Once you have found a breeder you are going to get your new Persian kitten from it is time to choose a new veterinarian. It is not only important to have spent time researching responsible breeders, but also researching who will be responsible for providing your new kitty with medical care.

How do you find a veterinarian? What questions do you ask? What do you look for in a new vet?

A common mistake is to open the telephone book or to use a search engine to find the veterinarian that is closest to your home.  That should not be your only criteria for a new vet.

• Use a search engine or telephone book to find veterinarians or animal hospitals within a comfortable distance from your home and make a list of those vets or clinics, their telephone numbers, and their addresses.

• Look on the internet to see if any veterinarians or clinics have websites, such as Facebook or Twitter accounts, and check out those accounts or their websites.
  
  • How many vets are in that clinic?
  • Is there any feedback on the internet about a potential veterinarian or clinic?

• While using Facebook or Twitter is not a reliable way to ascertain if the vet or clinic is good, it shows that the clinic and/or veterinarian are possibly more comfortable with newer technology, which may translate into newer veterinary procedures and techniques.

• Contact the Better Business Bureau to check about complaints.

• Use a search engine to see what their customer reviews are or if there are any complaints.

• Contact the veterinarian or clinic and ask if the veterinarian is a specialist in any area. Sometimes, veterinarians spend four to eight years after veterinary school to become specialists (i.e., orthopedics, nutrition, dentistry, cardiac, etc.). Most veterinarians are not specialists. Instead, they are what would be considered in human medicine as a "General Practitioner." In other words, the vet knows a little bit about a lot of different species, including large animals (horses, cows, etc.), small animals (dogs, cats), and exotics (reptiles, birds, etc.). The average pet owner does not need a specialist and usually requires a "small animal veterinarian" if they are a dog or cat owner.

• Is the veterinarian and staff trustworthy and knowledgeable? That is a more difficult question to ascertain.  While all veterinarians complete the same basic medical education, they can vary in how much continuing education they do after completing veterinary school (do not confuse "continuing education" for the education required to become a "specialist").

• It is perfectly alright to ask:
  • Where did you do your veterinary training, and when did you graduate?
• • Before opening your office, did you practice veterinary medicine in another clinic or animal hospital? If so, for how long did you work there, and what was the clinic's name?
  • What continuing education have you done, and how often?
  • Are all the vet techs certified?
  • Where do I take my animal after regular office hours? This is an essential question to ask before an emergency occurs. I want a vet or veterinary practice on duty after regular business hours. I do NOT want to go to an emergency clinic. I hate them.

• Price may be a consideration. As pet owners, we all feel the economic pinch nowadays, so weighing the cost of services against the quality of service is essential. Sometimes, paying a bit more for quality service and peace of mind can be better. However, exorbitant prices do not necessarily accompany exceptional veterinary knowledge and expertise.

• Consideration of a clinic or veterinarian should include what equipment is needed to diagnose and treat your cat. All general veterinarian clinics will have radiograph (X-ray) equipment, which is used to diagnose problems with bones, heart, and lungs. They may also have digital ultrasound to examine your pet's stomach, small intestines, kidneys, liver, and bladder. Ultrasound may be critical in older cats. Does the clinic use laser surgery equipment? Not all veterinarians have switched to laser equipment, which may be cost-prohibitive for a single practitioner's office. That does not mean the veterinarian is not good just because he/she does not utilize laser surgical techniques. We believe surgery depends on the surgeon's skill, not the equipment. Yes, laser surgery equipment has a quicker recovery time with less pain than traditional surgery. However, laser surgery is also more expensive than conventional surgery. Nowadays, pain medication is usually given to a pet to manage post-surgical pain, no matter the surgical technique used (laser or traditional surgery).

It is perfectly alright to ask for a new patient consult to:

• Get to know the veterinarian,
• Meet their staff,
• Check out their office and how it seems to run,
• Observe how they treat the clients in their waiting room,
• Observe how the clients are treated as they leave,
• Is payment always required at the time of service, or are payment plans offered and
• Where do you go, or who do you call if it is outside regular office hours?

IMPORTANT: Ask the prospective veterinarian what brand of vaccine they use and where they give the injections. Nowadays, due to Vaccine-Associated Sarcomas (VAS) or Injection Site Sarcomas (ISS), the safest vaccine is made by PureVax, and the recommended place to vaccinate a cat or dog is as low as possible on the hind leg or even the tail.

Mostly, it will come down to how comfortable the veterinarian and their staff (vet techs and front office staff) make you and your pet feel. Do they remember who you are when you call? Do they remember your pet's name when you call? Is your pet accurately diagnosed on the first visit? Does the veterinarian always go with the most expensive battery of tests or use a more moderate and less expensive approach to common ailments?

If you feel uncomfortable with a veterinarian (whether it be what they are telling you or what procedures they are asking to perform on your pet) - ASK QUESTIONS. You have the right to refuse treatment and go elsewhere to treat your cat.