When you walk through the doors of this hospital, you know beyond a doubt that you are in the hands of the best of the best. They treat you and your beloved pets like they are an extension of their family and I can tell you first hand that when you can't be with your pet, they are caring for them as if they were their very own. They never make you feel like you are asking too many questions and they spend as much time as you need talking, explaining and listening, literally 24/7. We are beyond grateful for their care and we will always come to Veterinary Specialty Clinic if we need emergency or specialized care in the future. Special shout out to Mari and Jeremy who worked with our chocolate lab, Reesie in 12 hours shifts. Amazing!!! Read Less

Dr. Ilie and her team saved my dog Pearl’s life! When she arrived at the Buffalo Grove hospital, she was in critical condition and was barely hanging on. Pearl had to have two blood tranfusions and they went above and beyond for her. Three days later, she is home and well. I truly believe if I would have taken her anywhere else she would not have survived. I can’t thank you guys enough. All the specialists, technicians, the front desk, AND Pearl’s donor dog were so good to us. I was never rushed when I came to visit and I always felt my pet was safe when I left. Thank you thank you thank you. Eternally grateful. Read Less

I had a wonderful experience here. My cat needed to have surgery done by a specialist, and my primary veterinarian recommended Dr. Robbins. I was kept informed throughout the entire process, receiving two phone calls from Dr. Robbins right before and right after surgery. I also was encouraged to call the ICU in the evening to get an update, and I was able to talk to the technician who was taking care of my cat. I received another call from the surgical intern the following morning and received very thorough discharge instructions when I picked my cat up. The communication was excellent and the ongoing support (encouragement to call with any concerns or questions) has been much appreciated. I will definitely return here for any ER or speciality needs. Read Less

Outstanding care, kind and helpful staff. Expensive, but you are paying for the expertise and best care possible. Very willing to answer questions, but I could have used a bit more information in advance, anticipating what I didn't know to ask. Read Less

Very knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate staff. Technician promptly took action after we rushed in through the door, even before we managed to fill out paperwork. Even though we regularly took our cat to the vet every three months for the last five years of his life - this was the only veterinary hospital that picked up on our cat's heart failure and lymphoma of the liver. Prices were very reasonable for an emergency nighttime chest tap to drain a pleural effusion, an overnight stay in the oxygen chamber, an electrocardiogram, blood pressure monitoring, and a ultrasound of the liver - totaled around $1600. Highly recommended. Read Less

I took my cat in yesterday afternoon because he decided to be a genius and eat a ball. The staff at VSC were amazing and handled the situation calmly, professionally, and friendly. I was a nervous wreck, and they put my mind at ease. Dr. Caballero from emergency and critical care took care of my cat initially, then when it was time, he passed us on to Dr. Modecai for an endoscopic procedure. They got the ball out no problem, and we got to take him home that evening! They were wonderful! Read Less

I was given a quote for my cat's salivary gland surgery over the phone of $2600 - $3200. That sounded a little high to me, but I scheduled the surgery. When I got there, the quote went up by $1000 for a bunch of other services (which I later found out from the other hospital that ultimately did the surgery were completely unnecessary). After becoming *very* angry by the sudden $1000 change in price (she told us that the quote over the phone was only for the surgery, and didn't include all of the other "needed" services), I went to breakfast and started calling other hospitals while I was waiting for my food. I received a quote of $1300 from Care Animal Hospital in Arlington Heights (I had used them before), and I scheduled the surgery with them instead. I picked up my cat and paid the bill for the services that had already been provided. When I got the surgery done at Care, the final bill was less than $100 over that (taxes and a 2-week antibiotic accounted for the very small increase). Overall, a very frustrating and unpleasant experience. If they thought that I would be "stuck" paying whatever they decided to tack onto the bill when I arrived just because I had gone to the trouble of bringing my cat, they were *very* wrong. Needless to say, I won't be a future customer. Read Less

