These days there are a lot of professional services available to pet owners. This was not the case when I was growing up when the only animal expert was the local veterinarian.
Today, only abut ten percent of cat and dog owners find their veterinarians through referral, most pick a veterinarian because the clinic is located in a convenient location.
Recently, I demanded that my boyfriend pick from a list of feline practitioners because his feline needed a decent veterinary clinic that could handle a domestic wildcat (as in nasty creature not exotic).
Today we drive about and over and hour and a half to get to the clinic.
Novice pet owners often don’t search for the right veterinarian. It can be as daunting as finding a human dentist or doctor and today animal care is much more complicated—and expensive.
The last statistics I saw were that the total cost of veterinary care in 2001 was about $19 billon which was up $7.2 billion from 1991.
In those ten years, the average cost of a veterinary visit almost doubled.
I know on our end, the office visit averages just under $100 but usually is more than $200 by the time we get out of there.
We also board the cat when we travel due to the fact that she has unique medicine needs that need to be addressed twice a day.
I had to laugh when we got a great discount for our hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada but ended up paying about the same since the cat’s boarding cost more than our hotel’s discounted rate!
Here are five tips for picking a veterinarian:
1. Determine what type of practitioner you seek.
Are you pro holistic remedies or special diets? Do you do a lot of research online? Do you have one specific species as a pet or a variety?
For instance, our current veterinarian is a feline practitioner who believes in all meat diets for felines.
We picked her because the local holistic veterinarian did not do blood or urine work on Cinderella when she had lost half of her body weight.
The local vet was lazy and as a result misdiagnosed the situation. After we demanded blood work she still did not determine what the issue was.
After two local trips to the vet with no results or actions to address the situation, I sent my boyfriend a list and asked him to pick from a list of specialists in the region.
I wanted someone who was not afraid of the princess (aka demoness) and only specialized in felines who would identify the issue and give us a diagnosis we could address.
2. Ask other pet owners and pet professionals for referrals.
As others what they like and dislike about their veterinarians. Ask for names and numbers.
Other pet businesses or rescue groups in the area are often good sources of referrals because they hear both pro and con or experience both at the local area veterinary clinics.
In my area this is a standard procedure because we are a small town and people trust word of mouth.
Unfortunately, my clients tell me about all their bad experiences at the local clinics. The second clinic is a corporate model and now they just see you as a checklist of services when you walk through the door.
Recently, a local Afghan rescue lost a pup due to sloppiness. The pup was taken into the Emergency Veterinary Clinic with hypothermia. The next morning the animal was taken into surgery for a spay—of course she died.
When asked about the decision the veterinarian was not aware that the dog was brought in to emergency for hypothermia.
Today this client drives almost two hours to a veterinarian who specializes in Afghan hounds but it was a tough lesson to get her there.
3. Create a list of prospects and survey them.
If you have just one species in the home you might consider taking a look at members of the veterinary specialist groups that exist. There are those that handle large animals (horses and other livestock) and cat only clinics.
In the past, there were few veterinarians that handled exotic animals such as reptiles or birds. Today you can find practices that specialize in those species, too.
After collecting recommendations or doing research online (find the specialist professional organizations to locate local members), conduct a phone survey of the clinics you are considering.
Ask a few questions about the practice and specialties.
4. Visit and quiz the finalists.
Narrow your list down to three. Make appointments to visit all the clinics you thing might be a good choice and ask to meet the veterinarian.
After our appointment with the feline specialist we were given a tour of the clinic by the veterinarian. It was clean and very modern. We also liked how the veterinary technicians handled our domestic demoness and how all the animals looked in the clinic.
While you visit the clinic, sniff the air and check out the cleanliness. Watch the interactions between the clients, animals, techs, and veterinarian.
Ask the veterinarian about controversial subjects such as raw diets or live-saving measures in dire circumstances. This is a good way to see if the veterinarian’s viewpoints and philosophy meshes with yours.
5. Pay attention to your instincts.
If you don’t have a good feeling about a clinic or a recommendation—pay attention to it and follow your instinct.
Ideally, you will be able to discuss things with your veterinarian in a two way discussion.
The ideal situation is your veterinarian will consider what you have to say and will consider your point of view. Don’t faint if he or she says, “Let me check into this and get back to you.”
I’ve always had professional courtesy extended to me from the local veterinary clinics.
On one visit, I was sure my dog had picked up a foxtail but the first vet argued with me about it because he could not find it.
He gave me eye drops for the issue.
However, I paid attention to my instincts and asked to see one of the senior veterinarians—who found and removed the foxtail.
When our eyes meet after he pulled it out—nothing had to be said. He knew and I knew that it was a good thing that I stood by my instincts and saved my dog from agony and complications.
Go with your gut is my recommendation and take your time picking your pet professionals.
Do you have a favorite veterinarian or clinic? Let me know in the comments below.
California’s Proposition 2: Humane or Insane?
