Vca Chicago North Animal Hospital

I have been coming to VCA North for almost 10 years now. My dog has some major anxiety issues, she takes (prescribed) anti-anxiety meds before visiting the vet and still is just miserable/shaking/freaking out. We have seen other vets, and seen all the vets at VCA North. They have all been kind, and willing to work with my terrified girl. We do have a favorite though, and I cannot say enough good things about Alena Abens. She has actually gotten my dog to ALMOST like her! She does exams on the ground, works very slowly, and is great at making both my anxious girl and myself comfortable with the visit. I recently moved out of the city about an hour away, but we continue to drive in to see Dr. Abens. I can't imagine at this point starting over with another vet. As my dog is getting older and we are having more and more vet visits, Dr. Abens is always available to talk on the phone or email to see if a visit is necessary. We've had dental exams, lumps tested and removed, and all other routine procedures done with VCA and all went very smoothly! Also the vet techs are all great, but Kevin specifically has also made a huge effort with my girl (and it's worked!). I am very grateful for everyone at VCA but especially Dr. Abens and Kevin the tech for all your compassion and effort!!! Read Less

We have just moved to Woodstock, but staying in Chicago with are son. We decided that trying to keep 2 crazy cats behaving while movers were working was just too much. We called VCA Chicago North to see if we could board them. We made an appointment and met the ladies at the front desk, the techs and Doctor. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, we felt good about leaving the kitties. So much easier for us and they are safe. The hospital was super clean, no icky smells, and super people. A+++ Read Less

Nice people who treated me and my son's big dog well. Lots of treats, and the receptionist was willing to call another store for vet records. My son's dog may have given a lower rating because of the ear cleaning he was forced to endure, but his ears got better! Read Less

We bring our dog and cat to VCA Chicago North, and have had a great experience with them. My dog is currently undergoing treatment and both vets have taken the time to explain and re-explain the process, risks, and what I should watch for. They do seem to be more expensive than some other animal hospitals, and the ambiance is not very inviting, but we have had a great experience with everyone who has helped us with our pets. Read Less

Love Dr. Jakubowski and Dr. Hunt! They see my two fur babies. They are nothing but caring and treat them like their own. Dr. Jakubowski even took the time to call/email with my cat's lab results and after her dental exam. I sincerely appreciate the love they put into the care of my animals! Read Less

I took my 2 month old dog tina for her wellness exam and being my first time having a pet my experience was excellent. Starting with the staff at the desk,the vet assistants were very friendly and helpful. Also helped me out with a lot of information. Thanks for the great service and recommendations. Read Less

The Vets and Vet Technicians here are professional, knowledgeable and very thorough. We have been taking our dog here for over 7-1/2 years now. The Vets are worthy of 4 or 5 stars (depending on WHICH Vet your pet and you see). There is no consistency here in terms of always having the same Vet, so this is part of the reason for a 3-star review. In addition, if you have a dog that has an "issue" (not a life threatening issue) you may not be able to get an appointment immediately! As a long-time client, I was disappointed. I recently found this out when my dog had an Abscess that burst (popped on its own). She was bleeding profusely and I needed to bring her in that same morning. Unfortunately, they could only see her at 5:30 p.m. The Abscess burst at 5 a.m. I ended up taking Annie to Randhurst Animal Hospital at 8:30 a.m. Although the quality of care at VCA is 4-star worthy it can definitely use some improvements. The front desk staff are always friendly, helpful, professional. The parking lot is very, very small so if they are super busy you may have to park on the side street nearest to their building. My final 3-star review is based on the above issues (reasons). Read Less

Took my 9 week old kitten for the wellness exam after adopting from Paws. Said they would call me the next morning with the fecal results. No call the next morning so I called in the afternoon and the results were not in yet and they should have them later in the evening. No call that evening so I just called now and was told they only have a partial result not the full result that should be in later in the afternoon. I asked what is a partial result and was told they have no information because the full result is not back yet. I asked if the full result was not back yet then why mention a partial result being in and that there is no information. I was then told the test takes 24-48 hours to get the results back something I was not told before. Will never bring my cats back to this place after this incident! Horrible customer service!!!! Read Less

This afternoon we had an emergency with our dog Clive. We came home to what must have been a fight between our two dogs, that left Clive with the tip of his ear dangling. We quickly checked our other dog for injuries (she was fine) then hurried him into the car and raced the 10minutes to our Vet of 9 years, VCA North on Elston. We got there at 4:14, was asked if we had an appointment? My husband proceeded to explain why we were there and that we have been taking our dogs here for many years. While they were looking up Clive's records, one receptionist said "Let me ask the Dr". After about a minute, she came out of the doctor's office and stated the Dr. is leaving at 5, and only waiting for the last appointment so they would NOT be able to see Clive for his emergency visit and that we should take him to the ER vet! They then gave us pamphlets with the ER vets and their addresses in the area! (We are very aware of all the ER locations in our area, but did not feel the need to go there first because our Vet, VCA North was open and it was during normal office hours. Of course your first thought is to go to the place that knows your pet best, as they have been your vet for over 9 years. They have Clives records, and would surely be able to treat him more efficiently)! So I thought. Now, keep in mind the tip of my dogs ear is dangling. We are there at our Vet during business hours for an emergency. Clive is clearly in pain and panting. And the Dr. Couldn't even take a moment to come out and look at Clive to make sure that he was okay enough to even make the trip to the ER. Just turned us away with no regard to the pain, confusion or duress he may have been under. Not to mention, just to ease my panic over his injury. Dr. Whistler should have at least come out to explain to us why she/he wasn't able to handle the situation, and relieve me of my panic for his safety and at the very least taken his pulse or made a quick examination, before sending us to the ER...I would have accepted that. And, I would not be writing this review. We raced Clive to the ER vet, where they shook their head after hearing what happened at VCA. Clive's heart rate was abnormal, they took an EKG. Their feelings were that he was in obvious pain, and their thoughts were to proceed with putting him under to repair the ear. That his heart irregularities and fever were most likely due to his pain. I volunteer all of my extra time with a local rescue, and my two pups rescued us over 9 years ago. I deal with many people in the animal rescue community and have met many Veterinarians on a regular basis. I have NEVER had a dog or myself treated this badly in all of my years. I will NEVER in good faith bring my dogs back to VCA as I do NOT trust that they have the best welfare of my dogs in mind. Who turns away a dog or any animal in an emergency without even a quick evaluation? Well VCA North on Elston and Dr. Whistler do.Read Less