When you bring an animal into your life, they become your dependant, your fur-baby and your new family member. It’s important to realise that from this moment forward you become responsible for their welfare. This decision shouldn’t be made lightly and needs to be thought of as a life-long commitment, therefore finding the best veterinarian for your pet is an important consideration.
Consider the most important things. Is location more important than the way the staff at the clinic interact with your pet? Are the opening hours, or the availability of parking more important than access to the best and most up to date facilities? Or perhaps the way your vet communicates, or their level of community involvement are the most important things to you. Every family member may have a different view, so it’s important to consider your options carefully.
Here are out top 4 things to consider when choosing the best vet clinic for your pet!
- Communication is key! Ask for recommendations from friends and family, check out the clinic reviews, particularly on Facebook as they’re extremely reliable given they’re attached to real people’s Facebook accounts. Call the clinic and discuss any questions or concerns you might have. The clinic should welcome your call and be able to answer these for you and you should come away feeling comfortable that your new pet will be in safe hands.
- Access to a comprehensive range of medical equipment: Did you know, not all clinics are created equal! Many vet clinics do not have a comprehensive array of facilities or the latests technologies to be able to thoroughly investigate, diagnose and then prescribe the best treatment. A great clinic will have access to surgical and treatment facilities onsite, digital x-ray, comprehensive dentistry facilities, in-house labs tests, eye-pressure tests and offer access to ultrasound facilities when required, plus more!
- Opening hours and location: Do you prefer to see a vet near you? How far would you travel to visit the clinic if you knew the vet you had chosen was delivering the best possible care to your pet? Do you need an emergency vet? How physically accessible is the clinic and do you need help getting the animal into the clinic? Are staff willing to help? How convenient is parking? These are all important considerations.
- Last but not least, does your pet enjoy going to the vet? If not, how do the clinic staff interact with your pet? This can be a tough one, because no matter how hard you try, some pets just fret a little more than others. The important thing is to observe how the clinic staff manage this type of situation. They should communicate appropriately not just with you, but your pet too, doing all they can to make sure your pet is as comfortable as possible. This takes patience, care and understanding. Just as if you were taking your child to see their GP, veterinary staff should offer the same level of compassion and empathy to you pet. After all, they’re a very important family member!
