how can I choose a good veterinarian?

Question

are there certifications or associations I should be aware of?

Answer 1

talk to friends, family and neighbors and see who they take their animals to and what they think of them. arrange to have a tour of the facility for yourself. make sure to find out how much a regular vet visit is, a follow up visit, vaccinations, spay/neuter. what the emergency number is. talk to the doctor(s) see how they relate to you. maybe see if it would be alright if you could sit in on an examination to see how he/she interacts with the animal and the people.

Answer 2

Word of mouth is the best way, because awards and publicity do not a good vet make. You can be a great doctor, but still have a manner that will spook a nervous animal. Ask a friend or co-worker with the same type of pet about the vet they use, because some vets are dogs people while others may prefer reptiles. People are very protective of their animals, and usually will give pretty fair reports on their vet and others you might want to avoid. Then if you want you can do a finally check on the internet.

If you are new to an area, contact your local animal shelter for a recommendation. The people who staff shelters are usually long time pet owners, and familiar with the local vets.

Answer 3

Finding a good vet is tough, but the key is to ask a lot of questions. If you're new to the area, talk to your pet-owning neighbors and see who they recommend and why. The Humane Society is another good place to ask for suggestions, too.

And when you take your animal in for a preliminary check-up, ask even more questions. Find out where the vet went to college for their degree, who they consult with, etc. If the pet needs surgery or there's an emergency, see if they can handle it or if they refer those cases to someone else.

Check the office and see if it's clean and well-maintained. Watch how the vet and the assistants interact with the pets, especially the difficult ones. Ask about their payment policy -- do they accept payments or do they want a lump sum, do they take pet insurance or credit cards, etc.?

If the vet is reluctant to answer your questions, then consider going somewhere else. Your instincts are usually a pretty good guide when it comes to telling you if you should trust your pet's health and well being to this person or not.

Answer 4

All licensed veterinarians are graduates of a four year college and have attended four years of veterinary college, plus internships.

Just like there are "dog people" and "cat people" veterinarians can have the same propensities. Cats are notoriously difficult "patients" and some vets are just not good at handling them, preferring dogs who are more cooperative.

The three vets I use at the clinic where I take my cats are all cat lovers and have many cats in their own homes. One vet's wife is a cat rescuer.

The first vet I took my kittens to 14 years ago was totally uninterested in educating me about cats though he knew I had never had any pets in my life before. When I asked him what was the best food for them he said it didn't matter at all, any cat food was OK. He was surely an ignorant and arrogant SOB.

So now I know if I had to search for a new vet I would want to know how many cats the vet had in his/her own home. The office receptionist might be surprised at the question and I would insist on a satisfactory answer before making an appointment.

Answer 5

Ask around. ALmost everyone has a pet. That is by far the best way. Then, call each local vet or ones recommended, and ask what the cost is for an office visit, regular shots. This will tell you a lot, as well. Visit the office. Is it dark? Smelly? Do they seem professional?

You will get stories on each vet. One person may have had a terrible time with a vet that everyone else recommeds. It happens. Get as much info as you can then sort it out.

Personally, I go by price and recs.

Answer 6

Most veterinarians have websites that you can look up and they have whatever awards they won, services they provide. You can also call and ask questions, most veterinarians won't have a problem with answering your questions. They should also have an emergency hotline in case anything should happen to your pet while their offices are not open.

Answer 7

Everyone had good answers, but I will add one suggestion: Look for a AAHA accredited clinic. They are inspected and have higher standards and regulations to follow. I will place a link under sources.

My employer always told me: "A vet fresh out of school ain't worth crap! He's got to get some experience before he is a good vet".

So...I'd also suggest that you look for a vet with his own practice and has been out of school for a few years, but not one that does not keep up to date on new medicine.

I would avoid the Banfield (PetSmart) mega practice.

Answer 8

Competence - all vets at the instant are not equivalent and a level would not lead them to effectual. a good diagnostician is unusual, good surgeons are lots greater user-friendly. How they manage my animal. wisdom - will they clarify the sickness, what they get from each and every try, what remedies are attainable, what's the merely right "bang for the dollar" of their opinion and what's the diagnosis. principally, are they keen to declare "i don't understand" and be keen to study it in hard circumstances. in the event that they decline to respond to questions - run any incorrect way. cost - Do they think of of the owner too? merely in view which you could run 10 exams, are they actually necessary or is the vet apprehensive approximately being sued? understand vets are human, they make the incorrect calls now and lower back too. Meishka and his muddle brother Obi have been introduced in with the comparable indications on the comparable time. My vets misplaced the two canines simply by fact they wasted time attempting to tie the indications to genetic motives - as a scientist, i could have jumped the comparable way. even though it grew to become right into a fluke - comparable indications, 2 fullyyt diverse motives. Obi would desire to have lived - the misplaced time grew to become into severe, Meishka (my canines) grew to become into much less possibly to get well no rely what grew to become into finished. Obi's proprietors hated them, I favored the super volume they went by attempting to locate help for Meishka (it grew to become into huge study) and understood their mistake. They stored many hard circumstances for me in spite of that mistake. ethical of the tale - diverse human beings have diverse stories with even good vets. there will be good thoughts and a few undesirable no rely how good a vet the guy is..

Answer 9

definitely word of mouth for sure, most are con artists out for the money and not the welfare of the pet, so it is difficult to find a good one

Answer 10

The Humane Society is the best place to take your pet for check ups and shots etc...