Hello Chicago!!!

Animal Advocate Pet Hospital will be a new general-care veterinary clinic coming to Chicago’s West Loop Spring in 2019. We are excited to start our journey and want to invite you on this discovery with us. We believe in education and finding ways to improve the lives of pets, pet parents, and the caregivers that serve them. Keeping all 3 groups happy or wagging is a task few hospitals have been able to convey, but we at Animal Advocate Pet Hospital will strive to make this a reality every day.

So, what do you need to know when looking for the next primary care vet for your pet?

We looked to the leading veterinary professional organization to give you the answer from a trusted source. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is the national veterinary governing body. They ensure that hot topics affecting the animal practice world small or large are pushed to the forefront for people, government agencies, and more. Enjoy this good video going over the best information for how to choose a veterinarian.

We believe that you will find the right veterinarian when you meet the veterinary team and take in the overall hospital experience. But the following are 4 key questions we would recommend asking:

1. What type of medicine do they practice?
   • Some veterinarians will focus on evidence-based medicine to ensure your pet is not put in harm’s way off of a hint or feel. They look at how research shows the pros and cons to each treatment. Could lead to more diagnostic testing and information.
   • Some veterinarians will offer options based on a “hunch” or feel. This technique has the individuals experience to support it. However, sometimes pets do not react the exact same as others. Could lead to unexpected results for different pets.
2. What options for pet support do they offer?
   • What hours do they have? Do they align with your scheduling?
   • Do they offer the newest techniques with technology and virtual visits to save you time and money?
3. What skill levels do the team members, including the doctors, possess?
   • Do the hospital administrators routinely evaluate their staff and doctors to ensure top-notch associates?
   • What is the staff turnover rate?
4. What qualities are most important to you when finding your own doctor or child’s pediatrician? Your veterinarian should have those same qualities and support team around them.

As you can see from the video and above questionnaire, the question is not an easy one to answer. It depends on what is of value to you.

We will leave you with a quote from our Medical Director with over 10 years of animal AND leadership experience.

“If you find a vet that listens to you the way you want to be listened to,

that answers the questions you have,

AND answers the questions you didn’t even know you had,

then you have found the doctor for you and your 4-legged family member.”