Falls Road Animal Hospital

We have been taking our cats (4 of them) over the course of 9 years here. We have watched the care get slowly worse. Our latest visit have seen us wait up to 90- minutes past our scheduled appointment time without any comment or apology from the staff.

We have seen a series of vets and never get the same doctor on a consistent basis. The final straw came when the new doctor (with a limited command of english) made a mistake on both medicines for our cats heart failure - perscribing a full tablet and not a quarter. Luckily, the cat cardiologist elsewhere caught the mistake after just a week. Again - no apology or concern from Falls Road - just a $268 bill for the visit.

I would reccomend you go elsewhere.

Harrowing experience for me & my two Yorkies. Found the place to be more like a money making factory than a caring place for animals.
For instance, a Corona virus shot was recommended, in addition to the shots done prior to the day of surgery. The pain medicine cost $55, instead of the $33 quoted. A phone call after leaving the dogs suggested tooth removal, for an additional $40. Then, upon picking up my dogs, I was hit with an additional surprise charge of $50 each for an IV.
At no time, did I have an opportunity to discuss the procedure or the care of the animals with the doctor. Only the "technician" who dragged and tugged my frightened animals to the "back" and who gave me back badly frightened, and in pain animals. They both lost weight ---they were 5 lbs going in and 4 lbs coming out. And the girl Yorkie would lie down in pain each time she tried to poop, for the first two days home.
Stay away from this place if you really love your dogs. The actual cost was $20 (ten dollars each) less than if I had the procedure done at my own vet.

Unfortunately I had several experiences with this vet before I new better. The facilities are filthy, the decor is ridiculous, the fees are outrageous, the staff, although nice, seems overworked and underpaid and a little disgruntled and the care subpar. The limited interaction I had with the owner gave me the impression that he could care less about my pet. He seems to be in it for the money and the fame(?). Baltimore would be better of if Dr. (I wonder where he got his degree) Hammond moved to Hollywood to be closer to his "famous" clients. Before you go there, look somewhere else. All you will get is poor pet care, a big bill and a long wait.

This is the most wretched vet I have been to. Here is a breakdown of the problems:
1. Support staff up front are incompetent on many levels. I showed up for an appt to be told I was there on the wrong day -- no way I would have scheduled it for the other day they were telling me. they made me pay an extra $60 (? don't remember exact number) to be seen as an "emergency". On a separate occasion they refused to give my dogs his vaccinations because they didnt have his prior records from NC in hand-- despite the fact that I was told on the phone the they would call his vet in NC and have them sent (which they failed to do TWICE). And they still charged me for an exam and office visit despite the fact that they did nothing during the visit. i.e. they wasted my time and my money. Without even an apology (which is, to be honest, the bigger slap in the face).

2. This vet is out to make money off you. This vet practice is painfully for-profit. Laboratory tests were performed unnecessarily as stat, which means I had to pay probably 30-50% more so they could be done on-site rather then be performed more economically at an off site location. Plain radiographs of my dog were performed with little indication; I went along with this because I didn't really want to question the decision making of the vet, but in retrospect with hindsight and knowlege of their business practices, the $180 for 2 views of the abdomen was not indicated. I know my dog was not acutely ill and the diagnostic tests were excessive, without a doubt. Bottom line is that I feel as though I was taken advantage of financially.

3. Competence of the doctors. I would rate this as average. I was disappointed in the handling of my elderly dog's diabetes. I was disppointed with the physician's fund of knowledge regarding management.

As a former employee, please trust this review.
Unless you enjoy animal abuse, unsanitary conditions, and extremely poor customer service, DO NOT USE THIS HOSPITAL.
*the kennel- too many animals, not enough people. sometimes there are over 200 animals, and no more than 15 (as low as 8) kennel personnel.
*the daycare- again, to many animals, not enough people. a 30 to 1 ratio dogs to people is NEVER a good idea. animals that are NOT spayed/neutered are allowed in, even though it is said they aren't. no dog is turned away UNTIL it gets into a fight. i saw dozens of animals sent to the hospital with wounds needing stiches. it is also usually very unsanitary and feces/uring covered.
*the hospital- again- to many animals, not enough people, and not enough smart people. you can wait HOURS just to pick up a prescription. many of the techs are completely clueless and are not even certified. i knew some who could not even draw blood.
*overall, the staff is underpaid (minimum wage for many) and overworked, and therefore, even people like me who genuinelly care about animals cannot do so because it. there is a reason i quit. i hope everyone else quits as well.
PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH. use the towson Pet-ER, mt. washington vet, or ANY OTHER VET EXCEPT THIS ONE.
kim hammond DOES NOT care about your pet and will rob you of every penny you have.
DO NOT USE THIS VET AT ANY COST.

