VCA Animal Care Center of Chicago

I have been taking my cat to this veterinary clinic for almost four years now. The staff members are amazing and take the treatment of my cat very seriously. I am very grateful for the care they provide. Today, my cat had an appointment, and I called the office to inform them that I did not have a carrier to transport my cat. The staff member (whose name I unfortunately forgot) promptly offered me a disposable carrier. I went to the office to pick it up and my cat was able to safely make it to his appointment. Once again, I am grateful for the exceptional service provided by this veterinary clinic.

posted: 09/15/2023

We had a very bad experience here. Definitely avoid this place if you can. The vet is more of a salesman than a vet. It felt like just a business that tries to make money off our vulnerabilities. And they definitely do not know how to handle cats. We took our cat for his annual rabies shot. From the moment we walked in, they tried to sell us different things - first they tried to sell us their CarePlus plan with a dental care add on. Then they tried to recommend complete blood work just because we told them that our cat likes to drink water. They were unable to hold our cat for his vaccine (he was wriggling out), so they wrapped him in a towel and squeezed him so hard that he coughed. After the cough, they scared us about heartworm disease and tried to prescribe him X-Rays worth $300+. Finally, we offered to hold our cat while they put the vaccine, and the vet threatened us with thousands of dollars of fines if our cat bit him while they were trying to vaccinate him. Bottom line: They tried to sell me useless things to a point where I stopped trusting them completely - so even if there was one truth in there 10 lies I wouldn't know. So next time, I'll take my cat to a different vet.

posted: 10/03/2023

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! This place is a scam. I have been coming here for more than 5 years now.They would not tell you the charges ahead. I brought my dog there for his exam told me to come back in a week for a follow up. The exam cost $730 that’s fine because the doctor told me about the charges. What I did not know was coming back for a follow up they charge me another $77 when I check out today…. They did not tell me ahead of the charges and the most disappointing thing is when I told them why they didn’t tell me the charge before the follow up, the manager starts to tell me “ you got to pay to go and see a doctor” seriously who wouldn’t know that but at least doctor would tell you the price before doing anything. They should tell their customer of all the charge before doing anything.I have taken my other dogs to banfield and they do not charge for follow up. I do not care about the price for the exam and the follow up. You guys should at least tell me the charges beforehand and not letting me expect the bill to be different when i check out… one more thing the hospital manager is a Joke she can’t solve anything she just keep repeating over and over again seriously DO NOT COME HERE.

posted: 06/20/2023

GROOMING SERVICE I had high hopes of taking my puppy to her first grooming appointment at the vet we go to, since they always take great care of her when needed. I was very particular and direct on the type of cut I wanted, which was just a "puppy trim" as we wanted to leave her coat on the shaggy side. I also referenced wanting her to look more like the retriever in her than poodle multiple times because I know most groomers like to cut doodles more like a poodle (which we didn't want). I even sent pictures before the appointment and brought some with me, to avoid any miscommunication. I brush my puppy every day to avoid mats, so she doesn't have to be shaved because we love her longer coat. I was very upset when I picked her up, to find the opposite of what I asked for. Her hair was basically shaved, they went scissor crazy and gave her a poodle face/head that I did not want. It almost looks like a terrible bowl cut toddlers got in the 90s. It was an overall disappointment. If you are expecting the type of cut you ask for, I wouldn't use the grooming services here. First pic is for desired "trim" length reference.

posted: 03/25/2019

Wow! I'm sitting next to a very content cat right now, all rolled up into a ball. I think he was happier today than your average day, and had some excitement. This is a cat that went to the vet today. A little backstory, my little guy, whom is a kitten, has only been to VetCo (PetCo's mobile veterinarian service) and PAWS, for vaccines and neutering. VetCo has been such a horrible experience, that little my cat is traumatized by this point, from seeing a vet. They couldn't even complete his pre-surgical examination at PAWS, by the time I took him there just 12 days ago, because he was so freaked out (and he isn't really a little scaredy cat, nor is he fractious at home). So finally, I got him into VCA for his first real vet appointment. I didn't expect for them to be able to examine him, but at least I knew I could get all my health questions for him answered, and hopefully they wouldn't tell me to never to bring him back again. I forgot to ask if they had cat empathetic or Fear-Free certified veterinarians there, when making an appointment, so I asked when I arrived. The front desk staff didn't know what I was talking about, but started listing amongst themselves some of their vets that were already really good with cats, and one of them just happened to be who my baby got to see today. The front desk staff were super attentive to my furball's needs and friendly throughout the visit. They got me out of the stress of the front waiting area with the other animals, and into a exam room right away. They let me take him out of his carrier, but we hardly had to wait at all, despite being early for the appointment. I brought toys and treats, and put him on the metal exam table, so I could start helping him make a positive association with those tables. When the veterinarian came in, he was so cool! I got to asking my questions first, and by the time I was done, FluffBall wasn't even afraid of the vet anymore- just a little timid. And BAM! We got a whole physical examination done! No hissing, not a thing! The veterinarian even checked his mouth, and my little guy was cooler with it than he is with me doing that! MIND YOU, this was a previously "fractious" cat, that was at the point before this that he could barely be touched by a vet or their technician. A miracle! Not only that, but my little guy got a welcome bag! It had toys and all sorts of goodies in it, and he was so excited to get it! VCA is running first time appointments at a promotional price right now, which I think is great, because I really think it helps the animal community out there. Not only that, but their booster shots run less cost than horrible VetCo! Also, they have excellent hours of operation, and they were able to advise me on which times were least packed, to make it less stressful for the cat. Parking isn't bad- it's free street parking. Another cool thing, is they're pretty sanitary here, and I think the notes on the entry door said that they have a separate entrance for sick pets. Thanks VCA for performing a 180, miracle, on my little guy. I'm glad to make this my new home veterinarian.

posted: 12/10/2019