We came for emergency care to Buffalo Grove location late night Monday. Our dog’s back legs were not moving. Doctor suspected back spine injury. We admitted the dog and were told, that MRI will be done around 6 AM in the morning and we will know final diagnoses by 10 AM and, if necessary, surgery will be done right after the MRI. However, they forgot to mention that there are only two doctors on staff on Tuesdays…. If we would know, we would off taken the dog to a deferent emergency place. They did an MRI on our dog by the afternoon only and, only, because we called them nonstop, every hour. We received the diagnoses by 4:00 PM. The surgery was not necessary. The doctor did not even see the dog before she was already under anesthesia for MRI and we had to leave here overnight for his observations. Some emergency! It took them 18 hours to provide final diagnoses and we had to leave the poor dog and pay for extra stay because they are understaffed. If they had done everything as they said, the dog would be home the next day. She did not eat for 2 days, because, apparently, they do not allow raw food in the facility. After paying thousands of dollars, my baby is much worth then she was when we brought her in. So, do not fool yourself and think that you are getting emergency services there. It looks like they are well staffed only at the reception. An army of receptionists is very proficient to get your payment in full before they take your dog for care and pay the extra-balance before they give you your dog back. I am not going back there ever again! Suggesting, you think twice before taking your animal there, it is all about business, $$$$$. Nonetheless, I do want to thank Claude Gendreau, DVM, MSc, DACVS, for “volunteering” to take care of my dog’s MRI and diagnoses, and his integrity while he spoke to me at the discharge. Read Less

After an emergency visit in the middle of the night when my bulldog stopped using his back legs, the techs, staff and doctors were incredible and I knew my dog was in good hands. They called to walk me through the steps of his spinal procedure and called me afterwards to tell me to call as many times as needed ... and I did! When I went to get him, the tech that helped me was incredible. He walked me through the paperwork multiple times, answered my questions, made me feel like I was going to be capable to help out my dog when he still wasn't walking. After he healed up, I even started taking my dog to their rehab across the street. Incredible. I really can't thank you all enough. You're amazing. Read Less

We had the most amazing experience at VSC. The doctors, nurses and entire staff are miracle workers with huge hearts and expertise beyond belief. We noticed a rash on our dog and initially took our dog to BluePearl.  We had used BP in the past and thought we were getting a good level of care. They completely misdiagnosed her - they found zero platelets in her blood but said it wasn't a huge concern.  Luckily our family vet saw us the next day and told us this was a dire emergency and to take her to VSC immediately.  When we got to VSC we realized how wrong we were about BluePearl.  We were kept updated several times a day and when we called anytime (and yes, there were several calls we made after midnight) we got to speak with the nurse that was handling the case. Most importantly, our dog was given the best care. After 3 days of not responding to treatments, the VSC team kept aggressively trying to keep our dog alive...and it finally worked. A week later she is back home and is well on the path to a full recovery.The scary thing is that if we got to VSC a few hours later or followed the suggestion of BluePearl, our dog would have died. The stressful days our dog was at VSC we were able to visit her, heard honest assessments of her condition and her demeanor. Every time we visited, it's obvious that the entire team treated her as if she was their pet. They knew her funny quirks and personality and her background and treatments. We felt entirely at ease that she was receiving the best care possible. And for the first time, our dog didn't seem to mind being at the doctor's office.We can't thank the team at VSC, including Doctor Noonan, Doctor Ghantous, Francesca, Ashley and all the incredible folks that brought our dog back to us. THANK YOU!!! Read Less

They were nice here, willing to help you with whatever you need... that is until you ask them to work with you on finances.  Our cat needed to stay overnight, but we could not afford the cost and got declined by care credit. We asked if they could work with us and basically said no and that we needed to take our cat back home with us. They suggested a university to take her to.If you don't have the money they can care less about you and your pet. Some great veterinary disservice this is.2 stars because they were nice to start with. Read Less

This is like the Mayo Clinic for animals and we feel grateful to have been able to have our dog cared for here.  My rating is based on Dr. Mitch Robbins who was recommended to me by my own vet.  He performed a laparoscopic spay and gastropexy.  We also obtained pricing and interviewed other practices, one being Blue Pearl. It has been years since I had a dog spayed and I must admit to being rather astonished at prices.....not just here but everywhere.  Having said that, while VSC was significantly more expensive than a local vet practice, they were not the highest price quoted to us.  Based on my experience here, I don't believe there is a comparable facility to this one in terms of expertise, quality of care or the premises themselves.  Our dog doesn't like other dogs and they were helpful in ensuring no issues with waiting room, which is so large it's fairly easy to remain a good distance from other visiting animals.  The incisions were so small, VERY clean and appeared almost gone after just a week....we felt this indicative of Dr. Robbins experience and skill level.   When we saw the bill, we realized the extent of the personal care our dog received during her recovery stay.  Several ice packs, pain meds administered, i.v. fluids to ensure she was well hydrated, special bland canned food because she would not eat her regular food.  Further, I was able to call and check on her during the evening of her recovery, being connected directly to the attending vet tech within just moments.   I also called several times after bringing our girl home, with questions, and again was quickly and patiently responded to.  I probably called at least 5-6 times over the course of several days and EVERY time was given an immediate response.   Also, should mention my initial call to the practice was handled by someone named Esther, who could not have been more informative nor more friendly.  Without hesitation I would recommend this practice. Read Less

