Portage Park Animal Hospital has been Rated Among the Best in Region and Receives the 2012 CMUS Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction Award

Awarded to: Portage Park Animal Hospital

Star Rating: 4.5

City: Chicago State: Illinois Category: Pets

Presented by: Celebration Media U.S. (CMUS) and Talk of the Town News

Congratulations! Only the very best businesses have been chosen to receive the 2012 CMUS Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction Award. The award was created to showcase companies that excel in serving their customers and getting their high marks. Based on our research gathered during the past 12 months, Portage Park Animal Hospital has earned top honors and now has its very own award page on our website: www.talkofthetownnews.com. Press releases and other promotional information will be sent to regional and national wire services announcing winners.

View your rating page at www.talkofthetownnews.com/awards2012/7737250260

Celebration Media U.S. (CMUS) is a co-sponsor of the award and an independent professional research and marketing company that monitors positive and negative reviews, blogs, business rating services, social networks, and other industry resources to determine the highest-rated and top-reviewed businesses in all 50 states of the country and parts of Canada. We believe that a company can only grow by excelling in customer care and providing the best customer experience possible, and those businesses that are setting these high standards should have the tools to increase their customer base by promoting their success.

We are proud to deliver this news to you, and we encourage you to use the award to thank staff members and customers and also build new business. Share your elite status and tout the fact that you are getting top ratings with custom promotional materials including press releases, audio files, plaques, decals and certificates. Your award can stimulate new business when shared with everyone involved.

Pet Friendly Skies

Flying with your pet can be very stressful for you and your pet but with some preparation you can make your trip go a little bit more smoothly.

Whenever it is possible to avoid flying with your pet in the cargo area, do so. Unless your animal is small enough to fit in the cabin under your seat, try to leave your pet with a qualified sitter. If you must fly with your pet as cargo, there are some tips so making your transport a little safer for your four legged friend.

• Have your pet checked out by your Vet and be sure to have all of her vaccinations up to date. In the instance you are traveling outside of the United States, additional planning will be necessary. Get in touch with the foreign country you are traveling to for more detailed information. 
• Having a microchip in your pet is best along with wearing a collar and ID tag. The collar should have destination information on it in case your pet escapes. 
• Fly direct if possible. It will reduce the chances that your pet is left on the tarmac during extreme weather or mishandled by baggage personal. 
• Fly your pet in a USDA approved shipping crate that is big enough for your pet to sit, stand and turn around easily in. 
• Write the words “Live Animal” on the top and sides of the crate. Use arrows to unmistakably indicate the upright position of the crate. Also write the name, address and phone number of your pet’s destination point. 
• Make sure the door of the crate is securely closed, but not locked, so that airline personnel can open it in case of emergency. 
• Attach a current photo of your pet to the crate for identification purposes incase your pet escapes its carrier. 
• Freeze a small tray of water for your pet the night before you leave. This way it can’t spill during loading and will melt by the time he’s thirsty. 
• Giving your pet a pill to sedate them is not generally recommended as it could hinder your pets breathing. Always check with your Veterinarian first. 
• If the plane is delayed, or if you have any concerns about your pet, insist that airline personnel check the animal whenever possible. 

Have a safe and comfortable trip with your pet!

Up Coming Events July 15th, August 5th, August 19th, and September 16th!

Our dog adoption day provided a great opportunity to meet stray and abandoned dogs from the city pound looking for loving homes. Dogs are all spayed/neutered, current on vaccines, temperament tested, and eager to be someone's new best friend. Thanks to the efforts of the Portage Park District, Portage Park Animal Hospital volunteers, and dedicated community members, the adoption event was a huge success!!! Half of the dogs at the event were adopted.

Our upcoming adoption events are July 15th, August 5th, August 19th, and September 16th. But you don't have to wait for an adoption day to adopt a dog. Animal Care and Control is open daily for 12-6 for adoptions. If you are looking for a pet and can provide a good home, please consider giving these shelter dogs a second chance at a happy life.

