Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro: Hi! I am Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro with AAHA. Today, we're going to discussing how to find a veterinarian. Now, we're going to determine how to assess your veterinarian needs. Are you a novice pet owner or a first time buyer at this game? Or had you had many pets in the past or do you have pets currently? Of those pets, are your pets young or do they require some specialty veterinary care? Are they geriatric? Might you want to locate a veterinarian that is willing to board your pets, when you're away on vacation and provide special care for your pets as well as administration of medications? So these are important things to consider when determining your veterinarian needs.

Another thing to consider is the proximity of your veterinarian to your work or your home, and helping you get them to wellness visits or emergency care. Does that veterinarian provide 24 hour care should your animal have an emergency in the middle of the night?

Finally, consider your financial obligations to your pet, and your affordability of that veterinarian. Does that veterinarian provide the ability to do payment plans or accept various credit applications specifically for the needs of your pet. Next, we are going to discuss when to select a veterinarian.