What to Look For When Choosing a Veterinarian

by | Jun 27, 2015 | BLOG | 10 comments

veterinarian

What to Look For When Choosing a Vet

 
A good veterinarian is a blessing in the lives of our dogs and also ours. They can save their lives and also prolong it by many years, and give us confidence.
 
It is important to spend some time to choose a veterinarian even before you have the need for one, that is before you desperately need him and even before you get your pet home.
 
For us to have a peace of mind and for the welfare of our dogs, we should be satisfied with our vet. It is good to follow your instincts when choosing a vet, and if you are not satisfied with his service, you can always find another. As with any other profession, there are competent and incompetent veterinarians; vets and others who are only concerned about earning big with their business. Here are some keys to finding a good vet:
 
Reputation: ask family and friends who have dogs, strangers who are walking their dogs near your home and animal shelters in your area for recommendation. It is also useful to visit the dog lovers’ forum; sometimes you can find complaints against a particular clinic.
 
Credentials: this is something that we rarely do but somehow important. Check that your vet is genuine. It is easy to fill a wall with framed diplomas that you don’t bother to read. Call the veterinary school in your town to know if the vet is really qualified to practice. In addition, also check the year he graduated as you wouldn’t want to leave your dog in the hands of some inexperienced professionals.
 
Service: look for a vet that will allow you to spend considerable time on each visit to ask any questions and get all the answers, and will leave you with no doubt. A visit to a vet even for a routine check is idea for the specialist to respond to questions regarding food, care time, etc. Avoid clinics that will attend to you and your pet in five minutes.
 
Accessibility: does the veterinary clinic pay attention to emergency cases? What if your dog has an accident during the weekend or after closing hour? Will the veterinarian at least give his private phone number and be willing to care for your dog? This is what you need to put into consideration when choosing a vet.
 
Cost: depending on the location, size of the clinic, number of customers etc., there are clinics that charge very high cost for routine actions such as vaccines. Make sure you vet asks for a fair price.
 
Hygiene: no one wants to be in a place that is not clean, tidy and looking unhygienic. If you notice blood or urine on the floor in the waiting room, just take your leave. If hairs are present on the examining table, you can be sure that they have not cleaned much less disinfected after the last patient. This could result to some contagious diseases.
 
Personality: other virtues you should look out for in your vet are sincerity, compassion, understanding and support. They will be crucial if unfortunately, you encounter a major problem.
 
Proactive: a good vet is committed and willing to do absolutely anything to have your dog back to health. He should be able to propose comprehensive analysis, research for new treatment and also consult other professionals when necessary.
 
Very organized: an organized vet will keep your dog’s history updated, consisting of dates and treatments. 
Below are some of the local veterinary practices that we recommend:

Sun Valley animal Hospital

Carolina Pets Animal Hospital

Indian Trail Animal Hospital

Mercy Animal Hospital  

Presley Animal Hospital 

Monroe Animal Hospital

Caring Hearts Animal Hospital

Carolina Vet Specialists (C-VETS)

Waxhaw Animal Hospital

Brown Creek Animal Hospital

 Vet Rec Veterinary Rehabilitation  Veterinary Rehabilitation and Exercise Center of the Carolinas
300 Unionville-Indian Trail Rd
Indian Trail, NC 28079
Phone: (704) 821-7161 – See more at: http://www.carolinavetrec.com

Mobile Veterinarian  http://www.visitingvetonline.com/index.html

Dr Marcos Haase  Charlotte Veterinary Surgical Services http://charlotteveterinarysurgery.com/

Charlotte Veterinary Surgical Services provides on-site traveling surgery services to the greater Charlotte area and is fully licensed in NC and SC.  Cranial cruciate ligament repair/stabilization is a core focus of CVSS and multiple repair options are offered based on patient lifestyle, medical status, and client expectations

 

10 Comments

  1. Callum Palmer
    Callum Palmer on October 5, 2017 at 10:40 pm

    I like that you bring up personality in the article as something to look for. After all, when you’re taking your pet to the vet you want them to feel comfortable. One of the best ways to do this is to make sure that the vet has a good disposition towards animals.

    Reply
  2. Joy Butler
    Joy Butler on May 9, 2018 at 1:39 am

    It’s awesome that this article talked about choosing the best veterinarian. We’ve two dogs at home, and luckily, they’re not getting sick yet (and I’m hoping they will stay healthy!). Nevertheless, when that happens, I already know what to do. Thanks for this information!

    Reply
  3. Rhianna Hawk
    Rhianna Hawk on October 11, 2018 at 11:08 am

    My dog has been acting rather lethargic of late and I’m considering taking him to a vet. Getting someone who is proactive, therefore, is really important, because even if he doesn’t have an ailment right now, he may be developing one and I want someone who is committed to giving a comprehensive analysis, as you said, to find out what can be done for him. Of course, any veterinary clinic can be graded on its ability to keep the facility clean, and that’s definitely something I’ll be looking for when I visit the clinics in my area.

    Reply
    • Maureen McCarthy
      Maureen McCarthy on October 25, 2018 at 12:41 pm

      Hope all is well with your dog. Keep us posted.

      Reply
  4. Rosie Beckett
    Rosie Beckett on November 29, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    Thank you for sharing the advice that when looking for a veterinarian you should ask friends and family in your area if they would recommend their veterinarian because this will provide honest reviews. My husband and I are thinking about getting a cat for Christmas and we have never had a cat before, so we want to make sure we find a veterinarian who is patient with us and willing to teach us everything we need to know. In order to do this, I think it would be good to have a free consultation or interview with potential veterinarians to get an idea of their friendliness and personality.

    Reply
  5. Sam Li
    Sam Li on December 3, 2018 at 4:49 pm

    I like what you said about following your instincts when choosing a vet. Finding a vet clinic may take time, but it’s worth it to ensure that your pet is kept at optimal health. If I noticed any health struggles with my cat, I would make sure to find the best vet clinic in my city to make sure she gets the best care possible.

    Reply
  6. Tyler Johnson
    Tyler Johnson on April 30, 2019 at 3:57 pm

    That’s a good idea to look for a vet with a good personality. I would want someone who would be nice to my dog when I have to take him in. A gentle vet would be useful to make him less worried about going to get shots or something.

    Reply
  7. Michaela Hemsley
    Michaela Hemsley on January 13, 2020 at 4:56 pm

    My husband and I are thinking about adopting a dog because we think it would help us get outside more, and we want to make sure to take it to a good vet after we adopt it. Thanks for mentioning that it can be smart to ask family, friends, and even neighbors out walking their dogs for recommendations. I think that would help make sure that we could choose a vet that we could trust and that could help our dog be more comfortable while they were there.

    Reply
  8. gus white
    gus white on January 27, 2020 at 2:07 pm

    I hadn’t thought about how important it could be to check the credentials of a vet, so you could be sure that they are genuine. We have been talking about finding a vet to help us if we decide to get a puppy, and it will be important for us to be able to trust in who we would choose to hire. When we look for one, I will be sure to check their credentials.

    Reply
  9. kyle kidd
    kyle kidd on February 26, 2020 at 11:50 am

    I hadn’t thought about the hygiene of a veterinary clinic, so I love that you mentioned that you could avoid disease if you are to choose one that is clean. My wife is wanting to find a vet to refer her brother to since his dog is getting to be very ill, and it will be important for her to know that she could refer him to one that will be the best of help for the dog. To be sure that it won’t get a disease, I will be sure to suggest to evaluate the cleanliness of a clinic.

    Reply

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