The 40 lb. Cat

Recently in New Mexico an elderly man brought a nearly forty pound house cat to the animal shelter as he was no longer able to care for it. The cat had grown so large it couldn’t fit in its litter box. Luckily, the elderly man did the right thing by recognizing he wasn’t able to properly care for the animal. In due time, the vets at the shelter will decrease the cat’s weight to normal.

Animal obesity is a serious condition. The cat weighing 40 pounds would be the equivalent of an average height man weighing 600 pounds! That would require immediate medical intervention.

Just like in humans, obesity can lead to a myriad of health problems and can significantly shorten your pet’s life span. Be mindful of what you are feeding your dog or cat. Get on a good eating and exercise schedule. Generally, an animal will eat as much as you feed them. So when we see an overweight pet, we know they were overfed.

Also be mindful of the ingredients in your pet’s food. Look at the label and check the nutritional value. Again, like humans.

Be sure to check with your veterinarian regarding the average weight for your pet. Many pet owners may be unaware that they have an “above average” sized dog or cat. Being vigilant of your pet’s diet and exercise could add years to your beloved furry friends.

Portage Park Dog Friendly Areas

On this lovely, 82 degree March-madness-weather day, I decided to stop by the Portage Park Dog Park (aka Dog Friendly Area - DFA) and take a look. Is it true what our neighbors and clients saying: nice but small? I heard that the waste bag dispensers, donated by our hospital, have finally been installed, and that advertising our clinic's support for the Dog Park project was against the Park District's rules. I learned a remarkable story from Darby today; we chatted on the phone for nearly an hour. She is the godmother of this awesome dog enclave, formerly called "the horseshoe pit", located on the Northwest side of Portage Park on W. Berteau Ave. Oh, but she did not mention the doggie drinking fountains, and the bulletin board, and the nice benches... It is far nicer than I thought it would be! Only because I have seen other DFAs in the city, how tiny they can be (think Challenger Park), and what disastrous dirt baths they may become.

But let's start from the beginning. Darby Linderman recounted a story that began 8 years ago with a large group of roughly 50 dog owners who thought the DFA would be a nice amenity to have in Portage Park. Their dream was big; a non-existing Dog Park was even christened Pawtage Pack at one point. Sadly, the fundraising was difficult, or perhaps the interest of a local government wasn't all there for a while.

In 2010, Darby, a newcomer to the area who was also a newlywed with a puppy, found out that Alderman Tom Allen was planning to set aside funds to make improvements to Portage Park. A few days later Darby decides to follow up about any prospects for an off-leash Dog Park. Janis Taylor from Chicago Park District confirms the availabilty of the funds and the absence of a community leader to spearhead the DFA project. Darby basically has no choice but to rise to the occasion. The money is there, and the opportunity is ripe. It seem like the right thing to do.

Still ahead was a huge challenge: in order to obtain the funds, Darby had to submit a petition signed by community residents to demonstrate the need for an off-leash dog park. An extensive petition campaign began. Some of you may remember pages of signatures in our reception area, and many of you sided with the cause. In the end, Darby obtained exactly 730 "yes-es" and 12 "no-s". Signers addresses then had to be verified and mapped out, this whole stack of documents was presented back to the Chicago Park District for approval.

This must have been around the same time that information leaked to the Nadig newspaper, and which made the possibility seem real, official. The ball started rollin, and Darby embarked on the awareness raising campaign. A formal committee was formed and worked tirelessly during the Farmers' Markets that year, passing out flyers and letting the community members know, asking them to get involved and support the idea and help in any way they could. Later in 2010, Darby along with other committee members - Carrie Bruggers, Nicole Hrycyk, Nadia Whiteside and Eileen Dohnalek - organized a fun-filled Dog Halloween Parade and Best Costume Contest at Portage Park that attracted over 50 participating dogs. The chief idea was to reaise awareness and further the idea of the DFA and get the community involved, but the committee also managed to raise a symbolic $101 through a raffle sponsored by local businesses. This event, by the way, was such a blast that we would love it to become a tradition.

