choosing a vet - internal med, general how to tell?

[ragsjpause]

How can a person tell if a Vet is an Internal Med Vet or a General Practice Vet? --- like, if I were to get a "second opinion" on anything.

The yellow pages list Veterinarians by Vets or Vet Hospitals/clinics.... and it would seem a bit rude of me to ask for their qualifications.

If the Vet does surgeries daily, is that an Internal Med Vet?

I like my Vet, but like for myself... I would get a second opinion for anything serious... but do not want to sound like I am questioning their abilities.

Thanks - Rags wanted to know... I just type for her because her paws hit too many keys at once.

[Mary Plummer]

If you get along well with your current vet, why don't you ask him/her where to get a second opinion? This hasn't yet come up for our Mr. Blue. We go to a practice that has 6 or so vets practicing in it, and we've seen all of them. It just worked out that way. I kind of like it, because I feel like it's sort of a guaranteed way to get multiple opinions. I'm not sure about this, but I don't think surgery and internal med specialties are the same, at least not in human medicine.

[davet]

internal Medicine at web site www.acvpm.org. this may be a year behind...these are accredited vets for internal med...you might contact them but the chances of them being in every day practice is pretty slim..i suspect very few of them are in general practice...but try, it might be worth it...but your vet should have the 2003 sourcebook from Vet Practice News that he/she could direct you to.. as to how you would get references or client contact to these vets is beyond me...

[davet]

www.acvim.org

read too fast....sorry

[Rachel]

I was just going to post that you had the wrong site davet and then saw you correct yourself.

There are also websites for most of the other Specialist Vets, ie Dermatologists, Surgeons, Ophthalmologists, etc.

I have some of the websites for the different specialties bookmarked, and I even have one for European Internal Medicine Specialists website. I will try to find them and will post them here later.

Patrick ... Specialist Vets are very much like human doctor Specialists. They must first become General Practice Vets, and then they have to take extra courses and do an Internship and then a Residency, just like people docs who wish to become Specialists, and after they complete all that they must write special Board Examinations to become certified in their chosen specialty.

Once they are Board certified a Specialist may choose to work at a teaching hospital or they may work at private Specialty Clinics. Most of the Vet Specialist websites have a search feature, where you can enter your location and then you will get a list of Specialists who are working in your area.

[Traci]

If an ACVIM vet lists his practice in the yellow pages, he/she will list the ACVIM credential behind their DVM, including the type of speciality (endocrinology, oncology, etc). Your vet can also look up members in your area by referring to his AVMA or AAHA membership and service directory book.

[davet]

and was amazed to see the number of private practices that were looking for specialists...realy a surprise but then i soloed for 45 years and did refer a few to a surgical practice but never to some of these other exotic ones....its a whole new world..

[Rachel]

Hi davet,

It sure is a whole new world! I never even knew there was such a thing as a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist until my GP Vet referred us to see one a couple of years ago. Since then we have also been to see a Dermatolgy Specialist Vet and an Ophthalmologist too. My Vet is very glad to now have the Specialty Services available in our area where she can refer the more difficult and unusual cases.

Veterinary Medicine itself is changing and evolving just as everything else does, and I think it's just wonderful. For example, I have a friend whose pup was born with a heart condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosis (sp?). Until recently the only way to even attempt to repair that type of heart defect was with major surgery, but her puppy underwent a "coil" procedure, fairly new and not done everywhere yet. Her pup was up and around very quickly after the procedure was done, and he is doing beautifully now more than a year later. They say he will live a normal life.

Our pets are really lucky that there are now more Specialist Vets available for them when the treatment they need is beyond the scope and expertise of a General Practice Vet. But I do believe there will always be a need for the kind and caring local GP Vet who is the one on whom most of us will always depend to care for our pets and to help us to keep them well.

[ragsjpause]

Thanks so much for the link and the comments. I guess I will ask my Vet first. I hope he is not offended any. - He is the most caring Vet I have found, however , his practice has become incredibly busy over the last few years. I wouldn't want to put in the hours that he does at work.
I had takin her in to a different Vet once , and he did seem a little hurt by it, but he went over the other Vet's results with me and I have still been with him since then. ( that is when Rags got diagnosed with Cushing's by both Vets)
If I do go get a second opinion, I will check with him first. I owe him that much for sure.

Thanks again.