We had to take our cat Leo to FRAH as an emergency with what we believed to be an upper respiratory infection. The vet said she was sure that it was an URI, listened to his chest (which sounded good), gave us some antibiotics and sent him home. The cost was $159. The next night he couldn't breathe so we took him again. Before they would do anything we had to review and sign an estimate. The estimate was $738 which we had to pay up front. We than gave them Leo without even seeing a vet at all. On Friday we were told we could pick him up. We were shocked when the bill turned out to be $2100 instead of $738 or close to it. Even though we had a diagnosis, they ran every test imaginable. They drew blood 3 days in a row and did chest x-ray even though the vet said his chest sounded good. He had a different vet each day.
I wouldn't recommend this place unless you have alot of money.

I would describe this place as very inconsistent. I've had good experiences and horrible ones. My dog sees a different doc each time. Some great and others terrible. My dog's records have been mixed up at least 3 times. I hate the pictures on the walls. I would much rather see pictures of the FRAH patients and the fact that you don't see any in the main waiting room says a lot. Never used the day care, but I have used the regular boarding services and I would not recommend them. Staff seems to hate their job. Don't expect your dog to be washed and hope that they walk your dog as they say they will. My dog literally FREAKS out when I take him there. I'm starting to research other hospitals and boarding places. I really wish they would get it together there.

I've been taking my dog to the hospital for only about 3mos. I haven't had any problems generally out of the staff. There was one vet who rubbed me wrong but 1 out of 3 isn't bad. I don't think that they are expensive at all, use your judgement. I've been there for 4 regular check up and 2 emergency visit; when my puppy ate the floor mat, the vets gave me alot of information on things that I could do at home to calm her stomach and save me money. IT WORKED! She also has been to the daycare on more than one occassion and was very happy when I picked her up. I did received the pictures while she was there. She was dirty the first day I picked her up but I know my pup and it's not much that can be done :). I did however dislike the rushed way that one of the kennel staff took her off to daycare that first day but that was easy to correct that problem with a phone call. I also had a problem with the groomers clipping her nails to short but I can correct that also by doing it myself. Overall it's not that a bad of place I would and have recommended it to my friends.

Daycare is subpar. My dog came home smelling like urine and was dirty. It seems as though there are too many dogs for the size of the facility (which is really quite small) and not many people are working the daycare!!

I took my dog to the day care a few months ago. The place wreaked of urine. I dismissed this b/c I know that constant clean-up of animals can be difficult. The were supposed to send me pictures showing me how he was doing, but never did. However, I did receive a phone call explaining his progress. I thought the staff seemed nice and paid for an additional day when I dropped him off. Well, when I picked him up I knew immediately I wanted a refund. His backside was soaked in urine and he seemed scared. They supposedly "clean" your dog before releasing him to you. I called the next morning to complain b/c it appeared that another dog may have peed on my dog and this went unnoticed. They insisted he was washed, but I knew this was impossible. I demanded and got a refund. This place is not worth it. For a great day care try www.gooddoggiedaycare.com. They have web cams that allow you to monitor your dog all day.

Took my dog there for what they said was a routine gasto problem, and six days and $5,000 later he was dead. And they never knew why. Have been there for years, and in the beginning, it was O.K. Just kept going because they are open 24 hours. But as time went on, you never saw the same vets there because of high turnovers, made mistakes reading the chart re: my dogs allergies, sent me a nasty letter about an supposedly unpaid bill that was their fault, never cleaned up my dog when he was intensive care -- I had to come and visit him 3 times a day to wipe the vomit off his mouth. Total assembly line and expensice vet who will milk you for every test possible -- but don't forget to see the pictures of Dr. Kim and all the stars he knows, like that matters for anything. Then take your pet out of there as fast as you can. Yeah, I'm bitter.

I moved here about a year ago and was very happy to find this vet. Everyone is very friendly and my dog doesn't despise going there. I would recommend it to anyone.

Dr. Keith Gold opened his own practice in 2003. It is called CHADWELL ANIMAL HOSPITAL and it is located at 3004 Emmorton Road, Abingdon, MD 21009 (443-512-8338). Dr. Gold WAS the professional backbone behind FRAH. His knowledge, compassion, and integrity was always apparent. Dr. Hammond has had a lot of turnover at the hospital (clerical, technicians AND Vets) because of his lack of knowledge, abrasive personality, lack of empathy and greed towards his employees and patients. He is currently working the evening emergency shift, so think twice before going there!

