When you are responsible for the care of animals, then most of the time, you will be concerned about feeding them and making sure that they are comfortable and cared for properly. That's fine as long as they remain healthy, but what happens if they develop a health issue? You are probably not suitably qualified or experienced enough to treat them yourself, so it is essential that you have access to a veterinary service that is able to treat your pet properly. Here are three things that you need to look for if you want to find the right vet for your pet.

Do they have the right experience?

A veterinary service should be able to treat any animal, but that is different from saying that they have a lot of experience treating all types of animals. Many veterinarians will choose to specialise in a particular type of animal. Some veterinary services in rural areas will cater predominantly for farm animals, while in towns and cities, some services may work mainly with small animals or exotic pets. It is important that you find a veterinary service that has sufficient experience working with pets like yours.  

Is it in the right place?

If your pet only needs a routine check-up with the veterinary service, then the location of the clinic may not be too much of a concern, but if you need to reach the clinic quickly in an emergency, then having a veterinary service which is close at hand is vital. Travelling for an hour or more to reach the surgery when your pet requires urgent treatment is not a viable option. A related question which you should also think about is how the out-of-hours cover is managed. There are few veterinary services that are able to offer a 24/7 service, and pets don't always become ill during the working day. Find out what arrangements the service has for dealing with out-of-hours emergencies.  

Do they cater for your special requirements?

In most cases, you will only want a veterinary service to help when your pet is injured or becomes unwell, but sometimes you may be looking for a vet to help monitor an ongoing health condition. If your pet suffers from a complex chronic condition, then it can be helpful to work with a clinic that has experience with that particular condition and knows what signs to look for and how to treat that condition effectively.