Just like we need a little help from medical professionals, so too do our pets. But when it comes to your furry pal, you don’t want to entrust their health to just anyone. As a pet owner, it’s important to find a healthcare provider for your pet that makes you feel comfortable and offers the best care possible.
When many people try to find a vet for their pet they rely on recommendations from friends or family, or they choose the vet that is closest to their house. While the convenience of the vet clinic down the road might be tempting, before you commit to a vet for your special pet, there are a number of factors to take into consideration.
Whether you’ve just become a pet parent and you’re looking for a veterinarian for the first time, you’ve moved to a new town and need to get to know the local businesses, or you’re thinking your current vet isn’t the right one for you, we got you covered. Our friends at Sugarland vet clinic Bundaberg, have put together a list of things to think about when finding the right vet clinic for you.
1. Be Proactive
When it comes to finding the right vet for you, it pays to plan ahead. Unfortunately, it is a reality that many pet owners don’t find a vet until they actually need one – whether it’s for a pet emergency or for an annual vaccination.
Not planning ahead usually leads you to going to a clinic that is close by. And while this can be fine in many cases, you might end up overpaying or going to a place that doesn’t necessarily offer the services that you might need, which might lead you to needing to find another clinic in the future.
If you don’t have a pet just yet but you’re thinking about getting one, it’s a good idea to do some research about the local vets. Check out online reviews, talk to friends and family, and learn about the vets and nursing staff who work there.
That way, if an emergency does happen, or you need to find a vet as soon as possible, you’ll know who you want to call!
2. Make sure they can treat your pet
If you have a dog or cat, you’re most likely going to be ok with any vet clinic, as many of them specialize in these common pets. However, if you have a pet that might be a little unusual or isn’t a dog or cat, then you should ensure that the vet clinic you’re thinking of using actually can treat that kind of animal.
There are many pets who specialize in exotic and unusual pets such as birds, snakes and reptiles, so you can ensure your pet gets the best treatment possible. Many general vet clinics offer checkup services for a wide variety of animals too, so if your pet just needs a quick annual checkup, you might be able to visit them.
Even some dogs and cats might require specialized treatments, especially if they experience less common health issues. There are veterinarian clinics that offer super specialized services for dogs and/or cats too.
It’s important to not just assume that a vet clinic can help with your pet – that’s why it’s important to be proactive when you have a pet.
3. What services do they offer and do they specialize in anything?
Similar to the above consideration, it’s important to understand the service range offered at your vet clinic – particularly if your pet suffer from any unusual health conditions.
Many vet clinics will offer services such as check-ups, vaccinations, dental checks, and diagnostic services. However, they may not be able to provide services such as some surgeries and emergency services, particularly if it is for a condition that is not as common.
While in many cases a vet clinic will be able to help find a specialist for specific services, it is something to think about.
4. Visit the clinic
Many vet clinics allow visitors and some even offer tours of their facilities so you can get a feel for the clinic before you make an appointment.
While this may not be available at every clinic, you also have the option of calling them to discuss your pet’s needs and get an understanding of what they offer.
An added bonus of visiting the clinic is that not only do see the facilities and learn more about the clinic you might get to see how the vets work with their patients. Which leads us to our final thing to consider…
5. How do they treat their patients?
When you visit a vet clinic, whether it is for a tour or for your appointment, it’s a good idea to observe how other animals are treated by the staff. While many animals do not like visiting the vet, if an animal appears to be comfortable in the clinic’s staff’s presence, this is usually a good sign that they treat their patients well.
Many vet clinic offer thoughtful touches such as areas for cats, where they can be away from dogs and other loud animals which may startle them. They may also have play areas or toys that your pets can play with while they wait for their appointment.
You want to work with a clinic that will give your pet as much love and care as you, and luckily many professional veterinary clinics are experts in this.
When it comes to finding a vet for your pet, it can be overwhelming. However, if you keep these things in mind, you’ll be able to find a great clinic that will help you ensure that your pet lives a long and healthy life!
Online vet chat by Petcube offers 24/7 online vet help available in seconds on your phone or computer. Using the service you can have a chat with a certified doctor on any question you might have concerning your pet’s health, nutrition, behavior, and more. The process is easy: ask a vet online and get the answer in minutes, as the best online vets are on-call every day, late at night, and on holiday, ready to provide care anytime.
Petcube Emergency Fund isn’t a traditional pet insurance product, so it provides a direct payment to your clinic on behalf of our mutual client in a covered emergency. Unlike pet insurance, Emergency Fund is open for any pet, even with pre-existing conditions. But you can activate it only after a 14-day grace period by confirmation of an online vet. The fund covers: toxic ingestion, choking and breathing difficulty, severe blockages, and severe internal & external injuries, other serious, unexpected, dangerous situations that require immediate medical attention.