How To Choose A Vet For Your Pet

Pets are like part of the family, you want to be sure that they are getting the very best of care. Your vet will be a lifelong friend to your cat or dog, helping keep them healthy and getting them back on their feet when they’re ill or injured. But how do you choose the right vet? 

Location

You’ll want to find a vet that is relatively close to you, especially if you don’t have a car. After all, a poorly pet probably can’t walk all that far, or you might not be able to carry them. 

When shortlisting veterinary surgeries, look to see what’s around your local area first. 

How well equipped they are

A good vet practice should ideally have the ability to conduct various procedures on-site, rather than having to refer you out of the area. Check on their website to see if they have x-ray machines on-site, Mindray ultrasound machines, or the ability to test blood. 

Recommendations

It’s always useful to get personal recommendations from family and friends. After all, you’re entrusting the care of your pet to them and you want to be as sure as you can that you are making a good choice. As well as personal recommendations, check out review websites, Facebook and Google. One or two negative reviews are normal, even for the best of veterinary practices, but if there’s a pattern, then you should treat this as a red flag and look into it further. 

Will they accept your insurance?

Veterinary care can be expensive, which is why most people get pet insurance to cover medical costs. Ideally, you want a vet practice that will deal with the insurance company directly, so that you only have to deal with paying the excess. Some vets want you to pay upfront first and then recoup the cost from the insurance company yourself. As the total could be very high, this might not be something that you can do. 

Take a tour

You don’t just have to blindly sign up with the first vets you find. Ask if you can come in a have a talk with the vet or a member of the team about the practice. You’ll get the chance to see the facilities and get a feel for how they treat owners as well as the animals. If anything gives you cause for concern, go with your gut and find a different vet. 

They are proactive

A good vet isn’t just there to patch up your pet when they’re sick or injured. They should offer a more holistic approach to pet care. This includes offering advice on wellbeing, nutrition, exercise, and behavior. Regular communications in the form of newsletters or emails is a good sign too. 

Takeaways

You want your pets to live a long and healthy life, which is why finding a good vet that you trust is important. Take the time to find a vet that feels right for you and you know will look after your precious fur baby.