Reliable emergency and specialty care for man’s best friends isn’t far away. Discover how this suburban specialist has grown a practice that draws patients from a wide part of our region.
We love our pets just like our family members, and we want the best for our feline and canine friends.
That’s where Companion Animal Specialty & Emergency Hospital (CASE), 1095 Pingree Road, Crystal Lake, can help. CASE is the only 24-hour specialty and emergency veterinary care facility in McHenry County, and one of the few in the surrounding area. CASE offers an experienced team of veterinarians and support staff who provide around-the-clock specialized and emergency care for dogs and cats.
Most patients are referred to CASE by their family veterinarians, or arrive at the hospital through the emergency room. And, although it’s based in Crystal Lake and primarily serves the McHenry County area, CASE also sees patients from as far away as Rockford, Elgin and Lake Geneva. CASE also enables pet owners to donate blood for use by other patients.
The hospital opened in 1997, when several veterinarians teamed up.
“There was a tremendous need in the community,” says director of medicine Mike Hochman, DVM. “The practitioners were working as a group to provide after-hours-only emergency care when the day practices were closed. It slowly developed into a clinic that was open 24/7. In the past several years, we’ve added specialists to provide advanced care. We enhance the care that veterinary day practices deliver.”
Family veterinarians refer patients to CASE Hospital for specialized consultations, procedures and care. They recommend CASE for rehabilitative therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, ultrasound, endoscopy, orthopedic or soft tissue surgery, emergencies and 24-hour intensive care.
“In the ER, we see a significant amount of trauma and illness such as vomiting, diarrhea and lameness,” Hochman says. “Surgery cases include knee injuries such as ACL ruptures. The surgeons handle a wide range of advanced surgeries that most general practitioners aren’t doing. Internal medicine and Dermatology cases typically consist of difficult or chronic problems that require more advanced diagnostics and focused care. Physical therapy deals with recovery from postoperative procedures as well as managing chronic conditions. Our goal is to help provide a better quality of life for the community’s pets.”
In addition to traditional medical care, CASE provides alternative treatments. “As we grow, our emphasis continues to be on advanced medicine, emergency surgery and dermatology,” Hochman says. “CASE Hospital also has provided more integrative care with certified staff in chiropractic and acupuncture. Integrative medicine has been rapidly growing within veterinary medicine the past few years.”
CASE Hospital outgrew its first two facilities and moved to its current location in 2006. Since then, the hospital has doubled in size to 10,000 square feet. The newly expanded clinic means a larger reception area, additional examination rooms, surgical suites and labs, and rehabilitation equipment such as underwater treadmills. “The expansion has allowed us to improve overall client and patient care,” says Hochman.
Hochman, whose specialty is emergency medicine, has been practicing veterinarian medicine for 13 years.
“I love the unexpected nature of what’s going to walk through the door,” he says. “The situations run the gamut. You just never know how the day is going to go. I enjoy the interaction with patients and their clients. People come in with their pets, emotional and scared. It’s important that we gain their trust quickly. I’m proud of our team and how effectively we have served the area over the years.”