HOW TO FIND A GOOD VET

1. A Board Certified vet is always a plus. This means your vet has had extra hours of study and passed extra examinations in a particular field of specialization. I make it a habit to read all those diplomas and certificates on the wall. Programs, education and associations can be very telling about anyone. When they are all framed differently, in modest frames of varying design and hung in an random manner, it suggests that they were honestly collected and earned one at a time and not hung to enhance the decor. I am suspicious of neatly framed diplomas and certificates, all framed and matted alike and hung with an obvious plan to impress. It makes me wonder if they are real and if someone is working TOO hard to convince me that they are "good" at what they do without showing me how good they are. This is by no means a perfect strategy, bottom line, does the vet look like he is trying to impress you more than he is trying to take care of your pet? Dr. Olds has a modest award from the FBI on his wall, for work saving an abused dog involved in a federal case. He then became the dog's owner and best friend for the rest of his life. It is framed inexpensively and almost hidden behind medical equipment. I can tell that it is there because it is special to him, not to impress me.

2. Take a tour of the facility. If they won't show you the entire operation, there may be something that needs to be hidden. Use your head to decide if the faciities are clean and humane. This might give you an opportunity to see some employees at work.

3. Make sure that there are certified vet techs working in the office.

4. Find out who takes the x-rays and make sure they are certified to do so.

5. Ask people. Just like finding a good doctor for yourself, ask those people that that you think have high standards about such a issue. It's a good place to start. Ask a dog trainer, advocate or that woman down the street that is so crazy about her animals and goes the extra mile for them. When I need a doctor I ask other doctors that I feel are high quality and friends that I know are very serious about their health.

6. Is the office an overly expensive, state of the art showplace? I have found that any doctor, medical or veterinary, that spends TOO much time and attention on their office and facility, usually has priorities that I do not find desireable. When a vet spends more money trying to impress me with the decor of his office than my new truck cost; usually my interests and the care of my animal are low on his list.
This can either translate into such over-confidence that they take unreasonable risks with the animal, or such ego that they will refuse to treat many cases unless they can be sure that there will be a perfect outcome. In the medical world it's called "pushing stats", keeping their statistics for success high at the expense avoiding higher risk patients. Likewise, an office that is dirty or in ill repair is just as bad a sign. Look around, what does the office say about the vet? Idealy, it should say conservative, but proactive; focused on care, not decoration; it should be clean, neat and in good repair; proud but not prideful. What is your vet trying to tell you through his choice of decor? I am practical, tasteful and warm. Or...I am egositical, SO much more than just your vet, make a lot of money and want you to be impressed by it? (If your vet has his golfing trophies in the waiting room..leave...his mind is probably on the course.)

7. Does your vet refer you to a specialist when dealing with any issue outside of his practice or anything that seems unusual or serious? (this is also a good indicator of human health professionals, too). If your dog has cancer and your vet is not veterinary Oncologist, he should suggest that you see one! A vet in general practice, or one who is a specialist in an inappropriate field, should always suggest and refer you the right specialist!

8. When your dog is sick, does your vet personally phone you with results from tests? If your vet is too busy to call you and discuss results and treatment with you, she probably does not have time to pay attention to other important issues.

9. How does your vet interact with animals? It is not hard to tell the difference between professional demeanor and REAL care and concern! Although I already knew that my vet was devoted to his patients, it was confirmed as I sat daily with Rosie while she was hospitalized and watched him visit his patients during his off time. The runs are solid about 3 feet from the ground and he had no idea I was sitting in hers with her! I watched him take time to visit and speak kindly to his patients during his lunch hour and free time.

10. If your animal must be hospitlaized are you allowed/encouraged to visit? If you are, not only does your vet value the connection between you and your pet, but he is confident in the state of his kennel area. Need I say more?

11. Does your vet give the office staff a list of over-the-counter products to try to sell you on they way out? This happened to me! These were not issues that she even discussed with me during my visit with her. Later I learned that the counter staff received commission on the products. I should have been tipped off by the fact that the office was nicer than my house! Joking aside, it was one of those very expensive, meant-to-impress facilities. After seeing her for about two years, she had just read my chart incorrectly and chastised me for 30 minutes about not having brought the dog in for 12 years ( I was only 3 months overdue for yearly vaccines because my husband had just had a heart attack). On the way out she gave the girl at the counter a list of 22 products to try to sell me, starting with daily flouoride tooth swabs, for a 15 year old golden retriever. She spent so much of her time at her hobby (competitive boxing) that she was not giving full attention to her patients and was relying on product sales to fund her newly built, expensive facility.

12. Does your vet offer you options that focus on the health of the animal? These should always be fully explained to you. He should explain what the risks and benefits are for each option. He should always do this while offering his opinion on what he considers to be the best course of action. That course of action should always be predicated on what is the best decision for your pet.......not the cheapest.

13. It bears repeating: Does your vet recommend a course of action that is the best for the animal or the cheapest? I don't think I can say that enough! Find a vet that wants the best for your pet at a fair price, and develop a relationship now. Do this before you are in a situation where time does not permit you to research whether or not you are being overcharged for the best care. Don't use a vet that tries to pry every dime out of you that he can, but don't put your pet's life and health at risk for a couple of hundred extra bucks. Your pet is part of your family, not a possession. Be reasonable, but don't scrimp on their care. Give up take-out food, cigarettes, movie rentals, soda, oreos, coffee or something unimportant in the grand scheme of things rather than choose "cheap" over good care and treatment.

NOTHING TAKES THE PLACE OF A WELL-RESEARCHED, TRUSTED VET WHO REFERS TO A TRUSTED NETWORK OF SPECIALISTS WHEN NECESSARY!
Develop that relationship before you NEED it.

Learn WHERE your Animal Emergency is and KNOW how to get there.

Pack an emergency bag for your pets too! Leashes, meds, food, treats, bedding, bowls, water, folding kennel, first aid, bandages for feet. In an emergency or disaster, many shelters will not be prepared to house your pets.