Find A Great Veterinarian To Help Your Cat

Finding a good Vet for your cat is very important. You want to find someone who is knowledgeable, sympathetic, and caring. If you are new to cat care or have a vet but want to find a new one here are some tips that may help you out.

How do I locate veterinarians?

If you are moving to a new area, you can check out The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or the My Veterinarian websites. These two sites keep records on vets and their facilities, quality of service, and care. Another way is to talk to people at dog parks to see who has a good practice. If you live in a large community, get the names of three to four vets in your area. If you live in a small rural area, it would be wise to search a wider area to come up with the names.

How to select a veterinarian?

There are a number of things to do and consider when the time comes to selecting a vet. One of the first things to do is to make an initial consultation/interview with your new doctor. While you're there take a tour of the facilities. Watch the staff to see if they are attentive and courteous. How does the place smell; does it smell clean or does it smell sterile or of pee? The latter two could mean they are trying to cover something up. Look at the overnight area, do they keep the cats and dogs in separate areas and do the animals look cared for? Lastly you will want to make up a list of questions to ask your new potential vet.

What kind of questions should I ask?

Here is a list of some questions that should be asked:

· Are bloodwork, x-rays, and other types of lab work done on site or do they need to send them out to another place for testing and results?

· Do they have a specialist referral system?

· Is the clinic accredited with the AAHA?

· Are the veterinary technicians that they have on staff licensed?

· What do they do for managing pain?

· Do they have emergency services?

· Do they keep accurate records on all of your pets care?

· Always ask about the cost for standard visits.

These are important questions to ask and if you can think of more add them to the list. When all of your concerns are taken care of, you can decide which of the vets may be right for you and your cat.