Downers Grove Animal Hospital And Bird Clinic

The good--- Doctor Bob. He is very passionate about what he does and really tries to service customers at a high level. The bad--- Doctor Graham and staff. He can care less about you or your pet. He's a very good salesmen and will try to suck as much money out of you as possible. I also was very rudely treated by the technician who followed up after the Doc had left the room. She slapped my hand away when showing me how to give my dog pills, because I didn't read the label. I didn't get her name, but she was an older lady. On a side note, my dog caught the flu here during vaccinations and they charged me an extra $140 for the pills. I'll be taking my business elsewhere. Read Less

It's a shame that this vet has received some negative reviews... Each doctor, and in this instance veterinarian, has a bedside manner. We all click with individuals differently. I have been bringing my four dogs here, since I have had each of them, for 8 1/2 years. Since each of my dogs has their own personality and sometimes different needs, they don't all see the same doctor. As a matter of fact, I prefer a different doctor for each of my dogs. So if you don't like the first doctor you see, please be sure to try another one of the doctors, on your next visit. If you prefer warm and fuzzy, try Dr. Max Merkin or Dr. Sharon Wehling. On the other hand for a more technical/clinical doctor, I'd say Dr. Graham Merkin or Dr. Bob Merkin. That being said, I trust the life and health of my dogs with all the doctors! All the staff is wonderful!!! They each genuinely care about my dogs. Read Less

We have used Downers Grove Animal Hospital for well over 10 years. We had several Guinea pigs and now our second dog receiving care from various doctors at this facility. I’ve never left there feeling unheard or that my animals were missed treated. Quite the opposite actually. The staff, including the doctors, have always made sure that I understood exactly what their perspective was on any situation we were dealing with and helped to get the best medical care for each illness/concern. Kathy Read Less

Gary loves to visit and staff gives him lots of love. Doctors are all well trained and good with the pets in there care. Gary was just treated for an ear infection and is doing very good. I will always bring my dogs to the Downers Grove Animal Hospital. Read Less

Overall, everyone at this clinic has been friendly and they seem to really care about the animals that they treat. Our previous visits have all been pleasant, but our most recent visit with my kitty was an emergency visit for lily plant toxicity. She stayed at DGAH from a Monday night to a Wednesday afternoon (~48 hours) for treatment, but unfortunately she still didn't make it and passed away at home two days later on Friday. Although I still think that they probably should have kept her for at least a day longer for tests and observation, I know that they were doing their best and were ready to do whatever was necessary to help her. The doctor sent me a personal sympathy letter, which I appreciate. Read Less

They say my pets are 'violent' and try to bit them, yet no other vet in the past 5 years has ever said that. In fact it is usually the opposite, they say my cats fall asleep or like them. They constantly get my cats gender wrong, and several of the nurses are very rough with them.We have switched vets due to this and the sheer cost. Update (2/13/17) I had the Vet reach out to me and apologize for the issues we had with several of the nurses. This type of follow up is making me reconsider never going back, but time will tell. Also it is mostly the nurses who are the issue, the vet themselves have always been wonderful. Read Less

We recently moved to Downers Grove and took our dog to Downers Grove Animal Hospital initially for vaccines. They were very nice, professional, and the facility was spotless and modern. Shortly after that our dog developed a hematoma in her ear which required surgery. Dr. Max performed the surgery and we have followed up with Dr. Graham. Our dog is doing really well and gets the stitches out next week. DGAH, its veteranarians, and staff exceeded our expectations. Read Less

Terrible experience with our 9 wk old puppy. Vet tech, Jill, quoted me $3,400-5,000 for 48 hrs of hospital care and wanted $3,400 up front before any treatment. When I questionedthe cost she treated me extremely punitively and made me feel like a terrible person in what was already a vulnerable situation for us and our precious pup. When we mentioned taking our pup to a different hosp she exacperatedly said IF SHE EVEN SURVIVES the transport as if we were evil for not having 3400 to give them or consider a more cost effective practice. We ended up transporting our dog to Countryside Veterinary and it was a third of the cost and everyone was extremely kind. Most importantly we have a healthy puppy again and we aren't bankrupt. Read Less

I also had doctor Merkin. I'm rating based on the price for their service provided. I had taken my baby macaw in for a first time check up and DNA sexing. The whole bill was roughly $600 for our first (and last) visit. The DNA sexing alone was already $75. I was new to owning birds at the time and I did not know that I was getting ripped off. I could have had it done myself for way less, and I had people later left and right offering to do my next bird for me for $25. At the time, I thought this was just how much people needed to spend on their pet bird at the vet. When I spoke to another avian vet who had offered to do all of the blood tests for less than $150. What made me the most upset was that, after all this, they did not even have my DNA sex certification on file, which meant that I had to keep this little half slip of paper saying "Congratulations, it's a boy!" that was the only way of proving my macaw's gender.I rated them on google, and doctor Merkin had called me and tried to find me a "cheaper vet" and basically that the price is what it is at his clinic. As a person who also believes that "if you don't like the price, don't come here", I have to say that the service provided was not even worth a quarter of what i paid for. If i paid $50 more for DNA sexing than the average person, I'd at least expect them to keep a certificate on file. The two stars is for the place being clean. I didn't think he had a poor attitude, but I also don't think he was very compassionate either. Read Less

