If you’re a pet parent, you understand how important it is to bring them to a veterinarian you trust. Your pet is like a child to you, and they should be treated like that. They deserve the same treatment any of your other kids do – they’re a part of your family.

Working with a vet that you know and trust with your pet’s life is so important. More importantly than finding one you trust is to maintain a good relationship with them. There are so many reasons you should have a relationship with them.

Here are 5 reasons why you should have a good relationship with your pet’s vet:

1. 24/7 access to their help

If you develop a close relationship with your vet, you can call or text them whenever you need to. If you have a pet that is on multiple medications, and you have an important question but it’s out of their regular work hours, you can call or text them and get a quick answer from them.

2. They’re safe if you’re traveling

Even though you have someone staying at your house watching your pets, or they’re at a family or friend’s house, you know your vet is right there in case of emergency. Keeping a good relationship with your vet can allow you to travel worry-free because you know if there was ever an emergency, you could trust them to take care of your pet.

3. They’ll be honest with you

Most vets are used to not having a close relationship with their patient’s parents, so if you keep a close relationship with your vet, they’re most likely to be honest with you about what food to feed your pet, if they really need that medication or surgery. Let’s be real for a second, some vets tell you things just to make a couple of extra bucks. But if you have a close relationship with your vet, they’ll tell you the truth and tell you exactly what to do.

4. Emergencies

With any type of pet, you’ll experience some sort of emergency in some point in your life – it’s inevitable. If you’re close with your vet, they’re the best people to have in your corner when your pet is experiencing an emergency. They’ll keep you calm and walk you through exactly what you need to do.

5. They’ll take better care of your pet since you have a good relationship

Now, we’re not saying vets don’t give expert care to all their patients, but if you have a close relationship with your vet, they’re more likely to get to the deep root issue of your pet’s illness. They know how important your pet is to you so they’ll do everything they can to resolve any issue.

Maintaining a close relationship with your vet is a great way to always know that your pet is in good hands. Pet parents are some of the most worried parents, and their pet is a child to them, they want them to be taken care of like any other human. Your pet should love your vet and so should you!