How to shop for a veterinarian?

Get Price Quotes: Use a weight estimate, so you can get accurate prices:

• Cost of Spay or Neuter. Are there extra fees not included in the surgery that they will recommend thereby increasing the cost of the procedure? For example, blood work, pain medication, etc?

• Cost of Heartworm Prevention, a monthly pill, dispensed by the month (usually at higher cost per pill), a 6-month box or a year’s supply. The medication controls some intestinal worms and prevents heartworm disease. If you are using this medication, do you still have to pay for annual fecal tests and heartworm tests?

• Heartworm test cost and how often this test is done? There is a simple heartworm test, a heartworm/Lyme combination or a three-way test, often called 3DX. If you are testing for Lyme disease, do you need to vaccinate anyway?

• Vaccines: Which ones, how often administered and at what cost? What are the risks associated with vaccines? With a lot of debate about the need for annual vaccinations, what is their position on annual shots and the over-vaccination debate?

• Fecal Test: Direct Smear or Fecal Floatation or Both? Are they really necessary every year if you are administering heartworm prevention medication with dewormer in it?

• Dewormer: Some vets charge for dewormer medication, even when the fecal test is negative. The mark up on the over the counter dewormer is often outrageous. How often do they deworm your pet? Do they deworm even when the test is negative? How much do they charge for the dewormer medication and which dewormer is used? You can purchase some of these medications without prescription and your heartworm prevention already has some dewormer in it, so do you really need it?

• Receptionist: Is the person answering the phone helpful and courteous?

• Exam fee: What is the routine exam fee? What is the follow up exam fee when there is a health problem, or when you are finishing your puppy shot series?

• Emergencies: Do they take care of their own emergencies or do they send you to an outside ER? What is the cost of emergency exams?

• Prescriptions: Will they write you a prescription so you can shop for your pet’s medications and/or do they price match?

• Can you request a specific veterinarian? If you relate better to a particular vet, or think that your pet is more comfortable with one vet over another, can you make your appointments with that vet?