FAN MAIL

We strive to provide the best care possible for your pet.  We receive nice cards and letters from owners everyday and have them displayed in our waiting area for clients to view.  Knowing how important public reviews are to a business like ours, we have now made it easy for you to post a review about our practice directly from our website.  Sharing your thoughts online is quick and easy, and your feedback helps us create the best experience possible for all of our valued clients.

 

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Click on one of the links above, find the option to "write a review" (you'll most likely have to register with the site first), and let us know what you think! It’s that easy.

We would like to thank you for your support.

After you write your review either email us a link to what you've posted, or bring in a printed copy and get entered into a drawing to win a ***$25.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE*** which may be applied to your next office visit at AETC. 

Please take the time to read our recent fan mail. 

We would love to hear from you! If you have a heart warming story about a recent visit to AETC please send your story and a picture of your pet to: fanmail@aetcenter.com.  We may include your story and your pets picture on our website.

You are also welcome to post your pets photo and story to our Facebook page.

Dr. Derse, Thanks to you...  Shaymus if back to perfect again! I could never thank you and your staff enough for all that you did for him. I couldn't imagine the holidays without him. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and new year! I am attaching a few pictures.....so can see what Shaymus normally looks like! He's much cuter without feeding tubes and IVs :) Thank you again for all you do!! Sincerely, Lauren and Shaymus

 

Dear Dr. Derse- I just wanted to write and give you a quick update on our kitten, Noel.  He had been in to see you with the tentative grave diagnosis of FIP.  We really thought that we would be saying goodbye to him that day, but by some miracle he got to come home with us.  After a week, you completed a follow up ultrasound and did not find any fluid in his abdomen.  We were so relieved that he had begun to improve and he still continues to do so!!!  We are well aware that the FIP can sneak back up on him, but we are making his life the best that we can.  He now is fully integrated into our house with our 3 other cats.  He loves all of the attention that they give him.  We are so proud of how far he has come (being a feral kitten caught in a TNR project to a cute, cuddly house kitten).  Thank you so much for your time and care for Noel.  You have no idea how much you are appreciated!   We will keep you posted on his progress!  Here’s some photos. Kristi, Jamie and Noel B.

 

Dear Dr. Allen and Gina and team,

Words can't express how appreciative I am for all that you did for Bentley. My entire world changed early last month when we rushed Bentley to the hospital. After undergoing several tests, the Dr gave us the news that he had a heart condition and we needed to find a cardiologist immediately.  It being in the early hours of Saturday morning, I was at a loss for what to do and who to call. I suddenly remembered a segment on 190N about a new pet hospital in Chicago and immediately called you. As soon as I told the man on the other end what was going on, he immediately found an appointment on Dr. Allen's schedule and told me to bring Bentley in. Bentley spent the rest of the weekend at the hospital and I decided to spend most of it there with him. The staff at AETC were incredible and made sure to bring me back to play with Bentley as much as they could. Once released, the staff consitently called to check on Bentley (and me) and were always available when I needed to ask them something (which i definitely did!). After fighting for two more weeks, my lil' guy passed away. Both Dr. Allen and Gina called that evening and spent over an hour talking with us. Although no one can bring Bentley back, we rest comfortably knowing that he got the best possible care. The team at AETC truly cares for your pet and treats them like their own. I even told Dr. Allen that once I got another puppy, he was going to check her out first... AND HE DID :) I took my little girl to see Dr. Allen.

Thank you again for doing all you could for Bentley.

Brooke E.

I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU to Dr. Derse and Dr. Toro as well as everyone that assisted in the care of my German Shepherd, Harley.  I brought Harley in on the evening of December 4, 2010.  She had kennel cough but it seemed to be progressing and she was very sick.  Dr. Derse was fantastic and reassured me that they would do everything they could to help my sweet girl.  X-rays showed that Harley had pneumonia and the best treatment would be for her to stay at AETC.  While it broke my heart to leave her there I knew that she was going to get the best treatment possible.  I could not have been more impressed with AETC!  When I would call I was always able to speak with either the doctor or nurse who was caring for Harley.  On the morning of December 5, I spoke with Dr. Toro and he explained that she still had a fever and may need to stay an additional night to ensure that the fever broke.  I called again later in the evening and Dr. Toro told me that her fever had broke and that she was eating pretty well.  He also told me that if I could keep a close eye on her for the next 24 hours that she could come home.  I got in the car and went to get her immediately.  I was provided with a breakdown of all of the treatments Harley had required, the doctors notes and a copy of her x-rays.  Last evening (December 8th) I received a call from Dr. Derse to see how Harley was doing.  The service was phenomenal and I am so grateful for the care and compassion that everyone at AETC provided.  I am happy to report that Harley is doing very well.  This morning she even went outside and barked at the neighbor dogs which she hasn't done in well over a week! 
 
