Pender Veterinary Centre - Chantilly

Dr. Valencia and Tech Melissa did an amazing job with our anxious Aussie! We booked a last minute appointment after a morning of vomit and diarrhea, and they listened to our concerns, his history, etc. A small but important note to me: Dr. Valencia had ACTUALLY read his file before coming in and commented about an incident he’d had as a puppy ages ago that I hadn’t mentioned! In my experience with vets, reading an animal’s file is a rare but wildly helpful quality. They were very thorough in their exam of him, and were able to diagnose his issue correctly. They even took the time to do a quick biopsy on a lump I had found but wasn’t sure if it was concerning (luckily it was not!). Appreciated their attention to detail, gentleness with our nervous pup, top notch listening and research skills, and thoroughness of the exam and symptoms. 10/10 recommend and will definitely be back to both Dr. Valencia and Tech Melissa!

posted: 07/28/2023

We brought our Golden in to see Dr. Valencia for the first time and she was AMAZING! She was very friendly, professional, and courteous and she went out of her way to make our dog feel comfortable (she even sat on the floor!). She was very thorough and interested in hearing what we had to say, and she even looked through our dog's health records before the appointment so she was familiar with our dog's history. She assessed quickly and thoroughly and created a treatment plan for our dog and explained everything really well. She called us the next evening with test results and even though they were closing she was willing to call in the prescription to the Fairfax office so we could pick up the medication and get our sweet pup started on it last night instead of today. She is a great vet and we would highly recommend her! So good, in fact, that we have decided that we will try to see her whenever we have to visit the vet! :-).

posted: 07/01/2023

Went to our new Veterinary Centre yesterday. Pender Vertinary Center was great! We have 2 Shar Peis that are less than cooperative at their vet appts. Dr. Valencia and her tech Melissa allowed me to hold my fur babies as they drew blood and gave vaccinations allowing for less stress on my pups. We have definitely found our new Veterinarian! Thanks Dr. Valencia and Melissa for a great vet experience!

posted: 09/17/2023

I have a 65-lb Airedale puppy who has been to the vet quite a bit due to a neurological condition. He’s been getting more and more nervous at each visit, ending in a struggle to get even basic preventive care done. Luckily we came across the most patient and understanding team at Pender. Dr. Arana Valencia is a true Fear-Free veterinarian. She saw my pup’s increasing anxiety, stopped what she was doing, and made a plan to return the following day with the help of some sedative medications. She was cognizant that forcing him through uncomfortable, scary procedures would traumatize him and increase his anxiety with future visits. This holistic approach showed me that she cares about an animal’s physical and mental well-being equally. Even with sedation he was a very difficult patient, barely calmer than the previous day. Sharon, the vet tech that helped us today, is a gift from the gods. She took her time getting to know my dog and found ways to desensitize him to the kind of touch needed to successfully draw blood and give his vaccines. I was sure he would squirm away and we would have to return on a higher dose of medication, but she calmed him down enough to finish the job in one visit. I’ve been in human healthcare for about a decade, so I know how challenging it can be to maintain composure when a patient won’t let you do your job— it’s quite a headache. I am so grateful to Sharon and Dr. Valencia for their kindness and phenomenal skills. Pender is lucky to have them.

posted: 03/21/2023

Refused emergency medical care for my rabbit who had been seen before because they were "at capacity". My rabbit has stasis which is an immediate issue and very likely fatal. They rufused to even schedule an appointment for the morning. They did all of this knowing there is no other exotics vet in the area and that my rabbit might die without care. Incredibly heartless.

posted: 05/05/2023