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Choosing a Veterinarian

It doesn’t matter how healthy or well cared for your dog is, at some point it is going to be necessary for them to receive care from a veterinarian. Like a child, it is necessary for dogs to have regular check-ups and immunizations in order to prevent possible hazards before they become a reality.

Just as you would carefully select your child’s pediatrician, so should you carefully research your dog’s veterinarian. The first place to start when selecting a vet is to talk to fellow dog owners. No one is going to understand a veterinarian’s strengths and weaknesses like those pet owners who visit them with their own pets. Take their recommendations under consideration; however, remember that ultimately you are going to have to make up your own mind on the matter. If a vet has received resoundingly bad feedback from a number of sources you have spoken with it may be wise to steer clear of their offices with your pet; however, if a vet has received mixed feedback it is important to take the negatives with a grain of salt.

If one of your acquaintances absolutely adored them while another loathed them there was probably some type of personality clash occurring. It may also be that the doctor in question was inexperienced with their particular breed of dog and did not give the best care that they could have under the circumstances. There is always a reason that a particular patient and doctor do not blend, and before you take anyone’s criticisms to heart it is important that you discover the reasoning behind them.

Once you have made a preliminary selection it is important that you take the time to certify their credentials. Unfortunately, forged credentials are possible to come by, and veterinarians, particularly ones with a small volume of patients, may not be scrutinized as well as they could have been. There are a number of sources that will give you information not only on a vet’s credentials, but on their patient history and any number of professional “slaps on the wrist” they may have accrued.

After choosing a vet and ensuring that their credentials are real it is time to make that first office visit. May vets will be willing to do a consultation before taking on your pet as a patient. When you visit their office, take a look around. Is everything neat and clean? It is to be expected that with a waiting room full of animals it is going to be impossible for every surface to be completely sterile, but if the waiting room and the front desk are a disorganized mess it may be a clue that this doctor is not quite as professional as you would hope for.

The examination room, on the other hand, should be completely sterile, with tools well organized and placed out of the “danger area” where your pet could injure themselves should they become fractious. It should be well lit, with all drugs locked up away from the general public, and large enough that if you happen to own a large animal they are not going to be able to cause major property damage if the doctor briefly loses control.

The vet themselves should have a calm air of confidence about them when it comes to dealing with animals, particularly if you happen to have a high strung pet; a high strung doctor with a high strung patient is a recipe for disaster. They should seem knowledgable about animals in general and your breed in particular, and be personable enough that you would not hesitate to ask them any question regarding your pet. Since pets cannot speak they are like infants in their inability to communicate their needs; therefore, the veterinarian you choose should be patient about answering questions and dealing with typical new-parent paranoia.

It is always possible that you will screen your veterinarian carefully and still discover after they have been treating your pet for some time that the two of you are simply not compatible. That’s okay. It happens. Do not hesitate to switch veterinarians if you find yourself in this position. Developing a good working relationship with your vet is far more important to both you and your dog than not hurting their feelings.

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