According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), there are over 100,000 practicing veterinarians in the United States. Despite the fact that this seems like a large number, finding the right vet for you and your fur family members can feel like a daunting task. Here are some tips for finding a good fit, and things to look for to ensure your pet’s vet is the best!
Does the clinic have licensed personnel?
Veterinarians go through rigorous and lengthy training to be able to call themselves doctors of veterinary medicine. In addition, they go through extra steps to become licensed in the state in which they practice medicine. It would be highly unusual for you to accidently seek veterinary care from an unlicensed person, but ensuring that the person you are visiting is, in fact, a DVM licensed in your state is a good start. The AVMA has a list of all the licensed veterinarians in your state (www.avma.org).
Does the vet see emergencies and is the vet reachable after hours?
Some things to consider as you search for a vet include location; be sure to pick a place that is convenient to you, or a distance that you don’t mind driving. Is after-hours emergency care availability important to you? Many veterinarians are trending away from being on call and available at all hours in an attempt to create better work life balance, but they should at least have a partnership with an emergency clinic or be able to recommend one.
Does the clinic you chose have more than one veterinarian? Are you comfortable with seeing more than one vet at a specific location, or do you prefer the consistency with staying with one clinician? The benefit of having more than one vet at one clinic that you like is flexibility in scheduling and availability.
Is the clinic you chose a full-service hospital, i.e., do they perform blood work and surgeries on site, or do they refer out for more advanced procedures? Veterinarians do have the choice to undertake additional schooling to specialize in a field of their choice. That being said, general practitioners are often skilled at most facets of animal medicine, referring to a specialist only when a problem is out of their skill set. Finding a good general practitioner as your primary veterinarian, who is willing to refer and ask for help when needed, makes the most sense.
Is the clinic accredited through the American Animal Hospital Association?
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) can act as a valuable resource for finding a reputable clinic. AAHA has a set of guidelines and standards of care that are voluntary for clinics to adhere to. Accreditation by AAHA indicates the clinic has undergone testing in order to be compliant with a rigorous standard of care. Bear in mind there are many excellent hospitals that chose not to utilize AAHA and may still have top notch levels of medical expertise!
Has the clinic undergone the Fear Free certification program for veterinary professionals?
If you have a very anxious or fearful pet, you might consider looking for a Fear Free certified hospital. These clinics have undergone extra training and education to provide the most relaxing and calming environment for your fearful cat or dog. Fear Free clinics adopt techniques and practices that have been shown to minimize the stress response that often comes along with veterinary visits.1
Get recommendations from friends
Word of mouth might be one of the best ways to find a good veterinarian. Who have your friends and colleagues used for their pets? What were their experiences like? Our current culture of posting on social media makes trusting this avenue as a resource debatable, but overwhelmingly, a good veterinary clinic should have positive online reviews. An excellent veterinary clinic may even take the time to respond to some of their negative reviews as well! These online interactions may help you decide where to turn for veterinary care.
Once you have chosen a vet, be sure to come prepared with any questions you have about your pet’s care. You should feel heard and comfortable. There is something to be said about the feeling you get when in a care provider’s office, same as with your dentist or pediatrician!
If something feels off, or you don’t feel it’s a good fit, keep looking. Hopefully your pet will be healthy and illness and injury free so you won’t have to be a regular at the vet’s office, but feeling comfortable, welcome and understood is important when you’re in a vet clinic.
Having a pet insurance policy before stepping into a veterinary office can also help reduce the worry that comes with the being able to afford the best treatment available. Pets Best Pet Health Insurance is here to help.*
*Terms and conditions apply. See policy for details.
References
1 Fear Free, L. (2021). Taking the "pet" out of "petrified". Retrieved from Fear Free: www.fearfreepets.com