Again, THANK YOU for being so great and helping bring Harley back to health!
 
Christie B.

         

 

Dear Dr. Coronado and Staff:

Thank you so much for the time and care you gave to Lily and my family yesterday. For me I felt like I was thrown into a tail spin with all that happened in 24 hours but you and your staff made it so much easier to understand and accept.  I felt that she had  a peaceful passing or as peaceful as it could have been.  

She was a great dog and unfortunately her Delta Society Pet Partner career was cut short after 7 years of working with the kids from Allendale.  

She touched so many lives in her life time and will be missed by all. Thank you again for all the help and compassion you gave me yesterday.  I will treasure it always along with her footprint.

I'm sure our paths will cross again since she left behind 2 other dogs and 2 cats.

 

I am so very happy for you guys!  I have used animal emergency about 3 times in the last few years.  You have always provided excellent care, and the staff is very friendly and professional. 

I have to say that the vet that saw Patches on her visit tonight was very informative. Thank you so much for being there when we need you!

Lynn R.

Back in August we brought Bailey in because she wasn’t acting like herself. We assumed she ate something and it would come out. We have had many trips to the ER vet because of her “habits”.

Finally on Sunday we took her in because it wasn’t getting any better.   We had learned that she had indeed ate something and it couldn’t pass. She had to have emergency surgery and part of her intestine had died. Well several hours later, 2 feet of intestine less, and blood transfusions from Boomer, she was out of surgery. The next day she  had trouble waking up, but I failed to mention she isn’t a morning dog. I picked her up the following Wednesday.

It has been 19 weeks later and she is safely back to herself.

Thank you AETC for saving Bailey!!

 

Hi.  We are writing to thank Dr. Cruickshank and Heather for all they did for us and our beloved cat, Hugo, on October 14, 2009.  Hugo became suddenly and acutely ill that morning, and our veterinarian immediately sent us to AETC Chicago.  Dr. Cruickshank and Heather were so kind and compassionate (I was crying my eyes out) and took such good care of him.  When we received the news that Dr. Cruickshank discovered (through ultrasound) an inoperable tumor on Hugo's liver and that he would suffer if kept alive, we made the decision to humanely euthanize him.  They let us spend however much time we wanted with Hugo, both before and after, and for that we will always be grateful.  

I am so glad that such a facility exists in Chicago now.  It's about time!  I have already told all my pet-loving friends about the new facility in Chicago so we now have somewhere to go 24/7 if our beloved companions become ill.  I cannot thank Dr. C. and Heather enough for their excellent care of Hugo and their compassion.  They made the most horrible day a little more bearable.  

I have attached a picture of Hugo.  

Thanks again.  
Kathie Merlo and Eric Hart

 

Dear AETC:

I am writing to you to thank you for everything that you did for our dog, Sydney. We would especially like to thank Drs. Fox, Jochman, Temo, Toro-Burguete, Brdecka, Naeser, as well as the following nurses: Alvaro, Cindy, Erika, Gina.

Sydney was so very sick, and we know that you did everything you could to save her. Evan's Syndrome is a horrible disease, and Sydney fought as best she could to survive. My husband, Peter, and I miss her terribly, but the one thing that gives us comfort is knowing that she got the best possible care available. My husband and I were impressed that the AETC veterinarians make it a priority to not only treat sick animals, but to also stay abreast of the latest research and technologies to more effectively treat animals. We are also very appreciative of the fact that all of the veterinarians who treated Sydney always made themselves available to speak to us, every time we came to visit her. The vets and nursing staff also called us regularly to keep us informed of her status/condition.  

Thank you for not only providing Sydney with the best medical care, but also for all that you did to make her feel comfortable and cared for. You are an incredible team. It takes special people to work in the animal emergency field. The folks at AETC are more than special, they're extraordinary. We recently made a memorial donation in honor of Sydney to "Meisha's Hope Fund" through the Morris Animal Foundation.

The purpose of this fund is to sponsor ongoing and future research on autoimmune hemolytic blood disease in dogs. We hope that one day a cure will discovered, so that other dogs can be spared from this terrible disease. 

Here is a link to more information on Meisha’s Hope Fund: http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/special-campaigns/meishas-hope/  

Thank you again.  We can't say it enough.  

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Hackler & Peter Wiebe

 

Click here to learn more about the Morris Animal Foundation.

