Posts highlighting some non-specific information about veterinary specialty medicine
The vast majority of pet parents in the United States have no idea board-certified veterinary specialists are available to partner with them and their pets’ primary care doctor. In this regard, board-certified veterinary specialists have failed. We have failed to educate pet parents that we exist. On an almost daily basis I hear some variation … [Read more…]
One of the best pieces of medical advice I ever received was from a board-certified veterinary surgeon at the hospital where I completed my internship after graduating from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The hospital was/is located in one of the most litigious parts of the country (Long Island, New York), and he was … [Read more…]
I’m writing this blog as I travel to Frankfurt, Germany to speak with colleagues at the Congress of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine about marketing veterinary specialty medicine. I was concerned about the timing of my voyage, as I was not confident I would be able to publish my weekly post on time. … [Read more…]
Diarrhea or should I say chronic diarrhea is one of the more common reasons dogs and cats are referred to board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialists. By definition chronic diarrhea has been present for more than three weeks. Certainly the majority of pet parents are profoundly frustrated by the time they are referred or heed their … [Read more…]
This question is poised to me by pet parents on an almost daily basis. It is also one that puts me immediately on guard. Why? As a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist, my primary obligation is to advocate for your pet’s healthcare. But my patients come to me through referrals – referrals from primary care … [Read more…]
Let me be crystal clear right from the get-go. A steroid (aka: corticosteroid, glucocorticoid) should rarely be given at the same time as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (aka: NSAID) prescribed at an anti-inflammatory dose. This is a well-established pharmacologic principle, but for some reason, it is also one I see violated on an almost daily basis. … [Read more…]
Evaluating blood, urine and feces (as well as other bodily fluids) to screen for and monitor disease processes is an essential component of animal healthcare. Samples can be submitted to any number of veterinary reference laboratories, gold-standard facilities with board-certified veterinary clinical pathologists and well-trained medical technologists who work with test samples all day. According … [Read more…]
When a pet gets sick and requires the medical attention of a veterinarian, pet parents expect the veterinarian to make their pet well! They expect (and often demand) the best care, the latest treatments, and the most advanced diagnostics available. But often it is pet parents themselves who sabotage their pets’ medical outcomes. Too often … [Read more…]
A clinical scenario I face almost on a daily basis is a pet that is presented to me for failure to positively respond to a steroid trial initiated by a family veterinarian. A primary care doctor initially evaluated the fur baby, and subsequently made a presumptive clinical diagnosis of a disease that is treated with a … [Read more…]
I recognize the very fact that a pet needs to see me, as a specialist, is very stressful for a family. Pet parents are often nervous, worried, and possibly even frustrated about a consultation with a veterinary specialist. Sometimes they’re downright scared! Believe me, I understand these emotions. I’ve been through them as a pet … [Read more…]