How to Find a Good Vet

• Ask for a quotation for a normal consultation for a mouse. They should be able to give you a rough cost and if they won’t then I wouldn’t bother with them. Oh, and make sure they are clear about whether medicines etc cost extra (they always do).

• Find out whether the vet has experience with mice and whether they are confident treating them. Don’t be shy to ask questions like: how many mice have you treated in the last couple of months? And clarifiers like: when you say you treat small animals, would you definitely be able to treat mice? What do you mean by ‘we have treated similar animals’? (That usually means rats or even hamsters – not totally different but not the same either …).

My female Syrian hamster, Treacle: I wouldn't give her exactly the same treatment as my mice and the vet should not cite treating hamsters as experience with mice either!

• Even better than phoning around (or after you have phoned around for quotations and picked the best few) is taking a visit to a couple of local surgeries. Just pop in and ask for information or how to register etc, check the opening times, get a calling card – any little useful task like this that will also let you have a quick nose around. You might not be able to see into the consulting areas from there but at least you will get an idea of what sort of place it is. Is it clean? Is it busy (a good sign unless it is overcrowded)? Are the staff pleasant and helpful?

• When you have decided to try a vet for the first time you can still evaluate it as you go. Remember that you do not have to go back there and have no obligation to them if you are unimpressed. You can also refuse treatment if you are unsure and ring other vets to compare prices for operations etc. if time allows. You should be able to see how the vet handles the mice – are they confident and used to handling them, or do you have to help? Are they unsure what they can do to help? Do they take the ‘it’s just a mouse’ attitude and/or act unsympathetically?

Recommendations from others with the same animal are always good. That doesn’t mean you can’t try a vet recommended by someone who takes their dog or cat there, but most vets are competent with these animals since they are very common pets and make up most of the vet’s work. For some reason mice are not seen as a usual pet by a lot of people so you may encounter a little more trouble finding good treatment for yours.