Collins Hospital for Animals

Dr Cabaniss is a wonderful vet for my furry friends– our hamster has passed away but we still take our bunny to her. She continues to surprise me with her true knowledge of rabbits, and has my best interest in mind at all times. Yes, vet services are expensive, but she has actually advised against certain procedures if she thinks they won’t yield results. She’s very warm, comforting at times when you need it, and returns my calls very quickly in between visits.
The only reason I didn’t give the hospital 5 stars is because their boarding services seem to be very sad [especially for the price], as is the case with any kennels. I don’t think they treat the animals with any attention or special care, even if you leave treats/​snacks. I once picked up my bunny and he had torn out almost all the hair on his face, and then inhaled his food like he hadn’t been fed in days. I now take him to Stargazing Farm bunny motel when I leave town.

Quality veterinary care and nice staff. I like Dr. Cabaniss a lot — she always follows up and is very patient and thoughtful. Dr. Merker is also very good; a little less friendly. Really expensive services — I know vets are expensive but they seem like they are up there. I haven’t done a comprehensive survey in DC; maybe they are not that bad for this market (I’m from Oregon). Just seems like a lot of money for the 5 – 10 minute exams and shots.
I trust them and have taken my dog there for the last four years. I won’t switch. But I’m always a bit taken aback for the bill for basic services.

I took one of my sick budgies to have looked at awhile back. The doctor was a lady; pretty, very kind and patient. She handled my bird carefully, answered all my questions and explained things thoroughly. My bird passed away a few weeks later from kidney problems, but thanks to her diagnosis and the medicine, I was able to prepare myself and really make my budgie as comfortable and content as possible for the remainder of his time with us. Since it was my first time visiting a vet, I was glad for the overall smooth and caring experience. I’m grateful for their services and that they’re so close to me in DC. My only wish is that they were more available since most sick birds need immediate attention. But I’m happy with them and would gladly recommend them. Thank you!

After triangulating The DC House Rabbit Society vet recommendations and Unilocal reviews, I decided that Collins was probably going to be the best place to take what I thought was a sick bunny.
I was worried that my bunny’s red eye was something serious (scanning the internet led me to believe she could have an upper respiratory infection, cancer, and was probably going blind if I didn’t act immediately). I called as soon as they opened the morning after her eye was so itchy and red, and the receptionist was so kind and helpful to me. She asked good questions and, as my bun’s eye had improved markedly overnight recommended not rushing in but waiting and seeing how she was at the end of the day.
I just really appreciated that, in my time of angst, she wasn’t trying to push unnecessary services on me or take advantage of my vulnerability. I will definitely be coming back here for Leelah’s check-​ups. Her eye is 100% fine, by the way, and I’m happy we didn’t waste a vet trip!

Dr. Lynne Cabaniss is one of the few vets in DC equipped to treat ferrets, and has taken care of ours with compassion and knowledge, including during two complex crises. We typically schedule appointments for late afternoon on weekdays (3−4pm) and have never had more than a 15 minute wait to see the doctor (but then again, we never notice because the staff spend the entire time admiring and fussing over our critters!). Prices are comparable to other vets in the area, and for exotics care, Dr. Cabaniss is a gem.

DrMerker is the best in the city. My dog passed but was healthy and happy for 17 yrs thanks to the gentle and thoughtful care of Collins. I can’t thank Dr Merker enough for his professionalism, technical knowledge and care. Highly recommend!

I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Cabiness and her staff. The staff always answers questions when I call (as a first time dog owner I call often!) and if they don’t know the answer have been happy to speak to Dr. Cabiness before I make an appointment — and always returned the call in an appropriate amount of time. Dr. Cabiness is extremely competent, patient and you can tell she truly cares.

How Dr. Lynne Cabaniss, the owner of Collins Animal Hospital, who is an extremely competent, ethical vet ended up with Jay Merker as an associate vet is somewhat beyond me. In our experiences with him, he ordered expensive tests without discussing the rationale. The money was less a factor than his poor communication skills. His manner is at best off-​putting, at worst arrogant and puerile.
Here’s a link to a City Paper article involving Jay Merker in his role as a member of the DC Vet Board (and as a vet clients have filed Board complaints against). You’ll have to read pretty far down before you get to the part that involves him (if short on time, just read what follows the heading «The Doctor Is Out.» You’ll see I’m not alone in my assessment of his character and competence.
Rather than filing a complaint and becoming embroiled in a protracted matter, I simply chose to go to another veterinary practice. It’s just not possible to guarantee that you’ll see Dr. Cabaniss if you make an appointment with her. A fair amount of tag-​team medical practice goes on at this clinic.

They don’t overcharge, and I’m sure the vets are competent. But they’re always running 40+ mins late, and once you get called back with your pet, they’re always rushed.
The front desk staff constantly take clients’ phone calls and then talk trash about the callers as soon as they hang up. With other clients sitting in the lobby. Not reassuring. Exam rooms could use a mop, or at least a sweep every now and then.
Overall: cramped, lots of waiting, rushed appointments, and a general feeling that nobody’s especially happy to be working there or cares a whit about your pets.

