What do you love about your vet?

Let's hear about all the good, and maybe even great, vets out there!

This thread is inspired by kscatlady's comment in her thread about Abbey. She was talking about her vet:

Originally Posted by kscatlady

They are! I usually bring my outside kitties to El Paso and my indoor kitties to the one here in town. I like to support local businesses when I can, but when I called the one here in town about the orphaned kittens and they don't have an emergency vet anymore! They tell you to go all the way to wichita! So I tried El Paso, and they were awesome, as usual, so I decided they would be my exclusive vet. They are always wonderful, they treat my ferals and they take payments. So they have my business from now on.

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http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...19#post2884819

So if you love your vet, and/or vet clinic, tell us why!

I love my vet. She's dedicated, compassionate and informed. She keeps up on things in veterinary medicine, but loves clients like me who do a lot of searching on my own. I then tell her about the things I've read, and she tells me what she thinks. Together, we work as a team to give my cats the best health care and nurturing they can get.

She is not afraid to say "I don't know". She won't hesitate to send us to Cornell, if she thinks we need a specialist or a second opinion. When I still had my
Ootay , she made herself available almost 24/7. If it was her day off, she left instructions if Ootay had an emergency they were to call her at home, at least try. Then my vet would talk to whichever vet Ootay and I were getting for the emergency, and brief that vet on Ootay's case.

She calls on her day off, to ask how a kitty has been doing.

I love the practice too. My vet is a staff vet at a practice of five vets, two of whom are co-owners. It's a wonderful cheerful place, the office/para staff turnover is very low, and that is how you know it's a good place. There have been more added over the years, but all the techs, most of the office staff, are the same as when I started there 6 years ago. There isn't a tech there I don't like, though I do have
favorites . Same with the office staff. My vet doesn't use the techs much, when dealing with me and my cats, she prefers to do things herself, with me holding, if needed. Perhaps she uses them more in cases where the pet does better restrained by someone other than his or her hoomin.

It's always clean. Dogs fighting, or even excited barking for too long are not tolerated, people are asked to bring them outside. Cats have to be in carriers. I can't speak for the other vets, but my vet almost always runs on schedule.

It took seven years and four other vets and/or practices to find this clinic and my vet. And some of those other places were bad news. I think this clinic had opened about a year before I turned to them, sort of as a last resort.

I feel fortunate that this clinic, and my vet in particular, are available to me and my beloved cats.

Next....?

I forgot one of the things I love best about this clinic is they take in the wild things, the little ones at least, and treat them and send them on to a local wildlife rehab or bird rehab. I've had the pleasure of being there more than once when someone walked in with a box containing a hurt bird.

I love the vet in the next county, but he is sooooooooo popular with everyone in that county (And surrounding areas) that the normal wait for anything Vet (Doc) related is usually upwards of 4 hours. I know my sister waited nearly 6 hours to be seen one time. This vet is such a sweetheart, he works all day, he'll come in if you call him for an emergency, they go out to the parking lot to give shots to numerous animals at once instead of having to bring them in.
I got smitten over him when I took both my cats down there for ear mites, after getting a quote that was way too high and included a week of bathing which I thought was unnecessary. Just to be seen at my vet was 40-48 bucks for an exam off the bat. At this next county vet I had both Boo and Chickster vaccinated for rabies, given a large tube of antifungal/anti bacterial/anti inflammatory ointment/drops to put in their ears, he did an ear swab to check for mites on both of them, checked them out, was so sweet to them and complimented me on them. They didn't have mites, they had a fungus type issue going on. All of this and it only cost me 30 dollars. I was so grateful for him and I wish he wasn't so far away and didn't have such long wait times or I'd go to him all the time.
He's what I want to see in a vet!

they recently went with epetrecords.com an online service for vets. It's wonderful to be able to make routine appointments, (with notes!), request prescriptions, or medication refills, order food. You can sign up for reminders on check ups and vaccines and such. The staff emails you within the business day when you email for an appointment.

And the voice mail system. I can call my vet and leave my questions or comments on her voice mail. This gives her time to gather answers, and then she calls me back.

Otto and Snickerdoodle, you are so lucky. It is hard to find a good vet. My kitten has his first vet appointment tomorrow. I sure hope I picked a good one.

From the receptionists to the vets, everyone in our office makes your pet feel loved. Vet techs will stop in the exam room while you are waitng on the vet just to pet and love on your animal.

They are wonderful about keeping you up to date about your pets condition. Anytime I've taken one of my 4 kitties in for an illness or surgery, they always call and check up on them a couple of days later.

They aren't afraid to admit when something is above their abilities. I've never had to use them, but they do make referrals to Auburn University vet school for specialty cases.

Instead of making visits to the emergency vet, they request you call them first. A vet is on call 24/7 and will meet you in the office instead of sending you to the super expensive ER.

Originally Posted by Zarra

Otto and Snickerdoodle, you are so lucky. It is hard to find a good vet. My kitten has his first vet appointment tomorrow. I sure hope I picked a good one.

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I hope you did too, but don't be afraid to keep looking, if this one isn't a good match.

This thread will help you know what to look for tomorrow. Of course all the other things, cleanliness and friendly helpful staff, organization, still won't help if there's no rapport with the vet.

If you like the practice and they have more than one vet, at least you can try the other vet(s)

It took me four vet/practices and 7 years to get with my vet. I tried other vets in this practice too, before choosing her.

that it's a winner tomorrow!

My vet is 35 miles away - I drive that far even though there are vet clinics a stones-throw from me.

She is intelligent, caring and thoughtful. And very skilled. It's mind-boggling how much she knows. You can call or email her anytime with questions. She is on call 24/7 for emergencies. She is smart as a whip and likes to solve problems. She sometimes comes across as kind of "clinical"... but she has a really good heart. She will talk out a problem with you, too.

It is a very small practice. The vet, a front office person who does some of the basic stuff like weight and taking some initial history, and the vet's daughter who helps out, too, though she is not a tech.

I like that this vet also helped us personally in our fight to get better policies and procedures at a local high-kill shelter. She is very well versed in shelter medicine and has been a terrific asset.

I Dr. Lisa.