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What makes a veterinarian ‘good’ or even ‘great’?
By Gina Spadafori
April 29, 2008
I usually don’t recommend veterinarians to my local readers, because I’ve too often found it a head-exploding exercise that raises my blood pressure, and who needs that?
Why is it so annoying? Because too often I find people wanting to choose a veterinarian on two factors alone, with the (dangerously incorrect!) assumption that all other things are equal:
- Prices
- Convenience, in terms of hours and location
My gosh, do they evaluate a pediatrician that way? Wouldn’t they rather have a doctor who actually is good — preferably great – at her job? On my way to my “primary care” veterinarian, I bet I pass 20 other practices. Knowledge, skill and great communication are everything to me … and that’s how I judge a veterinarian. (That, and the ability to say, “I don’t know — I’ll find out more” and “I think the specialist needs to be in on this one.”)
This week in her “Your Whole Pet” column for the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFGate.com, Christie waded into these treacherous waters, with a piece on how to tell if your veterinarian knows what he’s doing:
[T]he best veterinarians continue to learn and educate themselves throughout their careers. They belong to professional groups such as regional or national veterinary associations, or the Veterinary Information Network. They take difficult and challenging courses in continuing education instead of just putting in hours at industry-sponsored product propaganda sessions to keep their licenses current. They subscribe to and yes, somehow find the time to read, new research in the veterinary literature.
Although it might seem simplest to just come right out and ask your veterinarian about their involvement in these activities, in my experience doing that usually puts them on the defensive. That’s partly because veterinarians — like physicians but unlike attorneys, real estate agents and nannies — aren’t customarily interviewed, nor do they audition. A better approach is to simply engage your vet in conversation.
Instead of chatting about the weather, tell him you read an article about the use of computers in veterinary medicine, and you’re wondering if he belongs to VIN. Ask if he’s ever been to a veterinary conference, and what it was like.
You can also go online and see if your veterinarian has a blog, and if he does, if he writes about these issues there. I’ve been amazed at the number of veterinarians who have started blogging in the past year or so. You might try doing a Google blog search on your veterinarian’s name and see what comes up.
There’s lots more, here.
The animal-lovers here are pretty serious about good veterinary care. How are YOU evaluating YOUR veterinarian?
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Good article Gina. I would also recommend to see if your veterinary clinic is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association.
Comment by Jason — April 29, 2008 @ 10:27 am
Great article!
I did interview my vet. We had just moved to the area, I made an appt to chat with one of the vets and was willing to pay for the vet’s time. I had a list of things/questions important to me since I had special needs cats. It was not important that the vet be current on every disease (how impossible is that) but that they work WITH me. As with most pet owners cost is an issue, we spoke upfront about payment plans for emergency situations. I’m so happy I did this. It made that very first appt with my pet a positive, comfortable experience. I love my vet!!
Comment by Heather — April 29, 2008 @ 10:48 am
If I needed a new vet, a referral from an animal lover would be my primary source. I highly recommend my own vet to anyone who asks. Technical skills are obviously important, but so is their attitude toward clients and owners. You can tell a lot by just sitting in a waiting room and observing.
Comment by Carol — April 29, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
I would second clinics accredited by AHAA and vest who are members of AVMA. It is not an assurance of quality, but a reasonable baseline to start with as a professional will have those memberships up to date just as a restaurant has a health certificate.
Comment by emily — April 29, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
I had read the Consumer Reports’ article at the time and had thought the ratings done should be on medical care for a pet. Instead they treated the ratings the same as consumer goods.
I choose a caring veterinarian—not a cheap mechanical fixer-upper. I had expected Consumer
Reports to know the difference between a live subject and a mechanical one.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — April 29, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
Emily, after that comment, it’s really long past time for you to disclose your affiliations.
Comment by Christie Keith — April 29, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
What I like most about my favorite vet is their compassion and care towards my animals. They also take the time to listen to me.
Comment by BeckyH — April 29, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
Since I went to school as a vet tech (MANY years ago - I’ve probably forgotten more than I learned!) I go to the vet that I KNOW has an established relationship with the local vet college (meaning that referrals are made when needed, and pride and ego doesn’t get in the way). When I temporarily lived in a different area of the country, I called the closest vet college and asked for names of vets that referred to them and selected the vet I used during that time period using that information.
