Specialists in veterinary medicine
A neurologist for animals? A dermatologist? I often hear shocked expressions when clients learn that there isn’t just one kind of veterinarian. A recent personal event made me think about sharing this information with you.
On Memorial Day, our little chihuahua, Pablo, started to walk abnormally, which was a very suspicious sign of a relapse of a condition he had three years ago: meningitis, or inflammation of the protective membrane protecting the spinal cord and brain. He is doing okay now, don’t worry! We consulted a veterinary neurologist very quickly and got tests done, which confirmed the presence of the disease.
Based on my experience, I know that many pet owners are unaware that there are other types of veterinarians than general practitioners. Just like in human medicine, specialists have specific training and qualifications to evaluate and treat specific conditions. It is with this in mind that I wrote this article to spread the information and make specialist care something to think about as a possibility if your animal gets sick.
As an ER doctor, I am so grateful to be able to work with specialists as partners to provide the best care possible to our precious patients.
How is the specialist’s training different than a general practioner’s training?
There are many steps that a veterinarian needs to achieve before becoming a specialist. Every veterinarian needs to go through veterinary medicine school, usually four years to obtain a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, which allows us to practice as general practitioners. Some of us will do a general internship (one year in different specialties) before going into general practice or urgent care.
Veterinarians who want to pursue a specialty have more years of training ahead, which typically involves one year of specialized internship followed by a three-year residency program. After residency, they have to pass a very difficult exam prepared by the board of their specialty before obtaining the official title of “specialist.”
There are 41 veterinary specialties which are part of the 22 veterinary specialty organizations recognized by AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association). Here are some of the most common ones seen in small animal medicine and a few examples of conditions relevant for each specialty. Please keep in mind that the list is not complete and that there are more specialists and they take care of many other conditions not listed below.
Neurology
Neurologists assess and take care of patients with diseases of the nervous system such as inflammatory disease (what Pablo has), seizure disorders, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), spinal and head injuries, cancer of the nervous system, etc. They often use advanced imaging procedures such as MRI, CT-Scan and other diagnostic tools to assess pets and plan the best course of action. Neurologists are also trained to perform surgeries on pets’ nervous system.
Internal medicine
Internists are specialists who focus their work on the internal diseases (non surgical diseases) of pets. They help animals with some endocrine (hormonal system (e.g. diabetes, hyperthyroidism, Cushing, etc.)), immune related, gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, infectious, urinary or respiratory diseases on a daily basis. They sometimes perform advanced tests such as CT-Scan, ultrasounds, and endoscopies (going with a camera in a minimally invasive way in different parts of the body). Internists will often monitor and manage chronic diseases.
Surgery
Surgeons are the specialist to go to for orthopedic conditions (fractures, limping, ruptured ligaments, etc.), complicated wounds/lacerations, soft tissue surgeries (foreign bodies, mass removal, endocrine/hormonal related surgeries, etc.) and many more.
Emergency and critical care
This is the specialist that will assess and treat severe emergencies such as trauma (e.g. hit by car, head trauma, etc.), respiratory distress (e.g. pneumonia, pneumothorax, etc.), severe electrolyte imbalances, shock, etc.
Cardiology
Cardiac diseases are quite frequent in pets. Cardiologists are the specialists assessing patients with heart murmurs (abnormal sounds when we listen to the heart) and arrhythmias (heart not beating at the appropriate rhythm). They often will perform an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) and ECG to assess the hearts of pets.
Oncology
Sadly, pets do get cancer just like humans. Oncologists stage the cancer and recommend the best plan for the pet depending on the condition, whether it is surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or hospice care. It is important to note that chemotherapy is very different in veterinary medicine than in human medicine and that the goal is to slow the progression of the cancer, prevent metastasis (spread of cancer) or reduce the size of tumors. Cancer is rarely cured by chemotherapy in veterinary medicine and the goal of this therapy is to slow the cancer process to maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible. Therefore, we do not see side effects the same way as we do in human medicine — your pet will not lose his/her hair with chemotherapy. Even if your pet is diagnosed with incurable cancer, oncologists are the ones who can help to have a good quality of life for the remaining time with your pet.
There are many more specialties in our field such as dentistry, ophthalmology, dermatology, radiology, pathology, etc. that I will not describe in detail, but they are also critically important.
Specialists work hand in hand with other veterinarians and pet owners with the goal of providing the best care possible to animals.
When should you consult a specialist?
Many conditions can be managed by family doctors but sometimes they get complicated and you may get a referral to consult a specialist, although referrals are not always required. If you are questioning if your pet would benefit from a specialist, you should feel comfortable to have this conservation with your family doctor to find the best plan possible for your pet!
Veterinary medicine can provide advanced care when needed to ensure the optimal treatment. I hope this article gives you information about different parts of veterinary medicine you may not have known before.
