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Go to a Vet Generalist Vs Specialist
Written By Vonda Sines
There's a time and a place for most things in life, and deciding whether to use a veterinarian who's a generalist or one who practices a specialty is one of them.
Horse owners quickly discover that even though they dialed the nearest equine vet, for almost any non-routine service, they might be hauling their trailer and the patient in it to a horse vet with a subspecialty. If a foreign body manages to lodge in your horse's eye, you could expect to either hit the road or to schedule a house call made by an equine ophthalmologist.
For those who own household pets, the decision is much like having human health insurance that lets you decide which practitioner to use for any given malady. Sometimes your local generalized vet practice makes the decision for you by either going ahead and offering to treat the condition or declining and referring you to a vet who's a specialist.
Over the last 22 years, my family has been fortunate to use the same general practice for a series of dogs we adopted. The same vet - blessed with the patience of Job and the scratches to prove it - now treats three feral cats we took in as kittens last year.
Much as we use our internist as a quarterback for our personal medical care, we rely on our local vet to decide whether she wants to address or is able to treat a given condition. Just as equine practices don't normally treat parrots, some general practices won't schedule an appointment for a ferret or a reptile.
Our aged Cocker Spaniel suddenly developed sarcoptic mange several years ago. Our local vet didn't hesitate to treat it herself. However, when he needed a series of eye surgeries, she quickly referred us to a veterinary ophthalmologist.
Over his lifetime, the dog was also treated by two other ophthalmologists and a dermatologist who concocted a customized serum with which we injected him at home. He also visited specialists in emergency medicine at two veterinary hospitals and had operations performed by two orthopedic surgeons. Since the local vet elected not to have ultrasound equipment in her hospital, we visited a specialist in internal medicine for a scan.
Your choice of whether to use a vet in a general or a specialty practice is sometimes dictated by geography and the availability of specialists within driving distance. Often it's a question of finding a practice with unusual medications or equipment peculiar to the specialty on site. Another constraint is cost. There are veterinary oncologists, anesthesiologists, urologists and others in a host of specialties. None of them comes cheap.
If your local vet suggests a referral and provides at least one name, your main decision is whether to attempt to get this care for your pet. However, if you feel a second or a third opinion is in order, where do you find a specialist?
You can be frank with the generalist and ask for a referral. If that's uncomfortable, check the Yellow Pages and call several other local practices to see which specialist they use for the condition to be treated.
Although it might take a couple of days to get a return call or email, another path is to ask schools of veterinary medicine at several universities. It might even turn out that a school within driving distance is interested in treating your animal free or for a reduced amount in exchange for the teaching opportunity.
Another way to locate a specialist is word of mouth. Ask your friends and co-workers. This is also a great way to find a generalist when you're new to an area or want to change practices.
Browsing on the Internet reveals at least a dozen sites you can use to search for a vet by ZIP. One example is LocalVets.com. However, keep in mind that some of these sites are merely paid services funded by practices looking for new clients.
A key factor in choosing a specialist when you have more than one available is how the doctor will communicate with your gatekeeper vet. Typically, specialists see an animal once or twice, then recommend treatment to be overseen by a general practice if the condition continues. For chronic ailments, you will probably be visiting the specialist at specific intervals, such as once or twice a year, to see if any changes in treatment are necessary.