Healthy Dogs

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Making the Most of Your Vet Visit

Taking your dog or cat to the vet? Here's help.

By Pamela Babcock
WebMD Pet Health Feature

Reviewed by Audrey Cook, BVM&S

Veterinarian Gene Bailey, DVM, DABVP, will never forget the day a Shar Pei coming to the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., clinic he owned slipped off its leash because the collar was too loose. The dog darted into the street just as the owner reached the clinic’s front door.

The dog spent a day and a half on the run, but died of a heat stroke shortly after it was found.

Recommended Related to Dogs

Pembroke Welsh Corgi 101- Dog Breed Info

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Read the Pembroke Welsh Corgi 101- Dog Breed Info article > >

“There unfortunately is not a veterinarian in practice who has not had something like this happen,” Bailey says.

Pets can be nervous or easily frightened when they visit the veterinarian. Making sure your pet is properly restrained is just one important step when visiting your veterinarian.

What you do to prepare for a veterinary visit and what questions you ask will vary depending on whether it’s your first visit, you’re back for a routine checkup, or if your pet has a serious illness or health condition.

Bring Records

If you’re a first-time pet owner, going to a new veterinarian because you’ve moved, or are seeing a specialist, one of the most important steps is to bring your pet’s health records or have them transferred ahead of time.

Bailey, who now owns The Animal Hospital of Peak Plaza in Apex, N.C., says records you have on hand are helpful, but “ultimately having access to complete medical records is essential to quality of care.”

During their lifetime, companion animals may be seen by multiple veterinarians and at emergency and specialty hospitals. Such records have information about your pet’s drug allergies, anesthetic sensitivities, as well as baseline blood values. Some veterinarians make them readily available. Others require signed releases.

Covering the ‘What Ifs?’

The first visit is a good time to ask the preferred method of contact -- phone, e-mail, or text message -- if you have follow-up questions. Bailey says he prefers e-mail for nonurgent questions because “it allows time to give a thoughtful response as well as to attach reference material.”

Ken Werner, DVM, owner of Werner Animal Hospital in Morris Plains, N.J., agrees and says it beats playing phone tag: “The majority of people do not abuse it and have bona-fide questions."

It’s also a good time to ask how to contact them during emergencies, whether they offer after-hour emergency appointments, as well as contact information for local emergency clinics and poison control.

Foods, Medications, and More

For routine visits, bring a list of food brands and medications, as well as details of any special diets and treats and how much food your pet gets each day.

“A handful doesn’t mean anything to me,” Werner says. “Use a measuring cup so we compare apples to apples.”

It’s also important to note any change in your pet's water consumption, appetite, playfulness, energy level, or behaviors, and if there has been vomiting or diarrhea.

1 | 2

Next Page >