I have both a dog and cat. Service was very good in regard to explaining what was going on re my particular situations. Staff caring and friendly. Doctors very good. The facility is extremely clean. Your pets are in good hands here. Read Less

I have been taking my animals to Downers Grove Animal Hospital for close to 40 years! I have always been satisfied with the care my animals have received. My animals always board there as well and I can have a relaxed trip, knowing my cat or dog is get top-notch care.Read Less

I have a border collie with Addison's Disease and every now and then he needs extra special attention in between his regularly scheduled injections. Dr. Bob Merkin is very sympathetic to the high expenses that come along with an Addisonian dog. He never pushes tests when he already knows what the test will tell him. I am so appreciative of his honesty and compassion with my dog.The Vet Techs are also phenomenal. They always greet my dog and I by name and come up and give some nice scratches before we are seen by the vet. Highly recommend!! Read Less

Well, we saw another kitten that needed a home and sure enough it was ours! Even though rescue shelters provide you with a free vet visit we like all of our little guys to go to the same doctors. When we moved to this area we had pets that really needed care(We had just moved back from three years in India.). Sadly one of our first encounters with DGAH was to have a very elderly cat euthanized. Since then we have gone through tragic experiences and routine care with the staff and doctors. We have been extremely pleased with the care and compassion shown to us. I like that we are given treatment options and have a voice in our pets' care. We have had to make decisions both financial,practical and humane. We have never felt pressured, only guided in our decisionmaking. I find the doctors to be clinical when necessary and compassionate when we are hurting.So today a much healthier little kitten came home to us. She was pretty sick when we adopted her but didn't notice until we brought her home. Maybe the initial care she received at the shelter wasn't what she needed but the Drs. Merkin embraced her care and now a once sick kitten is annoying my dog! Thank you! We are greateful that you are always there when we need you. Read Less

The staff at DGAH were amazing. They took excellent care of our dog Moli when she ingested some dangerous pills and her regular vet wasn't open. In the emergency they remained calm and explained exactly what they were going to do to help her. They kept her overnight for 2 nights and took great care of her. Dr. Graham was nice and informative. He definitely seems to be more of an animal person than a people person, he was kind of short with me but seemed very passionate about helping my dog and giving her the best care possible. He explained everything to me and answered all of mine and my mom's questions. He called when he said he would to update us on Moli's condition. He even explained that he'd be gone for the weekend but that he had talked to his brother Dr. Max and had filled him in on Moli's information. Dr. Max also called to update me on Moli's condition and answered all my questions, and from our phone conversations he sounded very nice. The staff was very nice. They were helpful and answered any questions I had. They even let me come and visit Moli one afternoon which I can't imagine any other place would do. One down side was that I wasn't notified when Moli vomited which was bothersome as I was told I'd be updated of any changes to her health both good an bad. Otherwise we had a great experience and everyone loved Moli :) Thanks again DGAH for saving our girl!! Read Less

Dr. Sharon Wehling gave me guidance and gave compassion to my 18 year old cat in his last year of life.  I miss my furry friend but I know his life was better because of her care.  I am  grateful to her and  staff for their kindness. Read Less

I rarely write reviews, but I feel I must regarding Dr. Graham Merkin. I have met with Dr. G. Merkin twice and in both cases he was terse and lacks a real sense of compassion for pet or owner. He is simply clinical and cold. Why he is a vet I have no idea? Over a year ago I took my 7 year old ferret to him and he declared he had a spinal injury and there was nothing to be done but euthanasia. So I had to say good bye to my sweet little pet. Fast forward a year (this year) but now I was in Iowa due to family issues and my other ferret showed the same signs as my previous ferret but this vet diagnosed his buddy as having an ULCER. My ferret simply had a STRESS ULCER!!! I treated with an antibiotic for three weeks and he recovered nicely. Now I ask myself was my other ferret euthanized (similar symptoms; black tarry stools, weight loss, fatigue) for a curable and common ulcer? I returned to Dr.Graham Merkin for an assessment of growths on my second surviving ferret's skin and it was obvious he was pushing for expensive biopsies that even he admitted may show nothing more than what he found in his office (inconclusive cells.) Merkin prescribed topical antimicrobials applied for three weeks that did NOTHING, but drain my pocketbook and aggravate my ferret. My pet felt better with simply warm soothing baths...I took my ferret to another vet that was conservative and compassionate who evaluated food allergies and prescribed children's antihistamine, Benadryl, an inexpensive over the counter med. My ferret is quite old and there was NO PRESSURE or guilt to operate or biopsy from the other vet unlike Dr. Merkin. My ferret is eating, drinking, playing, and doing well at eight years old without the trauma of surgery or the scare tactic I got from Dr. Merkin. I will not return. But mostly, it is the fact that Dr. Merkin does not have a compassionate bedside manner which pets and owners deserve through difficult times. Read Less

