Questions to ask a new vet?

I'm considering switching vets. I'm not particularly fond of the new head vet at our clinic (and the fact that the other vet dropped Metacam directly from a HUGE bottle into Delilah's mouth at her last vaccinations really made me nervous). I'm not set on leaving the vet, but I get a good feeling about this place (I constantly see their ads looking for homes for kittens they have fostered, they have a great website, and I have heard that they are pretty cat-friendly), so I've sent an email requesting a brief "tour" and discussion prior to Belle and Delilah's annual checkup time.

What questions would you ask a vet you were considering switching to? My cats are healthy, so I don't have any specific conditions to ask about.

I would definitley ask about metacam. I'm not completely against its use (no need to caution me on metacam use....I know all about it), but I don't think it should be used haphazardly (ie. as a precautionary measure for my cat getting a bump at a vaccination site...grrrr).

I'd also like to ask about vaccination protocals. I still think everyone around here does the yearly vaccines, but I figure it's worth a shot!

Perhaps a question about diet. I don't really care what they recommend, but I think it's worthwhile to see what they'd offer.

They have REALLY good hours, as well as emergency call-in hours, so I'd ask about the availability of services offered in case of emergency (my current vet uses a full-staff emergency clinic, which is handy, but it's 20 minutes away and very pricey).

I figured I'd also tell them a bit about my experience with Zoey (who passed away a couple years ago from "FIP" - I didn't have great experience with ANY of the vets I dealt with on her case and felt she was written off as soon as those three letters came up. Just see what they say about it. And to explain why I'm a bit of a nutcase when it comes to my girls!

Is there anything I'm missing?

I guess I should also mention that I posted looking for information about the clinic on a discussion conference through my school board. Within an hour (tops) I've had 5 very positive responses. One person even said they drive from the city 30 minutes away (they have lots of vets in the city) so that they can go to that vet!

You've pretty much covered what I would ask. I also like to see the vet interact with my cats so I can see how the vet handles them and how they respond to the vet.

I recently switched vets and it's difficult to find one that you like.

For me it is do they make housecall s or Er calls to the house or in office?

For the protacol ALL the vet schools and the Vet associations ADVISE the 3 yr protocal and I would NOT see a vet that did not follow that or a more logical one( ie no 1 yr shots here and I am okay with titer testing)

You might also ask what classes they took at the last update ... ie my vet did some further class work in oriental medicine

I would definitely get a tour of the practice as you mentioned. This would include the surgery area, where the pets are kept in the hospital, etc. I used to work as a Vet Tech and if the vet doesn't want to give you a FULL tour then I wouldn't recommend going there anymore. If there is more than one vet that works there see which one may be more cat friendly for sure. One of the practices I worked for was a husband & wife and the wife preferred to see cats. She was always really good with them.

I think you covered everything else that would be good to ask. Good luck to you!

One more thing, if you ever have a vet & tell them you would like to get a second opinion on your girls health issues they should always be open to that, never offended.

My number one thing besides if the vet listens/responds to my questions rather then jsut saying dont worry its ok...
Visiting hours if cat must be hospitalized. I hardly ever had to but in one case my vet wanted to keep cat overnight after urinary issues and I found out 2 questions later it wasnt 24 hour staffed-I knew it wasn't 24 hour vet but at least I thought a tech would be there. I told them heck no and never went back. Also type in the hospital and city and review. I have had good luck. At least get a real life feel