I had been referred to another specialty center in Chicago and was having trouble getting an appointment within a month or less. I tried various places in the city and they averaged 2 months or more. I did not want to wait so long as my dog needs dental surgery and could not do so without cardiac clearance as he is an older dog with a heart murmur. My veterinarian then told me to try Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove. I called and the lady who answered was very polite and informative. They could get my dog in within a month and she explained that they do have a waitlist and it usually works out. Sure enough I received a call and my dog was moved up 2 1/2 weeks sooner. I could not have been happier!  On arriving to the appointment, everyone at the center was very friendly and Dr. Ashley Jones (cardiologist) was so sweet and wonderful. I highly recommend this place and very much appreciate that they managed to get me an earlier appointment than anywhere else. Thank you Veterinary Specialty Center! Read Less

My dog was referred to cardiology care at this vet hospital because it was discovered his heart had a couple suspicious lesions as he was recovering from abdominal surgery at Blue Pearl Emergency care. He needed endiocardiagrams and a more specialty evaluation . Dr. Jones was extremely kind,  considerate of my feelings,  and was very sweet to my dog. We have had to return a few times to monitor the condition,  and also were put on a drug regimen to improve his heart function.  Dog seems to have more sound than he has had in several years,  which I attribute to the drug helping his heart.  The staff is very efficient,  are careful to discuss costs every time I walk in the door so the bill is not a shock. Although taking your pet there is stressful because your pet is not well, the experience of being there is a good as anyone could make it. Read Less

After rushing to my amazing vet, Ravenswood Animal Hospital (RAH), who diagnosed my precious Chihuahua, Sasha, with an enlarged heart, they recommended an echocardiogram.  RAH hastily called the cardiologist specialty vets all over Chicago, but none of them would see my beloved pet same day.  Except Veterinary Specialty Center.  They had no appointments, but agreed to squeeze us in through the ER.  It is a bit of a drive from Chicago, but it was worth it.  A triage nurse saw us almost immediately.  Yes, it's an ER, we had to wait for hours, but Sasha had all her tests, an echocardiogram and prescriptions sent home with us the same day.  Also they sent us home with not only written information about her prescriptions, but also a detailed description of her diagnosis which was so helpful because we were racing around so much that day, I was in shock and not comprehending everything that was going on.  Every person I came in contact with was professional and concerned for Sasha's stress level in addition to her illness.  They were very comforting to me as her human, which I am truly grateful for.  In addition, while other specialists were backlogged 2 months, I was able to get a follow up appointment in 2 weeks, also a huge relief.  While this day's vet bills were huge, I felt like, for the level of care Sasha received, we were lucky to have such a resource. Read Less

Let me start this by saying the only saving grace of this place is the vet tech named  Summer. She treated our dog amazing and I will forever be grateful for that. She kept him company when I'm sure he was scared to pieces. I just brought my dog here for surgery last week. I was very pleased with the surgeon, Dr. Wood. She got the blockage out of his intestines and was very professional. Then when we picked him up and brought him home he was peeing everywhere uncontrollably, something he's never done in 7 years. We brought him back in TWICE that day and ended up leaving him the second time. If you get the intern, Dr. Krier taking care of your pet-ask for a different dr, learn from our mistakes. She is terrible at communication and is an idiot. My fiancé asked her for a urinalysis and she said no no that's not necessary and then the next day, after we left him a second night "per her recommendation" guess what they did?! They said he was fine and yesterday started having the same issues. I call there and the surgical doctor today said "something is not right and he needs to see a doctor right away..." well then I called Blu Pearl for their recommendation and the lady I talked to said right away "oh that one medication he is on is probably the cause-that's a side effect of it. Talk to your doctor and just make sure that it's OK to stop it."  When I told her that they said he needed to be seen right away she said that was not necessary if he was acting normal. I will NEVER Bring my dog back to this place. Read Less

