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How to Keep Your House from Smelling Like Dog

The other night, Violet told her first joke.

We talked to her about smelling things, as one does to a two-year old in spring, and John asked her, “What does Cooper smell like?”

She grinned.

“Cat poop!”

And then she laughed maniacally.

While I appreciate her developing sense of humor, I can assure you: Cooper does not smell like cat poop. In fact, we work to make sure our house doesn’t smell like animals at all, and that includes the litter boxes!

Baby jokes aside, no one wants to live in a house that smells like wet dog or cat or litter box or pet accident. Luckily, it’s not hard to keep your home odor-free.

In this post, I’m breaking down the basics on how to keep your house from smelling like dog AND how to eliminate pet odors as you go. Because they will happen. It’s part of the charm of our pets. 😉 Finally, I want to note that I’m focused on dog odors here. If anyone’s interested in cat odors or how we handle the litter boxes, let me know in the comments below!

In this post, we cover 7 tips on wow to keep your house from smelling like dog! #springcleaning #dogmomhacks

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How to Keep Your House from Smelling Like Dog

  1. Fresh air: This is first because I can’t overstate its importance. For one thing, if you live in a new or a new-ish house, they’re built so well as to be virtually air-tight. That’s great for saving energy but not so great for letting out stink and letting in fresh air. So, open a window whenever you can! Our house, btw, is super leaky and does not fall into that air-tight category. We still have a lot of work to do to fix those problems, but I still make a point to crack or open a window when I’m cleaning or when I start to smell a smell. If you do nothing else on this list, open a window. It’ll make a huge difference.
  2. Filter: Keep your air as clean as possible with HEPA filters. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. It basically works by forcing air through super-fine mesh filters to trap tiny gunk like dander… and pollen, dust mites, smoke particles. So, make sure you buy HEPA filters for your furnace (we buy this kind). If possible, get a HEPA filter for your vacuum, too. Some vacuums allow you to swap filters, but if not, and if you’re in the market for a new vacuum, here’s my quick thought on that: Cheap is expensive in the long run. We’ve gone through more vacuums than I can remember. They’ve all burnt out, except for our Dyson Animal. (It’s like this one, but they actually don’t make our exact one anymore… ours pre-dated the roller ball thing.) We got in 2005, and it’s outlasted about half a dozen others. Expensive up front, yes, but the cost-per-year is totally reasonable. And it works super well for pet dander.
  3. Easy-to-clean pet products: So many pet products now come with some kind of odor-resistant technology built in. The cat bed we featured in our 2018 holiday gift guide, for instance, has probiotic technology baked in to prevent odors. At the very least-though, any bedding should have a removable, machine-washable cover like this bed Cooper uses. (BTW, we got this bed ages and ages ago as a press sample when I wrote for a pet magazine, and it still looks basically brand new… back to my point that cheap is expensive in the long run!) And then, of course, wash bed covers, towels, and soft toys on a weekly basis. I do a load of Cooper’s laundry–bed covers, stuffies, towels–along with Ripley’s mice because they all just get smelly with daily use. Definitely don’t run out to buy replacement products unless you are in need of something. I’m never one to recommend buying something for the sake of buying it. However, when you are in the market, look for pet products with anti-microbial odor-resistant technology or at least easy-to-clean features!
  4. Cover stuff: This sounds obvious, I guess, but someone recently mentioned the smell their couch picked up from their dog. “Do you have a quilt or something on your couch?” I asked. Nope. OK, here’s the thing: No one wants their furniture obscured by ugly sheets or drop cloths. However, your couch, unless it’s slipcovered, isn’t easily washed. So, get some blankets that fit your decor, things you actually like, and put them down on your sofa as a pretty throw. Encourage your pup to sleep there instead of on the cushions. Coop and the cats all prefer to be on a blanket, so we have one draped on the couch, the arm chair, and the chaise in our bedroom where Coop sleeps at night. All of those things can be picked up on Saturday morning and put through the washing machine. I also have a cargo liner (this one) for my car for the same reason.
  5. Baking soda and vinegar, your two new best friends: OK, not even kidding, but I buy these two ingredients in bulk. Your house will never smell like pet odors again if you keep baking soda and vinegar on hand! I can clean my entire house top to bottom with those two and save a ton of money, while being gentler on the planet. Plus, they’re both beasts at eliminating dog odors. I have manufactured-wood floors and scrub them with vinegar. The smell dissipates after a few minutes (less if you have the windows open) leaving behind a smell of… nothing. No smell. No pet odors, no chemical cleaning product odors, no nothing. Just air. As for baking soda, everyone already knows it absorbs odors from the air, but did you know you can use it on your dog like a dry shampoo? When you groom your pup (see tip 6 below), sprinkle some onto his fur to absorb gross smells, then brush out. OK, two more quick tips:
    • Vinegar tip: I know this tip won’t be for everyone, but I swear by it so have to share: Stop using fabric softener and dryer sheets (they’re a fire hazard, bad for the environment, filled with toxins, pick your reason why) and start adding vinegar to the fabric softener component of your washing machine. Pet odors will disappear. As will gym odors, baby odors, and front-loading washer odors.
    • Baking soda tip: If you have carpet or area rugs, get ready to take your dog on a super-long walk followed by a thorough outdoor groom! BUT! Before you go, sprinkle a thick coating of baking soda into your carpet. Work it in with a brush. Then, head out for the walk + groom. When you come back, vacuum it all up and breathe in the fresh, odor-free air. (Again, bonus if you can leave your windows open through this process.)
  6. Groom your dog: Confession: I’m not as consistent as I should be with this because Cooper hates it, and I feel bad making him so miserable. But giving your dog–breed dependent, of course–a thorough brushing outdoors can eliminate a ton of indoor odor. Then, a bath–breed dependent, too–gets out the rest of the reek. Bonus points: Follow the bath up with an ACV rinse to have a fresh, clean, happy pup!
  7. Clean accidents immediately: It might not always be possible, like if your pup pukes while you’re at work or something, but the quicker you catch an accident, the better you contain the smell. (Not to mention preventing stains.) Use enzymatic cleaners to prevent marking, of course, and spend some time getting to the root of the problem. Is your dog really, truly, fully house trained? Is there an underlying infection or belly problem? Unless you solve the problem that causes your dog to poop or pee in the house, you’ll never be fully odor-free… (That said, I totally get the occasional freak accident, puke, etc., but still. Figure out why your dog goes inside and work on that.)

