Avian Vets in Chicago Area!

[taxidermynerd]

Regular vet:

Glenwood Village Pet Hospital
Website: Glenwood Village Pet Hospital - Glenwood, IL

Emergency Vet:

Midwest Animal Emergency Hospital
Website: Emergency Veterinarian serving Chicago area, exotic pets, birds, reptiles
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These are the vets I take Chirp to. At GVPH, I see Dr. Hernandez normally, but I've also seen Dr. Parr before, when Chirp broke a blood feather. They're both excellent! They take dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and almost any other small animal you could think of. They don't have emergency hours though, so that might be something to take into consideration.

Midwest Emergency Hospital was where we took Chirp when he flew into a wall. You just call to let them know you're on your way, no appointment necessary. They're open 24/7, and they have facilities on site for surgery and testing. They have a warm room for birds and other exotics that need supplemental heat. They also have cages/tanks that can be supplemented with oxygen if need be.

They have 2 sets of hours. One set is regular office hours, and the other is emergency hours. They have 2 different numbers, one for appointments and one for emergencies. The staff is wonderful, the facility is very clean, and it's not in a bad area.

Those are the vets I use! Personally, I think they're both excellent and they've always been very good to Chirp.

 

[Macaw Lover]

Dr Sakas or Dr Scott McDonald are the THE best in the Chicago area. The knowledge these two have is unbelievable, been practicing for way over 30 years each. If you have a bird with issues, Sakas is the one you want to head to. Scott travels a lot doing clinics now so to see and treat on a daily basis, that won't happen.

Keep in mind with Midwest, it depends on which dr is covering after hours as not all the drs there are specialized in avian. I lucked out years ago when Jody became egg bound (again) and I could not reach any of the other vets around, that is where I headed to on a Saturday, about 9:00 at night.

 

[Macawnutz]

LOVE Dr. Sakas! That's my vet! Niles Animal Hospital & Bird Medical Center

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Dr Sakas is my vet too. He's amazing!

 

[taxidermynerd]

I'll have to keep that in mind for if (but let's be honest, probably when) we need to go there again!

 

[SandraK]

Dr. Sakas' office doesn't have ER hours though. Both Dr. Sakas and Dr. Abete are very good with fids and the new vet, Dr. Yang, is also very very nice.

There is one ER called CARE that I would not go to. The last time I took a bird there, after having called to make sure they had staff that would see a bird they sprang a vet tech on me "because she had birds". No avian vet available. I'd also asked about discount for multiple birds and payment options and was told flat out "no" (this was before I found out they didn't have an avian vet).

I used to take my guinea pig, Mr. Pig, there years ago (10+) because they were the only place that dealt with "exotics" but after they expanded they changed. This is strictly my personal opinion based on my experience with them. They were wonderful with Mr. Pig (who was so big they had to use a scale larger than the usual guinea pig one).

 

[MandaExotics]

Apparently people in my area don't tend to go to exotic vets...

It means my vet is over an hour away (so long as traffic is good). That is unfortunate but it is what it is. I'm glad there seems to be much better options over there though.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Which emergency avian vet do you guys think is the best in the Chicago area?

I know one thing - NEVER EVER go to midwest bird and exotic hospital in Elmwood park!

 

[Macawnutz]

First I suggest calling your your vet to ask which 24 hour facility they prefer. Some regular vets do have on call ER visits if you call after hours.

Midwest is the big 24 hour one near Chicago, ER for animals is the 24 hour WI one. If you need a vet after hours sometimes there is no other choice. They are fantastic facilities for what they are. Be ready for the prices to be higher and for all possible tests to be run. The 24 clinics mean business as most cases are life and death.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Sorry, somehow I thought taxidermynerd was reffering to another er. I just realized it's the same one I was cautioning against. I'm so glad you had a good experience with Chirp there but I regret going there so much. I really believe my soul bird would still be alive today had I not went there.

I think my vet reccomends Blue pearl but I didn't know at the time when I needed them.

Just want to be prepared incase of emergency next time and thought maybe someone here had some recommendations. Hopefully I will never need to go though.

Thanks very much

 

[SandraK]

There is another ER vet in Buffalo Grove, but it doesn't indicate whether they treat birds or not. Emergency Animal Clinic | 24-Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year

I did have a cat treated there when my then regular vet found that she had cancer in her head affecting her nasal passage and sinuses.

 

[Macaw Lover]

Ness out in Lisle has emergency hrs but only for his established patients.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Just wanted to come back to this thread to say, almost 3 years after making this thread: Dr. Hernandez is really a fantastic vet. In light of Chirp's recent health troubles and terminal diagnosis, Dr Hernandez has been so helpful and supportive. She sees us as more than a case number, she knows what it's like. Where other vets might have said to stop trying, she is going the distance for us. I really can't imagine having any other vet.