I need a vet whose ego doesn’t get in the way, and who’s willing to talk with me and work with me on choosing treatment options that I am comfortable with, even when it might not necessarily be the first thing they would have recommended. And that’s what I’ve got.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — April 29, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
Convenience does matter to me. One of my cats get so traumatized when he goes into his crate that I’m reluctant to take him to a vet that’s not in the neighborhood. And since I don’t have a car, I’m dependent on taxis - which get mighty expensive if you have to bring a pet in for follow up.
That being said, I do like my current vet. I just wish the facility had separate waiting areas for cats and dogs. There’s a cat only facility that’s highly recommended but its 40 minutes away on a good day.
Comment by 2CatMom — April 29, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
I look for a veterinarian who takes a holistic approach to my pets care. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are offering homeopathic remedies or acupuncture…I mean “holistic” in the sense that they take a look at my WHOLE pet (diet, lifestyle, breed, age, health status, etc.) and tailor their medicines/treatments and recommendations to best support my individual pet’s unique needs.
Too many veterinarians are still pushing indiscriminate “vaccine packages” and recommending “scientifically formulated” pet foods that are not necessarily helpful or even healthful for all pets.
Too often, the vet knows only what the manufacturer’s rep or the pharmaceutical brochure told them about a product and too often they are recommending these wares to every pet that walks in the door.
If pediatricians had the market on Gerber brand baby food or recommended a “one plan for all babies” vaccination schedule, you might worry your kid wasn’t getting the best of care for her individual needs.
I prefer a veterinarian who really gets to know my unique pet and THEN makes a treatment plan using the tools and products available to them.
Comment by Joy — April 29, 2008 @ 8:05 pm
Isn’t that the truth about the “vaccine packages,” Joy?
I switched vets on an emergency basis with the pet food recall. With three older kitties, I flat out said, “let’s talk vaccines” and he willingly listened to me and even suggested that my cats were way past the point of the shots even being necessary. He sold me then and there.
In this day and age, vets need to be open to many avenues for treatment, not just the tried and true. Many pet parents are choosing different ways to treat their animals besides simply stuffing a pill down their animal’s throat.
I’m so lucky that my vet has 2 doctors in the practice but still remains a small, intimate practice. Both are unique and both bring perspective to my animal’s care.
Comment by Sharon H — April 29, 2008 @ 9:03 pm
Interesting timing.
My family has gone to the same vet for, literally decades, and we’re really happy with them, though I’ll admit I never gave it too much thought until recently. But, they focus on dogs and cats, and since I’m thinking about a leopard gecko, I’m in the market for a new vet and sort of trying to backwards engineer what I’m looking for.
So far, one of the key things has been communication. The vets have always explained to us what they wanted to do and why, but they’ve also presented us with other options. Even with simple/obvious things, like vaccinations, they still spoke with us about them, being upfront about possible side-effects.
I’ve also never felt pressured to buy the food they sell or even the meds they sell.
And, yes, price is a factor (but when *I* changed doctors and health insurance, it was then too.). They’re reasonable and willing to work with us.
Comment by Christine — April 30, 2008 @ 7:04 am
Christine, you might want to see if there happens to be a herpetological club in your area, and then see if you can find any of the members willing to make vet recommendations.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — April 30, 2008 @ 7:12 am
I love that my vet is active in the local canine sports community. It keeps her aware of the needs and expectations of people who are really devoted to their dogs, and also makes her more accepting of certain modalities (massage, acupuncture, homemade diets) that vets who aren’t active with their pets might not think of so highly.
Comment by Megan — April 30, 2008 @ 10:21 am
Good point Pat.
There’s a local reptile show once a month, which I’ve been meaning to attend, but somethine always comes up and since it’s monthly, I tell myself, “there’s always next month.”
I am definitely doing a recon trip before I actually *get* anything, but I will definitely put finding out about a group on the list of things to look into while I’m there. The website doesn’t mention a group, but the website doesn’t give too much more than the details of the next date.
Comment by Christine — April 30, 2008 @ 10:49 am
My vet clinic is AHAA certified. They will also recommend which vet to do what procedure if it seems more specialized- it’s a multi-vet clinic. One vet does all the ultrasounds, for example, and has the most practice with it. My diabetic cat’s vet also has a diabetic cat. My vets do go to conferences regularly. Their office is clean. They offer boarding services, although I don’t board there. They listen to me when I think it’s something, and explain why it is or is not. They listen when I voice an opinion about the treatment plan. (Some cats like pills, some like liquid. If isolation will work. etc.) They have referred me to Cornell when it’s beyond their ken. They are all I’ve hoped for in a vet, and I wish I could take myself there for medical care.
