steven Graves because we voiced that $699 was a lot for an overnight stay to evaluate and address her wound. He told us that we needed to leave since we voiced our opinion and asked him to at least look at her chest. Nope, we were charged $150 for crossing the threshold and speaking with the vet, which yielded nothing. He then told us we needed to leave since we were not willing to pay for an overnight stay. UNBELIEVABLE! They have NO empathy and lack compassion in ALL aspects. We are trying to desperately reach Susan Barnes, Steven Graves or someone in the clinic to speak to, and no one will answer our calls, emails or texts. *Disclaimer, pictures below are graphic* Read Less

They electrocuted my dog during a basic surgery and didn't tell us. Burned her almost to her chest bone. My dog has a large hole in her chest from the burn. When we can back in and asked what happened, they said we should keep her overnight for $699. When we asked why we would have to pay more - they told us to leave with our dog and come back tomorrow. HORRIBLE Read Less

If I could rate them a 0 star, I would! They nearly killed my dog! I took her there for a simple 15-minute procedure that turned into a life or death situation. She now is dealing with a LARGE hole (that cannot be healed) in her chest due to improper plate placement which was not grounded properly during one of the many surgeries she had to undergo to reverse the original 15 minute one. All they could say was "Oops." Oops! Really?! How can that be treated with shrugged shoulders and then act like everything is okay? The bill after was OUTRAGEOUS too! We were told that we needed to pay it all before we left, or we could not take her home. No option of a payment plan or half down- nothing. Trying to give them one more chance to curve their mistake, we tried to take our dog back to them yesterday for another look over and were turned away by Dr. Steven Graves because we voiced that $600 was a lot for an overnight stay to evaluate and address her wound. He told us that we needed to leave since we voiced our opinion and asked him to at least look at her chest. Nope, we were charged $150 for crossing the threshold and speaking with the vet, which yielded nothing. He then told us we needed to leave since we were not willing to pay for an overnight stay. UNBELIEVABLE! They have NO empathy and lack compassion in ALL aspects. We are trying to desperately reach Susan Barnes, Steven Graves or someone in the clinic to speak to, and no one will answer our calls, emails or texts.*Disclaimer, the picture below is graphic* Read Less

I traveled a long distance to see Dr. Miller. At the end of the visit, she was worth every mile. Gave me advice that made perfect sense for my complex situation. Gave me confidence to make the right clinical decisions for my dog. Staff was courteous and upbeat. Everyone looks happy to be working there and I appreciated the compassionate care from all. Read Less

The Doctors, Techs and staff are excellent. They took very good care of our dog and kept us well informed for the whole time she was in their care. This is not the first time we came in for an emergency visit. Would highly recommend this hospital, Read Less

I can't say anything but wonderful complements about TLC. My dog who I adore more than anything in the world gets the best care possible here all the time. We use the facility very often given my dogs glaucoma diagnosis last July. Their staff from receptionists, to techs, to the amazing Vet Specialists Dr Armour and Dr Samuel have been so involved and caring for my Jollie that I can't thank everyone enough for everything! Read Less

I would give a 0 but wanted given the option. How can you say you care? To deny children to say goodbye to their beloved friend and pet. To charge such fees that the only option was to give him up. Sorry but you are horrible people. I think God I'm not that cold hearted. Read Less

I had to take my Tuxedo last night because he was having problems peeing and was miserable. Everyone, from the front desk staff, to the Vet Tech and the Vet himself, were very kind, compassionate and professional. They explained everything step by step so I knew what was happening and what they were doing. Read Less

Unless your pets' life depends on it, go somewhere else, even then...be careful! I took my dog there last Sunday with a laceration to his paw, Towne Animal Clinic was closed. Moose was taken to the back by a tech who returned with him shortly saying the vet said he didn't need stitches. They did not even clean the wound and I wonder if they really even looked at his wound. He DID need stitches and because of their negligence, Moose required surgery within 36 hours of being "not" treated here. His wound worsened, and per our regular vet, "surgery was a worst case scenario that could of been avoided had they given him some stitches". When I called to inform them of the result of their negligence, their response was that we weren't charged for the visit. Read Less

Unless your pets' life depends on it, go somewhere else, even then...be careful! I took my dog there last Sunday with a laceration to his paw, Towne Animal Clinic was closed. Moose was taken to the back by a tech who returned with him shortly saying the vet said he didn't need stitches. They did not even clean the wound and I wonder if they really even looked. He DID need stitches and because of their negligence, Moose required surgery within 36 hours of being "not" treated here. His wound worsened, and per our regular vet, "surgery was a worst case scenario that could of been avoided had they given him some stitches". When I called to inform them of the result of their negligence, their response was that we weren't charged for the visit. Seriously ? Read Less

