Choosing an animal clinic for an ill pet can feel stressful. You want help quickly but you want to be sure that you are choosing the right help. In the event of an ill animal people often choose the first animal clinic they can get an appointment with. If all goes well you could find that you have found a new veterinarian. If you’re less than pleased after the visit you might opt to find a different veterinarian for future reference.
When you have more time to be choosy, because you’re in need of an animal clinic for something more elective or for a check-up or vaccinations, you can look at your options and choose the animal clinic that best suits your needs.
Here are some things you’ll want to consider as you search for an animal clinic.
Location and Hours
Convenience is important. Check local animal clinics and see what’s nearby. It may be advantageous to look at neighboring areas, though, if you can’t find something locally that you feel good about. It could be worthwhile to travel an extra few minutes to get a great animal clinic with a good reputation.
Veterinary Services Offered
What services are offered at local clinics? If you have an exotic pet you’ll have to look to see if your pet can be accommodated. If you have feral cats in your area that need to be spayed / neutered, etc. this is also a concern.
Reputation
Check out the reviews / testimonials of vet / animal clinics in your area. Beyond checking a website where the vet clinic has control over what is posted, you’ll want to look at review sites and at Google, Facebook, and other social media sites as this can help you see the ratio of favorable to non-favorable reviews and testimonials.
And after you’ve used an animal clinic, it’s helpful to leave your own review up online as well, this way you can share your opinion with other potential patients of that clinic, helping others the way you’ve been helped through reading favorable or cautionary reviews.
Extras
Do they offer extras that you’re interested in like grooming, dental care, etc.? What are their payment methods accepted? Don’t be afraid to call an animal clinic that looks like a contender to get a feel for their customer service and to ask questions.
If you can book a consultation and check-up first this can help you assess the animal clinic to decide whether or not you want to use this clinic as your regular veterinarian.
Are you looking for an animal clinic in the Torrance or Lomita, CA area? If so, visit Western Veterinary Group. For more details, follow them on Twitter.
