VCA Misener-Holley Animal Hospital

I’ve tried several vets in the area and have recently taken both of my cats here. The service was prompt and courteous. Both Dr. Spieker and Dr. Fitzgerald were kind and willing to work with me to make choose the most essential services so that I could stay within my limited budget. They’ve officially become my go to vets!

In the few months I took my cat there I spent more money on taking care of him then in all 8 years I had him previously combined.
They overcharge for simple procedures, without getting your consent in advance to pay for them. They also sell you many things you do not need.
The staff is friendly, but you will get shamed if you do not have enough money to take all the procedures they suggest.
I will not go back there again.

Wow. I wish I could find a physician for myself that would take care of me the way Dr Spieker took care of my Pomeranian. We came in for fur loss skin issues. After getting all of the records from another vet (corporate) and analyzing some tests, I feel that Dr. Spieker has really taken the time and care that define a truly excellent vet, and I will never bring my dogs to anyone else! Totally awesome.

We have taken our 2 new PAWS kittens to Misener-​Holley and we have been very pleased with the treatment they have received. I was surprised to read such negative reviews as we have been in numerous times since adopting our kittens and everyone has been really great, from the front staff, to the vet techs to the vets. The woman over the phone has been very helpful and kind as well when helping us get clarifications on our kitty meds.

First of all, let me say that I LOVE my dog. He was born in my hand and he is the best. He is already 15, so now that we are in Rogers Park, we’ve been coming here. DON’T COME HERE! The Indian guy (the tech) CANNOT even take blood without sticking my dog, UNAPOLOGETICALLY, 8 times in his NECK! Dr. Fitzgerald is like a dumb blonde. SHe «guesses» at best, and when i questioned her on a natural remedy she got angry and said she ONLY KNOWS SO MUCH. She got smart and said that my dog won’t be able to go to the pharmacy and buy his own medicine, and they also have ZERO COMPASSION. Even the old lady that answers the phone is a GROUCH. The atmosphere is DEPRESSING. UNPROFESSIONALISM and IDIOTS work here.

Make sure you double and triple check your bills BEFORE you walk out of here. Make sure everything makes sense and make sure that you have EVERYTHING before you leave. They made a mistake on my bills (overcharge me) at least twice. The first time, my puppy was supposed to get some antibiotics (10 day course) and IV fluids. When I got home, I realized that there was no IV fluid but I was charged for it. I called and they said they will take it off my bill and told me to call and come in when I need the IV fluid. A couple days later (on my day off) I called for the IV fluid but they told me I needed to make a new appointment and the puppy needed to be re-​evaluated blah blah. The vet was on vacation and the on-​call vet wasn’t comfortable giving IV fluid, so we ended not giving it. I also realized later that I was only given 5 days of antibiotics instead of 10 days.
2^nd bad experience: both my puppies came in to be neutered and I was overbilled. For example, they charged me for two leashes but only gave me one. They charged one puppy with a fecal test (but he already had a prepaid fecal test). I also bought the puppy packages which supposed to reduce the expenses but I still don’t understand how it came out to be about $ 200 per puppy. I was originally told that it would cost me $ 150 per puppy but I get all these little charges that add up and made no sense.
3^rd bad experience: I was suckered into getting my puppy’s nails trimmed. The vet said his nails were too long (even though we just went to the groomers a few days ago). They offered to trim his nails for a fee. The tech came in and my puppy started barking (he does not like old men with deep voices for some reason), and I told the tech he should put on a mask for the puppy in case he bites but the tech said no. Fine. My puppy tried to bite him while he was trimming but he continued and ended up making my puppy bleed (not sure if it was intentional or accident). The tech acted cool and was said it was normal for the puppy to bleed. He didn’t finish his job and told me to finish trimming them at home (with his techniques he just showed me).
I am thinking of finding my puppies a new vet. I continue to have bad experiences here. Don’t get me wrong, the staff here are very nice but it’s definitely getting expensive and the quality isn’t living up to the costs.

