West Loop Veterinary Care

My husband and I are new to Chicago and new to the West Loop. We found West Loop Veterinary Care just a couple of blocks from our apartment and they are WONDERFUL. They have taken amazing care of our dog Henry and have been thorough and thoughtful during every exam. The veterinary technicians are outstanding and every doctor we have seen is fantastic.
More recently we have been seeing Dr. Maria Racioppo. She has made it to the top of the list for favorite veterinarians. She has called us several times to check in on Henry and further discuss his care. I can tell she really cares about our dog and has a great approach to her patient care and the way she communicates with the owners. All of the doctors we have seen at West Loop are great but we have really appreciated our recent visits with Dr. Racioppo. :)

Darn Unilocal for not providing the option of half stars, because I would rate this place at 4 ½ stars if I could. If you want skip, to the end for why I would take a ½ off.
These guys are great for both my dogs and cats, but I did have to try several in order to find the perfect fit. I think Dr. Gonsky could suit just about anyone. He’s down with you thinking that your pet is your little baby, or beloved pet that is still just a pet. Dr. Yacker is a great vet. Caring straight forward, listens to what you have to say and asks good questions to clarify. She’s, slightly, approaches your pet as though they are your babies. Dr. Larson, approaches you as if your pet is your child, but when I told him I love my animals but they are, at the end of the day, my animals he completely got what I talking about. He’s straight to the point, gives you a list of tests that you could do to see what’s wrong with your pet or what medications you could try, then helps you put things in order. «Here’s all the things that could be done, but we can start off with this test and go from there,» approach.
The only vet I have a problem with Dr. Boling. He’s the type of vet who doesn’t listen to what you have to say, then gives you a list of 15 tests that should be done, and if you don’t you are a horrible person. If there is a vaccine for a bacteria infection from Peru and you don’t give it to your animal, you are a horrible person. If you don’t pay $ 5000 to have a procedure done so you can extend your pets’ life by 1 month, you are a horrible person (That last one did come up in discussion. Thankfully, I had seen another vet at the hospital prior to seeing Boling or else I never would gone back.)
Oh, the rest of the staff is wonderful. Funny, smart and caring. You know, what one wants to see in the front desk and technician staff.

What a wonderful place and fantastic staff. We usually book to see Dr. Boling who genuinely loves and cares for our cats. He goes above and beyond any doctor we have ever met. We even received a handwritten note delivered to us from Dr. Boling welcoming us and our pets. We are so happy we finally found the perfect vet for our fury children :)

We see Dr. Yacker. She is very smart and tells us the truth about what she discovered and explains diligently what the diagnosis means. Our dog Sasha loves West Loop vet care. Every vet doctor and assistant treats her with love and care. They always call a day before your appointment to confirm and I enjoy that. It reminds me and also shows they really care about her time slot and to want to give her the best attention possible. Sasha is our 5 month mini-​golden doodle and she is a big fan of this location and staff!!!

I’m new to West Loop and spent a good hour researching all the possible options in the area for a new vet. It was time for my little senior kitty Aladdin’s annual check-​up, and I was particularly concerned with his increased water intake (could be a kidney issue). I was somewhat hesitant about the pricing, as West Loop Veterinary Care was a bit more expensive than other options, but it is super close to me so I decided to try them out first. Im so glad I did! They took all my info over the phone so check-​in was seamless and quick, and the space was very clean. We had Dr. Racioppo, and she is by far the most attentive and compassionate vet I’ve ever met, as were her team of assistants. You can really tell by how they handled my cat that they understood that pets are family.
Dr. Racioppo had taken time to review all of Aladdin’s history beforehand, which they sourced from our old Lakeview vet for us. When it came time to recommend additional services, I did not feel «up-​sold» at all. By all exam markers Aladdin was exceedingly healthy, so while she did suggest routine blood work, she offered a lower-​priced option of drawing blood and urine specifically for my primary concern (his kidneys), so I didnt spend extra $$ on tests she thought were unnecessary for him based on the physical.
There have been times at past vets when I could hear Aladdin crying when he’s taken to the back to get blood/​urine draws, and he’d come back to me visibly stressed. Not this time! I didnt hear a peep, and he came back into the room a calm, happy cat (and he even ate some treats he was offered, which is rare for him) so they must have handled him with great care. Dr. Racioppo called the next day with the results (he’s a healthy boy with great kidneys!). All in all a wonderful vet experience, and they definitely earned a loyal customer.