The Dog Park Committee began holding meetings to discuss the next steps that need to be taken. Once all permits and government funds came in, they got to work with the help of Alderman Tim Cullerton & Mary Oliver. The project broke ground in August of last year, and by October - voila! - new off-leash Dog Park came into existence. This DFA is .11 acres in size or, well, mid-range. Of the eighteen Chicago Park District's DFAs six are smaller than this park, the other six are equal to or slightly larger than Portage, and the remaining five range in size between .20 to .38 acres. The rationale behind the "nice but small" DFA was: a) to provide a place where dogs can legally socialize and play off-leash, b) where chances of getting hurt or injured are minimized by dogs unable to race very fast, and c) where owners can exercise better control over their dogs. The dog park size had absolutely nothing to do with the wishes of industrious volunteers who brought it into existence. Ironically, they have to endure showers of unfair criticism from uninvolved public.

It did take quite a bit of volunteer effort to get it going. Darby herself has hauled 50 lb. bags of pea gravel from the nearby Crafty Beaver, and the committee has developed a website and a Facebook Page. Looking back on her experience, Darby notes that all was accomplished without an instruction manual. The guidance came from Park District in the form of reminders of what was illegal or prohibited. Pet loving communities call her from as far away as Wisconsin to get tips and insight on starting a Dog Park! Darby is extremely grateful to the Dog Park board members and committee members, Alderman Tim Cullerton and Mary Oliver of the 38th Ward, Janis Taylor and the Chicago Park District, to the Portage Park Adivsory Council (aka Friends of Portage Park) and the Portage Park Supervisor, Debbie Groh and former Park Supervisor Michael Nimietz, who all have been instrumental in making the Dog Park become reality. So what is next?

"Today we need to focus on what we have, keeping it nice and organized, and getting people involved", she says. The Dog Park committee is extending invitations to all interested dog owners to come together and join as volunteers: supervise the grounds, pick up dog waste and sweep (note: all DFA visitors are expected to clean up after their own dogs), talk to public about required dog park permits, encourage dog owners to keep and eye on toddlers and kids. Darby hopes that people who are so quick to criticize will come forth with constructive ideas and donate time to implement them. We cannot take the Dog Park for granted. If it is not well taken care of, it could easily be taken away as the Norwood Park's DFA example shows, where a small handful of volunteers have been battling and pleading with a local government to keep it in existence. If you would like to get involved, please e-mail: portagedogpark@gmail.com. Check out their website at www.PortageDogPark.com and look for them on Facebook.

Currently, e-mail updates are being sent out to over 130 people, but only a handful of committee members have regularly been showing for the monthly meetings held on the 3rd Wednesday every month. Ashley Kandaras, our hospital manager, also joined in. Veterinarian Cindy Olsen is planning to come and give talks on various topics related to pet health for the benefit of the Dog Park and our pet loving community in general, including cat owners. She is looking for suggestions on topics that may be of internets to you: anything ranging from weight management and nutritional counseling to parasite prevention and control, to caring for your puppies or aging companions. Please e-mail us your ideas at: communications@portagepark.com!

When I saw the Dog Park today, it was teaming with happy dogs and their owners. Everybody was socializing, enjoying themselves and talking about how nice the Dog Park was. I saw some info posted on the bulletin board, the kind that no one ever reads. Again, this is where Park District holds a monopoly over the contents. I would very much like to see the Community News, Dog Walkers Wanted and Local Events section there. The bulletin board is definitely underutilized. It lacks one key acknowledgment such "...and the medal for the outstanding community service goes to..." There has got to be a way to let everyone know.

Lina Meyer
Hospital Administrator

Thank you for placing your pet's health and trust in us.

Sincerely,
Dr. Roger Schrock
Portage Park Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic

Do You Budget For Emergency Healthcare For Your Pet?

