Dr. Christina Edlebeck joined Rochelle Veterinary Hospital on July 21 as its newest veterinarian. Raised in a military family, Edlebeck spent her childhood in Germany, Japan, and across the U.S. before settling in Illinois.

She earned her veterinary degree from Texas A&M University in 2025. Edlebeck has a special interest in senior pet wellness, focusing on recognizing and addressing the changing needs of aging animals.

She values open communication and enjoys helping pet owners feel confident, supported, and informed in caring for their companions.

“In my fourth year of vet school I did an externship here at Rochelle and I ended up falling in love with the community and the practice,” Edlebeck said. “The people here are so kind and it feels like a family here. Rochelle is rural enough to see a cool variety of cases and close enough to Chicago and universities if you need to refer something. It’s a really neat location and the people are great.”

Edlebeck is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and a Fear Free Certified Professional. Her dog, Bailey, is her best buddy and favorite hiking partner.

Rochelle Veterinary Hospital is a general practice facility focusing on preventative care, dental procedures, spaying and neutering, minor surgical procedures, and occasional more major surgeries. The facility also provides client education on nutrition, vaccines, tick and heartworm prevention, caring for animals from birth through senior years.

The aspect of her job that Edlebeck enjoys most is interacting with pet owners.

“I like learning people’s stories and getting to know them. I really enjoy the client education aspect,” Edlebeck said. “I think a lot of the conditions we see in dogs and cats are easily preventable. It just takes a little bit of education. I like to approach veterinary medicine as a collaboration and partnership between the veterinarians and owners.“

Owners know a lot about their pets. I trust they’ll be transparent with me and I’ll be transparent with them and honest about what I’m seeing so we can work together to provide the best care for pets. Interestingly enough, my favorite part about veterinary medicine is the people attached to the animals.”

Edlebeck stressed the importance of regular vet visits for pets at least once a year for exams and to catch potential health issues as early as possible.

Rochelle Veterinary Hospital sees firsthand how people treat their pets as family members.

“Now more than ever, people’s animals mean a lot to them,” Edlebeck said. “And they’re taking them to the vet more because they’re part of their family. The amount of people having dogs instead of kids is growing. To be able to treat someone’s family member is so meaningful to me and it means a lot to them.

“It’s like taking your loved one to the doctor. I recognize that people see their pets as family and I treat them like that. It makes our partnership with our pet owners more meaningful.”