Looking for a veterinarian? Here’s how to find one in Merced

Many pet owners find their dog, cat or other animal becomes a beloved member of their family. Just ask Sharlene Maullan.

“(He’s) my child,” she said of her Yorkie-Chihuahua mix, Eli.

Finding the right veterinarian for your pet – especially when your pet is part of the family — can be as personal as finding the right doctor for yourself.

Here’s how you can find the right veterinarian for you and your pet in Merced.

“It’s kind of the same as looking for anything nowadays,” veterinarian Adam Lauppe of Valley Animal Hospital of Merced said. “You want to check multiple sources, and so, you’re looking for somebody, hopefully, with some experience and some good reviews that you can put trust in.”

Here are eight things to consider when choosing a veterinarian, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association:

• Does the clinic’s office hours work with your schedule? 
• How does the staff treat you and your pet? 
• Are the clinic’s payment options acceptable?
• Does the clinic accept your pet insurance plan? 
• What after-hours availability does the veterinary clinic have? 
• How does the veterinarian handle referrals to specialists?
• Does the vet have experience with non-traditional pets, such as reptiles or birds, if you have one? 
• Do you have a referral from a trusted person to the veterinarian? 

For some pet owners, finding the right veterinarian in Merced can be tricky. The city has four veterinarian clinics– Valley Animal Hospital of Merced, Merced Animal Medical Center, Sierra Gateway Veterinary Clinic and the Santa Fe Pet Hospital.

None of those clinics offer 24-hour urgent care. In the event of an after hours emergency, Lauppe, and other Merced-based clinics, recommend visiting surrounding cities that have 24-hour urgent care clinics.

Taylor Veterinary Emergency in Turlock and emergency clinics in Fresno or Modesto were recommended for after hours emergency care by Lauppe.

“It’s very difficult to both staff and run a 24-hour pet center and it’s hard to staff those places,” Lauppe said.

Rocio Alvarez, who cares for her Chihuahua named Rocky and a cat named Chon Chon, said she’s cycled through multiple clinics.

“Doing things above and beyond. You know? Treating (my pets) the way that I treat them, which is with the utmost care,” Alvarez said of what she expects from a veterinarian.

Word of mouth can often be the best way to find the right veterinarian, Lauppe said.

“If you have people you trust, they’re going to be the best ones to give you, you know, the best information about your veterinarian, just like anything,” he said.

Alvarez would agree as she has found meeting pet owners at local dog parks has given her a wealth of advice in not just finding veterinarians but other pet needs.

“You get a lot richer content when you talk to people who live in the area,” Alvarez said.

Lauppe said he believes pet owners should be aware of five things when picking a veterinarian: lack of experience, poor communication, fake Google reviews, limited availability and misaligned care philosophies.

“They call it practice for a reason, because you’re practicing,” he said. “When you come out of school, I remember thinking ‘Wow, I thought I was going to know more than this.’ There’s a lot that comes with just seeing things repeatedly.

This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM.