Pets First

Pets First is a general practice practice in Chicago, IL. Procedures include Quality of Life Assessments/Visits, Tooth Extraction/Oral Surgery, Cremation and Memorial Items, and Vaccines & Titer Testing.

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About

Pets First is a woman- and minority-owned private practice located in Chicago, IL, providing primary care for dogs and cats. The clinic offers comprehensive services including wellness and illness visits, soft tissue and dental procedures, and general surgery such as spay/neuter, mass removal, and cystotomy. In-house diagnostics like laboratory services and imaging, along with cold laser therapy, are also available.

Serving the Lakeview East area and beyond, Pets First provides end-of-life care and referral services for specialized needs. They partner with various veterinary specialty centers, emergency groups, and mobile specialists for advanced diagnostics like abdominal ultrasounds and echocardiograms.

Surgical team

Dr. Chitra Natarajan

Dr. Chitra Natarajan, better known as Dr. C to her clients, opened Pets First Veterinary Clinic in 2012.
Dr. Patrick Mitchell

Dr. Patrick Mitchell moved to Chicago in 2006 with his wife and daughter.
Dr. Kurt Larson

Dr. Larson has been practicing in the Chicago area since 2002, initially in the Elgin area, then in Bucktown, and now in the Lakeview area for the last decade.
Dr. Jennise Fermoso

Dr. Jennise Fermoso brings her diverse veterinary experience and passion for animal care to Pets First.
Dr. Robert Plourde

Dr. Robert Plourde has been practicing in Chicago since 2012.
Amy

Amy started working in dog rescue fifteen years ago and then never really left the animal field despite her Bachelor’s Degree in French.
Jenny

Jenny is the Lead Surgery Veterinary Technician at Pets First Veterinary Clinic.
Omar

Omar has been a veterinary technician for 8 years and joined Pets First in 2024.
Elisa

Elisa joined Pets First as a veterinary assistant in October of 2022.

Procedures

Quality of Life Assessments/Visits
Tooth Extraction/Oral Surgery
Cremation and Memorial Items
Vaccines & Titer Testing
homotoxicology
Annual exams
Referral Services
Dental Procedures
Palliative care
K9 and Feline Spay/Neuter
western herbs
Mass Removal
Chinese herbs
Humane Euthanasia
Preventative care
Cold laser therapy
Complete Oral Assessment and Treatment
Wellness and Illness Visits
Quality of Life Services
Laboratory Services
Telehealth Calls
small animal acupuncture
Online Pharmacy
Cystotomy

Equipment

In House Imaging
Radiology
Dental radiographs

Photos

Photos via Google · Edward Hammer, Derek Cowart, Doug Erickson, Pets First, Grace Dida

Frequently asked questions

What types of general surgery does Pets First offer for pets?: Pets First provides general surgery services for dogs and cats. These procedures include K9 and Feline Spay/Neuter, Mass Removal, and Cystotomy. Patients must be established and have a pre-surgical exam prior to scheduling.
Does Pets First provide comprehensive dental care for animals?: Yes, Pets First offers comprehensive dental care, including Complete Oral Assessment and Treatment. This service includes dental radiographs and Tooth Extraction/Oral Surgery. The Lead Surgery Technician specializes in dental cleaning surgeries and oral examinations.
What diagnostic capabilities are available at Pets First?: Pets First offers various in-house diagnostic capabilities. These include Laboratory Services, both in-house and external, as well as Radiology and In House Imaging. Imaging results are discussed via telehealth calls 24-48 hours after the procedure.
Are alternative medicine options available for pets at Pets First?: Yes, Dr. Chitra Natarajan, who opened Pets First, is certified in small animal acupuncture by the Chi Institute. She has also taken extensive courses in different alternative medicine modalities, including Chinese herbs, western herbs, and homotoxicology.
What types of wellness and preventive care does Pets First offer?: Pets First provides comprehensive wellness and preventive care for dogs and cats. Services include annual exams, preventative care, and Vaccines & Titer Testing. These are part of their wellness and illness visits, aimed at maintaining pet health.

Contact & hours

Address

3413 N Broadway
Chicago

Phone

(773) 904-8724

Website

petsfirstchicago.com

4.8 · 404 Google reviews

Recent reviews

4 months ago

Paige Evans

We’ve seen Dr. C for 10 years and recently Dr. Michell, and have been treated with such warmth and kindness by both. These vets and their team give A+ service and we couldn’t ask for a better vet team for our old pup.
4 months ago

Dave Pasciuto

I've been bringing my pup to Pets First for years now, but after my recent experiences, I've decided to find a new vet. Over the past few months, I brought my pup in multiple times for a bump and constant itching. The doc didn't seem particularly concerned and just chalked it up to allergies without offering clear solutions. I ended up doing my own research and discovered my pup has issues with processed chicken/byproducts—which is very common. If you have this issue, look at the food and ingredients. I switched his food and most of the problems cleared up. When I mentioned my findings to the doctor, he then suggested Hill's special formula (of course they are sponsored). Being the vet, I trusted his recommendation, but the itching came right back and the bump got bigger. So I had to switch back to what was previously working. The final straw was when my pup’s bump became infected. The new doctor that was available only offered surgical removal with the earliest date being nearly a month out, and for the infection itself, he only suggested Benadryl? This made no sense. When I asked if it could be drained, he brushed me off in a snappy tone with "what do you want to do?" and "don't shoot the messenger." I was sent home with an infected bump and no real treatment plan. I am not sure how this is acceptable. We ended up spending New Year's Eve draining and treating the infection at home because I couldn't let my pup suffer for a month waiting for surgery and some Benedryl. The next day the bump was way less infected, and on the road to recovery. When I shared my concerns and requested a refund for the last visit, their response was pretty dismissive. They processed the refund but didn't seem to care at all that they were losing a client? No attempt to address the issues or make things right, just "we wish you the best at a new practice." I understand vets are busy, but when you're solving your dog's problems at home because the vet isn't providing solutions, something's wrong. I expected better care and at least some concern when a long-time client leaves disappointed, and who has spent thousands of dollars with them.
5 months ago

Barrett Dylan Davis

I love all the people here! They have all taken such good care of our Bubba! Always a nice time and they love Bubba!

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a year ago

Kelly Trawczynski

This is the best vet I have ever been to. They walked me through the fatal illness and eventual loss of my beloved soul cat, Shiloh. When other vets tried to give me false hope about her condition to upsell me on fruitless surgeries and medicines, Pets First was instead compassionate, but honest. The older male vet here (Sorry, can't remember his name) was very clear that she only had a small amount of time left to live. He gave us options to lengthen her life that afforded me another 6 months with her. When she was ready to go, he was honest about our options, and even came in after normal hours to be the vet who put her down. I always felt like I could trust Pets First and that they weren't selling me services or extending her life without regard to her quality of life. It took me six months to emotionally be ready to pick up her ashes and paw print and they saved it for me, and were very compassionate about my handling of her loss. I have a new cat now, and their honesty and clarity with their services remains. My current cat is overweight, and they were both compassionate but honest and helpful on how to help her. I have friends who's cat is the same weight, and their bougie vet is constantly not addressing it and saying their cat is fine. I'm really happy to be at this vet and be able to trust their services!
a year ago

bzlife2

Best vet I've ever taken my pets to. I've been with them almost 10 years and the care concern for my animals has always been done with kindness, expertise and consideration. I originally switched to them because another vet I was going to was constantly trying to upsell me on everything from vitamins to food. Pets first has never done this. The first time I brought my dog in Dr C literally got down on the floor to greet my dog. Dr. Mitchell has taken care of my cat and my dog over the years as well again with care and attention. Even the vet techs and the front desk crew are excellent. Vet for life.

Reviews via Google

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