As a pet owner, you already know that a relationship with a good veterinarian is an important part of caring for your furry friend. When you search for a vet clinic, you look for compassionate animal experts with lots of experience. You look for a clinic with urgency, with staff who take your concerns seriously and offer guidance through the challenges of having a pet.
But beyond these basic necessities, what other practices should a veterinarian have? At Hastings Veterinary Hospital, we’ve developed a process that makes our pets (and their owners) feel cared for and looked after. Here are eight of the most thoughtful practices we put to work daily. Take a look.
1: Emphasis on Qualification and Experience
First and foremost, a veterinary clinic is only as good as its staff. That’s why we ensure that our veterinarians (and other team members) are qualified, licensed, and experienced to care for your pets. It takes time to assemble such a skilled team of animal healthcare professionals, and our clients get the benefit of our experience and investment every time they visit us.
2: Extensive Services
Veterinary clinics should offer a wide array of services to serve clients and their pets best. In addition to comprehensive veterinary care, we offer services related to the prevention of illness and injury, diagnostics and testing, dental care, certain surgeries, and grooming help. We do it all so that you don’t need to worry about keeping up-to-date with multiple experts.
3: Cleanliness
Sanitation is an extremely important part of running any business, especially when it relates to veterinary care. We keep our clinic clean, well-maintained, and fully supplied with all the equipment and resources we need to care for your furry friend. We also continue to practice safe habits to prevent the spread of contagious diseases between staff and clients.
4: Clear Communication
Treating our animal patients is only part of our job—the other part is ensuring our human clients are educated and informed on the most important factors of their pet’s wellbeing. We proudly take the time and energy to communicate clearly with our clients. Whether you’re being instructed on how and when to administer a prescription, or getting advice on dietary changes, we’ll always take as long as needed to communicate clearly.
5: Client Support
Our staff is made up of friendly, knowledgeable, compassionate animal lovers who are here to support you and your pets. We’re here to answer your questions, provide professional opinions, make suggestions for products, and provide other helpful pointers to help your pet feel as safe, healthy, and happy as possible.
6: Connections to Specialized Care
In the uncommon case where we can’t provide the type of care your pet needs, we’ll refer you to another expert in our network of animal healthcare professionals. No matter the needs of your pet, we’ll ensure you’re connected with someone (whether on our team or not) who can support you and guide you through the process.
7: Resources for Pet Owners
In addition to direct care, we spend a lot of time collecting, organizing, and sharing resources and information to pet owners.
- Learn about common medications given to animals.
- Read case studies to learn more about the veterinary process and how it works.
- Sign up for our free newsletter for updates on our clinic as well as regular blog posts like this one.
8: Proactive Care
Last, but certainly not least, we have been serving our community and their pets for over a decade and it’s thanks to our commitment to providing and practicing proactive animal care. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this is especially true for animals that may not communicate when they’re in pain or unwell. Through regular examinations, consistent testing, and a keen, experienced eye for potential symptoms, we can help keep your cat, dog, or rabbit safe and healthy for years to come.
Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Hastings Veterinary Hospital and a clickable link back to this page.