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May 2024 by Chris J.
If there was a negative rating, I'd give it to them. First, they highly encourage you to put your pet down and Lamor, the receptionist, appears to have a Dahmer reaction if you agree (i.e. she seems to take joy in killing animals). If you say no, she will throw a fit and get super nasty. Do not let them kill your pet; they are good at convincing you, but don't trust them. Lamor is a horrible, vicious and mentally disturbed woman. She talks about clients when they leave, picks a fight at every turn, and misunderstands any conversation you may have with her. She appears built to attack and is the most disrespectful, rude and vile person I've come across in a very long time. You know the proverbial "Karen"? Well, any "Karen" is a prize compared to Lamor. You can see all the reviews on here about her are contrived and probably come from friends and family members whom she probably paid. Lamor is a bully who takes sick pleasure in intimidating and terrifying pet owners who may already in a very stressful position of having to take their pet to the vet. In my interaction with them, Lamor ran to the owner, Dr. Horton, and lied about what happened despite several witnesses. Sadly, Dr. Horton appears to be completely dependent on this lunatic and will make no effort to reach out to clients and talk with them directly. But, it's her practice, good for her for depending on a nut job to be the front face. They are definitely in the business for the money, and their charges make no sense at all. In my case, they lied about what they did and how long my baby was in their care. Want to take a wild guess who handles their billing? Yup, Lamor. While my pet was with them, they starved him and did not give him anything to drink. I saw he kept looking for food and water, but the bowls were empty. I found it really odd he was looking for food given they said he was near death. Well, when I brought him home, he went straight for his food and water, and he ate for a good 7 minutes. He had the energy to run from food to water and was so excited. But they said he would die within "5 minutes" if I took him home. My baby lasted a few weeks, and I'm so glad I didn't let them kill him. What's really adding to my grief is that instead of showing compassion, care and support during the difficult time of my baby being sick and then dying, Lamor was instead confrontational, hostile and even threatened us. All pet owners, beware. This is an awful place to take your pet. Several colleagues and friends have since mentioned that they too had a horrific experiences with this "hospital", and especially Lamor. It is hard to understand why such disgusting, mean and nasty people get into professions where care, compassion and kindness should prevail. Then again, maybe this is where she can legitimately get away with abusing and killing pets and abusing and torturing their owners. All the while, the owner is hands-off and lets this crazy woman have at us. Stay away if you love your pet.
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March 2024 by Kirsten
I had to change my five star review to a one star review. About three and a half years ago, we brought our potbelly pig in to get spayed. After they said they treat pigs and know how to do surgery on pigs. They said that during surgery, they could not find a uterus and therefore she must already be spayed. We believed them because we aren't vets and we trusted them. About a week later, around the incision, she developed a hernia and had to go in for another surgery. Once again, they said, they looked again, still no uterus, fixed the hernia and that's it. We paid for both surgeries and just figured everything was good to go. Fast forward to now, and she is in fact not spayed. She has behavioral issues because of that. She went through two surgeries for absolutely nothing because she is not spayed. Surgery is very risky for pigs because a lot of them die from anesthesia. And now she has developed issues with her reproductive system from not being spayed. We don't know yet if it's cancer, or if it's treatable, but she will likely need treatment or surgery of some kind, because Chicago exotics didn't know what they were doing. So now if she does need surgery, at her adult size, it is incredibly dangerous, with a much higher chance of passing away. Our pig has to suffer and go through all of this trauma because of their negligence. We tried to do the responsible thing by getting our pig spayed at the proper age to avoid these future health issues. This is not ok, and they should be held accountable.
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March 2024 by Veronica Rey
Everyone was beyond kind, caring, and compassionate. Unfortunately, my cockatiel didn't make it but they made the process as comfortable as possible. Thank you to everyone who helped.
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March 2024 by Jose Ramirez
Took our Baby girl Skittles just looked like they were very knowledgeable and caring. Thank you in advance.
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March 2024 by Alternate Heart
Best place for exotics. Took my hedgehog here after baffling symptoms my local vet couldn't decipher. They knew exactly what was wrong and took care of the issues quickly and at a much better price than I would have expected from such specialized care.
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March 2024 by danish haque
Everyone here is wonderful, compassionate, empathetic, especially towards anxious pet owner like me. They provide great care, but also patiently discuss the management in detail and with plenty of honest reassurance.
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February 2024 by Lesley C.
I have spent HOURS at CE! My bunny was born with a lot of health issues. Ones we have addressed and some that are on going. If I had not taken him to CE he would have died a long time ago. I have sat in the waiting room and watched the 1-4 people manning that area. The SHIT they have to deal with. OMG. People are crazy. You would think when you walk in with an animal you love you would be kind and courteous. Let me tell you the clients behavior can be-rudely demanding and nasty without even trying to understand what the rules are there for. If you do the math of what it takes to become an exotic vet.... These people are not in it for the money. They love the animals. I have seen so many mentions of one of my favorite staff members there, Lamor. She is a woman to be in awe of. She manages a lot. Because of the high volume of apts she doesn't have time to sit and have a 30 min convo with every single person. She answers by saying, "Chicago Exotics, tell me how I can help". And she means it. She is straight and to the point. It is her communication style and it works. She handles so many situations on a daily basis. She is the protector of the staff and of all the animals that enter that door. Clients can be rude and hurtful and she stands up for her staff. I applaud that. We need more EXOTIC VETS not less. Let's treat them well! They have saved my bunny from dying NUMEROUS times. And he is actually there overnight now. Theu let us come in and visit him today! They are the bunny whisperers for sure. Be polite and caring and that is what you will get in return. I only wish they lived closer to me. I would like a second location across the street from my house!