No One Wants a Home That Smells Like Dog

Even if you’re a Crazy Dog Lady through and through, like I am, you still don’t want a stinky house. No one wants that. And the thing is, it doesn’t take much effort. The trick is being consistent and staying on top of it.

A final note on essential oils and pet care: I’m sure many of you are wondering about this piece. Lots and lots of people advise diffusing oils to eliminate odors. Many essential oils are safe for pets. Many aren’t. I’m not qualified to speak on this, not in the slightest. That said, we do have an oil diffuser, but I do not use it to eliminate pet odors. Period. Plus, all the oils we have–maybe six in total–have been thoroughly researched and shown to be safe to diffuse with both dogs and cats in the home. I wanted to address that up front and just caution you: You do you, but do it safely with lots of due diligence.

I’d love to hear from you: How do you keep your pet-loving home odor-free? What tips and tricks do you use to keep that wet dog smell or dander smell or whatever out of your home? 

Read more about pet-safe house cleaning:

Spring cleaning when you have a house full of animals

Sign up for the zero-waste pet seven-day email challenge to get a full guide to pet-safe cleaning

14 pet-safe plants that clean the air–and you can’t kill them

What I wish you knew about my reactive dog

My dog is the best.

He’s sweet. He loves to cuddle.  He adores cats. He skitters with his dog friends.

He’s incredible with our two-year-old daughter, even falling in line when she waggles her fingers at him and says, “Cooper coming,” in her little voice.

He’s my running partner and my sidekick in this balancing-work-and-mom-life craziness.

And, at night, when I settle in bed with my book to unwind after the usually-long day, he climbs under the covers (yes, all the way) and rests his chin on my ankles… a solid, reliable pressure that marks the end of the day.

He’s the absolute best.

What I wish you knew about my reactive dog

He’s also the absolute worst.

He barks at every noise, real or imagined. He lurches and lunges at the end of the leash when we spot a dog at the end of the block. He cowers in the corner, shaking like a leaf, whenever we go somewhere, anywhere. He keeps his head on a swivel at the park, his body tense, his tail tucked. When we spot a dog–or, depending on his mood, even just a kindly stranger–we step off the trail or off the sidewalk and dole out treats, or if for whatever reason we think/know the treats won’t work this time, we cross the street, U-turn, duck between houses, or sprint off in the opposite direction–whatever keeps him calm(er) and feeling safe(er).

