TLDR: 1 star due to the necessary medication being given only in the form of incredibly overpriced junk food, pain medication not being offered during the entire visit to a cat that was literally passing a bladder stone (we had to pay for it first at the very end of the visit, then give it to him ourselves), 'fluid under the skin' being charged for no reason after not being explained at all (it's IV fluid - talk like a normal human being, people! and no, you shouldn't be squeezing the IV bag with all of your strength!), and the doctor telling us that an obligate carnivore should be eating grains. We paid over $600 to find out that we needed Potassium Citrate supplementation, and pain medication could have been supplied by our normal vet. Oh, and DVM Kim Metz said his urethra wasn't obstructed, but he literally passed a stone right there in the room. DO NOT RECOMMEND. Thank you to the vet techs, you were the best part of this whole horrible experience! We were sent here from the Pontiac Animal Wellness Center because of a suspected urethra blockage following a UTI. We called ahead, and our vet sent our cat's information to them when we were driving the hour to get there. 1. Not offering our cat pain relief after the tests were done was EVIL. I will 100% never give you any business ever again just because of that. 2. Arguing with me and telling me not to feed UNSEASONED FRESH MEAT to an OBLIGATE CARNIVORE after talking about how you're seeing more and more bladder stones in cats and you don't know why, then recommending a HIGH OXALATE DIET is asinine on another level, especially coming from someone with a Doctorate in veterinary care. 3. Insisting that our cat didn't have an obstruction still after finding it in his pee circle under his bottom and trying to blow it off as a booger is just plain willful ignorance. 4. Calling IV fluids 'water under the skin' and refusing to explain what that means before bullying worried pet parents into saying yes to it, then squeezing the bag with all of your strength when the needle is in their skin, is both fraudulent and malpractice. 5. Not one of you told us that we need Potassium Citrate to break up the bladder crystals to prevent more bladder stones. Instead, you bullied my worried boyfriend into spending over $100 on 4 pounds of dry food and 12 cans of wet cat food that contain grains, spinach, chunks of carrots, and none of it is organic. Glyphosate and atrazine are extremely toxic, accumulate in grains, and are banned in other first world countries because of the serious health implications they impose on human health. Do you really think they don't pose a serious risk to pet health? Why is a $50+ bag of 4lb. cat food that isn't organic full of so many grains that are grown with those chemicals your expert recommendation? Don't be a Big Food and Big Ag shill. Do better. 6. The wet food contains both spinach and carrots, both non-organic. Spinach is extremely high oxalate. I avoid it both because of that and due to the frequent contamination of Salmonella and E. Coli. Carrots are medium oxalate. Neither are required for the health of cats. Image 1: Picture of the bladder ultrasound, featuring a hyaline cast with another darker cast over the top of it in the middle left. Neither one of those that they pointed out as struvite crystals was, in fact, a struvite crystal. On the lower bottom, part of a single struvite crystal. Image 2: Example of things you'll see in urine, including casts and crystals. Image 3: Struvite crystals in urine when they are in a concerning quantity. Image 4: Bladder stone my cat passed in the room where the doctor said he didn't have an obstruction and didn't offer him any pain relief. Images 5 - 7: Hill's Prescription Diet Urinary Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet food. Images 8 - 10: A very happy, healthy kitty who got a bladder stone because of a UTI and got better on his own with no help from these people, thankfully! read more

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I will never recommend this place to anyone. They clearly do not have pets or their owners in mind. The fact that they can turn away an animal emergency based on which veterinarian they're affiliated with is unacceptable. Instead of helping, they'd rather send you elsewhere. Some people might suggest lying about your primary vet, but you shouldn't have to do that. Their morals and ethics are on full display here, and they show a complete lack of care for animals in need. I would give zero stars, but in order to make this review I had no choice. read more

I cannot express the amount of anger I have towards this "24/7" vet hospital, and how thankful I am for my dog's vet. I wish I could give negative stars for putting my dog's life in danger and the lack of empathy and the rudeness I received from two members of this staff. Long story short, last night around 7 PM (my vet was out of office at this time) my dog was having a medical emergency that was urgent to be seen within an hour-two hours or else he could have passed. They told me that they could not see my dog due to "not having a professional relationship" with my dog's vet. Their solution was to drive an hour to the U of I emergency vet clinic (I live an hour from there). As I was panicking and crying on the phone and fearing for my dog's life, I decided to hang up on the horrible woman I was speaking with because they were extremely rude and condescending and the conversation went no where. I am so grateful that my dog's primary vet ACTUALLY cares for his animals and was able to drop everything he was doing to come help and ended up saving his life. I am writing this to hopefully build awareness. I have already emailed the Illinois Department of Regulation and hope there will some sort of change. read more

What I know is this, I've had dogs my entire adult life. I have moved back to this area after being up north for 30 years and loving the Vet I had up there. Upon arriving here I went to another Vet and it didn't go well. I looked around and chose this establishment because of proximity to my new home and that they had an emergency Vet attached. So far I have been very happy with the service and care they have given our 3 dogs. I would highly recommend them. read more