Point blank- thank you for saving my baby's life. I am catching up on all of my overdue Yelp reviews because I forgot that Yelp can do more than provide awesome restaurant recommendations. However, this review is long overdue.In September of 2014, my baby was viciously attached by another dog. He was snatched up and although I tried to jump on top of the other dog, it was too late. When he finally dropped him, I just picked him up and ran covered in blood while he was in shock. Luckily my mom was with me and called my dad, who took us to their local vet (I live in Chicago and didn't know where to go). We sped to their vet, who is wonderful (props to River Trails Animal Hospital), but honestly confessed there was nothing more they could do. Louis was ripped open and had a punctured pancreas as well as many other organs being damaged. He was essentially barely alive, clinging to life. While this sounds dramatic, I assure you this was our reality. They recommended Veterinary Specialty Center and I persisted we go.From the beginning, I was informed of his bleak outlook and the enormous chances against him. They were kind but honest- it didn't look good. I begged them to do whatever they could... and they did AND more. They called me with every progress, entertained my every question, and let me lay on the ground of the intensive care unit with him. Dr. Silliman (I am totally butchering this) was sent from G-d himself, as well as all of the other doctors and nurses there. My dog spent over 5 days in intensive care, and they made sure of letting me know of all costs and the chances of survival along the way. Miraculously, he not only survived but made a full recovery. My only regret is not bringing him back there to this point to show them what they did. I'm not sure if they remeber Louis, but we will always remember them. Read Less

I have never been treated so horribly in my life at veterinary specialty center. They were disrespectful, un-accommodating, and rude.I was so disappointed and appalled by how I was treated here I felt like I had to tell other people. I highly recommend you stay as far away from this place as possible. I will continue to educate people on not sending their animal here and send to med vet or anywhere else that would treat them and their poor sick dog respectfully. My dog just got diagnosed with bone cancer about three weeks ago. Bone cancer is a disease that you usually only have about 1 to 4 months to live. We decided to do radiation to help with pain and hopefully give him another few months (or a miracle). I called to confirm my appointment for 1 PM on Friday 5/12. They confirm my appointment at 1 PM. I showed up at about 12:57PM and I get a phone call while I'm in the waiting room from the radiologist saying since I did not show up at 12:30 like they asked that I would not be able to do radiation for my dog that day. The radiation needs to be done ASAP AND she says they don't have any appointments for weeks. I started bawling crying thinking about if I don't get this that my dog might die soon. I was standing in front of the receptionist and asked the nice lady what time it says my appointment is in the computer. They said "1pm". IMPORTANT STATEMENT if they asked me to come in 12:30 (like they claimed) and not 1 PM and I was 27 minutes late - I am a paying customer that's about to pay a ton of money to their company they should have at least pretended to help me out. Even if they had to board him overnight they should have tried to make it work. The other issue is how rude the vet was when I saw her about three days before. She seem to be uninterested in my dog and uninterested in me. She REFUSED to see me on 5/12 even when I said I will wait for her to be done. I later found out she was the owner which makes me even more nervous that the owner is not accommodating. I told the lady that was speaking to me that I wanted to wait to speak to the owner and she said things will get ugly if you do not leave and if you try and stay here!!!!! She told me I have to leave IMMEDIATELY! HOW CRAZY - they said that to small women bawling her eyes out in a cancer center!!!!!!!! Honestly after being treated so unfairly with a dog that has cancer I am very happy that it happened so that I did not leave my dog with horrible people. I would never want to leave my dog under anesthesia with people that didn't even seem to take a second look and even say hi to my dog when I walked in the door. I will be bringing my dog to med vet who already has been so nice on the phone. I have also talked to a bunch of Vets around the Chicago area and they said the same thing about veterinary specialty center - that they are unreliable and have gotten mixed reviews. My personal vet is going to call them and complain because they said "even if my appointment was at 12:30 and I showed up at 12:57 then they should have let me in". So it's not really based on who's lying or who was misunderstood it's based on fact that the patient and paying client should be treated respectfully. My dog is part of my family and he is on his deathbed in the office that I drove an hour for and they didn't even take a second look at me when I was bawling in their offices (except one very nice brown haired receptionist). I am disappointed in how I was treated I am disappointed in the people that talked to me. I would never send my dog here again and recommend you do the same. Read Less