It’s exhausting.

But it’s also rewarding beyond anything I could imagine. When he makes a good decision or when he looks at me for direction, my heart soars.

And then he goes ballistic at a passing bicycle and I plummet back down to earth. You guys should’ve seen the day a hot air balloon went overhead…

I’ve sustained back and shoulder injuries managing him on leash. And, yet, at the end of the day, when he places his chin on my ankle, all’s right with the world.

I only wish other people could understand this about him, this dichotomy of being the absolute best dog in the entire world and his fear. It makes me sad that people don’t know the real him, the sweet, patient, pupper to a toddler and my best friend. So, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts about loving a reactive dog.

5 things I wish you knew about my reactive dog:

We are always on high alert.

Which can get exhausting. Every time I read anything about time management or productivity or burnout or whatever, one piece of oft-repeated advice is this: Take your dog for a nice stroll to clear your head! And I laugh and I laugh and I laugh. Because here’s the thing: When you have a reactive dog, there is literally no such thing as a nice stroll. Unless you go in the pouring rain. Or at midnight. You are constantly surveying your surroundings, watching for people or dogs or bikes or whatever triggers your dog has. You are constantly rerouting when you spot one of those on the horizon. Even when you’re in flow–you’re walking in a quiet spot without any other foot traffic–there’s always in the back of your mind the possibility of something happening, so you remain vigilant. Which brings me to…

Your “friendly” off-leash dog is our worst nightmare.

Responsibility is a two-way street. End of story. Those of us with reactive dogs choose to take our dogs to parks and trails that require leashes. We pick places carefully, places without too many blind corners or places with a clear escape route. Why? An approaching off-leash dog truly is our worst nightmare, especially if the dog’s owner is waaayyyyyy off in the distance. You yelling, “He’s friendly!” from a mile away is literally the. worst. Put your dog on leash or go somewhere that allows off-leash dogs.

We’re doing our best. 

Your judgement doesn’t help. It’s like the parent with the trantruming toddler in the supermarket… We don’t want to be dealing with this either, Sir. Your glares don’t help the situation. Really, though, with a reactive dog, we are all doing our best. Sometimes our best isn’t good enough. Sometimes all the training and management and planning just falls apart. Your dog is having a bad day. You encounter a scenario way scarier than your dog can handle. Or, you’ve just passed too many dogs/bikes/strollers/strangers for your dog to be able to withstand one more and that’s when he loses it. I can assure you, a smidge of compassion goes a long way here. A smile or a nod. Moving your dog/bike/stroller/yourself away. Whatever. Compassion over judgement, always.

Yes, he’s “trained.”

Speaking of compassion over judgement… it’s likely your suggestion of, “You need a dog trainer,” will fall on deaf ears. Why? Reactive dogs are generally far more trained than “typical” dogs. We take every class under the sun. Cooper probably knows more than most dogs, and he’s certainly spent more hours in training than the usual basic-obedience-for-puppies class that most owners take. He’s taken two obedience classes, agility classes, 1:1 agility, trick training, and two reactive dog classes, plus many hours with a trainer we really liked doing 1:1 sessions. Our dearly departed Lucas took about 5x that number of classes–he was just a bigger liability than Coop, tbh–and was impeccably trained. Training can’t mitigate fear or a fear-based reaction. It can help. Big-time. With Lucas, especially, it took about five years, but he eventually was able to “watch me” to walk past a scary scenario. In a familiar park. When we had a clearly-defined escape route. And the other dog was on leash. But he could do it. Reactive dogs tend to be super-well-trained dogs because of those liability issues, but training won’t always solve fear.

We love our dogs, quirks and all.

Someone once told me, “I would never have two dogs I couldn’t walk together,” referring to Lucas and Cooper. It broke my heart. I couldn’t have ever imagined not having either one of them. Yes, it took tons of extra effort to do two walks per day (Emmett, of course, could always go with either one of them, and if if they were acting like crazed maniacs, he’s just be happily sniffing the ground in seach of errant chicken bones or sandwiches). I love Cooper to pieces. He’s my little baby. He’s my friend. He’s Violet’s bestie. He loves wholeheartedly. When people come over, he can’t get close enough, usually planting his 50 pounds securely in his friends’ laps. We reactive dog people love our dogs because we see them. We see them for who they really, despite and because of their unique struggles. We love our relationship, and we love the deep, heartfelt returns we get from working with a struggling dog.

