Evaluate Your Veterinarian

Having a quality veterinarian is one of the most important things in the way you care for your pets. Without a good veterinarian, your pet won’t have access to the best medical care. As a result, it is very important to evaluate your veterinarian before you commit to seeing them for a long period of time. However, evaluating your veterinarian might be more difficult than it seems. With a little work, though, you’ll be able to find out if your veterinarian will be good for you and your pet.

Steps

Gauging Their Reputation

1. Ask people in your community. Talk to people in your community to get an idea of your vet’s reputation. By talking to people, you’ll find out what types of experiences that people who live around you have had with the vet.
   • Find out what they think of the doctor personally. Say something like: “How do you like Dr. X?”
   • Find out how the vet treats their pet. Ask: “Does your pet respond well to Dr. X?”
   • Third party references are good, too. Find out what people have heard about the doctor. Say something like: “What have you heard about Dr. X?”
2. Look online for reviews. A great way to gauge a vet’s overall reputation is to do an internet search and locate reviews about them. By looking at reviews, you’ll be able to see the broad array of experiences that others have had with the vet in question.
   • Look on social media sites.
   • Search popular sites like Yelp to read about other people's experiences with your vet.
3. Consult other professionals. If you know another veterinarian, or someone in the pet care industry, you may want to ask them what they think of your vet. As a pet care professional, they might have information you don’t. They might also have had personal experience with the vet in question.
   • When approaching a pet care professional, ask them: “I’m currently seeing Dr. X. I was wondering if you had any experience with them?”
   • Always ask them to qualify their statements. For example, if they say “I’ve had a bad experience with Dr. X,” respond by saying, “could you please give me an example?”
   • Don’t be pushy and let the person you’re talking to volunteer as much information as they want.
4. See if anyone has filed complaints. Another good way of evaluating your vet is to see if they’ve had any legal or non-legal complaints filed against them. By looking at their record of complaints, you’ll gain a lot of knowledge about their approach and their level of care.
   • Check consumer report websites to see if anyone has filed a complaint.
   • Check with the Better Business Bureau website to see if anyone has filed a complaint against you veterinarian.

Checking on Licenses and Certifications

1. Look up their license. You should also look up your vet’s license when evaluating them. By looking up their license, you’ll see if they are current and qualified. Ultimately, if your vet is not licensed, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
   • You can locate your vet’s license through your state’s licensing board website.
   • Search the internet for your state’s licensing board.
   • Fill in the proper online forms with information about your vet. Most often, you’ll need their name and/or address of their place of business.
2. Investigate prior histories of malpractice. You should also consider looking up whether the vet has had any lawsuits or judgements against them. In addition, you should look to see if your vet has any disciplinary actions from the state license board.
   • You'll be able to find information about malpractice lawsuits on state licensing websites.
   • When you check for histories of malpractice, also notice if the vet has had any disciplinary action by the state licensing board.
3. Find out if the vet has an area of specialization. Some vets might be specialists in certain area. This could be very important if you have an exotic pet or a pet with special medical needs. In order to find out areas of specialization, you’ll have to ask the vet. Consider asking:
   • What type of animals they specialize in. This is important, as some vets don’t have a lot of experience with animals like reptiles. In addition, some vets may focus on small animals – dogs, cats, and rabbits – and may be unable to help with large animals like horses, goats, or other livestock.
   • If they perform surgery. Ask your vet what types of surgery they will perform and if they have a specialization in any type of surgery. For instance, some vets might specialize in hip surgery, heart surgery, or eye surgery.
4. See if your veterinarian has any national accreditations. There are a variety of national accreditations which certify if a veterinarian meets up to standards of a given organization. Looking for these accreditations and certifications will give you a good idea of the overall quality of your vet or their continued engagement with the medical community.
   • Check to see if your vet is an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) certification. The AAHA certification requires that animal hospitals meet over one hundred different qualifications.
   • Check to see what other veterinary associations and boards your vet is a member of. The more affiliations, the higher the likelihood that your vet is active in the field and knowledgeable about the latest medical practices.

Interacting with Your Veterinarian

1. Observe how your vet treats your pet. When visiting with your vet, pay some attention to how your vet interacts with your pet. You’ll be able to tell a lot from how your vet treats your pet and talks to your vet. Ultimately, if your vet does not act kindly and warmly toward your pet, you should look for another option.
   • Consider if your pet is excited to see your vet or if your pet is scared of your vet.
   • Think about whether your vet handles your pet in a cold and business-like manner. Ultimately, you want your vet to be kind, friendly, and loving to your pet.
   • Listen to how your vet talks to your pet. Good vets will very often talk to your pet when they come into the room. They’ll compliment the pet and offer positive reinforcement to the pet. This has the effect of calming your pet – making the experience much less stressful.
2. Reflect on how your vet treats you. Spend a little time observing how your vet treats you. You’ll be able to tell a lot about your vet by how they act around you and communicate with you. Think about the following:
   • Is your vet happy to answer any questions you may have about your pet’s condition?
   • Does it seem like your vet is unrushed or unhurried when talking to you?
   • Do you get a positive feeling from your vet. In other words, do you feel as if they are a warm person who enjoys doing what they do?
3. Think about whether your vet and their office are responsive to you. One thing that you should also consider when evaluating a vet is whether the vet and their office is responsive to your needs. Ultimately, if your vet and their office are unwilling or unable to communicate with you, then you may need to consider another option.
   • Is it easy to make an appointment with your vet?
   • Does the office staff act professionally and treat you with respect?
   • Will your vet return your calls and answer any questions or concerns you may have?

Quick Summary

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