Being new to DC, I had no clue where to go for a puppy check up when my then boyfriend, now husband, got me a puppy. I randomly picked Collins out of the phonebook and am so glad I did! Dr. Merker has been taking care of my dog for 6 years, and I couldn’t be happier. My dog LOVES going to see him. He is very matter of fact about your pet, which I appreciate. I don’t need things sugar coated. Just tell me what’s wrong. The entire staff is excellent at explaining what they are doing and why they are doing it. They are in Georgetown, so you WILL pay Georgetown prices, but Dr. Merker is worth the money.

I went here for my sick guinea pig. They wanted to do surgery on him. I asked about the price and was told $ 200. They handed me the bill an hour later for over $ 400. I should have argued, but at the time I was worried about my guinea pig, so I just paid it and left. They told me he’d be fine in a couple days. He got sicker and sicker. I reached out to the vet at collins and she wasn’t helpful or sympathetic and wouldn’t even make time to see him again. I finally took him to Kindness Animal Hospital and they fit him in right away. Unfortunately he didn’t make it. I don’t know if it’s Collins fault that he died, but I do know that they weren’t sympathetic and charged me twice what they had told me originally. I won’t ever be going back there.

We have been coming here for the past 15 years. The vet you will want to see is Dr. Cabaniss — the owner. She is absolutely incredible. She listens to you the parent because she knows that you know your pet best. She is patient and does not try to rush you if you have more questions. She has never pushed any unnecessary test or medications or procedures on us. It is always what is best or necessary for the pet.
My beloved dog lived with a heart murmur for 7 extra years with her care. And putting him down with them was a positive (if that’s even possible) experience and I will be forever grateful I had them to turn to.
She is very nurturing with the animals, extremely knowledgeable and versed in alternative options and what she does not know she readily will refer to a specialist.
Regarding her staff: I have always liked her vet techs who too are very capable and kind when taking blood etc. Unlike some of the earlier comments I have read here, (which I believe were written when her regular office manager Holly was away on extend sick leave) I have had no problems at all with the front desk staff, most of whom have been there for many years.
I saw Doctor Mercer a couple times for our little yorkie who had allergies, he was not the same. I felt his practices were less based on prevention. I.e. he told us to give her strong antihistamines, telling me I was making her «suffer» instead of suggesting she might have a wheat allergy — which I later figured out she did have. A note to anyone reading this. After 3 pets who lived long lives, go grain free! It works! Good luck!

Dr. Merker has been taking care of my dog Freddie since he was a puppy. Freddie had multiple health issues, especially towards the end of his life. I can not say enough good things about Dr. Merker, professional, highly knowledgeable and he really cares. When it was time to put Freddie down, he was there for both of us 100%. You will not find a more compassionate and experienced vet in this area.

I have been taking my terrier, Kacy, to Collins since she was a puppy, and I’ve had excellent experiences with all three of Collins vets and all of their staff. Dr. LaPorta, who is part-​time, diagnosed my dog with a rare disorder that wasn’t presenting like it typically does. A good catch that saved Kacy’s life! Dr. Lynne Cabiness is laid back and cool, and acts more like an educated, trusted adviser than an authoritarian «do what I say» doctor. She also treats exotic animals. Dr. Jay Merker, Kacy’s primary vet, is extremely thorough. I trust him completely. If anything, he can be a little overly conservative in medical matters, though I know he is always looking out for my old lady’s health.
The support staff at Collins is great. There is some turnover, but standbys like Niki, the receptionist, and Holly, the practice manager, are fantastic and consistently pleasant and helpful.
There are only two drawbacks to Collins for me. The first, a minor annoyance, is that sometimes Dr. Merker doesn’t run on schedule. I understand that this happens in medical practices, and is in part due to the fact that he spends time with his patients. Still, I’ve taken to scheduling his first appointment of the day, or calling to check if he is running way behind (and adjusting my arrival accordingly). The bigger issue is price. I have always felt that Collins is on the pricey side, and reviews on Angie’s List seem to confirm this. However, Cabiness and Merker have been practicing for many years, and you are paying for that expertise; these are not doctors just out of veterinary school!
The thing that chaps my hide is that Collins charges a $ 5.00 fee for «hazardous waste disposal,» which includes things like disposing of a needle after a blood draw. Seriously?! I’ve been tempted to bring my own sharps container. This seems like a spurious charge, especially in light of the fact that the prices for their services are already on the high end. Ok, deep breath. Now that I’ve said that, I still bring little Kacy to Collins. They have never steered me wrong, even though my wallet is a little lighter.

Finding an avian vet in DC is not easy, and I have been very pleased with the care given by Dr. Cabiness at Collins. She is patient and kind with our sun conure and willing to answer all my questions.
They board birds as well!
The receptionists, who are always busy, are quite pleasant.