Above: Standard housing for egg laying chickens who supply the food industry with eggs. Five to six hens live in a cage.
Proposition 2 is raising a lot of arguments in California and you might remember that I first wrote about Prop 2 back in July.
If you live in the state I’d be interested in hearing what you think about this proposition. This is the proposition that changes the required standards for animals raised for food.
Personally, I try to buy free range and organic animal products but live in an area where people don’t really focus on the quality of the product. Instead they focus on cost and, until recently, it was hard to buy organic locally.
What has happened recently is the local organic market supports those farmers and ranchers that are local. The food is fresh, tasty, and wholesome.
However it is not always cheap but some products are very competitive with lesser quality foods.
The issue of economics has people worried about this proposition. Will the products be imported from other countries? Will it put farmers out of business? Can those farmers convert in time to meet the 2015 deadline?
In the past, many people raised their own food locally. It was common to find farm stands and locally produced meat because Los Angeles was not as congested as it is today.
Orange County really was filled with orange groves and avocado groves and other fruit and nut trees were found throughout San Diego County. Dairy farms were also found in the rural areas of Corona, Escondido, and my home town of San Pedro.
It is not too long a drive down the mountain to Oak Glen where we can get fresh apples but Redlands is currently destroying more citrus groves (Citrus Plaza is a fairly new big shopping mall that replaced a grove.) and many of the old farm houses stand empty with fruit rotting on the ground.
My point? Today getting locally produced food is getting harder and it doesn’t matter if it is plant or animal.
Many animal products today that are riddled with antibiotics or hormones and I am mortified that a large number of consumers do not know where their meat, milk, and eggs come from—other than the grocery store. It is hard to fathom.
Naturally produced organic food tastes different and many cultures believe “you are what you eat” because when you consume something what goes into that animal (or even plants) is assimilated into your system.
Just think what stressed and traumatized animals or creatures riddled with hormones and antibiotics add to your body.
When I look at young kids today I see early development and increased size that I didn’t see twenty years ago. I can’t help but wonder just how much of this is due to what we consume?
This position does not affect plant producers but did you know that petroleum and other chemicals are made into fertilizer?
Yuck.
Just think, food production animals eat that food which is absorbed into their system and the animal products people eat.
Oprah just did a special called, “How we treat the animals we eat” contrasting traditional farming with free range farms.
There are pros for the animals and cons raised by those who are actively farming in the traditional manner.
In addition to the economics, how will production be affected and how much more land will be needed for those farmers that would have to convert by 2015 if Proposition 2 passes?
One of the egg producers on the show said that only 5% of consumers purchase free range eggs.
I used to live in an area that still supported a dairy farm and an egg ranch. The smell was horrid
throughout the area and I can’t imagine what it was like inside the commercial hen houses. I never entered the egg ranch but the smell was enough to put me off buying eggs produced by it because of my concerns over the hens and their production.
Not too far away the dairy cows had a large area but it was overcrowded and not very clean. I remember the first time I visited a home in the area. It was a night and I thought their septic tank was rotten or backing up into the home.
Fortunately there were some great organic markets in the area and they had competitive pricing on humanely farmed meats, eggs, and dairy due to the volume of business they had.
Here in the mountains I always question the condition of the animals producing when sale eggs are offered for 2 for 1 or even $.99 per dozen.
Personally, I think the disservice comes from foreign trade and the mindset so addicted to cheap products. We get products of lesser quality and cheaper pricing and think nothing of the working conditions of the people who work to produce those items or the animals the products comes from.
I believe food pricing falls into the same mentality as seen in the airline industry. Airlines now nickel and diming people instead of charging what is needed to cover the costs of food, drinks, and luggage.
The discount mentality is a disservice—not to mention irritating. I’d rather spend a bit more and have everything included. And I rather spend more on products that are locally produced and that I know are a healthier choice for me and the planet.
Wouldn’t making that choice and increasing the demand for better products drive the prices down eventually?
The issue in Proposition 2 is strictly related to humane housing but I see it as all tied together which is why I bring much of this up.
Fed a liquid diet and confined, many can’t walk when they are removed from the confinement.
According to one industry expert, group housing is a goal that is going to be a standard in the future but how much room does that translate to?
Similar to calves, pregnant sows are also confined in small areas with no room to
turn around. When they give birth they are moved to other cages where they can suckle their piglets but that situation doesn’t look much better.
Animals born and raised in these conditions don’t know anything else—but does that make it right?
So, my question to you is do you think that cheap food costs are more important than housing standards for food source animals?
I’ve been around long enough that I’ve seen changes in the standards of care for captive animals and some of the food producers in areas I’ve lived.
Regulations don’t always solve the problem but it is clear that change is needed.
I am interested in what you think about this issue so please comment below.
You can read more about Proposition 2 and the pros and cons at Ballotpedia. If you are an animal advocate you can also learn about the humane slaughter petition by visiting the Humane Farming Association’s website.