The best time to choose a veterinarian is before your pet needs one. As the AVMA advises, you should start thinking about selecting a veterinarian before acquiring a new pet, or right after moving to a new area, rather than scrambling during an emergency. A good vet relationship is a long-term one, and the criteria are similar to how you would choose a doctor: qualifications, communication, convenience, and how comfortable you feel.
This guide covers what to look for, what accreditation signals, and the questions worth asking before you commit.
What AAHA accreditation tells you
One useful quality signal is accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association. According to AAHA, it is the only organization that accredits veterinary hospitals in the United States and Canada, evaluating practices against roughly 900 standards covering areas like anesthesia, pain management, medical records, and staff training, with a review every three years.
What makes it meaningful is that accreditation is voluntary. AAHA notes that only a minority of animal hospitals in the United States are accredited, so the designation reflects a practice choosing to be held to an outside standard. An accredited hospital is not the only kind of good clinic, and plenty of excellent vets practice at non-accredited hospitals, but the AAHA logo is a reliable shorthand for a clinic that has been independently evaluated.
Factors to weigh
The AVMA suggests weighing several practical factors when choosing a veterinarian:
- Location and office hours, since convenience affects whether you actually keep up with routine care.
- The range of services offered, and whether the clinic handles the kind of pet you have. Some species need a vet with specific experience.
- How the veterinarians and staff treat you and your pet during a visit.
- How after-hours and emergency situations are handled, whether in-house or through a referral to an emergency hospital.
- Payment options and whether the clinic accepts your pet insurance if you have it.
Questions to ask
The AVMA recommends scheduling a visit to discuss your pet and ask questions before committing. Useful questions include: How are emergencies handled after hours? Who sees my pet if my regular vet is unavailable? What are your fees for a routine exam and common services? How many veterinarians are on staff, and can I usually see the same one? A practice that answers these openly is showing you how it communicates, which matters as much as the answers themselves.
Judge the visit itself
Once you are there, pay attention to how the clinic feels. Is it clean and organized? Are staff patient and gentle with your pet? Does the veterinarian explain things in language you understand and give you time to ask questions? Do you feel rushed or heard? The AVMA frames the goal as finding a veterinarian who can meet your pet's medical needs and with whom you feel comfortable building a long-term relationship. Your comfort matters because it determines whether you will call with the small questions before they become big problems.
Do not overlook emergency coverage
Ask specifically how the practice handles emergencies, because this is where gaps hurt most. Some clinics have extended hours or an on-call vet. Others refer after hours to a dedicated emergency hospital. Either can work, but you want to know the plan before a crisis, including where the nearest emergency hospital is and roughly what it costs. Knowing this in advance turns a frightening night into a manageable one.
Getting recommendations
Word of mouth is a strong starting point. Ask other pet owners you trust, a breeder or rescue if you got your pet through one, or a groomer or trainer who works with local clinics. Combine those recommendations with AAHA's accreditation directory and your own visit, and you will have a well-rounded picture rather than a guess.
The bottom line
Finding a good vet is about fit as much as credentials. Start early, use accreditation and recommendations to build a shortlist, then visit and trust what you observe. The right veterinarian is one you feel comfortable calling with any question, because that comfort is what keeps your pet's care consistent over the many years you will be partners in it.