What Makes Your Vet Great....Or Not?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

We brought Murphy to his second vet visit this week (more shots), and I was thinking about how lucky we are to have her.  So, here's my list of what makes my vet great.  It would be interesting for others to add to this list.  When complete, I think it might help others who are in the process of selecting a new vet.

-It is clear from the way that our vet interacts with Guinness and Murphy that she truly LOVES dogs.  She is excited every time she sees them.  She spends the first five minutes kissing and hugging them and telling them how awesome they are.  They love her too!  She is a big believer in building trust.  She has always asked me to bring them in (even when they don't have an appointment) so they can learn that her office is a fun place.  They get treats every time and get to play with the Vet Techs (and her when she's running room to room).  Guinness loves going there!

-She is a great communicator.  She spends whatever time necessary to be sure I understand and that I have no questions.  When we were talking this week, I mentioned that I was nervous about Murphy's neutering.  Guinness was neutered before we got him, and I just couldn't remember the experience with our other dogs (too long ago).  She sat me down and went through the procedure with me.  She told me that they had "state of the art" surgical monitoring equipment, and that his incision would be very small.  She assured me that they would be sure he was totally comfortable post surgery.  I felt so much better.

-The office staff is amazingly helpful.  When I call with any question, they will get the answer and get back to me within the hour.  Sometimes she calls herself.

-She is very open to new ideas...my home cooking is a great example of that.  She's extremely interested in the Labradoodle "breed".  She has a few others in her practice, but always asks me questions to further her knowledge about breed specific characteristics.  She's blown away by their temperament.

-She is very into preventative care, e.g. weight/body mass management, oral/dental care, exercise.  Always asks about this. 

-She stays current.  She was telling me this week that her background focus was on parasitology research, and that there continues to be new data being developed all the time on this.  That tells me that she is continuing to educate herself.

Having the right Vet is so important...so please add to this list. 

[Zoe, Benny and Tyler]

Great list.
My addition to this list is:
When Benny was very sick as a puppy I went home after a visit of our vet. After of hours his condition got worse and worse. So I phoned the vet and they told me to come back with him without appointment. They checked him and were also concerned and said that they would like to keep him there for monitoring and in case it gets even worse they can immediately transport him to the university pet clinic.
At 10 pm (the vet office was officially closed already for several hours) they phoned us and said that his condition got so much better that they didn't want him to have spending the night there but instead in his familiar environment at home.
So we picked him up and when asking what we had to pay for the boarding they said.......NOTHING! We are also happy that his condition got so much better and that he can go home.

I think this shows that they really care only about the animals and not like many others about the money.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Oh sorry, I have some things to create a NOT goof vet list (this is some venting from my former vet that T went to from puppyhood to Age 3):

1) no one in the office knows you when you come in, even though you have unfortunately been there way too often. My current vet staff (most of the full-time staff at least) knows Taquito and Peri by name and also know they are related (if I bring Peri in they ask about Taquito and vice versa).
2) after spending lots of $ on tests, you have to call THEM to find out the results (after too long of waiting in my opinion). This happened multiple times with different doctors in that office, I should add. Not a 1x thing.
3) no calls to check up on status of poor Taquito after many tests.
4) this is the icing on the cake to me: THEY CHARGED ME A $30 BOARDING FEE WHILE $1000 in TESTS WERE RUN. My vet has never done that, never.

Can you tell that is not a good vet? Here is the kicker: They are voted "Best Vet" in our local reader's poll, year after year, and they hang that banner proudly in front of their office. And I should also add that I have talked to multiple people who had similar situations (trying to explain that I am not the only one this has happened to).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Some other signs of NOT good vets that I have witnessed with friends & relatives' dogs:

Giving optional vaccines/preventatives without your permission or knowledge.
Refusing to answer any question, even one non-medical ones, over the phone.
Charging a fee for necessary follow-up visits such as suture removal.
Not informing you of options such as titers or 3-year rabies vaccines.
Assuming that all dogs from shelters have kennel cough and automatically prescribing drugs.
Refusing to make accomodations for an individual dog's particular needs during exams, etc.
Not providing an isolation area/separate entrance for aggressive or contagious dogs.

