ESPN Hunting

Just like human medicine, as the volume of knowledge, advancement of equipment, and ability to perform sophisticated procedures increases veterinary medicine is becoming more and more specialized. Today you can have your dogs seen by specialists for everything from skin problems to behavioral issues. It helps to not only understand what's available but how a referral to a specialist works.

A sample case

One morning a very concerned Jack McAllister arrived at the clinic with Barney. Barney is one of several beagles owned by Mr. McAllister, an avid rabbit hunter, who uses his pack of beagles most weekends during rabbit season. Even though Mr. McAllister takes good care of his beagles, for the majority they are just rabbit dogs, and receive little attention except when hunting.

While this is true for most of his beagles, Barney is a little different. He is Mr. McAllister's best dog, and Jack receives lots of complements and requests for breeding of Barney to dogs of fellow hunters.

Barney had been fine after hunting yesterday afternoon, but when Mr. McAllister went to feed the dogs this morning he found Barney unable to walk. He had to drag himself to the food bowl.

It didn't take long for me to realize that Barney had suffered from an acute slipped disk in his back. I suggested to Mr. McAllister that Barney be referred to a veterinary surgeon for surgery to alleviate the problem.

After explaining to Mr. McAllister that the surgery that Barney needed required specialized equipment, and very precise performance because it involved working around the spinal cord, and that without it Barney would likely never walk again, he agreed that referral would be the best option. A quick call to the surgeon's office secured an estimate for the procedure, an appointment time, and directions to the facility.

Two weeks later when I saw Barney to remove his sutures he had improved dramatically, and was walking some, although still a bit wobbly. Mr. McAllister brought me up to date on how he was caring for Barney, and I was able to pass along further instructions that I had received in the surgeon's follow up letter.

In the end, a quick decision to seek specialized care from the surgeon probably saved Barney's future hunting and breeding career.

Why use a specialist?

Specialists might be sought for a variety of reasons:

• Procedures that require equipment or resources that your local veterinarian doesn't have.
  Example: Cataract removal, Emergency or 24 hour care

• Procedures that require special certification.
  Example: TPLO surgical repair of cruciate tears, PennHIP evaluation

• Procedures that are not commonly performed by local veterinarians.
  Example: Some chemotherapy and surgical procedures

• Second opinions or help on cases that don't seem to be responding.

Getting a referral

The process of your veterinarian sending you and your dog to be seen by a specialist is called a referral. The referral process starts when your veterinarian determines that your dog would benefit from being seen by a specialist, offers a referral, and you accept the offer.

What happens next varies, but will generally follow a series of events including contact of the specialist by your veterinarian, the specialist listening to the case and giving an estimate of probable treatment (if no diagnosis is known this my simply be an estimate for the initial consultation and initial workup costs), and, if you are agreeable to the estimate, arranging an appropriate appointment date to see your dog.

What happens at the specialist?

About Ben Character

Dr. Character is a freelance writer and private veterinary practitioner concentrating on sporting dog issues. He has practiced large and small animal medicine and surgery since graduating from Auburn University. Recently, he went on to complete post-doctoral studies at Mississippi State University. Dr. Character is a certified PennHIP member and writes for magazines such as Retriever Journal and Pointing Dog Journal. He is an avid outdoorsman who resides in Union, Alabama, south of Tuscaloosa, with his wife and two children.

Once in the specialist's office, events will usually proceed similar to those at the local veterinarians. Diagnosis (if needed), and treatment are determined and explained, you give consent for either/both, and care is given.

Sometimes care can be accomplished the same day, while other times an extended stay is required. If you are local, you might be able to reschedule treatment for another day, however, if you have traveled a ways to visit the specialist, you should be prepared to either drop the dog off for treatment and return once care is complete, or procure lodging until your dog is able to be released.

Just as with your local veterinarian, communication with specialists is crucial to a successful outcome. Most specialty clinics will provide a minimum of daily care contact and update you with changes as or before they occur. Of course, you may call for updates or with any additional questions or information that may come up.

Aftercare

After your dog's care is complete and he/she has been released back to you, future care will probably occur through your local veterinarian. Exceptions to this include situations where you are local to the specialist and can easily return for follow up visits, or when it is deemed necessary that the specialist continue care and follow ups.

After the case is complete your veterinarian will receive documentation to add to your dog's record that outlines exactly what procedures were performed, their outcomes, and the conclusions of the specialist.

Often when your veterinarian is performing follow up care, instructions for such care are included as well. These local follow up visits will probably include a call to the specialist by your veterinarian to discuss how your dog is responding and what, if any, future follow-ups should entail.

Veterinary specialists, in close conjunction with local veterinarians, bring the power of advanced veterinary care to everyone.