When choosing a veterinarian for your pet, you shouldn’t choose just for the sake of picking one because you don’t want to be bothered having to choose a veterinarian carefully. Instead, you should put some effort, as you would select a pediatrician for your child. Pets are a part of our family, as well, and they deserve to be cared for.
If you’re still having difficulty choosing a veterinarian for your pet, you might want to check out some of your friends’ mailing labels from their veterinarians. Here are other suggestions that might help you.
Ask people you know
Before you go online and consult Yelp on your search, try asking your family members, friends and neighbors first for any good leads in your area. Yelp and other websites may be effective in looking for what you need but so are the people around you. They could even be more effective because they know you and your pet more so they know what your needs are more than strangers on Yelp.
Make sure they’re friendly
It’s important to include in your criteria how friendly your vet and their staff are to you because you need to know how accommodating your pet’s doctor is in times of crises. Having a pet means there will be times when something so unexpected will happen, and you need a vet to accommodate you when the circumstances are dire.
Take, for example, a pet owner who found out on New Year’s Eve that his pet dachshund ate a frog that afternoon and after midnight, he started convulsing and vomiting because of the poison in the frog. Since it was New Year’s Eve, most of the animal clinics in their area were closed for the holidays. He had to drive seven miles just to get to an open clinic at the time. Fortunately, he was able to bring his dog to the vet in time, and the little rascal survived his ordeal, thanks to the friendly and accommodating vet who chose not to shut down his clinic because someone might need his services.
Check if the clinic is packed
If you enter an animal clinic with a long line of pet owners and their pets, then chances are the vet there is quite good. A packed clinic is proof that the veterinarian there is doing a great job, which is why a lot of pet owners keep coming back to his clinic.
Make sure they’re AAHA accredited
If a vet is AAHA accredited that means their facility is equipped to handle even the most complex illnesses. They have the equipment to handle any operation your pet might need. So whenever you step into an animal clinic, ask if they are AAHA accredited.
Discuss money matters
Money should also be included in your criteria since taking care of a pet can cost a lot. So it’s important that your vet’s bills won’t put a huge dent on your monthly expenses. Look for vets with reasonable rates and ask about payment methods. If they’re open to opening a credit line for you, then that would be better.
