Health & Safety

Picking the Right Veterinarian for Your Pet

Nicole Groshek | February 1, 2022 | 3 minute read

How to Find a Veterinarian

Finding veterinarian options is easier than it sounds! One of the best ways to review your choices is by gathering recommendations from your family and friends. Although online reviews can be helpful, experiences from the people you trust the most can have a greater impact when you choose the right vet to go with. However, one thing to keep in mind is that your family and friends have their own, unique interactions with their veterinarians, so it doesn’t hurt to schedule meetings with your options before making a commitment. As far as scheduling those meetings and making your choice, that has its own timeline.

The Right Time to Make a Choice

Like many things in life, it’s better to be proactive than reactive, and this holds true with picking the right veterinarian for your pet too! The best time to choose a vet is before you even need one, which ensures that your pet is set up for success before you bring it home. Especially when adopting a pet, it’s better to have its vet sorted out in case of any early injuries or conditions that you may face when adjusting your pet to its new life.

Now that you know how and when to find the right vet for your pet, it’s time to take a look at the considerations to keep in mind before making your final decision.

Considerations to Keep in Mind

Like we said before, choosing a veterinarian for your pet is one of the most crucial decisions you’ll make, which means that there are a lot of things to consider when making your decision.

Some of the top items to keep in mind when picking your pet’s vet include:

Relationship.

In hopes of finding a veterinarian that will be with you and your pet for a long time, you’ll want to ensure that the relationship between you, your pet, and your pet’s vet is strong. Things that could be important for maintaining a strong relationship with your pet’s vet are:

Open Communication
Transparent Diagnosis Explanations
Straightforward Cost Breakdowns
Passion for Your Pet
Industry Experience

Availability.

It’s no good to pick a vet that has office hours that don’t align with your lifestyle. Therefore, you’ll want to be sure that the veterinarian you choose offers office hours that are flexible with your schedule.

Cost.

We all have budgets to be mindful of, and that applies to our pets as well. Be sure to consider the cost of each vet before making your choice.

If these considerations inspire questions that you might want to ask potential veterinarians, that’s great! Be sure to jot your questions down and add them to our list of questions below.

Questions to Ask

In addition to all of the curiosities that you will probably have when it comes to picking the right veterinarian for your pet, you might want to add the following questions to your list.

How long have you been a practicing veterinarian?
What types of animals do you treat?
What services do you provide?
How much do your services cost?
How long does it usually take to schedule appointments?
Does your office offer payment plans?
What are your office hours?
How do you, or your office, handle emergencies?
Does your office have a pharmacy or affiliate pharmacy?

The list goes on and on, but these questions that cover some of the basics can help you determine which veterinarian is going to be the right fit for you and your pet.

Stella & Chewy’s Is Here to Help

To learn more about Stella & Chewy’s and our deep love for pets, be sure to check out Our Blog: For the Pet Obsessed. And, as always, you can contact our team by emailing us at info@stellaandchewys.com. We wish you all the best in picking the right veterinarian for your pet!