How do I find a good vet?

I have just moved to a new area and I want to find a good local vet for my beloved pets but I am not sure how I go about it!  Can you help?

Response from
Cat Henstridge

The best way to find a good local veterinary practice is to ask your friends and neighbours with pets, they should be able to tell you which clinic they use and whether they would recommend them or not.  However, if you don’t know anyone in your new town, that won’t be possible!

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has a list of all the vet surgeries in the country and you can search it to find one near you.  They also include information about the facilities and any specialisations the practice might have, which can be helpful, especially if you have unusual pets.  The link to this is www.rcvs.org.uk/findavet

Once you have a shortlist, don’t be afraid to ring or visit the clinic to ask them questions and see if you like them.  These are the people who will be looking after your animals and with whom you will have to work closely if they are sick, so you should feel comfortable with them.  Asking questions like if it is possible to request which vet you see, what their out-of-hours care is and what operations they are able to perform in house, are good ones to find out how they work and whether it will suit you.  Good clinics will be more than happy to discuss their business with you and the best will give you information without you having to ask.