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January 2024 by Timothy Winkler
Very helpful. Took the time to answer all my questions. It is a little pricey for reptile X-rays but worth it in the long run. The ladies at the front desk are so lovely and kind. They showed me how to administer shots to my bearded dragon and made sure I felt comfortable doing it on my own later. Now, my fat little dinosaur is happy and healthy again. ?
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December 2023 by Laura Strybel
Wow, this is a lovely vet office. It's hard to find an office that treats gerbils and other small animals. But we're so glad we found them! Not only did they give loving and gentle care for our little gerbil, but the vet spoke directly and kindly to my 9 year old (the pet owner) and didn't ignore him to talk to me. She was honest and direct about treatment options and even though our wonderful pet passed away, the end of her life was much better than it would have been he we not found this office.
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December 2023 by Kimberly Veihl
We brought our senior rabbit here for several years, to see Dr. Giese. From front desk staff, to techs, to Doctors you will get the best care for your exotic pet. They are up to date with the best practices. Prices are extremely reasonable. We are so grateful to have found them, well worth the drive.If you are looking for an exotic Veterinarian for your pet, stop looking, just go here.
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December 2023 by Ai Za
My hedgehog Robin needed medical attention. This place of business is a cohesive team of extremely talented people who went above & beyond to assure little Robin's better health. I feel they care a great deal about all animals, & they also care a lot about their owners. For example, when Robin was hospitalized, I got constant updates on her health, & furthermore I even got her photo in a text message! Seeing her made me feel so much better & allowed me this special place to text back, & make me feel like I'm responding to Robin... I think this business works so well because everyone there is working together. They have very open environment, & every team member is an extremely valuable part of the whole. I feel fortunate that I chose Chicago Exotics.Additionally, they have state-of-the-art diagnostic & medical equipment. With that they're able to do many things in-house like x-rays, surgical tools, & they even operate their own animal pharmacy! There they formulate prescriptions exactly for the species you own. Robin's medicine bottle specifically states "for hedgehog". I believe they formulate rx with the taste and smell of the specific animal in mind.Amazingly skillful & caring doctor Giese, very kind & empathetic office manager Lamor, & all the staff are the top notch team capable of resolving the most crucial animal health issues. Together they are the safest hands for your loved furry family members who deserve only the best of the best!
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November 2023 by Roo Levy
I would give this place zero stars if I could. I would never recommend anyone to come to this vet. I brought in a sick parakeet and basically the doctor who couldn’t keep her eyes open just held my bird and walked in with a 900 dollar bill. She took him in the back but I don’t believe she did any testing. Their staff was completely unprofessional and clearly unqualified to be treating such animals. They gave us medication with no direction or guidance. Stay away from this place foryour own good. They’ll make your animal worse.
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November 2023 by Andrea C.
CANCELLED my bunny's lifetime prescription of medication WITHOUT ANY prior notice on the day before Thanksgiving. I would honestly give them zero stars if I could. Chicago exotics prescribed my bunny with a lifetime of medication and the order was cancelled this morning without ANY advance notice from Chicago Exotics. I called the clinic 3 times and unfortunately no one picked up even though it was wtihin their nomal hours of operation, so I had to email them. I was later informed via email that an annual appointment was needed in order for them to continue providing the lifetime medication, and since I've moved out of state, they cannot help my in any way. I would've been fine with it if they had informed me in advance of the cancellation or given me enough notice to schedule another vet appointment. As they are very well aware of, vet appointments are not easy to schedule and most clinics are booked weeks to months in advance. The order was also cancelled on the day before Thanksgiving. Most clincs will be closed for the holidays, which just adds another slap to the face on top of the entire situaion. I asked them if they can provide one more refill for my bunny to last until the next available appointment, but they couldn't not provide any assistance. I'm just confused as to why they would think suddenly canceling the prescription for my bunny and leaving him without any meds is a good idea... I understand that they are only in it for the money, but at least try to do a better job of pretending like you care about people's pets and their well-being... If they cared about my bunny being able to receive his meds, then I should have received advance notification of the cancellation and given enough time and notice to schedule another appointment. Overall I'm really disappointed by Chicago Exotics and their lack of proper communication, and I would advice anyone reading this to look for another clinic.
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November 2023 by Noelle S.
The fabulous Dr. Giese helped my 5 year old Guinea pig with what I suspected as URI , which ended up being early stages of heart disease. My Guinea pig is now on heart meds for the rest of her life and I'm so glad I acted when I did so I could help my little fluff ball have great end-of-life care. She's still here with us and I'm so grateful. The staff was exceptionally helpful and quick and easy to treat her condition and they all did it with grace. Thanks Chicago Exotics!
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October 2023 by CB
Nice place with a bunch of nice people that truly care about your pet. Unfortunately our bearded dragon wasn't doing very well and we came in to see if we could do anything to help him.They handled the whole situation respectfully and explained all our options thoroughly and gave us options during a hard time for the kiddos. Keep up the great work!