First let me say, I think this place is fantastic.
I took my pet rat Piggles here for her returning ear infection. Previously, being dissuaded by the bad reviews here, I took her all the way out to Fairfax. But I canceled my Zipcar account (moving to a different state soon) and no longer have access to a car.
So I grudgingly made an appointment at Collins.
I was pleasantly proven wrong.
I saw Dr. Cabaniss, who was wonderful. She spent quite a while with us during the exam, and patiently answered all of my anxiously asked questions.
I do have to say, a few years ago when I first moved down here, I tried to make an appointment for a rat that was having breathing problems, but the staff member that answered the phone was so rude that I ended up not making the appointment. However, a few years later, this time around, it was completely different.
One of the staff members even came in to feed my rats some treats and fawn over them!
Dr. Cabaniss seems more than qualified to deal with rats, and is quite knowledgeable. And I’m sure all you rat owners out there know how hard it is to find a good vet who doesn’t charge an arm and a leg.
Don’t quote me on this, because I’m sure the rates differ depending on the situation, but the exam ended up costing $ 65. Which, for the unlucky combination of being in DC and owning an exotic animal, is beyond reasonable.
I hope for Piggles’ sake, I never have to go back. But if anything does come up, Collins will be the first place I’ll go.

The other reviews on here are really odd to me? I’m confused because it seems like other reviewers are having a totally different experience than us.
I was recommended to Dr. Merker at Collins by my best friend. She loves him, and so do my husband and I. In fact, I have recommended Collins to many people.
I have been consistently blown away by how nice everyone at Collins is… from the front desk staff to Dr. Merker himself. And, trust me, my dog is not an easy customer. He’s extremely nervous and visibly freaked out anytime we take him to a vet. (We tried a couple different places before Collins.) Collins has been amazingly kind and compassionate with him. The vet tech in particular takes time to try to soothe our little guy. I can always get an appointment when I need one and I’ve never waited more than 5 to 10 minutes.
I’ve also found Collins to be pretty reasonably priced by DC standards. Sure, some of the pet medications are expensive. But, they are pricey everywhere and Collins has taken steps to minimize costs for us elsewhere. For example, because our dog is a rescue, he was on a strange shot schedule that required us to bring him in every six months. Dr. Merker worked it so we only have to come in once a year, saving us an office fee every year.
Collins also has a referral program with South Paws, the regional specialty vet for this area. Patients of Collins can call South Paws 24 hours for advice. This was huge for us during a recent health scare.

I’d agree wholeheartedly with the reviewers who found Collins’ staff – vets, techs and clerical staff alike – to be generally surly, accusatory, confrontational and pedantic – even when it turns out they’re wrong. I’ve also found that staff members routinely contradict one another’s recommendations (in characteristic accusatory, confrontational, know-​it-​all fashion). I’d also agree that they push products which may or may not be appropriate.
I’m sorry to write this because we’ve been with them for some time and our pets have been healthy. Until now, despite the almost unrelenting rudeness, we’ve stayed because they’re conveniently located and have some weekend hours. After a really unpleasant episode today, however, I don’t think we or our pets can take it any more.

I took my kitten to Collins Animal Hospital when I first moved to the District, and was a regular client for many years, but have finally decided to change practices.
The care that I got here varied quite a bit depending on the vet that I saw. The vet that I really liked left the practice about three years ago and was only replaced in the last year. My one and only appointment with the replacement vet left me feeling like she was a hypochondriac and that she would never see my cat again.
I initially was really pleased with the fact that Collins had late and weekend hours, until I realized that vet covering those hours does not like cats. That’s a problem for me as a cat owner. So I still ended up having to miss work to go to the vet, so that I could see a vet who wasn’t afraid of cats (!!).
Also every time I have an appointment they keep me waiting. I started scheduling appointments first thing in the morning to avoid this, but apparently they make appointments for before the docs arrive, so I still waited!
All in all, after 8 years of taking my cats there, I am done. I can’t say that I have have been given overtly bad or endangering care there (hence the three stars), but that is really the only positive thing I have to say at this point.

When I got my kittens, over two years ago, I delayed for weeks taking them to the vet and getting them spayed and neutered. I was not looking forward to going to a vet, given that my previous experiences had usually involved putting childhood pets to sleep, but I was extremely pleased with this place. The staff are extremely warm and inviting, and the veterinarians themselves are fantastically personable. The cats actually seemed to enjoy their time there and were well taken-​care of, even during their overnight stay after surgery. They called me the next morning and informed me that they were doing perfectly well, and asked me when I’d like to come pick them up, which was an extra-​nice touch — I didn’t even have to call them, worried. Of course, as a college student, I think they woke me up at around 10:30AM when they called.
There were only two cons. It was definitely pricier than going to a neuter/​spay drive. As a college senior, I wasn’t making much money, and the initial batch of inoculations as well as the neuter/​spay fees put me nearly $ 500 in the hole. But I gather that their fees are average for vets in the DC area, perhaps a bit on the pricey side, and well worth it for the peace of mind. (I went for the extra blood checks and such, because I’d rather plunk down another $ 40 than come by in the morning to find one of my kittens dead from snake oil or something.) Also, it’s out of the way from metro, so be prepared to drive (not great parking) or take a cab.