The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Veterinarian Near Me
As pet parents, we look to ensure the health and wellbeing of our pets. We look for the best foods, toys, beds and treats. One thing we also need to find is a veterinarian to help keep our pets healthy.
I am sure most of you have been in the same boat as I have. You have a pet and you don’t know where to take them for veterinary care. In this blog, I am going to talk about my steps on how I find a veterinarian near me and how I prepare for my veterinary visits.
Plan For The Visit
Before I find the perfect veterinarian near me, I plan for my visit. I need to make sure that I have everything I need for my pets visit because lets face it, we can’t get to the veterinarian without the proper supplies.
Every veterinary hospital requires that you bring your pets in with the proper means of transportation. This is done for the safety of your pets.
Even if your pet is so friendly to other pets and listens to you completely, we want to ensure that your pet is completely safe while waiting in the lobby. So, let’s just all agree that keeping your dog on their leash and your cat in the carrier will help us keep them safe.
It may not be your pet that is the aggressive one, but the other owners dog may have a history of anxiety and not like other dogs.
So, before I find a veterinarian near me, I make sure I have the proper supplies.
You may be saying, Kait, I already know I need a leash or a cat carrier. Well, let me tell you the items I recommend that will help keep your pet safe and make your veterinary visit easier for the staff and your pet!
Here is what I recommend:
Dogs
Leash
I know some of these things look obvious but veterinarians near me and all over will agree when I say, we are particular about the type of leash we recommend.
It may be a little hard to hear but we don’t like retractable leashes. No one will tell you you have to leave or tell you how much they hate it but just trust me when I say, we do not recommend retractable leashes.
I could write a whole blog post about why I don’t recommend retractable leashes but I’m sure if you asked the veterinarian near me and you, you will find it is a popular opinion.
They get wrapped around everyone, they increase the chances of your pet running into harms way and they have very little control over your pet. So when I recommend a leash, I recommend something like this one.
I like this leash in particular because you have plenty of space to let your pet be on their own a bit but have the ability to control them with the handle close to them if needed.
Kennel/ Car Gate/ Seat Belt
I looped all of these into one because, honestly, you don’t need all of them. I personally use this gate with this car cover for my car and it has been a life saver when driving my dog to the veterinarian near me.
We tried a lot of different things for my dog and she was chewing through car leashes and harnesses and the kennel for my car was getting too bulky and we had to take it in and out of the car. With the car cover and gate, we have been able to keep it in our cars and be able to transport our dog to the veterinarian near me safely, which is the goal!
What I do not recommend, is having your pet in the car unrestrained to get from your house to the veterinarian. So, whichever way you choose is fine, but please make sure they are safe! There is no need for an unnecessary emergency visit.
Treats
Your dog will thank you for their favorite treats! If your dog is like mine with severe anxiety and won’t eat at the vet, then treats before and after the visit are fine too!
Cats
Cat Carrier
I know all of you cat owners out there know what a cat carrier is but as with the retractable leash for dogs, veterinarians near me and you will agree that we are specific about the cat carriers we prefer.
Again, we won’t kick you out of the office if you don’t come in with one of these but it does make the visit easier for us and for your cat!
When looking for a cat carrier, look for one that has a opening on the top and the ability to take the whole top off like this one.
Treats
Treats are always a plus for kitties as well. I always bring them when traveling to a veterinarian near me. My cat will eat anything but if your cat is not like that, treats before or after the visit work also.
Feliway
You may not be familiar with this product but you can pick up feliway at most pet stores. Its an over the counter pheromone that helps cats with anxiety. You can also get it here.
I use it all the time when I bring my cat to the veterinarian near me and also when I am working in the hospital. There is a dog version call Adaptil but I do not use it as often. You can even use these products at home for different behavioral concerns.
The Research Stage
So, we have gotten the supplies to finally go to the vet. Now is the tricky part, finding the perfect veterinarian near me.
You may have gone to veterinarians you didn’t care for or ones you loved but moved facilities. Well, word of mouth is everything when finding a veterinarian.
I would highly recommend finding a veterinarian that meets your individual needs and has a common way of thinking or communicating.
I have come to realize that not everywhere in the world (or the United States) is as lucky as I am with a vast amount of veterinarians and emergency veterinarians near me. Some of you reading this may live in the middle of nowhere.
If that is the case, here are some things to look for:
If you are lucky enough to have a lot of options, you may want to start with:
As a side note, if you haven’t gotten pet insurance yet and want to look further into it, check out how to find one here. You’ll thank me later!
The internet is also a great place to start when finding the right veterinarian. Reviews can help you in your search but I caution you to not pay too much attention on people complaining about cost. Veterinarians are going to be pricey and budgeting for your pet or finding financial assistance, like this one will help you (or pet insurance- *wink* *wink*).
Community Services
Veterinary hospitals are not your only option. If you are someone who needs assistance with your finances, there are community services for veterinary care.
These services are typically not offered after hours but there are programs to look into such as spay and neuter clinics, university veterinary hospitals and animal shelter and rescue organizations that offer services.
Some communities even have emergency funds that can help with costs of veterinary care and even pet supplies!
Here are some services that offer financial assistance:
Conclusion
In conclusion, whenever I look for a veterinarian near me I go by a number of factors. I consider my finances, word of mouth and common goals or ways of thinking. I also consider my location and see if there are needed considerations for the veterinarians near me.
