Do you shop around for vets

[smearedinfood]

Hey

My 13 year old cat got in a fight and had a nasty bite, so I took him to the vets, he got treated - all fine.
The vet noticed his back tooth needed further assessment and started totting up how much my next visit should cost me . Just asking if people shop around and do a price comparison for vets and has anyone benefitted from it?

I wouldn't as I'm really happy with our vets and trust them completely. To be honest I would go on recommendation rather than cost if I was trying to find a new vet.

I never see the same vet in this place so we haven't built a relationship.

Went to my old vets for donkeys years until he died very suddenly and tragically, the practice was part of a larger group and I knew the vet who took over from him and she was lovely too and we were happy with her, then suddenly she was gone (as were most of the reception and vet nurse staff) and this new guy appeared. Had one consultation with him, realised the 'tone' of the practice had gone and went elsewhere. Got chatting to the first person I met in the new vets and turned out she had had the same experience, we had a lovely reminisce about the first vet who was so special. Apparently the client list has been decimated at the old vets.

I think the best way is to go on personal recommendation, but as the above story shows, things can change very quickly. I have realised writing this that I don't care much which Dr I see at my surgery, but the vet who deals with my cats is another matter!

I called the local referral vets (part of the uni vet school) and asked for recs locally. Have fab local vets that takes many on post uni. My boy has been at the referral place recently, the vet there knows my local vet from internship so they've discussed his case a lot and it turned out the referral vets next door neighbour dealt with boys rta and consequent tail amputation 9 years ago! I like that they all seem to know each other, but perhaos consequence of living near a major vet school.

I don't , we have used the same practice since I had my first horse at 13 ( I'm 50 now) , they are a large practice ( 3 sites) but not a chain and the senior partner has been there for about 30 yrs , the other partner only does horses . They have about 4/5 general vets at anytime and I generally find one I like and stick with them for my dog but if I need serious advice I know that I can ask the senior partner and he will give me an honest answer / opinion as we have had such a long relationship . I don't think they are particularly cheap compared with others in the area .

We went by recommendation - we asked around a lot and the practice we are with was the most recommended by a mile. I wouldn't shop around for treatment as I would far rather our pets be treated by a practice I trust than that I save a few quid.

YES!! And the tooth issue came up for us.

My regular vet caught it on a routine annual jab/inspection. "Your cat's teeth meet the clinical requirements for extraction. However, since the tooth can't be saved, your cat is eating well, good weight, no signs of distress, loads of teeth had fallen out previously without causing distress symptoms, we can leave it & monitor." (GA would carry own risks, teeth going is due to a genetic condition which means this will all happen repeatedly).

Impulsively I took cat to another vet after an injury. Vet2 went on and on about the teeth needing extraction. Nagged us for weeks. I never want to see Vet2 again.

Get another opinion for sure.

Thanks Trout - glad I asked!