Choosing the right vet is an essential part of being a pet owner, whether your pet is a dog, cat, rabbit or even something as rare as an agamid lizard. Keeping a good relationship with your vet will help you ensure that your pet is healthy and enjoying their life as much as you enjoy their company. When deciding on your vet, there are a few requirements you should be looking at to ensure that you are getting the best possible service. Here are three things you should be searching for in your vet.
Proximity
Often it is useful to just ask yourself the question where the nearest vet is before you start searching all the other requirements and needs. The closer you are to your vet, the less stressed out your animal will be by the time it gets there. Asking where the vet is can refocus you on what is important: timely treatment for your stressed little friend. The last thing you want is for their condition to worsen due to an excessively long car trip. Keep it local and keep your pet in good spirits.
Opening Hours
When a vet clinic has long opening hours, it implies that they have a good amount of staff and, therefore, quite a few different experts there who can help your pet. It also means that if your pet has a problem at an odd hour of the morning or night, they can still get taken care of with immediate treatment. Medical complications don't wait for a convenient time to present themselves, and many vets understand that and have later opening hours than you might expect. Always search for the official times on their website before driving out to the vet clinic; there is nothing worse than having to turn your car around and go home with a sick dog in the backseat.
Pet Relationship
When it comes to pets, especially with cats and dogs, a trusting relationship can be worth its weight in gold when it comes to vets. By sticking with the same vet, you give your animal the chance to form a trusting bond with them, which can help them accept treatment and generally be more comfortable around them. Vets can be stressful places for pets, and something that can reduce the amount of stress is people your pet knows and trusts. Sometimes this trust will be instant, but sometimes it takes a little longer, which is why it is important you don't jump around vets all the time.
To learn more, contact vets near you.
