How to know if you have found the right vet for you and your furry friend
If you’ve recently moved or you are a first-time pet owner you can feel a bit at sea at knowing how to know if the vet is the right one for you. Read on for a few helpful tips on how you can know which practice is right for you.
Everyone defines great care slightly differently
It’s important to note that great vet care will mean different things to varied owners. This will depend on your pet’s personality, age, working hours, and location. Also like doctors for humans, people can prefer a more take-charge style from their own Veterinarian or a vet that will prefer that you dictate how to proceed with your pet’s health care plan. However, once you’ve found one that makes you feel confident, it’s a great feeling. And while everyone defines care slightly differently there are some great ways to tell if your vet is a good vet. A good vet will:
Ask questions and answer yours
A great vet won’t just take things at face value, they will ask questions about their health history, diet, and their habits. They may ask more detailed questions if your pet has been injured or is unwell. They will perform all the necessary tests and exams as a matter of course and also explain exactly what they are testing for. A thorough vet is a good vet. A well-performing vet will also take the time to answer all your questions no matter how busy they are. They will also ensure to write down any at-home treatment plan for you so you are well informed about what you need to do to make sure your pet remains healthy long after their consultation. They will also have plenty of tips and tricks to help you with your pet! For instance, did you know that peppermint oil in your shoes can stop cats from chewing your shoes?
Cares about the comfort of your pet
This goes beyond caring if they are comfortable while in the surgery or in your home if you have a vet that comes to you. Many pets are very anxious around vets and so a great vet will ensure that your pet is comfortable by the time it’s time to do a checkup. Some pets can get anxious as soon as their pet carrier comes out or they enter the car. Animals know to associate the use of a car or other transport with going to the vet. A great veterinarian will help you come up with ways to make sure your pet has a more relaxing stress-free experience. This may be doing house calls, providing medication, or having a treat pouch on them to ensure the pet feels rewarded for being such a good boy (or girl).
They listen to you about the health and safety of your pet
It sounds obvious however if you feel like you aren’t being listened to or really heard by your vet about your concerns it may not be the right one for you. Your interactions with your vet should leave you feeling confident about the health of your pet. You know what behaviors are usual and unusual for your animal and that’s a really important aspect of being a pet owner. It also is important that your vet also is listening to behaviors being described by you the pet owner as different or unusual. Pets have personalities just like us and it’s important to understand that.
Do they take into account your personal finances or consult you before performing costly procedures?
We all know that no amount of money would ever compensate for our pet. You can’t put a price on having a best friend. However, if you feel that your vet is charging way above the industry standard or doesn’t inform you that a procedure will be a lot more than the standard fee, it may be time to think about switching. You should at the very least be informed or consulted if a required test or procedure is very expensive. It’s more about taking your needs into consideration as well as your pets. Also if they become very angry and defensive when enquiring about the price that’s perhaps a sign that they aren’t going to be taking your position into account.
Does their location or operating hours work for you?
This is a very practical consideration. While you might have a great vet that is 45 minutes away from where you are living it’s not a great situation if you have an emergency. It might require planning your entire day around your trip to the vet. Another consideration is their opening and closing hours. Do they keep regular 9–5 hours and you have to take time off in the middle of the day for your vet appointments? In popular suburbs such as Fitzroy vet clinics can be booked out days and weeks in advance. Are they open at weekends? Can your vet do house calls? And if so is it for regular things such as vaccinations or emergencies only? We are living in a fast-paced world and not everything can be done on a 9–5 Monday to Friday schedule. Life happens and you want to make sure that you have a reliable vet on hand when you need it. A mobile vet is a great service to have on hand that will look after all your pet’s needs when you want it.
If you are looking for a Fitzroy vet, keep this article in mind when you start to make inquiries. The best vet of all just wants your furry friend to be living their best life!
