Find A Great Veterinarian To Help Your Cat.

Finding a good Vet for your cat is very important. You want to find someone who is knowledgeable, sympathetic, and caring. If you are new to cat care or have a vet but want to find a new one here are some tips that may help you out.

How do I locate veterinarians ?
If you are moving to a new area, you can check out The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or the My Veterinarian websites. These two sites keep records on vets and their facilities, quality of service, and care. Another way is to talk to people at dog parks to see who has a good practice. If you live in a large community, get the names of three to four vets in your area. If you live in a small rural area, it would be wise to search a wider area to come up with the names.

How to select a veterinarian?
There are a number of things to do and consider when the time comes to selecting a vet. One of the first things to do is to make an initial consultation/interview with your new doctor. While you're there take a tour of the facilities. Watch the staff to see if they are attentive and courteous. How does the place smell; does it smell clean or does it smell sterile or of pee? The latter two could mean they are trying to cover something up. Look at the overnight area, do they keep the cats and dogs in separate areas and do the animals look cared for? Lastly you will want to make up a list of questions to ask your new potential vet.

What kind of questions should I ask?
Here is a list of some questions that should be asked:
· Are bloodwork, x-rays, and other types of lab work done on site or do they need to send them out to another place for testing and results?
· Do they have a specialist referral system?
· Is the clinic accredited with the AAHA?
· Are the veterinary technicians that they have on staff licensed?
· What do they do for managing pain?
· Do they have emergency services?
· Do they keep accurate records on all of your pets care?
· Always ask about the cost for standard visits.
These are important questions to ask and if you can think of more add them to the list. When all of your concerns are taken care of, you can decide which of the vets may be right for you and your cat.

And a final note.
Remember that if for some reason your new veterinarian doesn't work out, you can always change. Just go over the list of vets you created and move to the new one. Make sure that the old vet gives you a copy of your cat's records and mails a copy to the new vet.
To assist you in your search here is a link to the AAHA.

I have been working with cats for over 30 years, by volunteering at private cat rescue shelters, with feral cats and having a number of cats at home. If you are having litter box issues with your cats I would like to help point you in the right direction. Visit my website http://www.catpeesonbed.com/

 This article are written by Jim Laurie
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Become a Veterinarian: A Guide for Children

Are you between the ages of 8 and 12 years old and you want to become a veterinarian? I know exactly what you are going through. I am a veterinarian and I made my decision to become a veterinarian at 11 years of age. The truth is, you are at the age when most veterinarians make their career decision. Recently, I surveyed over a hundred veterinarians nationwide and 65% of them said they made their decision to become a veterinarian before they reached the age of 13. So you are in the most important years for a future veterinarian. Do all you can to explore animals and veterinary medicine right now!
OK, so I've got you ready to go, but what should you do? Let me be your guide on how to become a veterinarian. As a Vet for Kids, I focus my time on helping future animal doctors like you pursue their dreams. In fact, I recently connected with practicing veterinarians all over the country and I want to share the advice these veterinarians had for kids like you.
When I asked them how to become a veterinarian, by far, the top recommendation of the veterinarians I surveyed was for you to explore and study science as much as possible. When I meet children who want to be veterinarians, the first thing I tell them is "Many children love animals. The children who love both science and animals are the ones who become veterinarians." It's so important to explore as much science as you can in school, but don't stop there.
Science doesn't only live in the classroom. Visit a museum, go to a science camp or get involved with a science club. If you want to have an even greater impact, you can help scientists collect data on animals. There are many national programs like the Great Backyard Bird count and local programs like amphibian monitoring sponsored by organizations throughout the country. You can go out in the area around your home and help scientists track the animal populations across our country.
The veterinarians I surveyed also recommended that you get as many "animal experiences" as possible. What this means is that, when they were younger, many practicing veterinarians found unique ways to be around pets and learn all they could about the science of animals. Some took the leading role in caring for their family pets, some fostered pets for the local animal shelter and others pet-sat for their neighbors.
When I asked one veterinarian oncologist her advice on how to become a veterinarian, she shared what she did when she was young. She told me she made animals a part of everything she did at school. If she had to write a book report, it was always on an animal book. If she was drawing a picture for an art project, it was always of an animal. If she had to bring something in to share with the class, it was something she got from a trip to the local zoo or aquarium. Animals and the science of animals were a major part of everything she did at school.
So, there you have it. Remember, the key is to make certain that you are doing something everyday to become a veterinarian of tomorrow. As Walt Disney once said "All of our dreams can come true-if we have the courage to pursue them."

Dr. Carpenter is considered the Veterinarian for Kids. He has written books and articles for children on veterinary science and presented at schools and camps. A member of the American Veterinary Association and the National Science Teachers Association, Dr. Carpenter recently launched IchabodInk.com. http://www.ichabodink.com/, the go to website for children who want to be veterinarians and parents who want to help their child explore their dream.

This articles are written by Chris Carpenter DVM! 

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