How to Choose the Right Veterinarian for Your Pet
Not so long ago, my cat started vomiting violently. After expensive tests and X-rays, it turned out that she just had a minor thyroid disorder. The tests were not a bad idea, but they made me rethink my relationship with the vet. Whether you’re looking for a new veterinarian, or just wondering if your current one is right, here’s what you should know.
Check if they are certified
To practice, all veterinarians need a license in their state (you can see them here). If you’re looking for additional accreditation, you can start with the American Association of Animal Hospitals (AAHA). They require veterinarians to adhere to certain standards in their practice. They also check veterinarians’ offices and equipment every few years to make sure they meet these standards.
Veterinarians are not required to have this accreditation, as many of them are. If a veterinarian is not AAHA certified, that means nothing, but when a veterinarian is certified, you at least know that he adheres to certain standards. You can find AAHA accredited veterinary hospitals here .
Several veterinarians are also members of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). In essence, it is similar to the membership of veterinarians in the American Medical Association. Again, an AVMA membership doesn’t necessarily mean the best, but it does show that your veterinarian is committed to his practice. However, AAHA accreditation is probably the best indicator as they have a specific set of guidelines that offices must go through in order to remain accredited.
Look for a specialist
In some cases, you may need a veterinarian. If your pet has a specific health problem, such as a neurological condition, you probably want to refer it to someone who has received additional training in this area. The veterinarian must be accredited by the American Council of Veterinary Specialists (ABVS). ABVS ensures that your veterinarian has met certain requirements in his specialty and studied longer to become an expert in a specific field. ABVS also works for species-specific veterinarians. If you are looking for a veterinarian specializing in birds, reptiles, pigs, or other “ exotic companion animals ” (such as turtles, parrots and snakes), you want to make sure they are certified to handle these animals and you can see them can be accommodated on the ABVS website. You can search here by specialty and type .
Also look out for veterinary networks like VCA and Banfield. These are kind of network offices that usually offer lower prices and have their own rules that veterinarians must follow . However, they don’t always have the best reputation. Here’s what a writer and pet owner said about them in Petch :
These network hospitals can often offer lower prices by spreading overhead costs and using their purchasing power to bargain with drug manufacturers. But the trade-off, at least in my experience, is that you might not see the same vet and staff on every visit. I prefer to have a veterinarian who really knows me and my pets.
Of course, this is not always the case. My cat goes to the VCA hospital and we see the same doctor every time. In fact, it looks like an independent veterinarian’s office, except that they once tried to get me to register with their CareClub . To their credit, they only mentioned it because my account was very high and they thought it might save me money.
However, when you go through the network, the same rules apply. Your veterinarian may be AAHA and AVMA accredited. But beyond the letters behind their name, you want to make sure the vet and his office are right for you.
Make an appointment and visit the office
Don’t wait until your pet really gets sick to visit the veterinarian for the first time. You need time to make sure you truly love and trust your veterinarian before approaching him with a deadly situation. AAHA recommends asking your veterinarian for an appointment to review to meet with them and see if the office is appropriate. You can also just schedule a check-up that really allows you to see the vet in action, watch him interact with your pet, hear him interact with you, and so on.
Here are some specific considerations to think about when visiting:
- How clean and comfortable the facility is.
- How well veterinarians, veterinarians and administration communicate.
- Whether the cages for dogs and cats are in different places.
- What emergency services does the practice offer?
- What services do they outsource (x-rays, blood tests, etc.)
Ask a few questions while you are doing this. Here are some specific ones that AAHA thinks you should throw away:
- Can you make an appointment with the vet? The answer must be yes.
- How do you respond to emergencies? If your pet has a serious emergency (car accident), the hospital should be able to admit you immediately or arrange for a transfer to another hospital where possible.
- How long do I have to wait to make a regular appointment? Most practitioners should be able to make an appointment for anywhere from a couple of days to a week, depending on how busy they are and how urgent your pet’s needs are.
You can – and should – ask about money. Ask what payment methods they accept and what payment plans they have, if any. Find out how much they charge for routine procedures such as check-ups and vaccinations.
Plus, when you actually meet with your veterinarian, you need to make sure you are on the same page. The vet may be great technically, but if he or she doesn’t communicate the way you like, he or she may not be the right fit.
For example, I took my cat to the veterinarian who was very nice and gentle with her, but when it came time to discuss difficult things, she hesitated for a very long time, instead of telling me directly. Another veterinarian explained so much that it upset and angered my husband, but in fact I preferred that level of information. The point is, there is definitely a personal preference factor to consider when communicating with your veterinarian, so feel free to ask questions, talk to them about your concerns, and study how they interact with your pet.
How to tell if your vet is bluffing you
Everyone seems to have veterinary horror stories, and a few years ago, 20/20 even made their own revelations in the industry.
The problem is, when your veterinarian suspects your pet’s vomiting may be something serious and recommends a series of tests that cost several hundred dollars, you feel like a bad parent of the pet if you refuse. But you feel like a sucker if they come back, and that’s okay. In most cases, the bottom line is that the vet is more concerned with your pet’s health than your budget.
One veterinarian summarized this gap pretty well in Slate:
While there are definitely legitimate horror stories out there, most veterinarians just want to do what’s best for your pet, no matter how expensive it may be. In my cat’s case, the tests may have been overkill for some, but those tests warned me that she had kidney problems, so I changed her diet to keep her healthy. Without them, I wouldn’t know more. If you think your veterinarian might gouge, you nevertheless, the Speaking for Spot canine site recommends looking for the following red flags:
- Your veterinarian prefers to tell you what to do, rather than discuss options … Your veterinarian’s initial sentences, such as “You need to …”, “You should …”, “You should …” or the unwanted “If I were you, I would … ”Are signs that you are dealing with a paternalistic breadwinner.
- Your veterinarian is 100% doing his best , refusing to seek the help of other veterinarians … If your family veterinarian is unable to make a diagnosis, your pet’s condition is getting worse or not improving despite therapy, or a complicated procedure is recommended, it really makes sense to seek help see another veterinarian.
- Your veterinarian does not meet current professional standards. For example, he insists on annual vaccinations (parvovirus for dogs, distemper for dogs and cats). Research supporting extending the interval between vaccinations from one year to three years first became public knowledge about a decade ago. The veterinarian, who continues to do them annually, is completely excluded from the continuing education department or tends to charge fees for unnecessary procedures.
Before you decide to see your veterinarian, Consumer Reports recommends asking what the medical examination fees are and then calling and comparing prices. This gives you a good idea of how much you can expect to pay before you get into a more serious situation.
Veterinary costs can be high, but that doesn’t mean the vet is trying to convince you. However, you need to make sure that you are working with a trusted veterinarian, not only for your finances, but also for your pet’s sake.