This place has been great for our dogs. We started going there when we got our St. Bernard was a puppy and we lived nearby. We’ve since moved to another part of the city but keep coming here. They’ve always been super responsive when one of our dogs has gotten sick or hurt, and their office hours make it possible to come after work. They really seem to care about the animals and spend a considerable amount of time making sure they’re well.

This place is unlike any other vets office I’ve ever been to. They’re so attentive, never rush you, and you can tell they truly care. Just trust me, it’s different in the best way. I will always take my pet here. Very professional, clean, and great service.

Ever since I adopted my cat a couple months ago I’ve been looking for a vet I like and trust, as my cat has a lot of health issues. From the moment I walked in the staff was very kind/​helpful. I had Dr. Yacker and she was great. She took a lot of time to review his extensive medical history so that she could make the best informed decision on what to try next for him. Very clean facility as well. Definitely will be making this my go-​to vet. There is parking in front which was also very important to me.

I need to update my review of West Loop to share a recent story.
Sadly, I had to let go of my 16 year old cat ZsuZsa a few weeks ago. I could not be more thankful or lucky to have had Dr. Gonsky as a vet. Not only is Dr. Gonsky extraordinary in his field, but he is a master of dealing with people during the roughest time during pet ownership, the end of it.
I love my cat dearly and went full tilt berserk in her final four days. We’re talking not showering, not eating and crying until my right eye wouldn’t open all the way anymore. Oh yeah, and whiskey, plenty of whiskey. When communicating with West Loop, I cried on the phone, I cried in the waiting room, I cried in the treatment room. And we’re not talking some cute single tear movie crap, we’re talking full on mess with more than just tears running down my face and inhuman, chortling noises.
Dr. Gonsky could have called the psych ward on me. Instead, he was kind, understanding, caring and gently walked me through ZsuZsa’s last 2 days, even providing a treatment for her to lessen her pain so I could spend one last day with her while I accepted the inevitable.
The next day, when I had to let go of ZsuZsa, again Dr. Gonsky was an amazing support for me. I am so lucky that I went through this ordeal with him gently guiding and supporting me. My friend who accompanied me was blown away by Dr. Gonsky as well, saying he’d never seen a vet so caring.
And to top it all off, a few days later I received a sympathy card from West Loop which everyone had signed. Amazing!
If you want a vet who is not only an amazing with animals, but amazing with people as well… see Dr. Gonsky.
Original Review:
I researched vets online and in depth for almost 30 hours and every second of it paid off when I chose West Loop Vet.
Dr. Gonsky and Dr. pare seasoned professionals I completely trust with my cats. Dr. Gonsky removed 4 teeth and gave a cleaning to my 13 year old cat, Dusko, sent him home with a morphine patch and Dusko was fine the next day. I was TERRIFIED of having him put under for the procedure, but West Loop carefully watches all vital signs during procedures to ensure there are no issues.
In under 20 minutes flat Dr. Pappas successfully diagnosed my cat, Lexi, with hyperthyroidism, which was confirmed by tests. Dr. Pappas gave me all the information necessary to get the treatment I need for my cat and worked with the other clinic (radiation therapy) in an effective and efficient manner to ensure Lexi was taken care of.
What was amazing to me about West Loop was not only the level of expertise, but the understanding that the entire staff has about the relationship between pets and their owner! Technicians and front desk employees remembered my name and my cats named, asked me how they were doing, called me at home to check on the cats (and me because I was a blubbering idiot to be honest) and made me feel like I had taken my cats to a empathetic place where they would be cared for on each visit.
I am SO GLAD to have found this vet’s office. I finally feel safe and at ease with my cat’s care. Read less

We take our dog and both cats here and west loop vet is always giving top notch service and Provides excellent care and love to all my animals. Dr Boling is a rock star and you can tell he loves animals and his job. I have complete faith in everyone there and will 100% recommend west loop vet to take care of all our pets and hopefully yours.