Insurance. It’s part of all of our daily lives –we insure our homes, our cars, and the health of our families. Insurance provides us with peace of mind, and you should have that same peace of mind when it comes to your pet’s health. When your pet is ill, our number one concern is getting him healthy again. But, for many pet owners, this concern becomes overshadowed by the financial burden of treatment for a sick pet. Often pet owners are forced to choose less effective treatment options, or in more unfortunate circumstances, no treatment at all, as a result of cost concerns. Veterinary Pet Insurance offers affordable plans that can ease the financial strain of your pet’s healthcare needs. Rather than worrying about the cost, you can concentrate on helping your pet get well and stay well, and rest easy knowing you helped to provide him the best possible treatment available. Put your pet’s health first –ask us about Veterinary Pet Insurance today.

Do you budget for emergency healthcare for your pet? Many pet owners do not. However, one chronic medical condition or emergency procedure can end up costing the same or more than several years of wellness care. Even the pet owners most attentive to their pet’s healthcare cannot predict how or when an accident may occur. In the unfortunate event that your pet is injured or develops an illness, what will you do? Sometimes, these unforeseen medical issues can require weeks or months of treatment. How will you pay? Unexpected medical expenses can require large cash outlays, which puts you in the uncomfortable position of figuring out where to find the money for them. Don’t let an emergency or medical condition catch you and your pet unprepared. Veterinary Pet Insurance is like a safety net for your pet. In a difficult time, having pet insurance can mean that money is one thing that you don’t have to worry about.

Like human health insurance, veterinary insurance will often exclude certain pre-existing conditions your pet may have. Treating pre-existing can be expensive. Younger pet will have fewer pre-existing conditions, so if issues do arise over time, your pet is more likely to be covered for them. On the other hand, older pets will often already have illnesses, and those could be excluded from coverage. Your secret weapon? Enroll as early as possible. Besides, pet insurance isn’t just for illness! Coverage is available for routine wellness procedures such as exams, vaccinations, and dental prophylaxis, and even some laboratory diagnostics associated with wellness care. We recommend two types of pet insurance: VPI and Trupanion. In addition to traditional plans ranging from preventinve service, illness and accident coverage, both of these companies cover chiropractic and acupuncture services that we offer. Over the course of your pet’s lifetime you could save hundreds of dollars on the high quality care you’d want for your pet regardless of the cost. And with high quality care comes the best reward of all –more time for you with your pets. Please call us for some more information!

Sincerely,

The Doctors and Staff at 

Portage Park Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic

2011 Wrap Up and What's New in 2012

As our PPAH family welcomes 2012, it is with a meaningful reflection on the year past, and with a renewed and energetic approach towards our mission and duties.  Just recently most of us put 2011 in personal perspective: for some it was great and prosperous, for some it brought hardships.  Thank you our dear clients for bringing your pets and sharing your life stories with us.  This is what makes it so rewarding to work at a "vet's office", as many of you call us.  Our never ceasing effort, our experience, our work and life at the hospital can be summed up quite the same way from the collective perspective.  How was 2011 for PPAH?  Well, let’s take a look, and bring you up on any significant changes that have occurred.

What was truly significant within our family is the addition of three new babies.  Dr.Tremlova’s and mine were born midsummer.  The third?  Yes, here is the breaking news: Dr. Morrison did welcome a baby girl!  Sooo anticipated by her mom in 2011, Eilidh Olivia decided she was going to be a 2012 baby after all.  The multitude of new babies born year after year to PPAH parents points to a "fertile", pleasant and secure work environment.  Or so we would like to believe.  Secondly, it reminds us that our knowledgeable doctors, knowledge-thirsty assistants, our multi-tasking, stand-on-their-feet-all-day receptionists and our busy, fast paced support staff are, at the end of the day, regular and caring people. They also have families and life outside of the hospital. Each one of us is also a client: we choose to bring our pets here because we know how well medicine is practiced at PPAH.

