To my animal loving/vet type friends

[lavenderrose319]

 I have some questions for you.  I'm looking for a new vet for all our animals.  they are in need of a check up and updates.  I'm trying to figure out a good way to find a good vet that's not going to over charge me.  So my questions to you are

Comments

[velvettnrbt]

please try not to find the cheapest vet. if you do, you'll get what you pay for (in other words, not the best care for your pets). go for a mid-range vet. personally, i'd stay away from "back country" vets... in my experience, they are more likely to give you crappy advice about your pet (ie. giving them dairy products is a good idea... WRONG!!! or my favorite: giving your dog tobacco is effective against intestinal parasites -are you f'ing kidding me??). definitely stick with urban/suburban. i'm personally don't care for chain clinics (many seem to have very set standards of practice, which in some cases can be good, but in other cases not good b/c it doesn't allow for flexibility in treatments), but they i think tend to be a little bit easier on the pocketbook. please be aware tho: most vets are not *trying* to overcharge you... they are trying to provide you w/ the best care possible for your pet, not trying to make a buck. you can always ask for a estimate of how much things are going to cost before the doctor does anything, and you can deny anything you want (unless it goes against the hospital's policy; for example, our clinic requires all boarding/hospitalized patients to be up to date on their vaccines. this is for your pet's health, as well as protecting the other animals in the hospital from things that your pet may have been exposed to).

regarding a veterinarian, look for someone who is personable, who isn't in a big rush to get thru the appt, and will answer all your questions, no matter how "stupid" (remember, no question is stupid. if you are interested in doing what is best for your pet, a good veterinarian is happy to educate you as to what is in the best interest of your pet). go to your appt armed with questions, even if it is a wellness exam/vaccines appt.

yes, you can use flour. you don't need the tea bag.
it takes a lot of practice to cut black toenails... i've been doing it for years, and i still sometimes accidentally quick animals... usually it's because they are behaving badly, and i can't easily see what i'm cutting :P
regarding the white toenail turning black, if there is no discomfort (the dog isn't chewing/licking at it), discharge, smell or other obvious signs of a problem, i'd say just keep an eye on it. you can of course ask your vet about it, but from what you mentioned, i can't see it being a huge concern.

my recommendation: keep with the dogs you have - the fewer you have, the better care you'll be able to provide for them. seriously, this is why i've limited the number and type of pets i have. i know that sometime in the distant future, irony (our cat) will probably get kidney disease, so i'm not planning on getting another cat. and we have 2 bunnies, and the one is of definite senior citizen status with health problems that i'm managing. i'd definitely work with the pets you have now. with the overweight min pin, if you're feeding him A GOOD QUALITY DIET for the weight range he should be in (uhm, i'd say from 8-13 lbs, just based on the quick online search i did), he should be fine. i think in general, it's pretty hard for a dog to drastically drop weight, esp if he's getting fed an appropriate amount of food (what brand and type of food is it?).

not to toot my own horn, but here's a post i made a while back about pet care:)
http://velvettnrbt.livejournal.com/514866.html