It’s certainly not easy to love a reactive dog, but it’s so worthwhile and brings unparalleled levels of pride and joy as you get to watch them overcome life’s hurdles. I always think of the responsibility of having, loving,and working with a reactive dog when I hear the quote:

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” ? Karen Davison

It’s my goal with my reactive dog to change his world forever, for the better.

If you love a reactive dog, what do you wish people understood about you and your pup? What do you wish you could share about your reactive pup?

READ MORE about reactive dogs:

How We Found the Right Vet for Our Reactive Dog

When you love a dog like Cooper–a scaredy dog who reacts poorly when frightened–it takes effort. All of it.

There is, of course, the training piece. It’s a big part of it because diminishing the fear through counter-conditioning or teaching coping strategies through positive reinforcement can help with the reactivity. There is, too, the management because at the end of the day, a dog hard-wired to behave in fear won’t ever be 100% calm or safe, no matter how many reactive dog classes you take.

Once you have some training down and once you figure out management strategies, the rest becomes a matter of anticipating and planning.

Where the training, managing, anticipating, and planning all come to a head: the vet’s office.

How We Found the Right Vet for Our Reactive Dog

There are strange people. There are dogs. There are sometimes even other animals like cats and guinea pigs. There are weird smells and scared animals and unusual noises. There are slippery floors.

Cooper likes none of that.

But, there’s no getting out of the vet. I mean, there’s literally no reason for us to take him to a fair or to an outdoor patio or to a pet store or whatever, but there’s no avoiding the vet. For most dogs, an annual exam is just the bare minimum. Cooper this year should start his senior dog (can’t you believe it?!?!) twice-yearly visits. And that’s assuming–knock on wood–no other sicknesses or issues that would necessitate another trip into the office.

When I wrote that we were searching for a new veterinarian, a big piece of that search included finding a practice that could accommodate Cooper’s special needs.

So, I wanted to come back today with the follow-up tale of Cooper’s new vet!

How We Found Our Vet

We started our search through the usual routes: Google searches, Facebook reviews, even the Nextdoor app. We asked a few friends who they use and have had the opportunity to visit another vet in town. Then, we realized there was a vet’s office one mile from our house, directly across from the place we get breakfast every Saturday. Why not try close to home?

John called and explained to the office manager that we wanted to come in for a meet-and-greet with the vet. Two awesome signs came from that initial phone call:

  • They requested Coop’s files be sent over so the vet could review them before the appointment.
  • They gave us the last appointment of the day on a Saturday so that there wouldn’t be any dogs in the lobby when we left.

If you’ve been around for a while, you know Cooper’s experienced many health issues. I appreciated that he wanted to do his due diligence before we even signed on as clients. I also appreciated how accommodating they were when John explained that Coop is a reactive pup.

We arrived at the office a few minutes before our appointment. We could hear other dogs in the building, but none were in the lobby. Regardless, they put us right in a room to fill out paperwork. The vet tech came in and introduced herself. She sat on the floor while reviewing our paperwork with us. Cooper never approached her, but she kept a positive, calm, cheerful conversation going the whole time. Before she left the room, she said, “And now for the most important question: Can he have cheese?”

The entire time she talked with us, Cooper squished himself up against the door, clearly like, “OK, guys. Enough’s enough. Take me home.”

When the vet came in, he walked in the room unwrapping a slice of American cheese. Cooper’s nose visibly perked at that, and he inched away from the door.

The doctor sat on the floor a few feet in front of Cooper. He handed me a piece of the slice and suggested I give it to him first. After that first bite, Cooper decided to give the guy at least an inch.

Over the course of the next hour, we–John and I, the vet, and the vet tech–chatted. We talked about Cooper and his quirks. We talked about benign stuff like running. We talked about pet food. Meanwhile, the vet kept giving Coop pieces of cheese, and ever-so-slowly, he worked in pats, then he worked in a listen to his heart. Then, he waited for a while while we all just talked and gave Cooper cheese and pats, then he looked at his teeth and his eyes. A quick glance in his ears. More cheese. More pats. That was it.