We came here a week ago and had to have our elderly dog put to sleep. The staff was remarkable and so kind to my husband and I. It was such a horrible time for the both of us and they were so caring with the whole process. This was the second time we had been here after hours with one of our pets and everyone always took great care of us. Highly recommend! read more

My name is David rexroat brought mh dog zues here rest in peace for a long time till there was an emergency y today and they told me if I didn't have 2 grand they would save my dog and sent me to there little insurance thing so I payed for and then they told me t I bring him in in 14 days I hope the people here are satisfied mh m dog died when I brought him in for help and yu guys spat in my face and his because we didn't have 2500 on spot to save because they don't do anything with making sure they tale yur money I hope anyone in highland hope yu have pets and hope they get ill and die because uu crumpt worthless people don't deserve animals when yu turn away animals in need yur pathetic tp call yourselves vets doctor help people no cost just figure it out later so yu can still live these people are no better then politician Pethetic and money hungry hope yu people rot in he'll wish I could be negative stars read more

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OK, so it took four phone calls before I got an itemized bill that I could turn into my pet insurance company. I don't know why it took so long! They are so unorganized there. It made me so mad. On the good side, and the reason I didn't just give them one star, was the fact that my dog was treated with much care. However, the billing is awful! read more

We have taken all of our pets to Highland for YEARS, and I can't speak highly enough of the vets and techs. Dr Niehm and Patrick are especially amazing and compassionate and practical at the same time. She saw our boxer mix from his first puppy visit to the end of his 16 years and every visit she got down on the floor and loved on him. They truly love animals here. Highly recomend. read more

Best Experience Ever!!!!!! We moved here recently and were not happy with the first veterinarian we found. Yesterday, I came home for lunch and found my Golden Retriever unable to walk and whining in pain. I called a couple places and no one could get my baby in. Highland was recommended to me by a friend, so I called them. The girl who answered the phone was super nice and explained they had prompt care so to bring him in. This is all during Covid19 so they had a lot of precautions in place. The person intaking the pet patients wore a mask (everyone there wore masks) and had a laptop and asked me all the important questions while I was in my car. She then came out with an ice cold bottle of water and a dog dish and apologized for any wait. As my golden finished the water, a vet tech came with a leash to "borrow" him so a veterinarian could take a look. He couldn't jump out of the car, so she found a strong guy vet tech who picked up my golden and carried him inside! A little while later, Dr Li came out to my car. She told me the cost of the visit (only $71) and explained some options. She was very thorough and kind! She suggested anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling, and a pain reliever, then suggested we see how he is Monday. If he hasn't gotten better by then, we will get X-rays. She also told me the cost of X-rays. A few minutes later, the vet techs came out with my golden and lifted him into the car- they were so gentle and kind!!!! They brought me his prescriptions and I left only paying $119. I honestly thought this would be a $500 vet visit. I was never pressured into paying extra for anything. I felt like I was dealing with very compassionate, honest people. I have never in my life been to a veterinarian and had such an amazing experience - especially during a pandemic this place goes above and beyond! Thanks for taking care of my best friend, Dr Li. I've already registered 4 more pet-patients for you guys in the portal. They will all be visiting soon!!! read more

Called in an emergency for my mom and her new litter, I was so distraught. They took us in immediately and met us outside and rushed the kitten that was slowly fading inside to try to turn her odds around. They worked with me and all my questions, helped me make sure I understood what was going on and why. Gave me options and helped make sure I didn't spend too much cash! I felt like family almost, very comfortable here. The staff is just amazing. I am grateful. read more

I called Highland Pet Hospital on Monday to schedule a puppy check for our new family member. I was informed there were no appointments until September 29th, but could bring her through urgent care, and to arrive at 4:15. I asked if I needed to schedule on line and I was informed that was not necessary. With that conversation, I left work early and drove 40 minutes in order to have our new puppy checked. Upon arriving I was informed our new puppy could NOT be seen. This is extremely unprofessional! This is not the first bad experience with this practice, and will be searching for a more professional and caring practice!!!!@ read more

I took my cat there and they said he was stable. After an hour of arguing with the doctor over money, I gave them $600 which is all I had. An hour later my cat died. They people are nothing but money grubbing opportunists. Do not go there. read more

I had to bring my cat in for an ER visit and called ahead of time. I was told to arrive at 9:00 pm so I wouldn't have a long wait. I arrived at 9 pm and didn't leave until 2 am. I think the staff was great and my cat was very well taken care of but the wait time was extremely long. Since we had to wait in our cars it would have been nice to get an update to let us know what was going on. read more

