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How To Choose a Vet

Your vet is a pretty significant figure in your dog's life and it's worth the time to develop a good relationship with a suitable veterinarian even if you only need their services for routine checkups and preventative procedures.

You could probably find a really good vet by looking through the yellow pages or doing an Internet search, but having the right vet is crucial to your pet's health and happiness (as well as your own.) The best place to start looking for a vet is by word of mouth. If you have any friends or relatives who take good care of their dogs, then that's a great place to start: ask them who they would recommend and why. Another great place to find a veterinarian is through local training clubs (ie., agility classes, herding classes, K-9 academies, etc.) These organizations are almost guaranteed to place a great deal of importance on high quality veterinary care, because the health and well being of their dogs is such a high priority. Once you've developed a list of vets, call them and explain that you are looking for a regular vet for your pet and would like to come and meet them, introduce your dog and have a look at the premises.

While you're at the clinic, you'll want to find out your potential vet's overall attitude and approach to health care and animals. Here is a list of questions that might help:

How many vets are there on staff? If you need to make an urgent appointment, you don't want to waste time just waiting around. Ideally, there should be at least two qualified veterinarians on hand (not just technicians or assistants.)

What kind of testing and analysis capabilities does the clinic have? If they have to send away to a lab for this kind of stuff, it means that the results are going to be delayed. If your dog is very sick, time is an important factor. The clinic should have at least blood-analysis testing on hand.

What after-hours services are available? A lot of clinics close the doors in the evenings and on weekends, which means that if there is an emergency, you'll have to go somewhere else and subject your pet (and yourself) to an unfamiliar vet. In a high-stress situation when emotions are running high, it's reassuring for your dog and yourself to deal with someone familiar.

What's their price range? How are payments made? Are payment plans available in case of unexpected vet bills? Even with pet insurance, vet bills can be quite high depending on the treatment performed.

How up-to-date is the staff with advances in the industry? Do the vets, the technicians, and the assistants attend seminars and workshops regularly? The field of medical care is always moving forward - responsible vets make the effort to keep up with the times and see that their staff do too.

When you choose a vet, you're balancing convenience and quality. Even though it's tempting to go for the one right around the corner with the rock-bottom prices, it really is worthwhile taking the time to shop around. Your pet is utterly dependent on you for their healthcare and if you treat them like a member of the family, you'll want to do the best thing for them.