The vet conducted a basic physical exam… without Cooper ever realizing it. Sure, he was still afraid, but he calmed down enough to settle for a few seconds at a time, and he allowed everyone to pat him. He never had the chance to go from scared … to terrified … to reactive. He stayed pretty calm (for him).

We asked all our questions (check out this post for more on that) and got to discuss many of Cooper’s issues in depth because, first, the vet was already versed having read his files, and because, second, we had an un-rushed hour to just sit and talk.

THEN!

This is what sealed the deal for us:

They encourage “social visits.”

Basically, we call them up and say, “Hey, we’d like to bring Cooper by for a social visit this week.” They suggest a day and time that’s light or quiet. We arrive at that time and bring him in to get cheese from staff in the lobby, step on the scale, and say goodbye. That’s it! A couple quick minutes of positivity at no charge. Imagine your reactive dog feeling less scared at the vet because it’s a kinda-sorta happy-ish place. (I harbor no delusions that this will “fix” his issues at the vet, but it can’t hurt and will likely help at least to a small degree!)

It’s not *quite* as perfect as it sounds. The practice is small, so they’re missing a few services we hoped for and had at our previous vet, but we decided that all the rest more than makes up for it. Kindness and compassion for a special pup like ours, not rushing us through the visit, spending time getting to know him and us… they won us over.

THEN we got a thank you note for joining their practice. #blownaway

So, yeah, Coop has a new vet. We scheduled him for his annual in October. I thought he was due in April but couldn’t remember why I thought that. Once we were home and I was updating his records, I realized it’s because he’s supposed to start his twice-a-year visits (GAH!) so was due for a baseline blood panel in April to start up his senior status. I need to call them back to schedule that, but there you have it.

My big takeaway and piece of advice: If you’re not happy with your vet, call around or visit vets until you find one you are happy with. It’s an important relationship, and you and your pets should absolutely find a place that feels comfortable!

Have you ever sought a new vet? How did your experience go? What were your big takeaways? Please share ’em in the comments so we can all learn together!

What Pet Adoption Memes Get Wrong

I’m not someone who’s easily offended. I’m a “live and let live” kind of gal, generally speaking, as long as you’re not hurting or bothering anyone (or yourself).

For ages, though, I found myself rolling my eyes over the same pet adoption memes again and again. But I never thought to comment on them.

Fast forward to this past week when I read a long, emotional post from a family in an adoption group I’m in talking about how one of their middle-school-aged children mentioned in a class project that he was adopted, and the other kids started saying things like: Do you think your real mom will ever come back to get you? At least you weren’t aborted! Are you afraid your adoptive parents will change their minds and give you back? and so on…

The parents’ request was simple: Please talk to your children about adoption so they don’t inadvertently crush my kid.

Juxtapose that with the pet adoption memes I kept seeing, and I finally realized there’s a teaching opportunity here!

What Pet Adoption Memes Get Wrong

No, I don’t harbor any delusions of changing the internet, but I also feel like when it comes to topics like adoption, there’s just not enough conversation out there. So, here’s an avenue to ask YOUR questions, add your voice, and share your ideas. I wanted to start the discussion with seemingly-harmless pet adoption memes.

There are two memes in particular I want to address: the “you’re not my real mom” meme and the “adopt love” meme.

Real Moms

This one, you guys:

What Pet Adoption memes get WRONG

It’s everywhere with tons of different breeds.

Or there’s this version:

What pet adoption memes get wrong about moms

Everywhere.

Here’s the thing: The amazing woman who gave birth to Violet and I are BOTH her real moms. End of story. Pet adoption memes somehow imply that either the birth mom (or some prefer “first mom” or “natural mom” but it’s up to her how she wants to identify) or the adoptive mom are less “real” than the other. I can assure you, we are both real women who both have important roles in Violet’s life. Sure, it seems funny because they’re animals so obviously we’re not the mom, though I argue that many, many, many pet people do consider themselves their pet’s parent, and that’s a no-less-real role.

Using these supposedly funny pet adoption memes about “real” moms belittles and judges both women who are moms to an adoptee. It seems silly because it’s pets, but the larger message spreads the hurtful ideas that poor kiddo had to face in his middle school classroom.

Also, a small quibble with that first version: In this day and age, adoptees know they’re adopted. It should be a part of their life story because, well, it’s a part of their life. A big part. The whole “OMG?!?!?” trope is played out.

