Today’s ultimate veterinary scale buyers guide entry is designed to provide you with some insight into purchasing vet scales to weigh everything from little dogs, kittens and rabbits to big dogs and more. There are really several key points you need to consider before making the scale purchase. And since we’ve been recommending vet scales to customers for over forty years, please allow us to provide you with several things to consider…. 

ANIMAL SCALE PLATFORM SIZE

What size weighing platform do you need for weighing animals?  What animals are you going to be weighing?  These are important questions when it comes to buying a veterinary scale. Many vet scales are around 36 to 40 inches long and somewhere near 20 inches wide.  That generally covers most animals like cats and dogs. However, if you’re only weighing kittens or bunnies, then you likely might need something smaller like the VS-11 from Rice Lake or the Vet75 from Detecto. And, likewise if you’re looking to weigh larger animals then you might need to look at the Brecknell PS2000.

VET SCALE POWER REQUIREMENTS

How are you going to power your vet scale?  If you’re just using it your vet clinic, then you can simply plug the weight display into the wall and you’re ready to weigh. But, what if you’re taking the scale on the road to weigh animals in their habitat.  Then, you will likely need some type of battery powered scale. Over the past few years, battery powered weight indicators have become more common in veterinary weighing equipment, so that should not be a problem to source. Of course, there’s always the question of do you prefer rechargeable battery or AA / AAA batteries?  

ANIMAL WEIGHING SCALE MOBILITY

If you’re planning to take your vet scale to different locations or you are looking to move the scale around your animal hospital, then you will need a portable vet scale that is relatively easy to move throughout the building.  Often these types of vet scales will be a little lighter and will have handles on one side and sometimes they will have some wheels built into the scale platform. In this situation, we might recommend the Tree LVS-700 or the Detecto Vet550 for portable animal weighing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Vet scales are available from various manufacturers these days. We strongly suggest that you stick with the reputable brands that both you and your scale company trust. You know the names… Detecto, Brecknell, Rice Lake, & Weighsouth to name a few.

Remember, as we’ve discussed before, there are always cheaper imported products being dumped into the market every year but they often aren’t as durable AND they often lack the manufacturer support or spare parts capability that are necessary for long term use. In many situations, we recommend the Weighsouth VS-2501 vet scale.  If you need assistance choosing the right vet scale for your application, be sure to contact the sales team by phone or by completing the RFQ form.