Qualities of a Good Veterinarian

One of the most important duties as a pet owner is finding a veterinarian to see to the medical care of your dog. There are many veterinarians, with many different philosophies; the key is to determine what your priorities are regarding your dog's medical treatment, and then to find a veterinarian who respects and/or agrees with your priorities. This can be a difficult process!

While it would be ideal to find a veterinarian who is honest, punctual, easy to get along with, willing to accomodate you, loves your dog, has all the best, newest, and top-of-the-line diagnosing and treatment equipment, whose office is close to where you live, has reasonable prices, is available 24 hours a day, and has an incredible support staff that mirrors all of these great qualities, the reality is, you may have to choose from among the qualities that are most important to you, and then find a veterinarian who is the best match for you and your dog.

Once you've determined which traits and qualities in a veterinarian are important to you, the best place to start for a truly objective opinion is other patients. Talk to friends and ask about their veterinarians. Are they happy with the service they receive? Is their vet caring and considerate of their opinions, providing various medical treatment options? Or does he make choices for them, and simply tell them what to do? What is his/her philosophy on end of life issues? Will he/she do whatever it takes to save your pet, regardless of the expense? Or does s/he believe that diagnosing and treating an older dog is a waste of medical resources? What is YOUR opinion on this topic?

The answers to what is important to you are neither right or wrong. It is simply important that your veterinarian share these beliefs with you if you want to find the best possible care for your dog.

It is extremely important that you feel comfortable with the veterinarian you choose, so that you aren't intimidated and unlikely to ask important questions about the care of your dog.

Before deciding on a veterinarian, it's best to visit their facility and ask for a tour. Is the facility clean and well lighted? Is the staff friendly and accomodating?

Once you've narrowed down your selection, schedule a "new patient" appointment with the veterinarian so you'll have an opportunity to observe him/her actually interacting with your dog. Additionally, the vet will have the chance to meet your dog as a healthy, thriving pet, and would, therefore, have something to compare it to later, if you take your dog in because of a medical problem.

Similar to finding your own personal physician, finding a veterinarian involves lots of questions, but also "gut feelings." If you aren't comfortable, if you feel intimidated, if you don't like the way the facility looks or "feels," if the staff isn't friendly and accomdating, if any of these things triggers a "bad feeling" with you, it's best to trust that feeling and look for another veterinarian who more closely matches your beliefs and philosopies regarding the care and treatment of your best friend.

~ Lisa Pallardy
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