Love for Sale

This one:

 

 

Um. OK.

I get the idea they’re trying to share, that adopting a shelter animal brings love. However, these memes perpetuate a dangerous myth for shelter animals because it implies that as soon as you bring your adopted pet home, he or she will love you to pieces. Life will be great. You’ve adopted love, after all!

I can tell you: Out of the three dogs we’ve adopted, that’s only been true for one of them. For the fosters and cats? None.

It also places MASSIVE amounts of pressure on adoptive families who adopt older kids, kids who have been through the wringer of the foster system, kids from overseas… it says: Hey! Adopt and get love! When the reality is that it takes hard, long, dedicated work to build trust and build a bond that eventually leads to love.

Plus, another small quibble: Is there an unstated implication that if you purchase a pet from a breeder, you’re not getting love?

Ultimately

The heart is in the right place. I get that with pets the human emotion isn’t a part of the equation, so the memes seem funny. I hope to share, though, the greater implications behind these “jokes” and what it might look like to the humans in the adoption triad: the birth mom, the adoptive mom (or dad), and the adoptee.

My feathers get ruffled when I see adopted children getting picked on simply because they’re adopted. I feel like pet adoption memes perpetuate ideas about adoption that just aren’t true. And I personally think adopted children are doubly lucky because they have a birth family and an adoptive family, multiplying the love in their life and in the world.

I do know that lots and lots of people get THEIR feathers ruffled when kids are compared to pets, but… let’s be honest here. There are a lot of similarities. So, it’s my hope with this post to open a conversation about adoption–whether you’re coming at it from the pet side, the human side, or the enjoys-memes side.

What do you think? I’d love to know in the comments your impression of these pet adoption memes and what questions you have about adoption from any angle! This is a safe space for any question that might comes up. I think we learn best when we share our own experiences, so I’d LOVE to know your take in the comments below!

Finding a Veterinarian: How to choose the perfect vet for your family

Finding a veterinarian to care for your pets can be as simple as lucking into an awesome referral or as challenging as interviewing lots of potential clinics. We’ve been through the range of vets from the best to the not-so-great, and we’re embarking on a search for a new vet for Cooper! I’m hoping by sharing our experience, I can help you find the perfect vet for your family!

Since we first adopted Emmett in 2005 through today, we’ve run the gamut of vets. We started at a Banfield, then moved to a small clinic that was in walking distance of our DC condo when we adopted Lucas. When we moved from DC to Indiana, we chose a practice based solely on proximity to our house–and lucked into one of the best vets we could’ve dreamed up. When she moved away, we got an OK vet for a little while. Then we moved and chose a vet in our small Louisiana town because it was the only AAHA accredited vet in driving distance. When we moved back and back to that same, previous practice, the OK vet had also moved on and we were matched with a brand-new vet who proved to be the absolute perfect fit for us. Then we moved again and picked an AAHA animal hospital that was open 24 hours. For whatever reason, their turnover rate has been ridiculous… we’ve had four vets in three years, and saw a fifth vet once in between, and none have been the right fit.

So, we’ve decided–for the first time ever in all this–that it’s time to move on not because we’re actually moving but because this practice doesn’t meet our needs. And that’s OK! More on that in a minute.

Finding a Veterinarian: How to choose the perfect vet for your family

Your relationship with your vet… and why it matters

Among the relationships your pet has outside immediate family and friends, the one with the vet matters the most. You need to trust your vet. So does your pet. You need to feel secure with your vet. So does your pet. No, it won’t always be super comfy for your pet. Cooper’s a nervous Nelly, and the cats are, well, cats. But, I need to feel confident that their vet will be compassionate with their, ahem, quirks. That’s the baseline for me. Even bigger than that, though, are the super tough times. When Lucas received his osteosarcoma diagnosis, his vet sat with him and sat with me, tears filled her eyes, and she took as long as we needed to ask questions and to make a plan. When he passed away, she came to our house and made the entire experience as gentle as possible. It was personal. She and the vet tech shared stories with us about Lucas from his stay at the animal hospital. It meant something. When Emmett passed, well, that vet was also gentle and compassionate, but we didn’t have a relationship with her, so it felt different, less authentic. Less personal.

Ultimately, your relationship with your vet matters because it won’t always be checkups and vaccines. Someday you might face disease or injury, and someday we’ll all face end-of-life care. Having a good relationship with your vet truly matters in those times.