Used to be a four-​star before they were bought out by VCA — but now both expensive and less caring. Also seems somewhat less clean, but I’m now going to another vet so I’m just judging from a quick peek inside from the door.

I was very scared about bringing my big boy Vito in because he was definitely ill. But the instant I checked in, I was put at ease. The front desk staff, especially Monica, was beyond friendly. They properly ooh’ed and ahh’ed at my handsome cat who obviously is the handsomest and best cat ever.
The techs were also helpful, especially Candace (I think that was her name). Vito was given many treats to distract him from being violated by a thermometer. He barely even noticed what was going on back there.
Dr. Spieker is also lovely. She knew that I was worried about money and was very frank about what would be the best options for what I could afford. I was also able eto get an estimate for treatment that day so that I wasn’t shocked once I checked out.
I very highly recommend this hospital to anyone. I’ve already made an appointment to take my other little fluffin in to see Dr. Spieker.

I had an emergency on my hands. Normally I go to the VCA on Chicago Ave but Misener is 5 minutes away. When I came home I discovered that my 16 year old, diabetic kitty couldn’t use one of her front legs. It was 6:15, they were open until 7:00 but had the 6:30 appointment available. I flew there. The staff were wonderful, came running to me to grab her crate and take her in. The vet was wonderful. I ended up being there well past their closing time but it didn’t seem like anyone was rushing to close up. After expensive tests and heart wrenching options I chose to let her go. They had received her information from my VCA and told me that they would send the results back to my vet. I requested the paw print instead of the ashes. A week later I find out that they never notified my vet and I still didn’t have the paw print. I called and was told that they were waiting for some special ‘glaze’. In all of my years of owning pets and subsequently getting paw prints I know for a fact that the clay used is simply baked in a conventional oven to harden once the print is made. I asked if they had forgotten to take the print. «oh no! I’ll go back and check. yes! it’s there, I saw it. she’s just still waiting for the glaze.» I called my vet and no one there has heard of this glaze thing. It’s now 2 weeks and still no paw print or phone call. I used to go to this place on a regular basis almost 30 years ago but I find this experience was extremely disappointing and saddening. I have nothing but pictures and memories which will do but to have been lied to is unforgivable.

I was told my dog would die if I did not commit to thousands of dollars of tests and treatments immediately.
Yes. True story. In short, I was pet sitting my long-​term boyfriends dog (I own dogs and have done this tons of time, so I am a competent owner) and something happened, so I had to take her to the vet immediately.
After a couple of questions and getting the dog’s weight, I was told her life was on the line and she would die if I did not commit to thousands of dollars of tests and treatments. Then the «vet» literally put a time limit on me — «I have 15 minutes before you have to make up your mind». And THEN, when I said I wanted to call the owner before such a huge decision — she told the owners, over the phone, that their dog would most likely have to be euthanized!!! She hadn’t so much as drawn the dog’s blood and she felt comfortable telling a family on vacation that their dog was going to die.
I left panicked and in tears and went somewhere else… where I was informed that the dog would be ok and just needed fluids — and she was fine.
Wild misdiagnosis and horrible bedside manor — if that’s the proper term in this case.
Worst service experience I’ve had EVER. Do not recommend.

I adopted a kitten from PAWS and came here for our initial «free» check up. The women working at the front desk were very nice and happy to accommodate our late night schedule. This isn’t the nicest office, but it seemed like they took care of the animals and were using up to date products.
We do not plan to return here because it is too far from our home, but it is a decent location for the initial check up.