Comment by Georg — April 30, 2008 @ 4:56 pm
When I looked for a new vet after moving to the States (from Australia) I asked around for referrals first and tried the vet who got the most “thumbs up”.
He had me at hello - not to me but directly to my cats (he barely acknowledged I was there until he’d finished getting to know them - that was a clear and welcome signal to me who his priority was). He let them sniff his fingers, “checked their butt elevators” with petting and generally made them comfortable. Big reassurance to see they liked him - I rely on my animals’ judgement which has never been off yet.
The reason I stay with him (even though I moved and it’s now a 45 min drive which isn’t fun with a cat who poos in his carrier as soon as we hit the freeway) is that he is absolutely 100% in it for the love of the animals.
He’s been with me through the terminal illness of one of my cats (and the tough decision to euthanize when it was clear he was ready to go - Dr Ritchie actually cried with me while putting Schroeder down - as did his vet assistant… and they sent flowers to me afterwards with their condolences) and he is always consultative, thorough and knowledgeable. He knows when to be tough with me and when to back off. He takes my feedback (there was a time when the front desk staff weren’t so good but he addressed all the issues), he doesn’t do unnecessary procedures and he’s reasonable, price wise.
I think I fell in love with him a little bit when I discovered that he is actually highly allergic to companion animals (sometimes his skin looks almost raw and he’s clearly struggling even though he medicates) - to me that indicates that he is doing this as a calling, not just a profession, and his love for the animals is strong enough that he’ll endure the bad allergy days because of his commitment to them.
Comment by Urban Critter — April 30, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
Ooooh! The Blue Light Special issue! I love the discussion!
Consumer Reports—bah! It’s a family member—not a toaster oven!!
As a vet I don’t think I can say much more without interrupting the fabulous flow of this thread.
For the record, I do wish my place of work were AAHA accredited—except that I’d have to forego my open-toed platforms—double-Bah!
Comment by Dr. Patty Khuly — May 2, 2008 @ 5:54 am
Keith, if you mean that I am employed by the AVMA I wasn’t aware it was a secret.
Comment by emily — May 2, 2008 @ 5:58 am
Emily,
Neither Christie nor I remembered having seen you mention it, and I only noticed it because of your IP addy (which shows up on our behind-the-scenes blog software).
We’re delighted to have you posting. We just like other readers to know that you’re at the AVMA, so they can understand your views in context if need be.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 2, 2008 @ 6:24 am
I am in the process of changing vets because the vet I went to for years decided that breeding a litter (from a dam dx’d with Addisons) was more important than the helath of the bitch. These show people put their egos before animals. I have the option of seeing another vet in the clinic, but I don’t want any of my hard earned money going to support him in any kind of a trickle down effect. I vote with my dollars. I don’t like what he did, so I and my dollars are going elsewhere.
Comment by Brenda — May 2, 2008 @ 7:11 am
When I relocated 25+ years ago, I searched for a clinic and vet closer to my home. I went to 3 with 3 different pets and observed. I chose a fairly new practice run by a compassionate, brilliant,skilled,reasonable,and available 24/7 veterinarian. Ironically, this vet lost his license because of a “vaccine” issue that he would have been lauded for in this current day. A concurrent search for a “breeder-show-C-section, and emergency available vet” recommended by other show breeders led me to a clinic in close proximity (to me and the former clinic).
What I failed to observe, were the suble changes that took place over the next decade that ultimately led to a veterinary business that went into the “toilet”, literally.
I respectfully submit that affiliations, education, or participation in continuing education programs are not meaningful, guarantee anything, nor should be relied upon for choosing anything. At least that is my experience in the “Live Free or Die” slogan- state of New Hampshire.
If anyone would like to discern and form some opinions on veterinary care, you are welcome and encouraged to visit my web site “Pocket’s Story from New Hampshire” or http://walnut-hill.bravehost.com , all of my contact information is posted, and please feel free to do so.
Comment by Barbara A. Albright — May 3, 2008 @ 1:10 pm