For most pets, the family veterinarian is the only doctor they will need for their entire lives. But, for some pets, their cases, and sometimes their lives are dependent on the knowledge of a veterinary specialist.
It has been said that a veterinarian is actually several human doctors rolled into one individual, guiding our pets from birth all the way to grave. However, new advances in medicine over the past 50 years have helped to breed a new type of veterinarian. Like their human counterparts, these veterinary specialists focus on specific areas of interest and, in turn, help pets and owners with their expertise and concentrated knowledge.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) first recognized the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and the American Board of Veterinary Public Health back in 1950. Since the early recognition of these specialists, the number of specialist organizations, also known as boards or colleges, has grown to more than 25 individual specialties. For Cocker Spaniels and Persian cats with heart problems, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine has veterinary cardiologists ready to help. If your Labrador Retriever ruptures his cruciate ligament during Frisbee toss, you might appreciate the skills of a surgeon from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. The AVMA reports that more than 8,000 veterinary specialists are currently practicing and helping those pets with special needs. Veterinary specialties include dermatology, internal medicine, zoo medicine, cardiology, oncology, lab animal medicine, ophthalmology, radiology, reproductive medicine and neurology, to name just a few. Similar specialization has occurred in Europe and Canada as more and more pet owners appreciate the depth of the specialist's knowledge.
Prior to recent times, pet owners who desired the expert knowledge of specialists were often forced to travel to veterinary colleges. These trips were often stressful on the pets and difficult for the owners as well. Now, specialty centers can be found in almost every major metropolitan area and many large cities might actually have several veterinary specialists within each discipline. And, with specialists nearby who are known by the general practitioner veterinarian, pet owners can seek out more advanced medical protocols and quite possibly add years to their pet's life. Metropolitan Veterinary Specialists in Louisville has four board-certified veterinary surgeons and two board-certified internal medicine specialists on staff. The All Animal Eye Clinic in Cincinnati is a veterinary ophthalmology practice with two ophthalmologists on staff. These clinics are just two of many specialty practices across North America.
Beyond their knowledge, many of these specialists also bring new advanced tools and protocols for the treatment of injuries and diseases. It is not uncommon for a dog or cat to undergo an MRI procedure or CT scan. Pet owners can now choose hip replacement surgery for pets with hip dysplasia, find a reproductive specialist to help determine why your show quality Pomeranian is infertile, and even help find the best diet for your herding dog. Veterinary dentists are even restoring the broken canine teeth of police dogs injured on the job!
No one wants to imagine their dog or cat developing a major injury or illness, but it is comforting to know that your veterinarian has a list of highly educated and dedicated individuals available to help your pet. And, in most cases, the specialist will send you and your pet right back to your family veterinarian as soon as your pet is feeling better. If you would like to know more about specialties within veterinary medicine, visit www.avma.org and click on veterinary specialties. This will take you to a list of all specialties and even provide links, addresses, and phone numbers for the various colleges.