If you are like most people, you consider your pet a part of your family. Many pet owners provide their dog or cat with healthy food, a warm place to sleep, and the best medical care possible.
Health care for animals is critical, as pets, just like children, need regular check ups to maintain optimum health. Veterinarians for dogs and other animals will know if there is something wrong with an animal, if pets are getting the nutrition they need, and give pet owners valuable advice on how to handle emergency situations that may warrant a trip to local animal hospitals.
But finding the right veterinarian for small animals, or large ones, takes some work on your part. Here are a few tips on how to put your pet in the most experienced hands.
- Visit. There are more than 70,000 veterinarians in the country, and each of them works to provide pets with the best care, but they won’t all be perfect for your pet. It is important to visit at least a handful of practices, and first see how you feel when you enter. Is the atmosphere warm and inviting? Is the facility clean? Does someone help you immediately, or ignore you? These are all key things to ask yourself as you travel from on place to another, and you will likely be able to feel it in your gut when you have found the right place.
- Accreditation. You want your pet to receive the highest quality care from professionals that know what they are doing. A veterinarian for animals has to go through extensive schooling, earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, and also must have a state license to practice. Be sure to check for these qualifications, as well as accreditation from the American Animal Hospital Association. The AAHA accredits veterinarians after inspecting every part of their practice, from pet care, to staffing, to facilities.
- Emergencies. Your veterinarian may not be available all the time. In the case of an emergency, you will want to know exactly what you should do. If a vet does not have an animal emergency care center, you should find out which local animal hospitals you can take your pet to. A vet that does not have a critical care plan in place may not be the best one to go with. Ask vets questions about who you should contact in those situations, and their answers will give you an idea of how prepared and professional they are.
No one wants to think about rushing their pet to local animal hospitals, but you may need to do this at some point. So it is best to work with a veterinarian that you feel comfortable with, and one that offers great advice on pet care. It will be your pet’s best chance at staying healthy all year long. Learn more.
