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July 2023 by Derek Braasch
The doctors and staff at the Animal Eye Consultants in Elgin were amazing. Zoe, Michalla, Bruce and Dr. Miller were excellent and professional. They treated our Daisy like a princess. Doctors said Daisy is healed and the ulcer went away and the speck in her eye was gone, it came out on its own. We are so relieved and don’t want anything to happen to our fur babies.
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July 2022 by Tanya Song
Please disregard all the negative reviews. I feel compelled to write something after reading these awful reviews. I don’t believe them, especially the ones talking about staff yelling and lying to them. AEC treated our dog for over 4 1/2 years for glaucoma, until he passed away 2/13/22 at almost 13 years old. They always took exceptional care of him, and I was never worried when he was in their hands, whether I was in the office with him or in the car waiting. I trusted everyone there. He had multiple visits for eye pressure checks, a minor procedure, and 2 surgeries. He actually liked going to AEC, which was unusual because he hated going to the vet! They always treated him and us with care and compassion. I agree, it was expensive, but treating your dog for glaucoma is expensive and was expected. Dr Lindley always tried to get us the best price for his eye drops, whether it was from Costco or ordering from Canada. It depended on the medication. Dr Lindley and staff are very knowledgeable and caring for pets and their families.
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May 2022 by b t
**Animal Eye Consultants operated on my beloved girl dog on 10/26. On 10/28 she DIED. Please read my review.My best friend and wonderful dog was scheduled for cataract surgery at Animal Eye Consultants In Crestwood on 10/26/21 at 9am. 2 days later on 10/28/2021 at 8pm. my beautiful girl had to be put to sleep and now her ashes rest on my mantle. This review is to raise awareness to other animal lovers out there and hope no one ever suffers the trauma our family has.I only wish I knew then what I know now of Denise Lindley, her clinic and staff. In what should be the happiest time for our baby able to see again, Instead her ashes reside on the shelf next to her older brother. A quick Yelp or Google search shows there's other ophthalmologists in the area. $7,458.47 later, don't make the same mistake I did.
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December 2021 by Debbie P
**I'm not sure why my original review was removed so I am posting again for all pet owners***** AEC operated on my dear friend's dog. She died 2 days later. Part of their charged services on the day of surgery was diabetic management. We sent her insulin and food with her on day of surgery as instructed. They sent it home with us. The dog was lethargic after surgery which they said was to be expected. At the next morning's follow-up, we were told to rush her to the ER at the VCA because her glucose was extremely high. She developed in less than a day, diabetic ketoacidosis and renal failure. What purpose does their diabetic management serve if this is the outcome?
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September 2021 by Marta G
I once too read all these so-so and negative reviews and was hesitant to bring my fur baby to a place that had so many discouraging reviews... but I am glad I trusted my instinct to know that most published reviews will most likely be negative because the positive folks walk away happy and content. I'm taking the time to write my positive story and settle some of those hesitancies because this staff is wonderful and caring and deserve some recognition and thanks.First and foremost, pets are EXPENSIVE. There are costs in maintaining. These doctors and staff are trained professionals who have much more experience than your local vet. It's like going to see a family physician versus a surgeon. Are you going to let your pediatrician perform your child's eye surgery? NO. You pay for what you get for and if you aren't comfortable spending that money up front, consider pet insurance because it will save you a ton of $$ in the long run.My 1 year old pug developed an eye ulcer and was referred to a specialist by my primary veterinarian. My primary vet could not diagnose why his ulcer returned and suggested a try a local ophthalmologist.Unfortunately, during COVID times, it was nearly impossible to get in; all of Chicagoland had a wait of nearly 3-4 weeks for next available appointment. I called every day until an opening was available. The reviews concerned me, but I had to get him in.Upon arriving, the staff kept me informed of every step of the way. I could not enter the building, but they came out to speak to me in the car often. Dr. Kecova diagnosed his condition right away and was able to perform cryoepilation on his eye that afternoon. There was a positive and noticeable difference in him the next day, and when I had a concern midweek about some squinting, the staff was very responsive and called me multiple times. They worked with me via phone and email photos to determine whether or not I needed to bring him back in. Turns out I was just a paranoid pug mama. His eye has healed beautifully and I am extremely grateful for the quick diagnosis and fix. Even my vet was pleasantly surprised to hear the outcome.I feel that the cost of the procedure was very fair, which also included all the medication and two follow-up visits with no office charge. So maybe I paid a bit more upfront to get him into the initial office visit versus the normal primary vet office visit, but considering the follow-up visits, medications, and time spent on the phone following the procedure balanced out very well in the end.
