How to find a vet you can trust
I recently asked you a simple question on social media: Do you trust your vet? YES / NO
I was happy to hear that some of you are very satisfied with your vet, what I didn’t expect was that 56% of you do not trust the veterinarian in charge of keeping your best friend healthy.
If you are happy with your vet, congratulations! You now know how lucky you and your dog are.
However, if you belong to the 56%, you may want to ask why you are staying with your current veterinarian because it is unlikely you would send a human friend to a doctor you do not trust.
Perhaps there are some practical reasons why you’re seeing a vet you do not trust. You may live in a remote area and you don’t have a choice, or you do not drive and had to choose the vet closest to you.
If this is not the case, I suggest you spread your wings like a hawk would and start looking.
Despite all I have written here, some people may fire a good vet, who is skilled, fair, and honest, because they don’t always say what people want to hear. Here is what you can do to avoid making this mistake:
You can divide vets (or anyone) into two different groups:
- The Givers
- The Takers
At first glance, it may be clear who you would like to see, but don’t be too fast to judge.
There are definitely some takers you do not want to see, however, there are also some givers who may disappoint you in the long run. Let’s look at these two groups in greater detail and divide them one more time:
- The Givers who say what you like to hear
- The Takers who say what you like to hear
- The Takers who sometimes say what you don’t like to hear
- The Givers who sometimes say what you don’t like to hear
1. The Givers who say what you like to hear
This group of vets are the ones who love their work, they are genuinely compassionate and caring. They truly love connecting with animals and their people.
The drawback of this group is they’d rather say what their clients (humans) want to hear than being kindly honest. They may sugarcoat a serious problem or avoid diagnostics, treatments, and procedures, out of fear that their clients would get upset about hearing bad news or the costs involved.
They often run behind schedule because they find it hard to maintain boundaries, and wind up letting their clients talk about their grandmother having shingles for much longer than the appointment time.
This takes more emotional energy, and veterinarians from this group often burnout or close their practice because it becomes financially unsustainable.
2. The Takers who say what you like to hear
This group of veterinarians is charming and skilled, but they care more about money and their own benefits more than your dog. They are smooth-talkers who are likable at first, but as time progresses you will realize that you can’t trust them.
They often suggest procedures and medication that aren’t needed and wouldn't give to their own dogs.
However, most people eventually see through this thin veneer and recognize their true colours.
I have seen a few situations where these vets were sweet with dogs in front of clients and rough and even abusive in the back room. In my career, I met two such sociopaths, a male, and a female vet, who were eventually reported to the college for professional misconduct.
This group is the most tricky because they are difficult to recognize. They are definitely to be avoided.
3. The Takers who sometimes say what you don’t like to hear
This is the easier group to spot because they often have poor communication skills, they come across as rude, disinterested, and greedy.
Go with your gut and don’t waste your time with these people, if you have the choice.
If this is your only option in town, make sure that you set your boundaries and learn as much as you can to keep your dog healthy. This is one of the reasons why I created the Health and Longevity Course where you can easily learn the essentials of natural and holistic healing for free!
4. The Givers who sometimes say what you don't like to hear
These vets are not only caring, compassionate, and will love your dog, they are also brave, daring, and mature enough to act in the best interest of your dog. They suggest treatments and procedures with the highest likelihood of success for your pup.
They may not always be the cheapest ones, but they will only recommend what is needed to get your dog well.
They will charge you a fair price, in order to be able to provide continuous help and focus on the quality of care. They will stop their clients when they start talking about their grandma having shingles because they know that getting behind schedule will affect other patients in need of care.
These veterinarians are like teachers who are tough with their students, yet are caring, loving, and have their best interests in mind.
They are the ones you want to look for!
I hope that after reading this it will be a little easier for you to choose a vet you can trust. Your best bet would be someone from group 4, and the second-best is someone from group 1. If you have been unlucky enough to run into a vet from group 2 or 3, you have two options:
- Look elsewhere, if you have the choice
- If vets from groups 2 and 3 are the only options in town, connect with another vet who does phone consultations and ask them for a second opinion when making important healthcare decisions.
A seven-step guide to picking the best veterinarian