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

I would also add that "bedside manner" is SOOOO important. Penny actually loves to go to the vet, because from the moment she walks in, they treat her like she's the first dog they've seen in 10 years. They are all so full of love and attention, and are so gentle. And the vet gets right down on the floor to look in Penny's eyes and give her plenty of affection before doing anything. It's made all the difference in how Penny reacts to going to the vet.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Most of you would probably cringe if you pulled up to our vet's office. It is a very small, very old, building on a farm out in the middle of no where. It is a husband and wife team. She does small animals out of the building and he does large animals out of his truck and his barn. The place is not a state of the art stainless steel palace. When you go in there are several cats and 3 legged dogs walking around that live there. Their owners just surrendered rather than take care of them when they got sick. They just sort of wander around. I can call and ask a question any time. They never make me come in and pay an office call fee to tell me to give them some pepto! They never push things on me that I don't need by making me feel like I don't love my animal if I don't feed them this $50 a bag crap food that they sell -- I don't even think they sell food. They are just your basic animal loving farm vet. They do all the basic stuff, but realize their limitations and if you get a really serious problem (hips or torn ligaments etc) they have others that they refer you to. If you call after hours, they call you back, not someone else or an answering service. She also gets down on the floor with the girls rather than us lifting them up! My girls are totally at ease there as well. I've never heard them even whimper when given a shot or having blood drawn. She gives the 3 year rabies vaccine, and I now also know she will discount my fosters! Basically it is a gut check for me ..... if I feel like I have a softball in the pit of my stomach at the thought of having to go to the vet, then it is not a good vet!

Cute story about the husband -- Back in January during one of our major snow/ice storms he was on going to a call at one of the local farms and was going down a big hill when he got into ice and lost control and rolled over and over down an embankment and landed in a creek --- Picture of truck was on front page of local paper. Vet was not hurt. In the article was also a picture of a puppy (australian shephard or blue heeler or something like that) that travels with him in the truck. The puppy had been ejected during the accident and he searched around until he found him and he was hiding up in this old tree stump about 50 yards from where the truck came to rest. When I was at the vets the other day the puppy was there and he had a cast on his leg. When Dr. Jenny was asked about if he broke his leg in the accident, she sort of chuckled and said no, he wasn't hurt a bit in the accident, but a week later he fell out of the hay mound in the barn and broke his leg.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

My vet office isn't super nice either. I don't really care about what the place looks like...as long as it is clean and they love my dogs and are compassionate and communicative, that is all that counts for me.
That's a funny story about Dr. Jenny!

[Natasha]

Our vet is a friend of ours so we get some preferential treatment (they will always fit us in if there is an issue, for instance).

What is important to me, regardless, is that:

a) she LOVES dogs and spends time giving Rouser a loving when he comes in (key, though, so do all the vet techs so it's not just that she is a friend of ours)

b) she did a special program in vet school specifically tailored to dogs - including alternative food options, preventative care, etc.

c) when we go to the office, everyone knows Rouser (and we only go about 3 times per year). They always tell a story about when he was a puppy, etc.

d) we always get background information - what he did when they took him in the back for shots, how well he handled a certain test, that they noticed a scab on his leg, etc. They are paying attention and they are giving us background information and insight which is great

e) everyone in the office is communicative and well informed and wants us to be well informed as well. They are also interested in our opinion or experiences

Most important - when Rouser is in the parking lot, he's happy, wagging his tail, dragging us in the door, etc. He likes it!

[F, Calla & Luca]

For me whether it's an MD or a vet it's all about communication-- that is for any person in fact. Taking time to discuss, answer, ask, explain is the key. Having no authoritative manner or the doctor knows best attitude, empathy, compassion and willingness to teach or learn. I like and trust my vet and so do the doods.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I think my reply about my experience with T's first vet sums up a lack of communication - that is what frustrated me the most, it was not that they were not capable. You hit the nail on the head, F, I agree, communication is the #1 most important thing (after being highly capable though...)!

[F, Calla & Luca]

You're right capable is a definite prerequisite.

[Patty]

My vet is a superhero because...
* He diagnosed a systemic bacterial infection just by looking at one of my dogs. Of course he then did the necessary lab work to confirm the diagnosis. Which brings me to...
* Science reigns supreme at his office. He always looks under the microscope or does the necessary lab work to confirm a diagnosis, rather than relying on a hunch. Not every vet does this!
* Everyone on his staff, including him, cried when we lost two of our dogs. Even though one dog was a ginormous PITA.

We love him and his staff!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Well, I guess I can say that I love ONE of my vets--she is my daughter! And she has always loved animals so much and has such a way with them. She will be working with large animals mostly when she graduates next June and one of her goals is to improve the conditions for animals in the food industry. She has met so many dedicated vets. This week, she is "externing" (that is what Cornell calls it when you leave the school to work with other vets) for two weeks in northern NYS. She is riding with another great vet that many of you may remember. if you have ever seen the old move "Willie Wonka" with Gene Wilder, this vet was the kid who "won" the chocolate factory, Charlie! His name is Peter Ostrum and my daughter says he is just great.
I am very impressed with the training she has gone through and it certainly gives me respect for the people who have successfully obtained their degree.