Caring, respectful, knowledgable animal-​lovers! As first time puppy owners (of a puppy who has had some unfortunate genetic problems come his way) my husband and I could not be happier with the service at WLVC.
From the moment we brought him in as a puppy the staff was so loving and attentive to his needs, and was always very open with us about what was going on with his situation. We’re especially grateful to Dr. Boling and his very special talent of caring for animals. You can see it on his face that he just loves what he does! On one specific occasion we had sooooo many questions. Going in to the appointment I felt overwhelmed and like I might come off as overbearing with my notebook page full of questions and researched «facts.» I started going through the list trying to be as quick as possible but Dr. B listened intently and answered each point carefully with a well-​thought out response. I figured he’d be rushing through his responses or trying to get us out of there (as I’ve experienced with other docs many times before) but that was not the case at all. He sat in the room with us for 45 minutes just answering our questions! He truly wanted to give us the best information and even applauded my research efforts (I thought that might be annoying for a doc to hear). It means so much to know your loved one is in such good hands.
When asked «wana go see the doctor?» our little guy incessantly wags his tail, runs to his leash and sprints the two blocks to go flirt with the staff and meet the other animals. Unheard of! He is so comfortable there and just loves the attention they give him. I have yet to meet a person there who doesn’t appear to be obsessed with animals:)
I highly recommend this clinic to anyone in need of an amazing vet!

Can’t recommend enough — doctor and staff are so friendly. I recently got a puppy and have been taking her here for regular vaccines over the last month. Each visit is quick and the staff make my pup pup feel comfortable and at ease.
Also, Dr. Larson sends out a nice follow-​up email going over the visit, which is so helpful.

I’ve had my cat for 6 years in 3 different cities and never had a problem at any vet until I came here.
To keep a long story short — my cat got very hissy (which I’ve never seen) but instead of professionally putting the cat back in the carrier, the vet and vet tech excused themselves with the cat on the floor ready to attack me. I’m not trained in handling upset animals (they are) nor do I make it a point to scare my cat. After unsuccessfully trying to get the cat to calm down, I had to request help. A different vet tech was able to get the cat back in the carrier in less than 10 seconds and all was well… However, this should have been done in the first place.
I went in wanting to know if my cat had ringworm and left with 0 idea if he does or doesn’t. I wasn’t charged for the visit (at my request) as my cat was barely even examined. I won’t be back and would not recommend this place to any cat owners.

Dr. Yacker and the Tech were so amazing during my visit with my dogs Simba and Kelly. This was my first time visiting. Upon arrival was greeted by professional staff. The waiting area is clean, bright and pet friendly. Dr. Yacker followed up the next day to check on the dogs, go over the blood results. The professionalism, care and concern shown from Dr. Yacker and the Tech is one that should be commended. Thanks for the great service and care.

Dr. Gonsky reached out to discuss my «little girl». He was very thoughtful and considerate regarding my issues with the visit. Despite my experience with Dr. Boling, I still believe your facility has top notch equipment and standards of care in animal medicine. I also think the technicians at West Loop are impressive, caring, and thoughtful.

I had a rat come into my apartment and my cat had it in his mouth (he let it go & didn’t kill it!) so I called them and the day of they fit me in the last appointment so I could make sure he didn’t get bit by the rat.
Kinda pricey (I usually go to a place in the suburbs), but everyone was suppper sweet and they loved my cat. Didn’t think I was going to get to take him back home! It’s really nice they stay open until 8 pm so if something happens you can go after work.

