Three Things Pet Owners Should Know About Finding a Vet

In Humboldt County, California, regulators are hoping to ban several types of rat poison which have been killing wildlife and pets for years. Because the rodenticides can take days to work, they are often consumed by other animals, which can, too, become poisoned. About 80% of pacific fishers, a ferret-like mammal, were found to have been exposed to the poison.

Despite your best attempts to keep it safe, your pet might eventually ingest something poisonous. If that happens, you will need to find a veterinarian that offers emergency services. Ideally, you will already be seeing a qualified veterinarian who is familiar with your specific pet. Are you looking for tips on how to find a veterinarian near you? Here are three important facts you should keep in mind.

1. See What Reputation Local Veterinarians Have

In today's online age, businesses that consistently deliver poor service tend to have vocal dissatisfied customers. You don't want to find out the hard way that a vet office is well known for sub-par sanitation, so check online reviews to see what others are saying. Or, if you know someone with a similar pet, ask them if they would recommend their veterinarian's services.

2. You Should Consider What You Want Out of Vet Services

People often want more than just vaccination shots out of their vet services. If you want to be prepared for an accident and have the assurance that the operating vet is someone you know, you may want to go to a vet that doubles as a 24 hour animal hospital. If you often take trips and have trouble finding someone to watch your dog, then you might want to look for a vet that offer pet boarding kennels. Some vets even offer doggy daycares, a relatively new phenomenon that allows busy "parents" to drop their dog off for a full day of activities and socialization.

3. What You Yourself Need to Do

Even the best vet can't do what they're supposed to do, if you don't bring your cat, dog, or other animal in on a routine basis. Studies show that 25% of dog owners, and 40% of cat owners, will only visit the veterinarian if their animal is sick or injured. As Ian Spinks, president of Bayer Animal Health points out, though, "If you think about an annual checkup for a pet in the context of its lifespan, that would be the equivalent of a person only going for an annual physical every six or seven years." Taking your vet to the vet only every several years is taking a big risk with their health and welfare, so make sure you have a qualified vet in your contact list, and the next checkup already in your calendar.

Have you been able to find a veterinarian? Let us know in the comments.