Maralynn Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 I'm thinking of switching vets. I've been kind of blown away by the level of care I'm getting at the vet I've been taking Kipp to. I ended up there since my regular vet was out of town and this office was close to school. I had been in there once before with a leg issue with Kipp and was pleased with the service then, so I returned when Kipp got sick. So I'm not a regular client and I have a dog with terminal cancer, they didn't know me from Adam before I walked in 2 moths ago, they know my home address is 45 min away (so it's not at all like I'm long term client material) yet I really feel like both the vet and office staff are going out of their way to help me and my dog. This is my second time around with cancer with one of my dogs and I'm hearing waaay more options this time than I did the first. Nothing is really great, but it's "we can do x, y or z - what do you want?" And I love the fact that they operate on walk in hours. My dogs have been generally healthy and in the past we've basically been to the vet once a year for routine stuff then maybe once of twice for something else. So at first I was thinking that I'd just be there for as long as Kipp was around. But now I'm starting to realize that this is the type of care I want if something else major happens. So how far do you/would you travel to a vet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 I live out in the country so to get anywhere is a 20 minute drive at a minimum. I think that 'how far' is dependent on where you live. I am already traveling 30-35 minutes for a vet, so I would definitely consider going to a vet that is 10 minutes further if I really liked them. To be more efficient, I would also try to combine any errands in the approximate area with a vet visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covelo Dogs Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 The closest vet to me is 1.5 hours. An orthopedic vet I use is 2.5 hours and a vet school that I use, if I know it is serious, is 4 hours. I also am 1 hour away from a decent size grocery store. So, I would do the drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 We continue to use the vet we had before moving to our current home. Our vet is now 45min away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 I live on the fringe of an urban area, but I used to travel 35-40 minutes to my vet. I've had some pretty awful experiences with most of the vets in my general area. That said, one of the vets left the practice (husband & wife team, and I went primarily for her, so had him for back up) when they divorced, and I wasn't liking the remaining vet's handling of the dogs, even though he's an excellent diagnostician. Finally found one I like locally, so I've been going there. But I just learned that the vet I really liked joined another practice a little over an hour away. I probably won't go there for routine stuff because of the distance (and the fact that I do like the new vet), but she's a homeopath as well as an allopathic vet, so I'm pretty sure I'll be going out there sometime or another just for the homeopathy. Sorry for such a long winded answer . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligande Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 My vet was about half an hour away... If I really pushed it could be done in 23minutes, best not ask how I know I lived on island and our friends thought we were nuts, plenty of local vets. But I liked the vet, her team, her attitude and her pricing, not once in 17 years was I unhappy with their care, worth the drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy Evans Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 I drove 53 miles to my vet. Depending on traffic it would take from one to one and a half hours. I did this for 19 years. I did try some vets that were closer, but was never as pleased. I now drive half the distance. but that is ONLY because my vet moved out of the country and won't be back for a few years. Happy for her, but. . . I'am pleased with this new vet, and she does make house calls for the horses and stock, but I miss my original vet, and I'd still be doing the drive if she was here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 Now that I have moved, a favorite vet from about 10 years ago is within driving distance (New Kent -> Yorktown), which is about 50 minutes. For quick stuff, there is a local vet, but I don't have a great deal of faith in him. So in general, I'll travel that far for a good vet. When I first moved to Oxford, NC, from Liberty, NC, I traveled 1.5 h to my old vet. I never did find a vet I was happy with in the Oxford area.... It does take planning, and like others have mentioned, I will combine errands. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 Regular vet 25 minutes away. Specialty vet about 1 hour away but haven't needed that one. Vet school about 2 hours and would go in a heartbeat if needed. I think when you find a vet you like it's usually worth an extra drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arf2184 Posted May 26, 2014 Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 I think it all depends on how well you like the vet and your vehicle situation. I drive 45min-1hour to get to work everyday so its no big deal to me to drive that far for a vet. I have in the past. I live in a small town. We have three vet clinics. Two of them I do not like and will not go to {I'd rather drive to the nearest city). The third is my dog vet and is just 5 minutes away. I really like her. She costs more than some of the vets in the nearest city but is still reasonable. The main thing I like about her is her patience with the dogs and the way she presents options ('these are our options...1, 2, 3 and this is roughly what each will cost, and this is what I recommend') and leaves the decision up to me without being pushy. She's also not afraid to say 'I don't know'. Bear does not like car rides so having a close vet is less stressful on him, but I would make him tough out a 30-45 minutes ride for a good vet if I had to. Our bird and chinchilla vet is about a 25 minute drive. My second choice for an "exotics" vet is a little over an hour drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted May 26, 2014 Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 I used to have to take a ferry to get to my vet... Granted, it's not driving, but dealing with a state-run ferry schedule to get a spot on a limited-space boat could be anywhere from 20 min extra to 2-3hrs extra. I had ZERO faith in the local vet, so we went to the mainland. A good vet is worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Point Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 We recently went to a specialist about 4.5 hours away. We had to drive through Tokyo from one side to the other.....now that's dedication..!!! haha.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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