Like alot of people, I adopted my dog from Paws and was told to go to a VCA for free 5 day post adoption check up. My dog had productive cough and was a bit lethargic when I took him in. The vet performed a thorough exam and a chest xray and diagnosed my dog with pneumonia. He was prescribed antibiotics and he got better quickly.
Since that first appointment, I have been taking my dog there for a year to get vaccines, meds and care even though the place is a bit inconvenient to get to for me. Today I decided to get my dog’s records to move him to a closer vet. The receptionist was super nice and helpful.
All the vets, vet techs, and receptionists have been really professional and courteous. I never had trouble getting appointments and someone always followed up with test results and any questions I had. Everyone took great care of my dog and I could tell the people that work there really are animal lovers. If my dog didn’t have such severe carsickness, I would continue to go there. I feel badly about taking my business elsewhere but I’m happy that I won’t have to clean dog vomit every time I go to the vet.

I have 2 cats, one of them 2.5 years old and the other one just .3.5 months old which I adopted the kitty from paws. I was told to go to vet for check up in 5 days for the kitty. I already knew kitty got all his shuts but rabies shot. I told the vet the case and she said it is too early for rabies shot bcz kitten needs to be 16 – 17 weeks old. I said ok we can do that. After that I was told kitten needs temper shot, vaccine, worm test plus my older cat needs a some treatment bla bla bla bla. They give me a empty cup for the worm test bcz u need a fresh poop from kitty. Everything looks fine. So I ready to check out and they tried to chafe me for the service I didn’t get yet. What I call this a big rip off. These people only using the feelings of animal lover like myself. That was my second time in this animal hospital and the last. I have no trust for anybody in this place and I never recommend it.

My boyfriend and I have only been here once, twice if you count picking up medication, so our experience was limited but great. Our pup saw Dr. Baldwin and she was very sweet. She explained everything to us, even our miscellaneous puppy questions, and when she got the results back the following week, she personally called and explained the medication and what she found to me instead of having a lab tech call with no information (something Banfield loves to do). So far, so good. We’ll see about the future. :) Oh, bonus, one of the receptionists (forgot her name :() there is awesome. The woman obviously loves dogs and has either been at VCA, or other animal hospitals, for a long time because she knows her ish.

I was very happy that they had time to get my dog in right away. I was happy with the thorough exam and the on target diagnosis. Staff was totally incompetent. One staff member told me how to manage the after-​care one way. The other staff member told me something completely opposite. The charges were over the top and at one point they wanted me to pay for a service that I did not receive «just in case». I, of course, went to a new vet and they couldn’t find my records to fax to the new vet. My records were lost. STAY AWAY!!!

I adopted my kitty from PAWS and was directed to this clinic for a free checkup. PAWS and VCA have some sort of relationship wherein if your rescue dog/​cat needs further assistance in the following months, you get a certain amount of coverage free of charge as well. Well, this really came in handy when my kitty wound up having some eye and ear problems.
To keep it short, Dr. Fitzgerald has been amazing and I would definitely recommend her to anyone! She is very sweet, kind towards animals, and will take the time to explain everything to you.

My cats are my babies. Banjo is a year and a half, and Sharky is only 4 months old. Both came from PAWS, and both had ALL the typical shelter sicknesses; ear gunk, kennel cough, giardia, eating non-​edible household items, etc. PAWS actually recommended this vet clinic, and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about all of my experiences there in the past year.
The women at the front desk are helpful and offer my cats treats or toy mice (from what look like candy jars, adorable!) when we’re in the waiting room. I love that they have separated the cat waiting room from the dog waiting room, and there’s even a fish tank for the kitties to look at from their carrier.
The technicians and vets are delightful people as well. In fact, we took Banjo to see Dr. Berit Spieker early this morning! They got me in even though it’s Christmas Eve! Now I don’t have to spend Christmas day worrying about his cold. Thank you to all of the staff for their help today, including getting Banjo (he’s such a Garfield) back into his carrier.
The prices seem standard for animal heath care. The facility itself is clean and welcoming. They recently updated their actual hospital and dental area. The location is only a short bus ride from where I live, and the neighborhood is certainly safe enough that I don’t mind evening appointments. And while no pet is going to jump with glee into his carrier to go to the vet, once mine get to the VCA they actually seem very comfortable.
Take it from this animal lover: I LOVE the VCA!!!