Last spring we started offering pet acupuncture to complement the chiropractic services provided by Dr. Cindy Olsen.  You may be interested to find out that that the two pet insurance companies that we promote, VPI and Trupanion, will cover chiropractic and acupuncture services for pets of all ages (though not for pre-existing conditions).

In March, we added a new associate veterinarian to our ranks, Dr. Norah Morrison.  She is a first generation Irish American, who received her degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.  She had practiced veterinary medicine in UK, and also in Chicago area.  Dr. Morrison is a very likeable doctor who quickly gained a loyal clientele.  Some of you were trying to book appointments at the eleventh hour of her pregnancy lest she should go on maternity leave without checking out your companionJ.  She is expected to return to work in April. You will find her full bio here: http://www.portagepark.com/doctors.html.

In October we said good bye to our sweet but no-nonsense hospital manager, Jill Toms, who relocated to Phoenix, AZ.  Ambitious as always, she made not one life changing move in a matter of weeks.  She also managed to tie a knot, land a brand new job as a veterinary hospital manager and resume her graduate degree studies.  People like Jill take responsibility for their own success in life. We miss her already but will continue to consult with her on management related issues.  We welcomed Ashley Kandaras to be our new manager, whom we wooed over from Blue Pearl, a vet emergency and specialty practice in Northbrook.  A veteran in the vet industry (no pun intended) she appears to be confident and experienced, especially in client related issues and matters.  Please do not hesitate to call her if you've had a great or not so great experience, and she will make things right.

In late December, we lost our dear colleague of many years, our proud Canadian, Dr. Joel Bornstein.  He was truly beloved among our staff as a mentor and a friend.  He connected, and was able to find common language equally well with his peers, associate doctors and our youngest aspiring "mouseketeers", a bunch of whom he inspired to become veterinarians...  He was adored by our clients and patients.  We received so many kind and touching words from you after the announcement of his passing.  "I am sure he was greeted by all the animal souls who he helped and loved, including my Elvis", writes a bereaved client.

Pets - our special family members.  We celebrated all new puppies and kittens that have come in through our doors last year!  They don't know this yet but without them we would be nothing.  To the clients who lost their precious pets, we say that we took time to mourn and say goodbye to our dear patients.  It is by far the hardest aspect of our jobs.

Our dedicated staff tries to make lives happier and easier for the pets in need. Our annual Christmas fundraiser is going to benefit dogs transported here from Iraq, through the program called Operation Bagdad Pup.  However, it is not only during Christmastime that our staff engages in charitable activities.  Julita and Marilyn regularly volunteer at Animal Care and Control where they try to improve the dire (horrible, is what they say) conditions of the unlucky residents.  They pass on a word too: volunteers are desperately needed at ACC.  Please talk to them if you have time and would like to help; these girls will be happy to guide you through the process.  If you are thinking of getting a companion, please consider adopting from Animal Care and Control.  Sadly, most people don’t realize how pets are suffering there, and that they are available for adoption.

What is new in 2012?  We will continue to grow and add services in order to serve you better.  Our annual Dental program offers great deals and kicks in full swing in February (wink wink).  We offer free dental evaluations and consultations for your pets year round.  Also in February our hospital will participate in the annual Cook County Spay/Neuter program where we offer these surgeries at a discount. 

We are also trying to stay current, modern and connected through social media. Look us up on Facebook, Google + and Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/chicago_vet.  We update our hospital blog twice a month at http://portageparkanimalhospital.blogspot.com/.  You can also access it through our website: WHAT’S NEW/BLOG.

As far as the latest news on veterinary products, treatments and developments, please speak to our veterinarians.  They are very open to communication, and are by far the best resources, better than any Dr. Google.  Feel free to visit any time, schedule a tour of our facility, bring in your pet just for the treats while on your daily walk or get yourself a fresh-brewed coffee from our new Keurig coffee maker. 

We wish an exciting and healthful year to you and your beloved pets.

Lina Meyer

Hospital Administrator