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012. How Do I Find a Good Veterinarian? |
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This article is from the rec.pets.dogs: Getting A Dog FAQ, posted to rec.pets.dogs newsgroup. Maintained by Cindy Tittle Moore with numerous contributions by others.
Before you even bring your new dog home, take it to the vet you have already selected. Annual shots and examinations are a must for keeping your dog healthy. If you cannot afford veterinary care for a dog, don't get one. Preventive and consistent care is less expensive in the long run.
Choosing a vet
Choose a vet who you are comfortable with and who will answer your questions. Check out the office: do animals seem just frightened or are they also out of control? Is it bedlam, or reasonable for the number of different animals there? Do you have local recommendations from friends? Does the vet specialize in small animals as opposed to, say, livestock? Try to get word-of-mouth recommendations.
Asking other pet owners isn't always effective because they may not have had any unusual or challenging health problems with their pets, and vets that can be okay for routine stuff often are less impressive with unusal stuff.
Call vets in your area and ask the vet techs, not the vets themselves, who they would recommend other than their own current employer. Another good source is groomers, as they tend to hear a lot of stories from their clients.
If you find the recommended vet is very expensive, he probably owns the practice. Try one of the associates. They tend not to run up the bills so much, and a good vet will usually hire good associates as well.
Look for a vet who is willing to refer you elsewhere if they don't know the answers rather then saying something like "It must be an allergy", etc.
Check to see if the vet is licensed by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association). They do extensive and picky inspections of the facilities.
24 hour emergency care
A good vet will either be associated with a 24 emergency care plan or be able to give you the number of a good place in your area. Keep this number on your refrigerator and check with your vet when you visit that it's still up-to-date.
Fecal samples
Any time you bring your dog to the vet, try to bring a fresh fecal sample. Put a small, fingernail-sized sample into a plastic bag, or ask your vet for a supply of fecal samplers. The vet cannot always get a fecal sample from the dog, and this saves you extra trips to return the sample and then bring the dog in if the tests are positive.
Try an ordinary sandwich bag (e.g. a "Baggie" -- ziplock is convenient but not necessary) and turn it inside out over your hand like a rubber glove. Then simply pick up the stool with your covered hand, turn the bag right-side out, enclosing the sample. Zip if ziplock otherwise use a twist tie. This is perfectly sanitary (and you can use the same procedure to clean up after your dog on walks).
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