I have never been treated so horribly in my life at veterinary specialty center. They were disrespectful, un-accommodating, and rude. I will continue to educate people on not sending their dog here and send to med vet or anywhere else that would treat them and their poor sick dog respectfully. My dog just got diagnosed with bone cancer about three weeks ago. We decided to do radiation to help with pain and hopefully give him another few months. I called to confirm my appointment for 1 PM on Friday 5/12. They confirm my appointment at 1 PM. I showed up at about 12:57PM and I get a phone call while I'm in the waiting room from the radiologist saying since I did not show up at 12:30 like they asked that I would not be able to do radiation for my dog that day. AND she says they don't have any appointments for weeks. I started bawling crying my dog doesn't have weeks. I asked the nice receptionist what time it says my appointment is in the computer. They said "1pm". IMPORTANT STATEMENT if they asked me to come in 12:30 (like they claimed) and not 1 PM and I was 27 minutes late - I am a paying customer that's about to pay a ton of money to to them they should have at least pretended to help me out. They should have tried (or pretended) to help out a crying customer. The other issue is how rude the vet was when I saw her about three days before. She seem to be uninterested in my dog and uninterested in me. She REFUSED to see me on 5/12 even when I said I will wait for her to be done. I later found out she was the owner which makes me even more nervous that the owner is not accommodating. After talking to the manager I asked to wait to speak to the owner and the manager said things will get ugly if you do not leave and if you try and stay here!!!!! She told me I have to leave IMMEDIATELY! HOW CRAZY - they said that to small women bawling her eyes out in a cancer center!!!!!!!! I would never go back and hope you don't take your poor animal there too. Goodluck:) Read Less

My dog had surgery and Dr. West was wonderful.  She was very personable and down to earth.  She made me feel very comfortable and took the time to answer all my questions.   I would highly recommend her if your pet needs surgery.The nurses and staff were wonderful.  The gentleman taking care of keeping the waiting area clean did a great job. Read Less

I brought my dog here after taking him to an ER visit at Bluepearl. The staff here is extremely friendly. I had scheduled my pup for a MRI with Dr. Comito, which was what the doctor at Bluepearl recommended since he was having some spinal issues. Dr. Comito gave him a pretty thorough checkup and she came to the conclusion that he was doing pretty well recovering on his own. She said that she didn't want to waste our time or money on a MRI when he clearly didn't need one. She sent him home a happy camper and right away sent me a personal email with a summary of our visit. Great hospital and great doctor! Read Less

Took our dog here tonight around 1 am. The staff was very professional and kind. The facility is clean. There's a nice waiting area with coffee and hot chocolate. It's nice to know there's a place we can trust to care for our dog with any emergent needs. Read Less

We took our 8- year- old cockapoo here at the recommendation of our vet after Carmella suddenly lost the use of her hind legs. We had an amazing experience with them from beginning to end. Carmella was quickly seen and the staff was very patient with our many questions. Dr. Comito was wonderful and called us every step of the way before surgery with updates on her prep and immediately after surgery with a report. Vet techs called every few hours to let us know how she was doing, and we were told to call anytime in the night to check in. Carmella stayed there for 3 days and the communication from VSC was incredible- everyone we spoke to was kind, efficient, and informed. You could tell they truly loved their job and developed bonds with the animals.We were very impressed with the follow-up care, as well. Carmella went back in for several planned follow-up appointments and an unexpected one when a slight complication arose. At all of these, the care was excellent. The wait times were sometimes on the long side, but you could see the staff managing urgent vs less urgent cases well. Despite the severity of our dog's condition (we knew there was a good chance the surgery wouldn't work), she made fast and steady progress and is now getting around perfectly fine and is back to her old energetic self. Dr. Comito did excellent work and was very genuine, loving, and honest. She told us that physical therapy was not necessary, which was a relief financially. We had heard that prices run high at VSC, but Carmella's surgery was similar in cost to what other vet's had suggested and ended up being less than the VSC's initial quote. This was by far the best pet care we have ever experienced and we will turn their first if any of our 3 dogs has an emergency in the future. Read Less

When you are having an emergency or need critical care for your pet, need an oncologist or aftercare therapy, take your fur baby here.  Every staff member from the moment you enter through the doors, is exceptional. Read Less

We saw Dr.Camito and she was very professional and knowledgeable. She diagnosed our dog pretty accurate no problems with her .Even though when you call with question you always get technician that try's to help . But after you insist you can get Dr.Camito But what I amMore disappointed about we brought our English Bulldog who had brain tumor and was declining in deep sleep . His brain and nervous system gave up before his heart . I don't remember the name of the Vet but to be honest I never met such unkind , unprofessional person . She was offering us to opearate on our dog that was half dead . When I asked if she read his chart and was she aware of his diagnosis. Her answer we can still try . Try what ??? My disappointment is that in this kind of cituatuon Vet was trying to rip us off and performe surgery on dog that was barely here .Never again my foot would step into this facility . Big time rip off . Read Less

