Choosing The Right Vet

When it comes to choosing a vet, it's worthwhile doing a thorough check before committing your time, money, and your dog's health into anybody's hands - no matter how highly recommended they come. All vets have the requisite degrees and credentials, but it's how they interact with you and your dog that really makes the difference. Shop around and make an appointment with several vets: this is an effective way to benchmark your eventual clinic of choice's standards of healthcare and client service.

Where to Start Looking

Ask around. Word of mouth is the best way to find a healthcare practitioner, and vets are no exception to this. Speak to your friends who have dogs; if you see any especially well-cared for dogs out and about (particularly of your dog's breed), ask the owner which vet they go to.

Another goldmine of useful information is the breeder or shelter that you got your dog from - presuming that all their animals are well-cared for, this is another excellent way to find a good vet.

One more option is to question the trainer who handles dog obedience or puppy school in your area; they can generally recommend a quality clinic as well.

Considerations to Make

Obviously, there are some specific things you'd want to weigh up when deciding which vet to go with. Listed below are some of the more important aspects of veterinary care to consider:

- Location. You need to weigh up convenience against quality: it's great to have your vet within easy distance of your house, but you don't want to sacrifice good animal care for the sake of extra driving time. On the other hand, emergency care is important too - time can make the difference between life and death in emergencies, and you don't want to be driving for an hour just to reach the clinic. Try to find a balance between quality care and ease of access.

- What kind of office hours does the vet keep? It's going to be a real drag if you have to take time off from work to take your dog in for a routine checkup.

- What's your impression of the office, the waiting room, and the examination room? All should be clean, well-kept, warm and dry. There should be sufficient space in the waiting room for you and your dog to sit comfortably while you wait for your appointment. The examination room is important: cleanliness is obviously paramount, but look at the details, too. Is all the equipment put away safely? If your dog starts thrashing around or leaps off the table, there shouldn't be anything left out of place that he can hurt himself on. The table should be wiped down after every use; all surfaces should be resistant to water and dirt; and so on.

What are the staff like? Do they set you and your dog at ease? Do they answer questions willingly and with a smile?

- How does the vet interact with your dog? Obviously, some dogs are going to be upset at the vet's no matter what happens, but you can tell from a quick observation whether that vet has compassion for animals. Does the vet offer other services, like boarding, grooming, and training?

- Ask about emergency and after-hours services. Is there such a service at this clinic? If not, they should recommend one to you.

- Money is an important consideration as well. Does the clinic accept major credit cards? What about if your dog needs an unforeseen operation or expensive treatment - are payment plans an option?

Making the Decision

This is a pretty big decision. Your dog is totally reliant on you for his healthcare; you're his spokesperson for the eventual decision, too. He can't speak up and ask all the questions that are most relevant to him, like you can when choosing your own doctor; so don't be afraid to speak up! Choose wisely, and you and your dog should enjoy many years yet together.

Colin Pederson is the webmaster of http://dogobedienceadvice.com, the site dedicated to informing all dog owners about correct training techniques to encourage and build a healthy relationship with your dog. Take advantage of his experience and knowledge of dogs in dealing with your dog's aggression, chewing, barking, digging and other behavioral and training problems.