How to Choose a Veterinarian

Working as a team with your veterinarian helps guarantee that your pet will live a full and healthy life. Selecting someone who has the same level of passion about pet care that you have is the first step. The information below will help you in your search.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dog Carriers
• Dog Leashes
• Cat Carriers
• Cat Leashes
• Veterinarian Services

1. Ask someone you trust for a recommendation. Advertisements supply information about services offered, but a personal recommendation is best.

2. Call to make an appointment for a visit to meet the veterinarian and the staff.

3. Visit the facility, checking for cleanliness, a relaxed professional atmosphere and staff members who are ready to answer your questions and give you a tour.

4. Find out whether the veterinarian belongs to professional organizations, is affiliated with local humane societies and emergency clinics and provides referral services when needed.

5. Ask questions about your pet's care, paying close attention to the answers. These responses are key to making certain you have the right person for the job.

6. Request to visit the animal care wards and kennel areas; these should be squeaky clean, odor-free, warm, dry and comfortable at all times - no exceptions!

7. Choose a veterinary clinic that allows you to see the same doctor during each visit so that he or she will become familiar with you and your pet, and vice versa.

8. Make an appointment to take your pet for a get-acquainted visit. Observe how the veterinarian and staff interact with you and your pet.

Tips & Warnings

• Knowing that a veterinarian is well-educated and knowledgeable about animal health is important, but compassion for animals is an absolute necessity.
• Although choosing a veterinary clinic based on location is tempting and traveling is stressful for your pet, the extra driving may be worth it to receive quality care.
• Trust your instincts and ask for a second opinion if you think one is warranted.
• All veterinarians who practice in the United States must be graduates of an accredited school of veterinary medicine and must have a current license on display.

Resources

• Dog Care

Who Can Help Sponsored

[kthawran]

on 3/22/2009 Getting referrals is really important. Also, cheapest isn't always the best. But some vets love to rip you off.

[sammied]

on 1/16/2009 Great article! :) I agree that it is VERY important to have a clinic that allows you to see the same vet each time. That way the experience is more comfortable for your pets because they see a familiar face. It is also easier for the vet to note any issues because he/she is aware of your pet's history and past issues/treatments. It makes things go much smoother and leaves you feeling more confident in your vet's diagnoses and treatments.

[KellyB]

on 7/11/2007 Our cat suddenly got extremely sick - lethargic, dehydrated, anorexic - limp as a dishrag. The vet could not figure out what was wrong and advised we put her to sleep so we did. The vet opened her up afterwards and found her pancreas to be white and calcified and said she either had pancreatitis or cancer. I no longer trust this vet. I feel she should have known whether or not the cat had pancreatitis.

on 8/8/2006 Check out the office and make sure that it is not too busy, so the veterinarians will always will have time for you. Also, make sure that the office is clean and that the workers are friendly and inviting. If the people tell you they are too busy to give you a tour, or that you should come back another time to check it out, you should rule them out. They should care more about you and your animal. Also ask if you can see their kennels and stalls, see if the animals there look taken care of. Ask if there were an emergency, would the veterinarians make barn visits or house visits, and if they could always be on call. Make sure that you are visiting the same veterinarian each time you go, too. You want to build a relationship with your veterinarian, so you can understand their work ethics and how they treat your pet.

on 1/24/2006 My veterinarian checked out according to the rules presented in this article. However, one visit cost me hundreds of dollars unnecessarily. If I had known to call the Board of Veterinary Examiners I would have found out that my veterinarian had a list of complaints a mile long! In fact, our local newspaper, television station, lawyers, and other veterinarians knew more about my veterinarian than I did. I was one of the loyal clients until the truth came out. Check with your state boards.