Sorry this is a bit long.
This is something I've been thinking about over the years but the theoretical is becoming the practical now that Jaffa is getting older (he will be 14 next month). I have been with the same vets since Jaffa was a kitten and I have never had a problem with the treatment I have received. It's also very convenient as it is 5-10 mins drive away and they do their own out of hours care. However, it's a referral centre primarily and postgraduate training centre. That means the general practice is done by interns who are usually only there for a year. They are qualified vets and I don't question the quality of care, but obviously that means there is no vet who gets to know the cat and it's a different person every time. Now that Jaffa is getting older I'm realising that it would probably be better for him to have a vet who can get to know him and understand that he's a nervous cat etc. so I have been wondering whether I should switch to a different practice where one or 2 vets can get to know the cats better.
Advantages of staying where I am
- excellent emergency care due to specialists on the premises (I have before had a specialist pop in to give an opinion on something without paying for a referral). When Magpie died, he was seen by 3 vets including the senior partner who is an eye specialist.
- no need to go to a different out of hours place and no moving a cat in the morning if taken to out of hours surgery at night
- access to the latest drugs and specialist equipment which is on the premises. Magpie was offered a new drug that only a handful of practices in the country had at the time
- convenient location. If I'm carless I can still get there via a short bus ride and a taxi doesn't cost much
Disadvantages of staying where I am
- no continuity of care which I think would benefit Jaffa now that he's getting older. When he had cystitis a few years ago the vet was going to keep him in - I didnt disagree with that course of action in general but when the nurse arrived she recognised Jaffa and advised the vet that he was a nervous cat who would be best off going home with medication
- it can be expensive. general vacs, neutering etc seem reasonable and out of hours consultation charge is reasonable but I paid a fortune for Jaffa's dental 5 years ago (about £400) - or rather petplan did!
- they will not deal directly with insurance companies. As they are used to high bills due to being a referral centre, they always insist you pay there and then and claim back. They do seem to be helpful with completing insurance forms and helping you get the money back.
There is one other practice nearby which I think I will investigate to see who they use for out of hours care, but it seems to boil down to general care v emergency care and I can't work out which should be my priority. I think their emergency out of hours care is second to none and that gives me a lot of confidence. I like and trust the senior partners (one of whom saw Jaffa a few times for routine stuff as a kitten) but they only do specialist, referral work now. I am hesitant to move from somewhere that I think is good in case the new place isn't as good. I will not be able to go back to where I am now as they only take on a limited number of general practice patients and I have been there when people have tried to register and been turned away after being told it is a referral centre only.
Any advice? Esp from those who have older cats.