Great place for pets in need of great care! My puppy fractured his elbow and needed surgery. They got him in quickly and did an amazing job for him. All of the employees are very friendly, helpful and professional! Read Less

We rushed our sweet Ossie, a male singapura, here on a Saturday night around 830 pm as he was passing large amounts of blood. The staff and vet on hand were excellent and unfortunately I had to make the decision to end his suffering that night around 2am and allow him to pass. The vet was extremely informative and allowed us the time we needed with our sweet boy before finally saying good bye as I held his paws while they put him to sleep. It's still a very painful experience but I appreciate that my boy didn't suffer long. My suggestion to the office is regarding how payment is handled. We agreed without any issues to pay the amount to treat Ossie and signed off immediately to have him treated and when we made the decision to put him to sleep which was just a few hundred more dollars, payment was still not an issue. To have the receptionist come in while we were grieving to ask us if payment was going to be an issue while we were crying and in complete shock as to what was going on could have been handled DIFFERENTLY. I understand some may financially have issues paying an emergency vet bill, but for this receptionist to come in and ask about payment while we were losing our beloved Singapura of 12 years really did not sit well with me. Please look into how this is handled.Read Less

Dr Roberts was amazing with my dog after a terrible bite from a pitbull. A great doctor who did an amazing job putting my baby back together again. He has special needs to begin with being an epileptic. The staff and nurse were awesome. Thank goodness they were there when we needed them. Thank you so much!!! Read Less

TLC has been so helpful, kind and loving during the process of diagnosing our Great Dane with cancer and the radiation process. We couldn't have asked for a better team and more compassionate people to take care of our big boy. They have been a blessing to us and our dane. I will always bring my pets to them for care. Read Less

These folks were so loving and caring at a time that my baby girl, Daisy was having trouble walking. They were kind and gentle with her and with us! The X-Rays showed that it is arthritis...and she is an old gal...almost 10. It was such a relief to know that it wasn't something worse. The medication they gave her has helped so much and the Dr. was very understanding about her "hound" smell....she gave excellent advice for taking care of Daisy during this trama (probably happened under the deck where she isn't supposed to go). Thank you LifeCentre for being there when we needed help. You are all so dear. Read Less

I took our old dog Tessa into TLC on a Sunday morning because we noticed her eye was having an issue. Being veterinarians my wife and I were worried about glaucoma (we don't do eyes). The staff was polite and professional from the front desk to the DVM. I was very impressed with the quick assessment and assistance. Always more difficult when it's your own pet! Dave Hummel DVM, DACVS. I will certainly be back (but only if I need to!). Read Less

On the hardest of days, the entire team here treated us with compassion and care. We came to put our beloved cat to rest and it was as peaceful as it could have been for myself, my husband and our children who wanted to be there as well. Dr. Steven Graves was so kind to us, and gentle with our cat. I would recommend this clinic to everyone! Read Less

Today was one of the most emotional days since having seen a friend loose a service dog in Afghanistan. Our dog Biscuit a 12 year old Golden was not feeling well last night following puppy day camp, and just would not eat or drink water or get up appropriately. This morning I took her to our normal doctor at Old Mill and and after a few tests she was taken to The Life Center. Within an hour of additional testing she had been diagnosed and was undergoing emergency abdominal surgery for a "flipped stomach and an infected spleen." The staff was so professional and empathetic and incredible mindful and present... Every 10-20 minutes they would come to the family room and give us updates. The treatment, surgical, and lab centers are extremely nice and clean and the nurse staff walk back and forth in the recovery area every five minutes watching and checking on all the pets, looking at their vitals, recording their IVs, etc. I wish we had this kind of care in Afghanistan -- these guys treat the pets better than we treat our vets ... Anyway, if you have a loved pet and they are in danger, either Old Mill or The Life Center -- best in Virginia! Read Less

I called this office earlier today when I noticed my cat acting odd after I gave him flea and tick treatment. I was very concerned and was crying on the phone but the vet tech was incredibly kind to me even when it was hard to understand me. They asked for my name and my cats name so they would be ready for us when we arrived. Once we got to the office they were able to take him back to be examined almost immediately. They updated us very quickly and brought my husband and I so much comfort after a very stressful afternoon! I never ever want any of my pets to need emergency medical care but I am so thankful we have such a wonderful office to go to if need be! Read Less

