I love cats.I love every kind of cat. I just wanna hug all of them... but I can't. Can't hug every cat. And it does make me emotional to think about. Not even joking. I watch that e-Harmony spoof vide... Read More
I love cats.I love every kind of cat. I just wanna hug all of them... but I can't. Can't hug every cat. And it does make me emotional to think about. Not even joking. I watch that e-Harmony spoof video (bit.ly/1bxyI7P) and it seems perfectly normal and perfectly healthy to me. That is *EXACTLY* how I feel about cats. Humans... meh. I look at a human, I feel nothing... just dead inside. But a cat? I'm in a glass case of emotion. So when any of my 4 cats (yes, you read that correctly) need medical attention I turn all tiger-mom and get highly protective, and seek only the best. Even if it's something as (seemingly) simple as a teeth cleaning. I'd gradually been feeling more and more non-plussed about our regular vet's office over the last few years and that was brought to a boiling point about 8 weeks ago when I stole my boy Homer back from the vet before his procedure and stormed out. It was then that I went on the hunt for a new vet that would treat my 4 boys the way I would treat them, the way they deserve, and hopefully not rip me off in the process. Though West Suburban is quite the drive for me and my guys, I came based on the recommendation of my friends, Andres D and Brooke E, as I know both they and their dogs personally and know they have the same level of expectations when it comes to the care of our furry friends. When I first called West Suburban, I was kind of hoping to get right in and book a teeth cleaning for Homer like I've done in the past at our last vet, but that's not how they operate here. This is a legit operation. I had to make an initial consultation appointment ($89-ish) where I met Dr Alison Muehrcke, who is basically a shining ray of light and our pet care savior. The facility here is as gorgeous as it is immaculate, all the staff are helpful and compassionate and that's something that's at the top my wishlist when it comes to my boyz. Dr Muehrcke is the first Dr we saw and on our follow-up appointments I've made it a point to request and schedule based on her being there. I could tell right away that Dr Muehrcke (pronounced 'merky', if you're making an appointment) was genuine in her love for animals, more specifically for cats. I've seen a lot of vets and most of them are clear dog fans... which is fine, I'm a dog fan, too... but I like for them to be able to relate to my guys and hopefully see a bit of their cats in mine so they can get the best care possible. Dr Muehrcke is basically the Captain Phillips of pet care providers. If something goes down, Dr Muehrcke puts your pet's life above all.Our first consultation and time with Dr M lasted longer than any Dr appointment I've ever for myself as a human, so I knew they weren't cutting corners when it came to little Home-slice. My guy ended up getting a bunch tests done and we actually got some real results from West Suburban - not the inconclusive results we'd always been given in the past. Our bill at the end of the first visit was pretty pricey at touch above $400, but I finally got some semi-definitive answers on my guy that's had lifelong health problems, so I absolutely felt it was worth it. Dr Muehrcke was realistic in going through the surgery that Homer needed to have and I liked that they give you a print of of the surgery cost estimate so you aren't in sticker shock and can prepare for the price tag. The surgery estimate has a high and low-end amount, since sometimes it can be hard to tell exactly what will need to be done until they get in there. Our estimate ran from $600 up to $1500... GULP. But what would I prefer, dropping the $1500 to make Homer better or having to make some sad but more cost-effective decisions in the short-term about Homer's life. The answer was clear to me. The first available spot for Homer to get in with his surgery with Dr M was over a month after our initial appointment. I LOVE that Dr Muehrcke herself will keep in contact over Homer's medical state via phone before and even during the surgery when an executive decision needed to be made. The office was really kind in keeping me aware of Homer's condition and updating on anything I'd want to know, which was basically everything. When I arrived back at the office that same day to pick my guy up, I spoke with Alexis, who was also a shining beam of light and basically the January Jones of pet healthcare. She explained everything so clearly and even called again the next day to check up on my guy and give further test results. In the end, they had to do a lot more in surgery in than we'd initially anticipated, but somehow the bill still came out closer to the lower end of the estimate than the higher (which was a huge sigh of relief for me) and sent me packing with a kit for Homer and some chicken flavored medicine that he literally ate out of the palm of my hand. If you've ever tried to feed a cat a pill, then you know it was worth the price of surgery for those easy-feed chicken flavored meds. Read Less