When you own a dog in Chicago, finding the best local veterinarian can be a tough job. It seems like there’s one on nearly every corner, so how can you be sure you’ll get the best service and that your dog gets the best treatment? Finding the best local dog veterinarian in Chicagoland can be easier though, when you know what to look for. Here are our top picks of what to look for when choosing a vet for your dog.
A Clean Office in Chicagoland
This should go without saying—after all, these are medical facilities, right? Yet many local dog veterinarian offices in Chicagoland can appear unkempt or dingy. When you’re considering a certain practice, be sure to stop in before you actually need an appointment so that you can get a feel for what the facility is like.
Convenient Hours and Availability
Next, you’ll want to find out what the hours and availability are. Some local dog vet offices in Chicagoland close at 5 p.m. every day and aren’t open weekends, or don’t open until 10 a.m. during the week. Both of these options can put a damper on when you can bring your pet in. If you work regular full time hours, getting an appointment after hours can be difficult at some vets. Look for a veterinarian in Chicagoland that works with your schedule. Taking time off for the vet should be on an as-needed basis, not a mandatory feature.
What Services They Can Provide
A great local dog vet should be able to provide all the standard vet services, like treatment for the dog flu, vaccinations and x-rays, but a great bonus is when they have equipment for things like ultrasounds or surgery, as well as in-house lab testing. This can help you get results faster when your dog is sick.
Their Demeanor
Above many other factors, it’s important for you to feel comfortable with how a local dog veterinarian interacts with you and your pet. If they are cold or “all business,” the visits can feel somewhat insensitive when there’s a problem with your up. When you talk to the staff, do you feel welcomed? Are they comfortable to work with? Ask for a tour of the facility and see what you think about what it looks and feels like. You’ll be able to tell a lot about a local dog vet in Chicago based on what they’re willing to show you.
Local Accessibility and Pricing
Last but surely not least, local accessibility and pricing are important to consider. Nothing’s worse than having to come up with several hundred dollars for what should be an affordable treatment. Get pricing for say, a dog’s booster shot appointment from several vets you’re considering in Chicagoland, then choose the one you liked best in person that’s easiest to get to or closest to home.
Finding a local dog veterinarian in Chicago and the surrounding area shouldn’t be a full-time job. With these parameters, you should be able to find the best care for your pup relatively quickly.
If you need help finding places to check out, check out our list of top rated vets, or give Cruisin’ Canines a call to get our recommendations.
My brother has been looking for a good veterinarian, and I think that being able to get some tips would be nice. I like that you talked about how you want to see what services a veterinarian provides. I’m going to have to look for a few good veterinarians and see what we can find!
My favorite part of this article is when you say to find a veterinarian that has a very clean facility and I will make sure to tour potential offices before choosing a vet. I also appreciate that you mention finding a vet that has hours and availability that work in my schedule because I work full time during the week, so it would be great to visit the vet with my dog on a Saturday. Also, I think it would give me peace of mind to find a vet that has 24-hour emergency services at their clinic in case my dog gets sick and it is an emergency situation.
I’m looking for a vet since I’m thinking of getting a dog soon. I appreciate how you suggest looking at the vet’s hours of operation and taking that into consideration. This would be especially important for me since I work long hours and would need a vet with a flexible schedule.
I like that you mentioned the most important thing is being comfortable with your vet. Not only you, but your pet as well. Visiting multiple options is a good way to get a feel for different personalities.
I like what you said about checking a vet clinic in person before you actually need an appointment to analyze the office space. I think that veterinarians offer unparalleled services to pets and animals everywhere. If I were to notice any health issues with my dog, I would do my best to locate a vet in my area that has extensive training.
I recently adopted a dog from the shelter and I need to find a good veterinarian for him because I have noticed that he is not eating very much and has strange diet habits. You make a great point that when choosing a veterinarian I should find out about their hours and availability because this way I can have peace of mind that the appointments I make will fit into my busy schedule. Also, in my opinion, it would be great to find an animal hospital that has 24-hour emergency services because this way I can rest assured that I will have a place to take my dog if he has a medical emergency.
My wife and I just got a puppy so thanks for sharing this. I like your point about choosing a vet that has things like in-house lab testing. We’ll be sure to ask about the facility so we know we can visit the same location for all our needs.
My wife and I just got a puppy this last Christmas so we are looking for a vet to start visiting nearby. I like your point about choosing an office that has convenient hours that match your schedule. I’ll be sure to check this so we know if we can make appointments on weekends if necessary.
My friend recently adopted a dog, so she needs a good vet to neuter him. I agree that she should make sure that the vet has a warm personality, as it can help you know if they are kind to pets. Thanks for all the great tips on choosing a vet.
I was on the phone last night with my sister about her search for a vet. She wants to make sure that the new puppy that she adopted is being taken care of. It is nice to know that local accessibility will make it easier to choose a veterinary care facility.