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August 2021 by Christopher Mills
Very rude staff. High demand practice in a speciality field gives them the opportunity to charge an arm and a leg for their services, but this would not be so bad if the quality of service and professionalism of the practice met the same standard of their charges. Very busy practice that often left me confused in my conversations with the techs and Dr. Lindley, despite being a medical provider (in the human field). I had to have pathology sent directly to myself and our regular vet to be reviewed to confirm that I was being told several different versions of the wrong story. When an appointment needed to be rescheduled there was no issue until they called back to tell me that since I prepaid for the post surgical follow up I would lose that fee and be charged a second time; however when they had to reschedule the time of his initial follow up, I did not charge them a fee? When asked to speak to somebody about the policy it was handled by a young and very unprofessional office manager. Save your money and stress, go elsewhere. If you have any intent of being allowed in with your pet, good luck. You are left in the parking lot for an extended period of time while they take your pet from you to treat them despite the state being opened for weeks now. For a medical practice, they are antiquated in their COVID-19 policies which is just the cherry on the awful ice cream sundae that is Animal Eye Consultants.
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July 2021 by Julie Franklin
I read the (mostly bad) reviews and decided to give them a call anyway to see if they could get my dog in earlier than the last place I called (who was booked out about 4 weeks), figuring I might need to go somewhere else for a second opinion anyway since my current Vet cannot figure out what is wrong with my poor pup. So the lady answered and sounded like she was in the car, it was very difficult to hear her. She told me they are booked out for 1.5 - 2 months, so I inquired about an emergency visit. I was informed they could possibly do an emergency visit, she'd have to call the doctors and ask them... and then she told me the fees are SLIGHTLY higher than a regular visit. Want to know the emergency fees?$700 to get an emergency appointment, PLUS $290 for the visit, PLUS the pressure test and tear staining test (which they WILL do in the office, you don't have a choice). PLUS any other things needed are extra. So she said there is a $990 non-refundable fee just to book the appointment (that she said they only MIGHT be able to get me in for...!!!). If that is only slightly higher than a regular visit, I'd hate to see what they charge regularly. Nice way to take advantage of situations when pets need help. Absolutely ridiculous. I understand charging extra for emergency services, but $700 just to get an appointment is really taking advantage of people. Do yourself a favor and listen to all of the other reviewers and don't even bother calling this place.
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February 2021 by The Talented
Very deceptive and manipulative. I’m actually seeing a attorney Monday. The things they put us through can’t be legal
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October 2020 by Cheryl M.
Amazing. The staff truly cares about your pet. They explain everything in detail and answer any and all questions. Ten stars!
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August 2020 by Jason Hussong
They definitely know their stuff but be prepared to pay and to accommodate to their schedule. Our dog had glaucoma and needed help right away. Animal Eye Consultants was the closest specialist for us but I should have figured something was up when they asked for money up front before the appointment (non-refundable).They were able to help our dog but at a great financial cost. Our dog had to have an eye removed and the way they made it sound, only they could do the procedure but we loved our dog and wanted to help him. $5000 later our dog was better.However, this meant he had to have checkups and medications for his remaining eye. This meant $150 to $200 visits plus medications and when I told them I needed afternoon appointments, they made you feel like you were asking for the world and I got cussed out one time by one of the employees for for asking for an afternoon appointment. I'm sorry but with these vet bills, I can't take time off work.Within the last few months I found out our dog had to have his other eye removed and after talking to our own vet, found out they could do it for $700-800. What was the last straw was Animal Eye Consultants, after finding out about my dog's other eye, wanted me to either take the dog to another location of theirs further away for an expensive procedure or to have them remove the eye (another $5000) and did they try to make me feel guilty when I told them no.Needless to say, I had our own vet remove it with no problem. After all this, I'll never have any dealings with Dr. Lindy or her staff again nor will I recommend them to anyone.
