004. Choosing a vet
Description
This article is from the Basic Health Care FAQ, posted to rec.pets.cats newsgroup. Maintained by Cindy Tittle Moore with numerous contributions by others.
004. 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? The best way to find a vet is word of mouth (from someone who takes good care of their pets, of course). If that doesn't work, here is a quick and dirty guide (written by Kay Klier, klier@cobra.uni.edu) on some ways to find a vet if you've just moved to a new town or gotten your first pet:
* Ask your trusted former vet if s/he knows someone good in the new town. Often you'll get an excellent referral that way (I found my current vets because the senior partner was well known for his excellence in surgery).
* If there's a local humane society or shelter, see if there are vets who volunteer their time there. Many vets who care about animals are often trustees and/or volunteer their services.
* Check with any local breed associations: see who their members go to.
* Look for memberships in associations like the American Animal Hospital Association (which has a fairly stiff inspection), Feline Practitioners Association, American Assoc. of Vet Cardiology, Animal Behavior Association, etc. These are usually people who have kept up with new developments.
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 cat 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 cat, and this saves you extra trips to return the sample and then bring the cat in if the tests are positive. If you are afraid your cat will not cooperate and give you a fresh sample before you need to go in, within 18-12 hours before a sample can be placed in the refrigerator. Samples over 18 hours hold, however, will probably not be of use.
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