10 Things to Look For When Choosing a Veterinarian

10 Things to Look For When Choosing a Veterinarian

People who have pets will certainly need to visit the veterinarians once in a while, not only to check if their favorite pets are completely healthy but also to make sure that if anything affects their health, they will be there on time so that swift action can be taken. But for someone who has never been to a veterinarian, it will be hard to find one if they don’t have any knowledge on this. That is why in the following paragraphs, this article will talk about how actually to find veterinarians.
1. One of the most powerful techniques people can use to make sure they will be let in on a good veterinarian is word of mouth. Surely they do have at least one friend who has a pet, and that is why they will need to ask that friend about it, without forgetting to ask if they were happy with the services they got. Maybe they have already been to some very good vets, and they can thus make a great recommendation. On top of that, dog parks are also a good place to get such information from.
2. People though can have a different breed of pets than what the majority of people have, so that is why it’s recommended that they will check with specialty breeders or pet stores so that they can eventually find a veterinarian who specializes in the dog breed they have.
3. Some people are very busy, and they will not be able to make it to the vet between certain hours. That is why it’s recommended to choose one business hours, days and office location are convenient.
4. After making a list of the potential candidates, it’s time to give them a call and inquire the office manager about the payment policies and the rates implied for a basic checkup. It’s also good to receive confirmation that the person will get to see the same vet for each consultation.
5. After and during business hours, people will need to know all about the emergency services which are offered. The animal hospital the veterinarian is associated with and if it’s nearby is also vital to be known.
6. Taking a tour of the office to ensure that the staff is knowledgeable, helpful and that everything there is clean, should be considered.
7. It’s time that the client will meet the vet. Some aspects should be kept in mind, as the attitude of the vet, if he or she is responsive to the individual’s questions and so on.
8. It’s also recommended to make sure that the vet doesn’t have any plans for retiring soon. No one would like to have this happening to them, as finding another vet will not be that pleasant.
9. After deciding on the vet, the individual will need to bring the pet up for a checkup and the veterinarian will begin a medical file on the patient.
10. Last but not least, the vet’s phone number should be kept at hand and shared with the caretakers when the person will be leaving town.

I went to visit a new veterinary office that recently opened in Matthews and here is my tour of the hospital for you. Chestnut Arbor Veterinary hospital. They are a fear Free hospital.  Check out my video below.

Finding a vet is very simple, and anyone who will follow these steps will easily find veterinarians.

If you are in the Union County area of Charlotte NC, I have a page of referrals if you are looking for a Veterinarian click here

If you need a pet sitter or daily dog walker check out Love and Kisses Pet Sitting.  We are professional pet sitters in Union County

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18 Comments

  1. Lillian Schaeffer

    I like how you mentioned the value of word of mouth recommendations when choosing a vet. My husband and I just moved into a new area, and we need to find a good veterinarian to take our two dogs to. We don’t know too many people in the area yet, but I know some of our neighbors have dogs, so maybe we could talk to them and see if they have any vet recommendations we could check out.

    Reply
    • Maureen McCarthy

      Hi Lillian,
      Yes, always ask a friend or neighbor. You might also look to see if you have a local facebook page or Nextdoor page and ask on there as well. You can also google your question and be sure to add your town to that as well. Good luck.

      Reply
  2. John Mahoney

    I liked when you talked about taking a tour of the veterinarian office to make sure the staff is knowledgeable. I can see that keeping this in mind can help you find a specialist you can trust in and can take care of your precious pet. It makes sense that consulting with several offices and talking to several vets can help you find someone that inspires trust and knows how to handle your animal.

    Reply
    • Maureen McCarthy

      Glad your found it a good read. Also talk with friends and neighbors for some feedback.

      Reply
  3. Annika Larson

    I have a little husky that I love. It’s important that he gets the right medical care, which is why we are looking to find the right veterinarian for him. As you said, it’s a great idea to make a list of candidates and them call to ask about policies and rates. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Max Jones

    I really liked your suggestion to take a tour of the office and talk to the staff when you’re considering a veterinarian. I’m looking for a veterinarian for our new dog we got to help with regular checkups, and I think its smart to make sure the office is somewhere you and the dog both feel comfortable. I’m going to have to look into when I can visit a few different veterinarians offices and just take a look around, and hopefully help make my decision easier! Thanks for the ideas!

    Reply
  5. John

    I really liked the suggestion to call around to a couple of vest and ask about their policies for check ups. I think this would be helpful for my wife and I since we’ve been trying to find a good vet to start taking our dog to. Would visiting the vet’s clinic in person also be helpful in determining if you want your pet to be treated there?

    Reply
    • Maureen McCarthy

      Thank you, John, for your comment. Yes, absolutely but maybe call the vet office first to schedule a tour. Hope that help

      Reply
  6. Kyle Winters

    The article makes an incredibly important suggestion about you needing to meet with the vet before you take your pet there. You want to take this opportunity to ask the vet any questions you might have and figure out how they would take of your pet. You’d ideally want to take this time to also talk about costs and payment plans for the vet as well.

    Reply
  7. Gloria Durst

    I agree that you need to consider the business hours of a vet before you hire them. it would seem important to find one that is going to be available when you need them. My sister needs to get her cat neutered, so she’ll have to find a vet that will be available when she is off work in the afternoon.

    Reply
  8. Rachel Lannister

    My brother just got a dog and needs to get take it to a vet to get its shots, and he asked me to help him identify a good vet. You wrote in the article that you should meet with the vet and take careful notes of their attitude and how responsive they are to their questions. If the vet is really helpful it would be a perfect fit for my brother, as he just adopted this dog and will need some assistance in assuring it stay healthy and happy.

    Reply
  9. Scott Adams

    It’s interesting that you suggested touring the office to see if it is clean. I have been looking for a vet, because I just bought a new dog. I can see how it would be helpful to take a tour, to help you see if you are comfortable taking your dog there.

    Reply
  10. Callum Palmer

    I hadn’t thought about it, but it does make sense that you wouldn’t want to pick a vet that is just about to retire. After all, it would undermine all the searching you just did and force you to find a new one. Not to mention that it can be stressful for your animal if they learn to trust the vet and are suddenly confronted with a new stranger when they next come in.

    Reply
  11. Duncan Lance

    I do like that the article recommends meeting with the vet in person first. After all, you will want to sit down and ask them questions about their skills and experience. You might even want to take that time to ask them about the payment plans they have for your pet’s care.

    Reply
  12. Sam Brown

    All recommendations mentioned in article are important. Meeting with the vet play important role to judge their attitude and how responsive they are to their questions. Tour to hospital is helpful to see if you are comfortable to taking your dog there or not.

    Reply
    • Maureen McCarthy

      YES, THANK YOU!!

      Reply
  13. Go Ear

    I like how you mentioned the value of word of mouth recommendations when choosing a vet. My husband and I just moved into a new area, and we need to find a good veterinarian to take our two dogs to. We don’t know too many people in the area yet, but I know some of our neighbors have dogs, so maybe we could talk to them and see if they have any vet recommendations we could check out.

    Reply
    • Maureen McCarthy

      Yes, talk to neighbors and friends. You will get the best advice from them. Also go to your local facebook pages as well and ask in there to. If you do not have facebook you can google reviews of the vets there as well.

      Reply

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