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June 2020 by Megan Ann
Came from out of town and 1.5 hour drive. Left at 9am. Was originally told we could leave so we did. Well they wouldn't do anything with the dog until we came back. It is now 1:30 in the afternoon and still waiting for her procedure to be done.
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May 2020 by Liz Amundsen
I was very happy with my experience at Animal Eye Consultants. They did a thorough examination and were very up-front with options, possible complications, and cost. I found Dr. Lindley to have a very scientific and matter-of-fact approach. I appreciated that she was able to answer all my questions.
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March 2020 by Kristy H.
We can't say enough good things about Dr. Lindley and her staff! We recently brought our second dog in for eye surgery and we were extremely pleased both times. The staff treats their patients like their own. A littermate of our pup is scheduled for an upcoming surgery in California and Dr. Lindley offered to give her ophthalmologist a call to fill her in on our girl's case so that she would be prepared for a potential complicated surgery. We felt completely comfortable leaving our pup for her surgery and knew that she was in excellent hands. We would definitely recommend Dr. Lindley and her staff. Sincerely, Scott & Kristy Hubbard
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March 2020 by Cathy V.
I am very upset with my visit to Animal Eye Consultants. I was sent there by our vet with my 13 1/2 yr old Puggle. She thought they'd do a small procedure and she'd be able to care of him till he was cured. She had no idea they'd want to do a $3,200 surgery! 1st of all they won't even make an appointment until you pay $250 up front. Then when you get there it's another $87 for 3 routine 'tests'. So ... our visit. We got there on time. There were 2 girls behind the counter. They didn't even check us in for 45 minutes. Then we were brought into a room with a man and a high school girl. The man had the high school girl perform and chart the 3 eye tests. Finally we met Dr Lindley. After examining my dog she told us she could do surgery. She could do it that day at 5, send him home by 7 with a cone he'd wear for a couple weeks. I explained my husband and I had to work 12 hour days the next couple days and wouldn't want him to be left alone. She said he'd be fine! I know for sure we'd at least have been up all night with him! I've had dogs teeth cleaned and they weren't fine for a day or so. The thought of putting him through such a big ordeal tore us up. I also really struggled with spending over $3,500 on a 13 1/2 year old dog with a life expectancy of 10-15. I strongly felt they play on your emotions. They tell you matter of factly they'll do the surgery that night without letting you process it. They don't help you consider all the factors. They also offered to remove his eye for $2,300. I called my vet from the exam room and she helped me say no way to either of the surgeries. If we decided to remove his eye our vet could do it for under $500 Sadly, we decided to put our dog down rather than put him through such an ordeal at his age. He has other issues going on where it wouldn't be humane to do this to him. If he were a much younger dog than I would understand the heroics of this very expensive surgery. But at some point you have to use common sense. In the moment of the visit a pet owner is to emotionally involved to make a rational decision.
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March 2020 by Man In The Mountain
Don't believe the negative reviews here, in fact those reviews made me want to write this one. This clinic is first class all the way. Dr. Lindley was super professional as well her staff were very caring and treated my dog with lots of love. Moreso than my regular vet actually. Dr. Lindley took the time to re-explain the procedure and diagnosis to me, and was very assuring. They treated my dog with great care handling her and making her comfortable with such invasive procedures. A lot of love from the staff. I'll also add, that when I first made my appointment it was a month away until they could get my dog in. But they ended up calling me just a few days later to tell me of an opening due to a cancellation they had the this very week! The facilities are also excellent. Great place.