I am having a hard time reading these reviews because my experience here was absolutely amazing, but then again, Dr. Gendreau saved my cat DONALD back in 1992. It was the first cat he had ever had as a client as most people feel or at least at that time felt that a cat was not worth the $1,200.00 it cost me in 1992 to put my 1 year old cat back together again.DONALD had been hit by a car, and his hips were shattered. His femur was snapped in half, his rear flank muscle was exposed with maggots in it and the first orthopedic surgeon I took him to wanted $3500.00 up front or put him to sleep. Devastated I called Dr. Gendreau who did the surgery for $300 down and 6 monthly payments to pay off the Balance. DONALD made a complete recovery and lived on to be 20 before I finally had to put him down. I used to call him Robo-kitty because of the 7 pins and 5 wires it took to put him back together again. To hear that the clinic that saved my cat 25 years ago has become like the horrible clinic that said to me "Look, obviously I make a living off of emotional attachment, but I'm a Doctor, not a banker. Come up with $3,500.00 in the next 24 hours or put your cat to sleep. In order to have the emotional attachment, you need to be able to afford it."I was 21 and I sold my furniture to pay for my cat's surgery. I went looking all these years later to see if Dr. Gendreau was still operating, because I have a great Dane that needs orthopedic surgery on her knees. I'm 25 years older now and far more able to afford my pets medical bills, but I have to say after reading your reviews, I will seek out an orthopedic surgeon that is in the practice of veterinary medicine for the sake of the animals AND those that love them.... Not just for the almighty dollar. You can't love money more than you value those that will sacrifice all they have for those that they love, and if you do, you shouldn't be a Doctor.And you certainly won't be my veterinarian. I'm so disappointed. I hope the owner of the clinic eventually reconsiders their business practices. Until then, I remain committed to my furry children. Read Less

I drove here after a a poor experience in Madison. Long story short Madison told me my dog wasn't emergent enough and I would have to bring her back because she was still walking, even though she was falling on her face. I drove straight to VSC from Madison and was warmly greeted. They took the time to listen to me and hear my concerns. They also talked though the options with me and took the most conservative way. I felt like they actually heard me and cared about the well being of my dog instead for making money running tests and unnecessary procedures. I am so grateful for VSC and James there. Read Less

My dog got a UTI right as the holiday weekend was beginning--they were understanding, professional, and incredibly helpful with the whole process. They presented options to me about her treatment based on what was best for her and affordable for me. They answered all of my questions and took the time to make sure I was happy. They treated my dog as if she was one of theirs, making me feel 100% comfortable and helping her feel better. Couldn't recommend more highly! Read Less

Staff and doctors are very caring. Care for my dog with cancer was very organized. While this clinic is expensive, they have the most advanced technologies and keep up on the latest research, so I think it is worth the extra money. My fox terrier had cancer 3 years ago and is now cancer free and in good health. Read Less

Both Gary and I were extremely impressed with Dr. Caballero! He was very compassionate and knowledgeable in helping us to decide what to do with our cat. We appreciate the time that he spent with us in discussing what the alternatives were for our sick cat. The emergency phone line was excellent as well. Brittany who we spoke with was very helpful in making our decision to come to the Veterinary Specialty Center, even though we had been to our own Vet several times. We were able to get a second opinion from Dr. Caballero and we came to the hospital because of the fine job that Brittany did in explaining the Veterinary Specialty Center Services. The receptionists were also so very helpful and nice. The facility is so professional, clean and beautiful, I even took pictures of it, I was so impressed. The $99.00 cost for the emergency care was very reasonable, considering our cat was at the end of his life and we had spent lots of money on his health in the past month. Thank you again for the expert care. Kindly, Cheryl Sinclair and Gary Goldsand Read Less

