WHY DOES MY PET NEED
A SPECIALIST?
When I
tell someone what I do for a living, their response is usually the same, “You
are a veterinary oncologist? I did not
know there was such a thing. Do people
treat their pets for cancer?” This
usually prompts a response about what my job entails and my passion for
veterinary oncology.
It is interesting
that in today’s society where most households have at least one pet, so few
people realize there is specialty care available for their pet. Just as in human medicine, many specialties now
exist in veterinary medicine. Some
examples of the specialties available for your pet include: internal medicine, neurology, oncology,
cardiology, surgery, ophthalmology, and dermatology. The family physician is the equivalent of a
general veterinarian, who your pet visits for basic wellness and vaccines. If the family physician were to hear a heart
murmur or irregular heartbeat on a patient, they would be sent to a
cardiologist for tests and an evaluation.
It is very similar in veterinary medicine where a heart murmur or
irregular heartbeat found by the general veterinarian, may be further evaluated
by a veterinary cardiologist. Your family
veterinarian may be the first doctor to assess any medical problem that your
pet has, but they may recommend your pet visit a specialist for additional help
managing your pet’s medical condition.
Another
question that I get asked when telling people about my job is, “Did you have to
undergo special training to do oncology?”
The answer to that is yes! Any
specialist, whether it is a human physician or a veterinarian, has to pursue
special training after medical or veterinary school in order to specialize in
one area. This typically involves an
internship and residency performed under faculty and mentors that have been
specialists in the field for years.
There are also rigorous exams administered upon completion of a
residency, to insure that each doctor is able to practice the specialty with a
certain level of knowledge and standard of care. It is only when all of these criteria are
met, that someone can become board-certified in a certain field.
While
the comparisons between human physician specialists and veterinary specialists
are numerous, there are some differences in the way people and pets are
treated. Sometimes treatments available
for people may not yet be available for pets.
Treatments that are available to both people and pets, may be
administered differently in pets.
Reasons for this difference include:
cost, availability of the treatment, and the ability to tolerate the
treatment. Dogs and cats metabolize
medications differently than people, and some treatments can be ineffective or
toxic in these animals. Ultimately, the
goal of any treatment in pets is to maintain a good quality of life, while
extending their life span.
If your
pet has any special medical condition, from itchy skin to a growing mass, a
board-certified specialist may be able to help.
Your family veterinarian and veterinary specialist work as a team to
provide the best care for your pet’s medical condition. Should you choose to seek a specialist’s help
for your dog or cat, your family veterinarian will be able to help locate the
right specialist to meet your family’s needs.
Blog By:
Karri Miller DVM, MS, DACVM (Oncology)
Karri Miller DVM, MS, DACVM (Oncology)
Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice
Dr. Karri Miller provides Skype and Phone consultations to families across the United States
whose pets have been diagnosed with cancer. As a Board Certified
Oncologist, she will be able to provide your family with information
about cancer, treatment options, and expectations.
Blog originally prepared for the Lakeland Ledger (Florida)
Posted by Vet Mary Gardner
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