I definitely agree with alot of what your are saying about the animal hospital part of FRAH and the boarding, I have heard alot of bad things about the hospital part, but the daycare there is another story. I work alot and I take my dog there during the day. HE LOVES IT. He is so calm and content after daycare, whereas before I would come home and he would be so anxious and crazy. They send the cutest pictures of him having so much fun, swimming in the pool, climbing on the ramps and jumping over the jumps, chasing another dog or being chased, in play. All the dogs get along sooo well and the staff makes sure they are safe and happy at all times. The staff makes completely sure they only let sociable, friendly dogs into daycare, so you know your dog is safe. It costs about 20+ dollars a day so it can be kind of steep but if you can afford it and love your dog I guarantee you will consider it the best decision you ever made for your dog. I usually see younger, very playful, spunky dogs there, but there are older ones too who tend to take it easier and bask in the sun. The daycare staff is ALWAYS interacting with the dogs and I really feel that they love what they do. Also, I checked into it and many other daycare places force the dogs into cages for 2 hours to "take a nap" while the staff go to lunch. At FRAH Doggie Daycare if the dogs are sleepy which they usually are-they get pooped out from all the exercise- they can lay down in an air conditioned room and nap for as long as they want. The staff told me all they dogs generally lay down around 3 to take a nap, but there is always a couple that keep on playing. FRAH's daycare is the best around. Seriously. I know they lack in other places but I cannot say anything bad about the daycare.

We recently took our dog into the hospital on a Saturday due to the fact our dog couldnt pass fecal matter. After an insane amount of x-rays and electrolytes and antacids, we were charged $1400 for an over night stay. Basically the only thing that helped was the enema, and that cost $30. My dog at this time is still not better and we are taking him into our normal vet today. He still is barely passing fecal matter.
We were about to leave him for 1 more day at Falls Rd after the vet told us he should stay here and we will monitor him and give him an IV if he gets dehydrated, and if he still cant pass fecal matter we will give him another enema. Then we saw the estimate, $2400!!!!
For fluids and an enema? Do not take you pet to this place unless you have ALOT of money to blow away. The owner apparently is "Doc Hollywood", he must not realize he isnt there anymore or on the set of a movie and we all make millions. Shame on him for the way they turn away animals at the door when they could easily help. We saw 3 people get turned away due to the fact they didnt have a 1k deposit. I am sure Mr. Kim Hammond treats the hollywood types and their pets real good, if you aren't on their level financially, go elsewhere or you will regret it.

This was the worst experience ever at an animal hospital. It truly is like an assembly line. I waited over 90 minutes (with an appointment) for my cat to be seen, and then waited another hour for the tech to come in and take needed tests. The doctor promised to follow up with the test results. It has now been three days with no phone call. I have placed two incoming calls, and still no response. I will never return.

My cat of 18 years died early on a Sunday in my home. I took him to Falls Road Hospital because I knew they would be open. I was devastated. The front desk tech was very empathetic, allowed me private time to grieve with Clover in a room, and provided me a nice towel to wrap him in. I will never forget the kindness of that woman on what was quite possibly one of the worst days of my life.

we have two cats
and had they confused
their charts
twice or five times
it may have been acceptable
but they confused
which pet they had
MORE than five times

i do not recommend it

the women at the front desk
do not enjoy their job
and they will not help you
enjoy ur pet's visit

As a former employee and animal lover, i wouldn't recomend taking your pet to FRAH. The bills can be redicuous ( including unneeded radiographs and medications ) and I've personally seen acts committed on animals that were horrifying ( unnecessary and unwarented euthanasia, and animals allowed to waste away in their own biological fluids. ) Take your pet here abd you'll be bringing home a totally different animal ( and paying thru the nose for it !!!!!)

I took my 3yr old lab there and he came home overheated, with a rash covering his underside, and smelling like he was laying in urine for 3 days. The chemicals that they use to clean the floor are so harsh, that they caused open sores and he was unable to sit or lay down because of the discomfort. In addition, they include a bath in your stay, but when I picked him up he smells like he was washed with urine!! I will NEVER take my dog there again, and would certainly not reccommentd Falls Road to my worst enemy!!

Falls Road Animal hospital cares for a lot of cats and dogs but what isn't so obvious is that they also care for a lot of species that aren't so common. I took my water turtles there when they had respiratory ailments and shell fungus. We saw Dr. Gold who was very good and showed me how to inject the turtle with antibiotics, which wasn't particularly fun but it did cure the turtle!

I would recommend them to anyone with a sick reptile, amphibian, or small rodent. Maybe birds, too---worth checking out.

I have been taking my bunny to the Falls Road Animal Hospital for 3 years now and we have never had a problem with them. I have seen every pet from cats and dogs to rabbits and They are not expensive, and do a very good job. The Animal Hospital is located right next to a pet store, which is very convenient.

Here is their website:
http://www.fallsroad.com