My dog had been itching and losing his fur for nearly 2 seasons. My regular vet had tried everything known to man and couldn't seem to figure out what the why it was happening. I was spending hundreds of dollars but it was getting me nowhere. Frustrated and aggravated with the situation, I started looking into other options.I have a Shiba Inu and I'm a member of a Shiba Inu Facebook Group. One of the other members posted something about how her Shiba was having similar symptoms as my dog. She ended up taking him to have an intradermal allergy skin test which was able to pinpoint what was causing her dog's symptoms and ultimately resolve them. I found VSC after doing a Google search. I made an appointment to see Dr. Ness at the location in Mokena. (VSC shares the space at Animal Emergency of Mokena one day a week) The intradermal allergy skin test cost about $700. My dog was shaved on one side of his belly and poked with a bunch of allergens. It turns out that he's allergic to grass, trees, dust and a bunch of other things. A allergy serum was made specially for him and he started receiving shots every 21 days. He immediately shopped itching and his fur grew back. (It had fallen out in patches) I have to bathe him weekly with oatmeal shampoo and feed him grain free, high quality food. Per Dr. Ness' instructions I also give him year round flea treatments. (Advantix) he takes 50 mg of Hydroxyzine twice daily. My dog has  been on the shots/medication for nearly a year now and he's doing fantastic. He still itches/scratches on occasion but for the most part the treatment has been very effective. I'm extremely happy with Dr. Ness' treatment of my dog. It's been costly but worth it. The replacement allergy shots cost $237 every four months. Luckily, I've been able to stretch that timeline to 6 months. I last saw Dr. Ness in April and won't have to see him again until next month (Nov) to get my dogs next dose of serum. FYI - The office visit alone (no serum) is $100. I've learned from other Shiba owners that the $700 initial allergy test is pretty standard. Dr. Ness is professional, personable and highly skilled. I wish I'd gone to see him sooner because I would have saved myself a lot of time and money. He's taken his time during our appointment times and has always been available if I've needed to speak with him by phone. As a client, I also truly appreciate the fact that Dr. Ness makes himself available at the Mokena office. I live just south of the loop so the drive to Mokena is much more convenient than having to drive out to Buffalo Grove. The fact that VSC staff members take on that burden is a HUGE plus!I'd recommend VSC to anyone and plan to continue to utilize their services for as long as necessary. Read Less

My wife and I took our 3 month old puppy here after a horrible experience at another emergency vet in grays lake. All I have to say is after dealing with the staff in buffalo grove not only were we 100 times more comfortable that are animal was being treated correctly he showed improvement and was acting like his normal self in no time. These Docs know what they are doing and would suggest them to everyone I know. I would like to thank the doctors and staff for their caring and professional practice, great job your doing it right. Read Less

Surgery for my pet and follow up treatment and rehab were great. Until a new 'vet' who was unresponsive, rude, unprofessional and unresponsive took over rehab. She did not have my dog's best interest at heart. She was caustic and uncaring, and egotistical about her 'treatment' which was ineffective. Prior to Lindsey Seilheimer a new 'vet' coming into that department I would have given this place a 5. She was not attuned to my pet's needs, was rude to and about others who worked in the department and dismissive of me and my questions, While asking her about my dog's treatment she walked out of the room. I asked her later why she left the conversation she informed me she didn't want to speak and my dog should find another place for treatment If she had been a doctor I would file a malpractice suit against her. She ruined this place and I won't back.. Read Less

I had to bring my kitten Ariel here on a Sunday evening after she got into a lily on my counter and had a face-full of lily pollen. I immediately looked up lilies and discovered their extreme toxicity to cats, called VSC, and brought her in as quickly as possible. Ariel is my first pet and the google results for "cat lily poisoning" are pretty grim, so I was pretty shaken and overwhelmed when we arrived. Every staff member of VSC was SO kind and wonderful during our initial ER visit. They explained the treatment options, a 48 hour stay with IV fluids and regular blood tests to monitor kidney function, and got started right away. I received regular phone calls on her status and blood test results, and was encouraged to call to check-up on her as often as I wanted. Every person I called and spoke with was very friendly and provided thorough updates on her condition. The price of her care was pretty steep, and definitely not something I was prepared for, but they worked with me to set up care credit and she is worth every penny. The quality of her care was definitely proportionate to the price. Thanks to the wonderful staff and care she received, Ariel is going to be just fine! Read Less

I was a client here when my cat back in the day was referred to a cardiologist here. More recently, they were incredibly kind and understanding when we brought in our injured cat. They handled her with peace and dignity, and made the traumatic experience as painless as it possibly could have been. When my 3 year old male cat was clearly injured (in a non visible way) randomly at 9:30 at night, they were great - caring, understanding, explaining everything and make sure they knew what the plan was and what the plan was for the worst case scenario. We brought him home, and unfortunately, he was back 24 hours later.  They gave us an outline of the care he would need (the "worst case scenario" from the day before), and my extensive pet ownership and pet crisis experience has me confident that the price for the 48 hrs of care was more than fair. We ended up adding an ultrasound, and my actual cost was still less than they initially quoted me. They took great care of me and my cat (all of them), and this most recent time, answered all my and my fiance to be's questions (sometimes this meant explaining things more than once, and they did so with a smile). They were amazing, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back. They had Fionn's records to our regular vet the next day, and making sure we knew that if we had any questions of anything happened - that they were available 24 hrs a day. I don't have enough positive things to say about them. Even the fact that my cat has an interestingly spelled name, and that one of the women at the admin desk when we were there the first day, made sure to explain to everyone who said "uh.... is this spelled right?!" "Yes, I was here when the owner came in, that's how it's spelled, it's the Irish spelling, it's spelled correctly." I know this, because while waiting to pick Fionnagain up, she shared it with me, and one of the other girls laughed and said, "yeah, it's totally true!" Great specialty care, great emergency care, great staff. Read Less