What to look for in a new veterinarian

I’m not sure Cooper will ever feel relaxed at his vet’s office, but he did fine (for Cooper) with two of the roughly 10 vets listed above in no small part because of the effort those vets put into making him feel safe. That’s huge. If you have a nervous pup, it’s worth asking before you head in: What do you do for a fearful animal? (More on Q’s to ask below, btw!) Same thing for cats: Most will never be happy at a vet visit, but can you find a vet who will at least try different tactics to help your cat feel settled?

Here’s what to look for in a new veterinarian:

  • AAHA accreditation: No, it’s not a deal-breaker for us, but it at least shows that the practice follows a set of rigorous standards.
  • The lobby: This might sound silly if you’ve never loved a reactive dog but. When we lived in DC, Lucas was still new and intense in his reactivity. The lobby of the clinic near us was small. So, the receptionist would wave to us through the glass front, then kindly ask the other patients to move to one side so we could zip him through and straight back. Considering new vets now, I happened to be at another vet’s office in town and texted John that there was no way we could consider them. The lobby is SO small with two side-by-side benches and one way in or out. Our current vet, the one we’re leaving, has one thing going for them: You don’t wait in the lobby. You wait in a room.
  • Specialties or certifications: Are they a fear-free vet? Or a Cat-Friendly Practice?
  • Hours that work with your schedule: For example, if there’s no way you can ever get off work between 8 am and 5 pm, do they offer evening or weekend hours? If they’re not open 24 hours, do they have a relationship with an emergency hospital?
  • Payment methods that work with your needs: This includes accepting things like CareCredit or setting up payment plans.
  • Proximity: Can you get there quickly in an emergency?

Finally, are they willing to schedule an interview or a “get-to-know-you” appointment? This allows you to tour the practice and meet the staff before you commit. Some vets charge for this, and that’s perfectly OK since you’re using 30 to 60 minutes of their time.

How to interview a potential new vet (aka, how to vet your vet!)

Here are a few tips on how to find and arrange an interview with a potential new vet:

First, research potential vets on social media and among friends and family. Check out the comments and reviews on the practice’s Facebook page. Read their Yelp and Google reviews (bearing in mind people often use those channels to gripe), and check out your local Better Business Bureau for any reviews or complaints.

Second, call your selected vet and ask to schedule a meet-and-greet at a convenient time. A busy practice won’t appreciate or necessarily be able to accommodate a walk-in, so get it on the schedule! Ask if you should bring your pets along, too, so they can meet each other in a non-clinical setting.

Finally, have a copy of your pet’s records transferred to the potential new vet ahead of time. This is especially important if your dog has a chronic condition and you want to ask questions about their treatment methods.

Then, on the day of the appointment, arrive a few minutes early and be prepared with a list of questions. Here are 10 to consider if they’re relevant to your pet and situation (not all will apply to everyone, of course):

  1. Will my pet always see the same vet / can I request a specific vet for our appointments?
  2. What is your emergency response? Are there immediate appointments in a real emergency? Referral to an after-hours hospital?
  3. Do you take questions via email? Or phone only?
  4. Does your practice consider treatments / feeding / therapy beyond the traditional? (Depending on your situation, this question could cover raw feeding, acupuncture, etc.)
  5. How do you approach budgeting for treatments? Can you work with my threshold / payment needs?
  6. What’s the follow up / support / resources available for any diagnosis or treatment?
  7. I’m the kind of person who has a ton of questions. How long is a typical appointment? If I need more time, can I book extra time or a last of the day?
  8. How do you handle end of life care?
  9. Do you have a referral network of specialists if they’re needed?
  10. What steps can we take together to help my fearful dog / scaredy cat feel safer?

This is so important

In a perfect world, you and your pet would have the same vet for life. That doesn’t always happen. This relationship is so important that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable… or to move on if they’re just not a fit for you. I recently posed this question in the OMD Facebook group and was so happy to see how many people have wonderful relationships with their pets’ providers, and it was fascinating to hear how most people found their current vets. As we look for Cooper’s new vet (and, by extension, the cats’ new vet, too!) I’ll share what we learn along the way! Join the discussion here in the comments or hop into our Facebook group to share your experience!

Have you ever interviewed a vet? What questions do you ask potential new pet care practitioners? What would you add to this list? Any experiences–good or bad–with changing vets?