Vets for Pets: How to Choose Your Dog’s Doctor

Vets for Pets: How to Choose your Dogs DoctorsNapa is very lucky to have a great dog doctor in case he gets sick or needs a check-up. If you are currently looking for a veterinarian for your pets, consider the location, cost, personality, treatment beliefs, and emergency options. While your vet doesn’t necessarily need to provide emergent care out of their facility, they should be able to refer you to a practice in case your pooch experiences one of these six most common dog emergencies.

How to Find a Veterinarian
You have many options available when looking for a veterinarian. If you’re looking for convenience, reference the phone book or Internet to find candidates near your house. If you have friends who own dogs, consider asking them for an honest recommendation. Another option is to contact local shelters for their opinions on local vets for pets. If you’re lucky, your search will end with quite a few choices. Contact them and request an appointment to meet at their practice. This meet-and-greet will be brief and allow you to tour the facility, giving you a chance to see firsthand whether the location is clean, organized, and up-to-date. Come prepared to this appointment with a list of questions. Consider the rapport you build with the veterinarian while you meet. Are you comfortable with them treating a member of your family? If you brought your dog to the appointment, how do the dog and vet seem to interact? Is your dog at ease or nervous?

How to Change Vets
Vets for pets – similar to our human doctors – are used to clients leaving the practice for a variety of reasons. Sometimes people move from the area or often the bond between the health care provider and the family changes based on the pup’s needs. You must do what is best for your animal and family. If you think you’ll need to change offices, make sure you do some initial research, and once you’ve found the new veterinarian, contact the office you’re leaving and request that your dog’s records are faxed, scanned, or mailed to the new location. You’ll want the new dog doctor to be as informed as possible on your dog’s health history when you begin treatment there.

Questions to Ask All Potential Vets
Since your dog might be visiting the office for both routine medical care and also possibly for overnight or emergency treatment, it’s a good idea to vary your questions for all treatment methods possible. Here are a few suggested questions to get you started:

  • What times are appointments available for routine treatment?
  • Do you open for emergent care? If not, where would you refer your patients?
  • How often do you vaccinate animals, and which are required?
  • What are your pain management beliefs and options for clients?
  • Are the technicians who work here licensed?
  • How are your patients evaluated before, during, and after the use of anesthesia?

Initially, you might be doing a lot of research to find the right veterinarian for your family, but knowing your favorite canine’s health is in good hands will keep you and your pup happy for a long time to come. Please share any other suggestions in the comments!


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5 comments on “Vets for Pets: How to Choose Your Dog’s Doctor

  1. I blog often and I seriously thank you for your content. This article has truly peaked my interest. I will bookmark your blog and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed as well.

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