My cat Baxter made a turn for the worse. I called the office and was told to bring Baxter in asap. I knew he had to be euthanized. They brought me in a very comfortable room to be with Baxter. They took him and put a intravenous port for the euthanasia. I held her through the procedure which made me feel comfortable because I did not want him to be alone for his crossover. The vet was amazing! Dr. Reese was so comforting. She made me feel that she knew Baxter. She was very compassionate and empathetic. I held Bax for about 15 minutes to say my goodbyes to him. Best experience I ever had for any of my pets. Read Less

Putting your fur baby down is one of the hardest things to do. With that said, this place made it feel as comfortable as possible considering the circumstances. It wasnt done on a cold exam table. It was done in a very cozy room with a couch and you could actually hold your animal during the whole process. It was as close to an in home euthanasia as possible.Read Less

These guys are the real deal. My cat ended up swallowing a string that lodged in his stomach and small intestine. Within 30 minutes, I had a proper diagnosis and approximate cost. The surgery was performed very quickly with great results. The entire staff was extremely pleasant and provided normal updates through the entire process. They are a bit more expensive, but I do think you get what you pay for. I would highly recommend this practice to anyone that wants the best possible outcomes for their pets. Read Less

I had to bring my beloved dog to the Life Centre at 5 am on a Saturday. Obviously my dog was not well and he didn't want to go to the back with the tech. I had to ask her not to pull on my dog after she proceeded to tug on him repeatedly trying to get him him to move.I arrived during a shift change.... delay. After waiting several hours for multiple tests to be performed, I was no closer to any answers. I left to run errands and wait to hear from the vet regarding status and next steps. I got a call and was told that another vet had GRACIOUSLY come in and performed an ultrasound. Beyond hearing that things were not looking good, the vet went on to tell me how bad his hips were.... something I ALREADY know and told her about and was working on with my primary vet - and WHAT does that have to do with the immediate issues. I was having a hard enough time comprehending that the vet was telling me there was no hope of saving my boy.So I am told there is really no hope and I must let him go..... after easing my friend from his pain I am told by the vet that i will receive a paw print and some of his fur, for which I was VERY grateful. It is about six weeks later and I have yet to receive anything. I lost my boy, paid my bill, and still have not received a card, paw print, or fur. I have made repeated calls to the vet clinic to no avail. My grief is palpable and I am inconsolable. I am not convinced that these items even left the vet clinic.... if they were even done! Read Less

On behalf of Animal Emergency Critical Care Associates at The LifeCentre, we would like to extend to you our sincere apologies for any inconvenience you feel you may have experienced last month with respect to your pet’s unexpected visit. AECCA patient care is "triage-based," which means the order in which patients are examined and treated is determined by the severity of each patient's illness or injuries. The severity of your pet’s illness was assessed during triage. We reviewed your pet’s charts, and your pet was weighed, vital signs were taken and assessed, her pain level was evaluated, and she was deemed stable. Unfortunately, just prior to your arrival, there were several animals in the intensive care unit whose conditions suddenly worsened, which elevated them to the top of the triage list. AECCA recognizes that the wait you had to endure was annoying, frustrating and inconvenient to you. When dealing with pets with catastrophic or life-threatening problems, attempts must be made to stabilize these patients immediately to save their lives. Please be assured, if your pet had presented any life threatening conditions, she would have been triaged and we would have immediately stabilized her, managed her pain, and given her any and all medical care necessary. We would like to speak with you regarding your recent visit to AECCA at The LifeCentre – please feel free to contact us at (703) 777-5755, and ask for our practice manager. Read Less

First let me say that after my experience, I will drive the hour + to my family vet before ever going back to this place ever again. This is my story. My dog was sick (vomiting) on a Sunday and the local Vet was not open at the time. I called in advance and was told that the wait would be short. I arrived and the Tech took my dog immediately (to check “vitals”) after I filled out the paperwork, requesting my SSN, DOB, Place of Business and Address- also a "back up person" to include their Personal information as well. This is all to ensure they get their money. I waited 2 hours before a doctor was able to see me and talk to me about my dog’s condition. The Dr. told me that she may have an obstruction and to have X-Rays. I waited another hour to get the results. NO OBSTRUCTION. I was told that they could keep for fluids, which would take 4+ hours- but if I left, I would have to pay extra for boarding. I had already been there for 3 hours. Let me also point out that there was NOT another person in front of me. A guy came in shortly after I received my X-Rays (2 hours after I had been seen) and went into a room right away. My dog threw up 10 times in 3 hours, was not eating, drinking or eliminating and all they could do was give her X-Rays and anti-nausea pills and send us on our way with a $400.00 Vet bill. NEVER EVER GO THERE. I called later to ask about her weight, and they “forgot to put it on her record.” My guess? They never checked her weight. The worst experience I’ve ever had. Read Less