I am writing this fan mail because my family truly is fans of AETC of Grayslake.  Our relationship with AETC began in February 2008, just a few months after moving to the area from Ohio.  Our black lab mix dog, Ben (named after Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers), was attacked in our yard by a neighbors loose dog.  My son and I also received multiple bites.  Hearing my cries for help, another neighbor rushed to see what was wrong and was very instrumental in getting Ben and I to AETC.  Being new to the area, I had no idea where to go so I will always be thankful that she drove us to the clinic.  Ben had received multiple bites and suffered from a severe degloving to his front left paw.  Upon our arrival to AETC we were treated  incredibly well, they took Ben immediately and quickly sent me off to go to the local hospital for my emergency care.  Ben’s foot wound was severe and we were informed that healing would be lengthy.  I am so pleased to tell everyone that Ben received awesome care and the staff also showed sincere concern for Ben and our family, especially Chris (vet nurse).  On follow up visits he would ask how everyone was healing and was sensitive to my fears.  The staffs’ concern went a long way in helping to heal the emotional wounds of this unfortunate event.  Ben needed much attention and he had many follow up visits at AETC, as well as our local vet.   The majority of Ben’s tissue and skin slowly regenerated but after several months our family was faced with the reality, from our primary vet, that he was not getting better  and we would need to explore options to relieve him of the constant pain he suffered and to help him regain full use of the paw.  So, once again AETC became a vital part of Ben’s recovery.   Ben under went a, relatively new procedure, a wound assisted closure (wound vacuum) and a skin graft. 

  

I am so Thankful to Dr. David Brdecka for his medical and surgical expertise as well as his compassion.  He, with the help of AETC staff and medical technologies have given Ben back full use of his paw and helped to mend our family.  Also, we appreciated the multiple Steelers colored bandages wrapped skillfully by Chicago Bear’s fans.  I’m sure it was tough. 

Bears…Steelers….No, I am truly an AETC fan!!    

The Vogel Family

Dr. Fox et al.,

Early in the morning of December 10th, 2008, I came rushing into your office carrying my almost 15yo Boxer Mix, "Adidas" (Didas) in my arms.  Although my visit didn't go as well as I would have hoped, I wanted to thank everyone for their compassion and their skillful intervention during the last hour of Didas' life.  She was my best friend--someone I had spent over half of my life with.  I am thankful that she (and I) were treated with genuine care, concern, and respect during that very difficult time.  My questions were listened to carefully and answers were given in a straightforward and honest way. 

I was also afforded time alone when I asked for it, and I didn't feel

in any way rushed.

So, this isn't a card (like I had hoped to mail), but I just wanted you

to know how very thankful I am for the professionalism and care I experienced on that day.

With deep appreciation,

~A. Hodgson

 

Dear AETC:

I am writing to you to tell you how wonderful your staff at AETC is.  I brought in three dogs at one in the morning trying to figure out which one of them if not all ate the rat poisoning.  I walked into this clean fresh environment where at one am everyone was surprisingly bright eyed and very friendly! I felt like I walked into a paradise, it seemed unreal.  Unfortunately my 6month old puppy Madeline ate all 36 dosages of the rat poisoning. I thought this would be the end of our journey.  I went home with two out of the three dogs that came in hoping she would be okay.  I received a phone call at 10 the next morning with an update on how Madeline was doing.  I have never received service like that from an animal hospital.  Luckily she was doing just great. 

I came to visit her and she seemed happy as could be.  She was definitely having a good time considering what she was going through.  I have never seen any of my pets be so happy to be at a vet never mind the ER!  I am so glad that I brought my dogs to AETC and if unfortunately any more emergencies occur in my pets I know where to go.  AETC has saved my dogs life and I will always remember how wonderful all of their staff was!  Thank you for turning such a horrible situation into a life saving wonderful situation. I am so excited to pick up Madeline today and hopefully she will live a long wonderful life!  Thank you so much for everything!

Sincerely,
The Levine Family

My name is Jenny Sweeney and you all were there for me on quite possibly the worst day of my life. I had to say goodbye to my beloved "Lily" the German Shepherd. She was my best friend. Despite the horror of the day for me, I have to say all of you who were there and who helped us deserve golden wings. I can't thank you enough for devoting your lives to taking care of our companions.

My family and I are considering a move up that way in the next few years and we will know we have a place to bring our brood (and we have a ZOO!) should we face another emergency. Your professionalism and level of care was extraordinary. And the card you sent that you all signed. That was amazing to get in the mail. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Also, I've created a memorial site for Lily if you are interested in visiting. There are great photos and a WONDERFUL poem by John ODonohue that any animal loving person will appreciate. Hats off to you. And thank you.

Jen Sweeney

Lily's Memorial Website: www.jensweeney.com/lily