Thanks for these great tips on how to choose which vet is right for you. Recently, I rescued a German shepherd from a shelter and he still needs his vaccinations. When I find a vet to help with this, I’ll have to remember your advice about considering if I feel welcome by their staff or not.
Thanks for the tip to look at the hours vet services are open since some open in the late morning and close in the early evening. We just got a Corgi, so I’m looking for a vet we can go to for her vaccines. I’ll have to find one that either opens early in the morning or on weekends since I work at night and wouldn’t be able to go.
You’ve got great tips for choosing a vet. We just adopted a dog, so we need to find a good office to take her to. I’ll be sure to find a place that is clean and tidy, not dingy. That would be a relief.
I agree with what you said about finding a vet that can provide all standard vet services. Locating the right veterinarian is essential when it comes to the overall health of your pet. My dog has been feeling ill lately, so I’ll make sure to find a vet in town that can see my pet as soon as possible.
I like your tip about stopping into a vet’s clinic before you even need an appointment so that you can get a feel for what the office is like. My sister is looking for a vet now that she just got a puppy, and she wants to be sure that she chooses a facility that she can trust. I’ll forward this article to her so that she can have some help with figuring out where she should choose to go.
You’re right about saying that the office of the veterinarian I should visit from a reputable animal hospital should be clean. I suppose the services they can provide should be something I must assess as well. As long as they have a good demeanor towards animals, I’ll be sure to take my dog there.
You made a great point when you said that you should feel comfortable with how a veterinarian interacts with your pet. My wife and I recently bought a puppy from our local animal shelter, and we need to take him in for his vaccinations. We will be sure to choose a vet that both us and our puppy are comfortable with.
I thought that it was interested that you mentioned that you should make sure that the animal hospital has convenient hours of service before choosing a location to take your pet. I would imagine that the health of your pet is very important and that pet owners desire to have their pets examined by a veterinarian often. For this reason, I would ensure that the hours and availability of the animal hospital aligned with my work schedule before choosing a location to take my pet if I had one.
I wanted to thank you for this advice for finding a dog veterinarian. It’s nice to know that you can see what kind of equipment they have, like ultrasounds and whatnot. I wonder if it’s possible if you can ask the vet to get a tour of the facility to better understand what they are equipped to handle.
Thanks for the tip to ask like-minded, pet loving coworkers if they have a vet they could recommend. I want to get a dog soon because I think it would really help my mental health to have something to take care of at home. I’m glad I read your article because I didn’t know how to find a vet before, and your tips should really simply the process of finding a good one!
I appreciate how the article explains that when you are looking for a new veterinarian, you should make sure to get pricing from multiple veterinarians, so you can choose the one that’s overall best for you. My dog is needing to get a couple of shots but I don’t want to have to pay a lot of money to get them. I will make sure to call multiple veterinarians to find the best pricing.
It’s interesting to know that a veterinarian and clinic staff’s attitude is something that you should consider when looking for a veterinarian clinic. I’m planning to buy a dog next month, and I want to prepare as early as possible to avoid panic. I’ll take note of your advice so that in the future I can narrow down my choices and pick the veterinarian with utmost expertise.
I do agree with you that when looking for an animal hospital to bring our pets to, it is important for us to consider the hours. It makes sense for us to be aware of the hours as we need to ensure that they are available 24/7. In doing so, it will be very helpful when we need an animal hospital during times of emergency. Since I just moved to a new town, I will definitely make a point to check the hours.
Thanks for the advice on what to look for in a veterinarian. My dog has been acting sick for a few days now. I’ll look for a veterinarian in my area that I can take my dog to.
My dog has been having some issues, and I’m trying to help him. It makes sense that I would want to get a veterinarian to help me out with this. I’ll be sure to find someone who has a lot of experience with helping pets get healthy.
You made a good point when you shared that it is great to choose a local veterinary that provides all the standard vet services for your dog. My friend just mentioned the other day that she is worried about her dog who does not seem to look healthy since a few days ago. I will suggest to her taking him to a reliable vet clinic that can help treat him.
My cousin has been thinking about getting a new vet for her German Shepard because she wants him to be a lot safer. He would really like to get some help from a professional to make sure that he can have the right kind of care. It was interesting to learn about how they should have the right kinds of treatments, and equipment that will allow them to be a lot safer.
My cousin just bought a corgi, and he wants to make sure that he can get a vet to look at his back left leg because he won’t walk on it. He would really like to get a professional to work with in order to make sure that he can get better faster. It was interesting to learn about how they should work with the schedule of the vet, and make sure that they have the right kind of equipment.
My cousin has been thinking about getting a vet for her poodle because she wants to make sure that she can be taken care of. She would really like to get some help from a professional to make sure that they can be more healthy with fewer problems. It was interesting to learn about how they can be comfortable to work with, and they shouldn’t be cold to work with.