How do I find a vet for my pet or choose a practice?
There are several sites on the internet dedicated to finding you a vet in your area. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has one called FindAVet that allows you to search for a surgeon, a practice or even a veterinary nurse.
Choosing a practice
When choosing a practice, what you can expect and what you should look for include obvious signs like clean well maintained premises with adequate consulting and waiting areas. All staff should be friendly, approachable, neat and efficient.
The practice is a business and should appear well organised with consultation times clearly displayed. Some practices have opted to follow the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme and practices displaying a sticker are certified as achieving certain standards to ensure quality.
It is sensible for you to have a look round any veterinary practice you may want to use before registering your pet. Your practice should be happy to help in this respect, at a mutually convenient time.
Treatment areas should be clean. While you might not be allowed into a sterile operating theatre, you may be able to see through the door. Where available, wards for inpatients should be warm and comfortable.
Your vet should be happy to discuss any of the above factors with you. At the end of the day you must ask yourself whether the practice team will give your pet the best of care.
Practices come in all shapes and sizes and with all kinds of names (such as animal hospitals, clinics, centres or groups). However, to call itself a Veterinary Hospital the practice must have reached a minimum set of standards stipulated by the RCVS.
Some practices may have one member of staff and one veterinary surgeon operating on one site, others may have 15 or more veterinary surgeons operating out of several branches. Some branches may have fewer on-site facilities than others, but allow a vet to see your pet without travelling to the main branch.
Facilities do vary between practices. Some may have extensive dignostic equipment and facilities on site, while others contract this part of the service out to specialist firms or laboratories. Similarly veterinary surgeons may forward unusual of difficult cases to veterinary surgeons who specialise in that particular species or condition, to referral centres, or to university veterinary schools around the country.
Whatever the size of the practice premises vets have an ethical obligation to ensure an emergency twenty-four hour service is available for their clients. This can be done in several ways, for example, some practices get together locally to provide this service. You should always be able to contact a veterinary surgeon after normal working hours through your usual practice.