It is with great sorrow that I write this. We have used VSC five times and u have always given them the benefit - thinking they did the best for my beloved dogs. I know better now. My vet diagnosedour dig correctly. VSC couldn't figure it out themselves - for three days my baby went through being away from home with no progress in saving him. A diagnosis of textbook larngal paralysis; but no, despite numerous episodes while in their care they couldn't get it right. Insisting it was cardiac they suggested we transfer him to a cardiac specialty hospital. Upon arrival our baby had yet another episode of his body suffocating him; they immediately diagnosed him. This time was one too many and our precious family member had to be given over. Never, never trust these people with your pets! Looking back I realize my observations with our other dogs was not wrong. I knew it but trusted them again and now it's too late. Read Less

Thank you so much to Dr. Herring and everyone there! You guys all took such good care of our little baby Alvin. He had gotten attacked really badly by another dog and had come very close to dying but everyone worked so hard and gave him so much love that he pushed through the ICU and made it safely home a week later :) Now Alvin is as happy as ever, a month later :) he is finally back to his normal spunky self! I couldn't thank everyone enough! if you ever have an emergency this is the place to go :)! Read Less

Way overpriced. They said our dog Wrigley was super sick, they stated an operation would cost $5000.00, and to stay the night would be $1500.00 a night.. We took Wrigley to another vet, operation would be $1200.00 and to spent the night $350.00.. Beware Beware of these people, toal ripoffs.... Read Less

I brought my one year old Canada lynx Juneau in there for an MRI back in November 2010. He was experiencing dizziness and had been walking unsteadily for many months. No vet could figure out what was going on despite thousands of dollars worth of tests. The staff at VSC LOVED Juneau him and gave him a lot of attention. They were extremely sweet to me. However, the MRI tech had called off that day and I had to wait well over an hour for her replacement to come in. I was so upset, as I'd already traveled an hour and a half to get there from the south side during rush hour in construction. After the test was performed, Dr. Girard (neurologist) spent a fair amount of time going over the results with me, which were normal. She answered all of my questions and didn't rush me. She suggested a spinal tap, but also said it may not yield any more information. I felt as though she was NOT trying to get more money from me, as I asked her if she would do it if this was her cat. She said she probably wouldn't, because it likely wouldn't change the course of the outcome or treatment. I decided to do it anyway. It was normal. She was at a loss. However, she spent a lot of time talking with my vet several times over the course of the next week as he came up with questions and suggestions. She was open to ideas and different treatments. Dr. Girard and my vet suggested that it might be the result of a virus. I figured this might be something permanent and that he may have to live with this for the rest of his life. He'd had it for almost a year. Juneau died a couple of weeks ago suddenly. His necropsy results just came back. It was astonishing. He had HYPOthyroidism, which is something cats just don't get. Dogs get it. Cats get HYPERthyroidism and it shows up when they're 7-8 years old. It's so rare that the U of I has only seen it in cats a handful of times. It's congenital. I am so sad. Thousands and thousands of dollars later, we have our answer. Kim Read Less

My teacup Chihuahua was very ill I had brought him there for knee surgery.The Dr. Pare suggested that my pet have a thorough examination to make sure there were no other issues with him. Dr. Pare discovered that he had indeed ingested a peach pit. Other doctors within a 24 hour period had completely missed it. He would have died if it had continued to his intestines. If it wasn't for their care I would have lost my beautiful handsome pet.Thanks Dr. Pare and your awesome staff. Aletha K. Read Less

I took my dog there to see a ""kidney specialist"", an old idiot who let my dog die, didn't reccomend fluids, special food, etc., when I called and called, never returned my calls! And I paid over $2000 for this ""service"", by the time I found a vet who knows what they are doing, it was too late!! Wouldnever go there again-staff is unfriendly and uneducated. Read Less