Update — my bully, who apparently likes to get eye infections and ear infections, long story shot she got the worst of both she has ever had.
So I call, and because I’m like every other person in Chicago and way to busy, they got me in on emergency. They do charge a extra fee, which I find odd when they have openings, but whatever it was only $ 20.
Meet Dr. Coleman — Between her and Dr. B, I’ve never met more caring doctors than them. This experience is about Dr. Coleman.
I was a little tentative to see another doctor (usually see Dr. Boiling but he was unavailable), but am happy I did. I told her I wanted this issue fixed, and asked that she do what she needed to do. After countless tests, and a good $ 500 spent, she came to a outcome that I think will make my bully feel like the queen she is and should be. Dr. Coleman even stayed late to make sure we were well taken care of and that I understood everything she wanted me to do. At no time did I feel rushed or hurried, quite the opposite. This is impressive as it was the end of their work day and we were there a good 45 mins afterwards taking care of my dog. 5 starts to Dr. Coleman.
Although I do think they charge a premium, I believe you get what you pay for. Ask for Dr. Coleman or Dr. Boiling, both great in my book.

This Vet Clinic is clean, the front staff people are wonderful and the vet techs are incredible! They know how to make a dog (and owner) feel welcomed and loved!
My only concern comes from the feeling of being up-​sold. I’m a minimalist but do what is necessary for my dog– vaccines, exams, etc. I realize there is a balance between offering all available services and selling those services– I couldn’t shake the feeling from the veterinarian that she was trying to sell me health care for my pet.
The cost here is wee bit inflated.
Health care exam (healthy) @WLVC: 75.00 vs other vets @ 35.00
Distemper vaccine (1 year) @WLVC 33.00 vs other vets or vaccine clinics 7.00−22.00
Heartworm 4D test @WLVC 82.00!!! vs other vets 34.00.

West Loop Vey is extremely expensive in the worst part is they try to upset you unnecessary procedures.
The staff is nice but it is obvious that the veterinarians are consented to up-​sell you services for your animal and used scare tactics because they know people love their pets.
I was told that my annual checkup would cost approximately $ 200 and at the end of the check up I was given a bill of $ 460. They explained that I needed additional blood work which I therefore, felt obligated morally. Surprise, surprise there was absolutely nothing wrong with my animal and the tests all came back negative.
I have spoken to over 10 dog owners at the West Loop dog park and they all have had the same experience. Disgusting.
They also recommended countless over-​the-​counter medications which were drastically overpriced compared to stores.

When your cat is old enough to see R rated movies (in human years) and well past a senior age (in cat years), you have to make some tough decisions in life, none of which you can ask your cat’s opinion on.
Case in point– I went out of town for a work trip, and left kitty at a friend’s house where I knew he’d be happy, fed, warm and safe. Sadly, kitty was not thrilled with the litter box situation and elected to pee on my friend’s son’s bed. Three times.
I’d been avoiding the inevitable vet visit where they tell me that it’s time to say goodbye (and to my knowledge there was nothing wrong with him other than old age, but you never know), but I thought he might have a UTI. I was lucky enough to get in right away after my trip, and everyone was wonderful from start to finish. I had initially heard about this vet when attending Taste of Randolph and figured if the staff was that nice at a festival, it’s probably a good place overall and worth a trek from the North Side.
Yes, it was a little pricey, but he hadn’t had a workup in awhile so he needed it. Other than an ear infection, nothing was terribly wrong with him, although his kidneys aren’t doing that great (as happens with kitties– I lost another cat to kidney failure 4 years ago). They made some recommendations, but weren’t pushy about «let’s take your cat apart and put him back together to save his life» as can happen at vets. He’s lived in 5 states, for crying out loud, the last thing he needs is kitty dialysis or other such nonsense.
What made it great– a personal phone call with his results well after business hours and a handwritten thank you note.
Only suggestion for them– in the follow up email with other recommendations– make sure his name is used all the time so it is personalized to him… and not the cat the form email was last written for.