Is it time to choose a vet for your dog, cat, or other pet? If your furry friend is feeling bad, you’ll need to spring into action on their behalf. There are plenty of vet and animal care specialists in your area to choose from. Here are the 5 most important things that you need to know when it comes time to choose a vet.
1. What Specialties Does Your Vet Cover?
One of the first things that you need to look at when choosing a vet is what kind of specialties they may cover. For example, if your dog is suffering from a muscle injury, you need to know that your vet is able to handle this kind of issue. It’s a good idea to specifically ask your vet if they have experience with issues like torn ACL in dogs.
You can check their official website to get more info concerning what a specific vet can and cannot do. You can also call the receptionist at their office to get more insight into the services that are normally provided. This is info that you can use to judge whether this is the vet that can best serve the needs of your pet.
2. Make Sure They Have the Right Credentials
The next thing that you will need to do when choosing a vet is to make sure that they have all of the right credentials. This means making sure that they can show you their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree when you ask for it. You should also make sure to ask if all of the vet techs working at their practice are certified.
No fully licensed vet worth their degree will hesitate to prove to you that they have the degree to back up their claim to be an expert in their field. If you encounter any reluctance or opposition from the vet when asked to show their license, this is a very bad sign. You will definitely be better off moving on to another candidate.
3. Make Sure You Know What Their Fees Are
The next thing you will need to do is get a clear idea of the service fees that this particular vet charges. You want to know the basic cost of a visit, fees for surgeries and other medical procedures, and any other charges that may apply. The goal will be to make sure that there are no hidden fees or other nasty surprises.
4. What Style of Treatment Does Your Vet Provide?
Another area that you should look into with interest is exactly what style of treatment a particular vet provides. For example, are they a holistic treatment specialist? Or do they go strictly by the book?
This will be an important issue for you to consider. You want to be sure that your own beliefs regarding treatment of your pet line up with your vet’s.
5. How Soon Can They Help You During an Emergency?
One of the most important criteria that you will need to consider is how easily they will be able to help you if an emergency should occur. If your pet needs immediate medical attention, you definitely need to be able to get them to a vet right away. The vet you choose for this contingency needs to be available at all times of the day.
Some vets may have staff members that work overnight and will be able to treat your pet during the later hours. Others have staff working special hotlines to give you a handy reference to nearby animal treatment centers. The more info a vet can give you during an emergency, the better chance your pet will have of surviving the crisis.
The Time to Choose Your Vet is Now
Now that you have a better idea of what you need to know when you are looking for a vet, it’s time for you to choose one. The goal here will be to find the specialist who can best fit the specific needs of your pet. Once you know that they are qualified to give your pet the best possible service, you will be free to select them for the task.