Eh, this place is okay. I’ve only been here a couple of times because it’s where the previous owner of my pup used to go. One of the receptionists is just awesome and Dr. Fitzgerald is okay but charge wise, this is not the place to go. They do have half priced shot days but it’s still pretty pricey for emergency events. More so than some of the fancier places up north.
Most of the techs are nice too but what really irked me and made me not want to come back was a situation of the one of the tech’s talking about my dog loudly with the door open about a possible condition that the doc. hadn’t mentioned to me about it. When another tech came in to tell me it would be a few more minutes I asked him about it and he completely ignored me and shut the door in my face. I then heard him say «she heard you» to the other tech. He blatantly ignored me instead of just saying «the doc will explain it when she comes in». So rude! Needless to say when I took my dog to my normal vet for a second opinion they are not only charging me a ¹⁄₃ of the cost but determined this secondary condition, I overheard the vet tech’s talking about, is in fact not the case at all. Vet tech’s, don’t diagnose my dog and if you’d like to try, please don’t do it when us owners can clearly hear you.
I’m done here. The service is meh and sooo not worth the price!

I took my dog here on December 23^rd because she began limping on one of her hind legs because they were able to fit us in quickly with the holidays. It has been a few rough weeks, but I believe that I have finally had time to cool off.
The people working her were very friendly, but as other have said they are all about selling their services and products. My dog had a physical examination, rabies & distemper vaccination, heartworm medication, and a week supply of anti-​inflammatory medicine. The total bill was $ 600 dollars, which is incredibly ridiculous. I had them reduce the heartworm medicine, which brought the bill down, but I still was charged for a preemptive fecal test. It was determined that my dog likely had a sprained her leg, and to return for x-​rays if she didn’t improve with rest and medicine. I also received a $ 1,000 quote for dental work to be performed.
Later that evening, my dog developed a horrible allergic reaction and was taken to the animal ER. Fortunately, they were able to improve her condition and break the reaction.
The day after my dog finished the anti-​inflammatory prescription, I awoke to find my dog had been suffering from vomiting and diarrhea overnight. Again, I rushed her to the ER where she was given fluids and brought back to life. I spend the next few days nursing my dog back to health, despite the leg problem that still persists. I decide to find another veterinary to visit for a follow up and proceed with solving her leg problem.
I am not blaming the VCA Misener-​Holley hospital for my dogs problems, however I was upset that they took me for so much money. It has been incredibly nerve wrecking to have my dog suffer, and not know how if I would be able to afford to pay for her treatment. In addition to the $ 1,000 dental estimate, I was told the xrays to determine the leg problem would be an additional $ 300 — $ 400 dollars.
Thanks to Unilocal,I found another vet in the area, and had a wonderful experience. The people were incredibly friendly and compassionate. It should be noted that the staff of Misener-​Holley were also very friendly. The best part about my new vet is that my dog is having the x-​rays and dental work performed for $ 500 dollars. I cannot believe that the VCA Misener-​Holley animal hospital could take advantage of people while their animal is suffering.

The doctor herself was very nice during the visit but also very medicine happy so use your head. What I did not like is that she wanted to give my dog antibiotics and Benadryl for everything. I said wait a minute lets first find out if she needs them first.
I have a problem with giving a puppy Benadryl for itching… IT is not ok with me to medicate an animal just because you are lazy to find out why she is itching.
They also love to pump up that vet bill at ALL costs. SELL you tests and medicine and push that Science Diet down your dogs throat and they even CHARGE you SEPARATELY for disposal of a POOP sample.
I am not an idiot and I know when an animal is really sick and needs real medical attention, but it angers me when a VET supposedly an animal lover attempts to sell you poor quality products just to make a buck.
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