Karen Bannow, DVM

Dr. Karen Bannow has wanted to be a veterinarian since she was a young girl, before she can even remember. She is originally from St Joseph, MI and attended Northwestern University in Evanston where she obtained her Biology degree in 1994. She graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University with honors in 1998. After graduation, she began practicing in Highland Park, IL, where she worked for the next 13 years. At the end of 2011, she partnered with her long-time colleague, Dr. Ben Shechter to create North Shore Family Pet Hospital.

Dr. Bannow’s favorite part of being a veterinarian is building relationships with clients and their pets. She aims to individualize medical care to the patient through open communication with the owner. Her areas of special interest include internal medicine, dermatology, behavior counseling, and senior care. She admits that she is particularly fond of cats. Dr. Bannow is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

Dr. Bannow is married to golf pro Chris and has two young children. Their family also includes an exuberant German Shepherd Mix puppy named Eddie and fluffy cat named Fenway. She spends her free time with her family going to her kids' soccer and baseball games, golfing, seeing shows in Chicago, and traveling.