Get Vet’s Free Advice on Choosing a Pet at the Library

This week’s column was submitted by Gwen LaCosse of the .

There’s a lot more to being a good pet parent than meets the eye. Before you buy that doggie in the window, you should attend a free seminar on pet ownership and care at the library.

Mark Howes, DVM, will present, Your Guide to Successful Pet Ownership, at the Des Plaines Public Library, 1501 Ellinwood Street, at 7 p.m. on May 9. His one-hour presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session, and parents are encouraged to bring their children.

Earlier:

Dr. Howes will share his expertise on a wide array of topics, including the following.

• How to choose the dog or cat that would be best for you given your stage of life and lifestyle.
• Where to find your new pet – an adoption agency or rescue, pet shop, breeder or private seller.
• How to pick a veterinarian.
• What’s what regarding pet health insurance.
• How to care for your aging pet and managing long-term care.
• Preventive medicine.
• The use of tests such as ultrasound, MRI and other modern technology in today’s veterinary practice.

Dr. Howes has two decades of veterinary experience, and is owner and medical director of the Berglund Animal Hospital in Evanston.

Dr. Howes is from, Oregon, IL, where his father was the local veterinarian. The elder Dr. Howes lent the inspiration for him to pursue his own career in educating and advising people on the joys and responsibilities of pet ownership.

Dr. Howes is active in pet education through other venues. He is a board member of the Canine Therapy Corps, a Chicago-based network of volunteers and certified therapy dogs who help people with physical and emotional challenges, and an instructor for the Northwestern Center for Talent Development, a professional organization for gifted and talented children, where he teaches them about the field of veterinary medicine.

Howes Calls, his advice column, published online and in print, about dogs and cats, is published monthly in TribLocal. Howes is a frequent guest on the Contempo program on Comcast cable television.

Whether you’re mulling over getting a dog or cat, or both, or you are interested in finding out how to better care for the one(s) you have, don’t miss this opportunity to hear what Dr. Howes has to say.

You can register for this program by calling the Des Plaines Public Library at (847) 376-2788, or by visiting the library’s event calendar on its website. Go to May 9 and look for “Your Guide to Successful Pet Ownership.”

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