We have had a great experience with this vet.  We have a dog with allergies, and the prices are what we have seen around the area.  We board our dog here as well because when we have boarded him in other places he has come back with an allergic reaction (someone gave him something they shouldn't have).  We like all the Dr's and enjoy that it's a family business. Read Less

Hello, I am a first time pet owner and I live in downers grove. I wanted a vet nearby, b/c I like the thought of knowing fluffy's vet is right around the corner. I chose Downers Grove Animal Hospital for that reason and I believed it would be a friendly place. My first visit fluffy and I were very excited. I had just bought fluffy from a breeder and he was a bit dirty, and I hadn't cleaned him b/c I didn't think I should with him not having his shots and him being so young. Anyways the doctor looked at fluffy, handled him fairly roughly and stuck him with shots. Fluffy was bleeding and I had to ask the doctor to wipe the blood. The doctor looked at fluffy's ear and immediately diagnosed it as an ear infection. That bought my bill up really high. I didn't want to pay for the ear medicine and cleaner. So I took the medicine and bought ear cleaner for about $10 at Petsmart. When I told the receptionist I wasn't going to pay for the cleaner or 3 months worth of heart guard they just threw on my bill without asking she became very rude. I give this visit 0 stars! I decided to give it one more shot. I am busy, I am in school full time and I work full time. Therefore it is hard to find free time for appointments at times. I missed an early 9am appointment this past Thursday morning so I called and rescheduled for that same morning At 1045am. An older lady receptionist was very nice, on the other hand the main receptionist was very uppity and didn't really give direct answers for my questions. I had the same doctor as before. When he walked in the room I was in the middle of texting my boss I would be a bit late for work. The doctor scolded me very harshly and unprofessionally! " I'm not going to complete your dogs check up if you continue on your phone"  we're his words. I Kidd you not his face became very scary and mean, I explained in was texting my boss, so I would have a job to pay your bills. He says I don't care like I said I'm not going to continue if you stay on your phone. I put my phone down for the sake of fluffy. After his check I told the doctor about fluffy's ear and how it was cut the day before while he was getting a trim. He said you can pay 3-400 for stitches, get it glued or let it heal on its own. 3-400 for stitches? When I got stitched it wasn't that much and it would have been only about 4 stitches. I chose the glue. Next we talked about getting fluffy neutered and he asked if it is too correct marking, I replied yea that is one of the reasons. His face became very red and mean looking again and he says no! That is not going to correct it, you need to get him trained. I replied he is getting trained and he learned that from previous owners.I would not recommend Downers Grove Animal hospital to anyone. Worst place you could take your animal. I am in the process of transferring fluffy to Banfield in Lombard. Everyone has told me great things about Banfield. Please do not go here. Worst experience by far!!!!!*THIS IS A TRUE STORY* Read Less

I had a dog that was very sick. He had tumors in both his mouth and ears. My regular vet kept ignoring them and was more interested in giving him his shots. I went to DGAH and saw Dr. Bob. He performed the surgery. It was worse than we thought. We had to put him down after about 5 days. ( He had other health issues)When I brought my dog home he kept removing his bandages. I called Dr. Bob, and he met me in his office after hours, and on his day off just to change his bandages.He gave me his cell phone number and told me to call at anytime, even during the night if my dog removed his badages. Even though we had to put him down, I know that he received the best care possible. I have never met a vet that cared as much as Dr. Bob did. His staff was also vey helpful and friendly. Read Less

I brought my puppy on Thursday (July 5) here after being told from the Groomer she couldn't clip the knots in her hair. I was told I had to take her to a vet, for which she gave me two names. This vet was the only one who could take her. So I brought her in, I was told by vet groomer wasn't in, but he would do his best. When she came back she was shaved bald, a little more than I thought was needed, but hair will grow back. Later that night she started howling and crying. Her skin was RED so red I tought something was wrong, Friday I called, they said bring her in, After talking to several people I decided she needed to go to another vet. So I took her only to find out she has Clipper Burn. This was suppose to be a haircut for her Birthday that was on Sunday July 8. Which we had to cancel her little party. She is on Pain Meds. along with treating cream for the burns which are on her joints of her legs, her stomach and hindend. The vet we ended up with has called to see hows she's doing twice. Sadly this was one Birthday this puppy won't forget. Nor will I has I have the guilt of putting her in the hands of someone who should have never touched her. This is Monday and she's still suffering. Giving the ONE STAR was One to many, when in my heart it should be MINUS 10. You couldn't pay me to take any Animal here. Read Less

My dog loved Marty the groomer! He normally dislikes going to the groomer but as soon as he met Marty, he was smiling and wagging his tail.  When I picked him up 3 hours later, he looked so pretty.  I have a bichon frise so it takes work to make him look pretty.  He looked like he should be in a dog show. : )   Marty was thorough and he's def a pro.  We got the package with hair cut, bath, nails, and ear-cleaning.  It was $50 plus a $10 tip.  I did have a coupon that I picked up at the counter for first-time customers for $10.  I highly recommend Marty. Read Less

Pretty good. Sort of a family run operation with the Merkens (pop and two sons) as the primary vets. They seem to place a lot of emphasis on a pet's quality of life which is nice.Staff is very pleasantt and always helpful. Read Less