We all love Dr. Dolittle and would want us to be like him to better relate to what our furry friends are thinking and going through. But our real-life Dolittle’s are the vets. Vets are an integral part of your pet’s life as they are the professionals who ensure the well-being of your furry friends. However, choosing the right veterinary clinic can sometimes be an entirely overwhelming process with plenty of factors to choose from.
Are you looking for a new veterinary clinic or a specialty clinic and finding it challenging to choose the right fit? Online directories such as GreatVet are perfectly suited to assist you. Suppose you are a new pet parent or want to switch to a new vet faculty, or simply looking for a second opinion just like Mark(mentioned in the infographic) to make a confident decision, GreatVet is your go-to place.
You may have done your background research by yourself or may have had a clinic recommended by a friend or relative, which is indeed a good starting point. But what else do you need to look out for, and what are the primary factors to consider to choose a vet? To know about it all, let’s scroll through our easy guide to lead you to find the best vet near you:
Ask Around
Start polling your peer groups and personal network, ask your friends, neighbors, relatives, a local rescue, or shelters. If someone is offering you referrals, you can ask specific questions such as the health problem of their pet, the costs of the vets, and how long they have obtained the vet care service from that particular clinic. After getting all the recommendations, assess your own needs, chalk out the best fits and proceed accordingly. In that way, you can get the list of vets in your area and have an idea about the credibility as well as the authenticity of the vets.
Do Online Research
You can search online for pet care clinics in your area. It helps you get a walk-through of the clinics, the operational hours, and the clinic’s specialty. There is a pool of information online, and some of the clinics also offer the background of their current practitioners.
- To smoothen your searching process, you can rely on GreatVet. You can search vets by your locality, metro area, neighborhood, or zip code. Put this required information on the search bar, and you can get an extensive list of animal care clinics based on your search criteria. Further in the platform, you can leverage the map, and upon clicking on your state, you can get the list of cities in the database. From there, you can find the best vet clinics, animal hospitals, or veterinarians in your locality.
- It is an excellent way to find the perfect fit vet with minimized effort, and the process is also time-efficient. Besides, the platform offers a verified list of veterinarians and shows the best in your area. The vets have to go through interviews, and an approval mechanism is followed. Only after that, the vet is verified; hence you can find the service authenticity here, without a matter of doubt. If you are hovering over the question of how to find the best vets near me, GreatVet is the platform that can help you to discover the vet of your choice.
- Check out the GreatVet quality score and reviews to find the vets that meet your needs. The navigation is easy and refined, which aids you in finding your pet’s perfect matched vet. Once you have the vet of your choice, book an appointment with just a few clicks and get a confirmation without the hassle of a phone call or voicemail or wait on hold.
Book A Time To Have A Conversation
After narrowing down your search to a list, you may have more questions to be answered. In such scenarios, you should go ahead with a call and schedule a time to have a conversation with the facility to get your answers. When some vets are delighted to talk to you over the phone, some other vets may ask you to schedule an appointment to visit the clinic to answer your questions. If you are a parent of an exotic pet, it is always wise to visit the vet to get precise details of their services. You can ask a few of your key questions over the phone and then choose a couple of clinics to schedule a visit for more information.
Schedule A Tour To The Clinic
Contact the clinics from your list and explain your needs and ask them if you can visit them. If you do not want to take your pet with you for the first visit, you can ask the clinic beforehand about this and explain then that you want to have a look around. Most pet care clinics will be happy to walk through the facility and show you around the clinic. You should remember that the pet care philosophies vary from clinic to clinic. It’s crucial to find a like-minded vet as it helps you make the right decision in challenging situations, especially pet health issues such as euthanasia, cancer care, chronic disease planning, and spaying and neutering. Also, check out if the facility has a convenient parking space if there are separate waiting rooms for different pet species, and the clinic’s hygiene. Also assesses the warmth and the friendliness of the clinic staff.
Factors To Consider While Finding A Vet
While you are narrowing down your list of vets consider the following factors:
Location Convenience
Another vital thing to consider is the location of the pet care clinic. Consider if the clinic can be easily reached in an emergency. The clinic should not be too far away from your base. Look for a vet clinic less than an hour away from you. It is an essential factor to consider so that your pet does not stress out during the journey to the clinic, and having a vet clinic within a few minutes’ drive offers you a stress-free mind as you are sure that you can reach the facility at any moment.
Having a vet near your location is clutch, but if a good vet does not tick in this box, you may spread your search a little further. If driving an extra few minutes can help you get a more skilled vet or a better understanding staff, take a look at your pet’s health requirements and make the decision.
Consider The Cost
Go through the prices before you commit them. The cost should come under your budget, and also ask them if they accept pet insurance. Pet insurance can aid you in cutting down unexpected bills because sometimes vets’ bills are hefty, and they can add up quickly. You can also ask them their payment methods and if they accept credit cards or payment installments. It is always better to be clear about the cost so that you can ensure that your pet can get the treatment without having to break the bank abruptly.
Office Hours
Consider the vet’s hours of operations. Check out if they offer emergency care or the pet care clinics’ after-hours policies. It shouldn’t happen that you pick the vets based on the clinics’ proximity, and when you need them, they are closed. And you may have to travel much further to reach an emergency clinic. So ensure to assess everything before finalizing. Also, check out the specialty and the in-house facilities the vet has. Besides, enquiring about the clinic’s license and testimonials is an excellent way to enrich your trust in their services.
Takeaway
Finding the best vet in your area may be a little challenging, but you can quickly get one with the right approach. You can adhere to this guide to get a good vet in your area. Furthermore, ensure to request your old vet to send-over veterinary records and medical history to your new vet.
If you have adopted a new pet or if you are a new pet parent, show up a little early to fill out any paperwork in the clinic and always ask questions to clear out your queries! And to avoid all your hassle, you can always rely on the GreatVet online vet directory. Furthermore, if you are looking for Mobile Vets for your pet’s safety and to avoid traveling stress, you can drill deep into this article to get an overall view of it.
Disclaimer: The content on the site is for educational purposes only, and it does not provide medical advice. The shared information must not be treated as a substitute for or alternative for medical practitioner advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Regarding any concerns about your pet’s health, seeking veterinary guidance is of utmost necessity. Each pet has specific health, fitness & nutrition needs. Do not disregard, avoid or delay pet health-related advice from veterinarians based on reading the information provided on this site.