Update to my initial review of 1 star. As previously posted, my dog of 16 + years had to be put down. I contacted my long standing vet, Dr. Torrey Stefffen, to advise me in this situation. He agreed that it was time. He was compassionate, caring and genuinely concern for me, not just my dog. The experience was so very sad and heartbreaking.. I had this dog as my companion for 16 years. WE did what was necessary and I left heartbroken. The next day-after offering to pay prior to the procedure- I opened my email to find a bill from Highland. My response was to call Highland to express my disappointment that they had reopened a raw wound. We were directed to Ben-the account executive who had no empathy or compassion for our situation and whose only comment was I still have to pay the bill. We have never carried a balance in all the years we have vetted at Highland. Fast forward to the welcoming home a new puppy....We took her to Dr. Torrey Stephen who accepted the appointment and completed the initial exam and vaccinations. All good. Until today-May 12-when we received a phone call from Dr. Steffen-who informed us that if we wanted to continue care for our puppy we would be required to remove our initial Yelp review. If this was not done we would have to change vets. So their emphasis is reputation over quality care. So upon contacting the BBB we found that they are not accredited and that there are open files pending against Highland. Our pup will receive the care she needs. Highlands attempt to stop us from expressing our honest-actual experience has failed. So sad that so many will suffer for this simple failure. Our recommendation is to look elsewhere for your pet care!!!!!! read more

Took very good care of my kitten, especially for having to come in ER time but $600 for something my home vet charged me $75 for was just extremely overpriced. They were also sort of rude when I called to check on him and while I was in the waiting room. It was an extreme emergency or I wouldn't have went there and I won't go back. read more

I have been with Highland Vet Clinic for over 15 years. I LOVE Dr. Torrey. He is compassionate and caring. He will crawl on the floor to get what is needed done to help your pet. Recently, I had to put my dog of 16+ years down. It was a very emotional and a difficult decision to have to make. Dr. Torrey was wonderful. He was supportive and caring. I would reccomend him to any pet owner. However, in less than 24 hours I recieved a bill. I was still raw from the death of my dog and there in front of me was a link to pay the bill. Never once had I had a balance due at Highland Pet hospital. Understandably, I called and let them know the wound they had reopened. The front desk totally agreed with me and was very supportive. They were going to have someone call me. Never happened. So I did call and ask to speak to my vet, Dr. Torrey. I had the misfortune to be connected to Ben. His response was Dr. Torrey never takes calls and "if I know him, I will have to call several times to get him to speak to me". Wow! Dr. Torrey called me within 30 minutes of me phoning him about his opinion on putting my dog to sleep. Class act Ben. Ben could not understand my call (he is in charge of billing) and could not understand why I was even remotely upset. He was extremetly rude, disrespectful, and I quote,"you have to pay the bill anyway". He "did not understand the issue. Well, Ben, I am so glad I am not your pet! read more

Went in to emergency room on a Friday night at 6:15, they said they could see my dog (we let the doctors know she had been in pretty severe pain for the last week and a half). They took myself and my family in, weighed my dog, and took her vitals. My dog is very old, so my family and I had emotionally and mentally prepared for the worst. After waiting in the exam room for an hour and a half, and pushing the call button twice, we finally left. Felt like they couldn't care less that my dog was in pain and my family was an emotional wreck anticipating the worst. Now we will have to do it all over again another day. read more

After posting a review last August that had to do with Ben, in billing, I was asked to take down my review. I had vetted at Highland and with Dr. Stefan for 16 plus years. I loved him as a vet . He was genuine, caring, and compassionate. A wonderful vet that I had recommended to many people. I was not critical of office staff, vet techs nor the facility. The issue was how rudely and disrespectfully I was treated by Ben. And it was not over money, cost nor did I ever carry a balance. I always paid in full at the time of service. Fast forward to this month and getting care for our new puppy. I made the appointment with Dr. Stefan. My husband took her to the appointment and all seemed fine. But then I received a phone call from Dr. Stefan asking me to take down my review or I could no longer vet there. I was astonished. But did refuse to take down my review. I also contacted the BBB to see if this could actually be happening. This business is not accredited with them but there is an open file according to the woman I spoke to. She encouraged me to add to this file but I did not. This issue could have easily been resolved with an apology from Ben and I will not be blackmailed into retracting my honest opinion. read more

Absolutely great service! Dr. Laura Li and Patrick were fabulous with our three dogs. They were patient and caring. They adjusted to each of the three's personalities. With us, they were friendly and friendly. I can not recommend them high enough. read more

We take our 3 Dalmatians there and they are great with them! We never have to wait long and they make sure they get everything they need the first time! Finally found a place where I can feel confident they are getting eveything they need! Thank you!!!! read more

I have been to Highland several times with several different pets. I have seen Dr. Josh Li, Dr. Niehm and Dr. Laura Li. While all of them were great, Dr. Laura really stood out to me. She's very personable with both people and pets. She's clearly very knowledgeable as well. She listens well and is very thorough. I think she normally does "prompt care" appointments but I go to her as my normal vet because I like her so much. I just request her when I make my appointments. read more

I've seen Dr. Steffan with my pets for better than 15 years. He worked in my previous vet's office and I met him there. Dr was introduced as fine young man, very recent in his training and thorough. He didn't disappoint and in effect saved my Boxers sight. I now in turn take that Boxers daughter to Highland to be treated by Dr. Steffan and have had nothing less than regal treatment. Caring and hospitable the staff gets a big thumbs up from me. read more