The Right Fit

The wonderful doctor I had for myself for over 10 years had the nerve to go and retire on me. I was so bummed. I had what I felt was the right fit with her- I had trust and confidence in her medical skills, she respected me and my knowledge, she made herself available and was extremely compassionate. I felt she genuinely cared for me as a person. It didn't surprise me when I learned she was going to enter the seminary. Even though I will have to go through the process of finding a new doctor, (darn it) I sure wish her the best in her new career.

Finding a veterinarian for your pet can be just as much of a challenge as finding an MD for yourself. We are "The Other Family Doctor" after all. It is a good idea to have a veterinarian picked out even before you have the pet picked out-and hopefully before there is an emergency.
Many people may just pick their veterinarian based on location or through the yellow page ads. These are rapidly becoming obsolete and internet resources such as websites are becoming better marketing tools. It can be helpful to contact neighbors or friends for their recommendations, as well as local pet groups, breeders, veterinary associations, schools, and animal shelters.

If you have your choice narrowed down, you may want to ask some questions before your first appointment. Since this "interview" could take some time, it would be courteous to fax or e-mail your questions to the hospital ahead of time and have the staff review them-you may not need to talk directly to the doctor. Some potential questions you might consider asking are:
-What species does the practice see?
-Does the doctor have any specialty training or interests?
-What organizations does the doctor belong to?
-Does the doctor and/or staff pursue continuing education courses?
-How are after-hours emergencies handled?
-Does the doctor routinely refer complicated or difficult cases to board certified specialists?
-Does the doctor or hospital work with any shelters or rescue organizations?
-Does the practice have a website or printed brochure they can give you/refer you to?
-Can I briefly meet the doctor and/or get a quick tour of the hospital before my first visit? (This is usually honored but respect the veterinarian's time and realize this is to be a BRIEF visit/tour.)

If you do visit the hospital, you'll want to make some first impressions:

-How clean does the hospital look/smell, including the exam rooms, the reception area, and are the staff members themselves dressed professionally?
-Is the staff able and willing to answer your questions or get answers for you if they don't know answers themselves?
-Are printed materials available on your pet species?
-Does the staff show skill in handling your type of pet?

There are some common characteristics of a health professional that you will likely deem important in your new veterinarian and the support staff as well:

-compassion
-handles your pet with care/respect
-interested/knowledgeable about your species of pet(s)
-is a good listener
-is willing to answer your questions
-is interested in client education and encourages research on your part
-is willing to admit when they don't know the answer, but will search out an answer for you
-is flexible in developing a treatment plan based on medical and financial constraints for an individual pet
-is not offended when a second opinion is sought-works as a team member for the benefit of the pet

You may want to know if a particular doctor will allow you to be with your pet for all aspects of a veterinary visit. Sometimes clients will want to assist their veterinarians by holding or restraining their pets during exams or procedures. Veterinarians are all advised by their malpractice insurance providers not to allow this since owners often are not trained to do so and could become injured. You need to respect this difficult position. Doctors may need a high level of focus when performing certain procedures and it can be distracting to have an owner there that may be asking a lot of questions or who may be nervous. Sometimes animals actually pick up on the nerves of a worried owner and do a bit better away from their owners. If a veterinarian or staff member suggests taking your pet to a separate treatment area, don't be worried or offended-they are just looking out for the pet's best interests. Ultimately it will be the result of the relationship you establish with your veterinarian that will determine in what capacity you will be allowed to be present with your pet during treatments or diagnostics.

As a pet owner, you have the ultimate responsibility to be educated, be prepared, and to ask questions if you don't understand something. This will be a continuous process throughout your pet's lifetime. If a problem ever arises during a veterinary visit, be sure you let the doctor or office manager know about it right away. Most will want to know about them so they can resolve the issue and prevent them from happening again. The relationship between an owner, his or her pet and their veterinarian can be a wonderful, life-long, team effort. With a little bit of homework and a touch of luck, you will find that "right fit" for all of you.

Peace,
DrReneigh