How to pick a vet.

Now that you have your first dog, you have to start considering who you are going to select to take care of your dog. You didn’t pick your doctor out of a phonebook did you?  No, you asked around to try to find the best doctor for you and your list of needs.  Similarly you would like to find the right veterinarian for your dog. You don’t want just any veterinarian you want one that knows how to care for your specific dog, at their specific size, and their specific age. Finding the right veterinarian for your dog will be one of the most important decisions that you make regarding your dog’s health. We’ve devised a list of steps that you should go through when considering a veterinarian. None of these steps will take very long; in fact the whole process is quite short and simple. The type of care you will receive for this work, however, will greatly affect your dog’s health. 

First let us tell you that if you currently have a veterinarian that you are unhappy with, you can leave and find a new one at any time. That’s exactly what you should do. Your dog does not have the ability to tell you they don’t like their veterinarian, only you can make that decision.  It’s never too late to get the best pet care available. That being said let’s get on with the list.

The first step you already know, since you have applied it to numerous other searches in your life. Ask around. Ask friends who have dogs, ask friends who have cats, ask anyone that you know that has a pet what they think of their veterinarian. If you want to be specific ask someone that has the same dog breed as you. Most people are willing to talk about what kind of service they are getting for their dog’s health so it should be easy to get an honest response.

The next step is to check with the Veterinary Medical Board to see if there have been any complaints against a prospective veterinarian. You don’t want to take your dog to a veterinarian with a bad reputation.

Make sure your veterinarian likes dogs. Millions of people are allergic to dogs. If your dog’s potential veterinarian is allergic to dogs, your dog might not get the best medical care. And your dog’s health could be in the wrong hands. 

Veterinarians should be able to give your dog 24 hour care. There will be times that you will have to leave your dog with a veterinarian for an overnight stay. Make sure there will be staff there to monitor your dog all night. Something could go wrong at any time.

Watch how the veterinarian and the vet technicians interact with each other. If they seem to have a strange relationship, perhaps your veterinarian or their vet technicians aren’t the right people for your dog. Make sure they are polite and cordial with each other. This means your veterinarian is providing a happy work environment which will always translate to better care.

Last and most important, go with your gut instincts. If you don’t feel like this is the best possible veterinarian for your dog, don’t take your dog there. You will know if it is a bad environment for your dog. 

We hope you find this list helpful. It has worked for us for many years and we hope it works for you as well. Good luck in your search!.