Veterinary Specialty Services

Veterinary surgeons often use bandages for postoperative swelling, support, or wound protection. As a pet owner- it is very important to adhere to bandage care ...instructions and contact your surgeon with any questions or concerns. It helps prevent problems list this dog. Too tight bandage = swollen toes! See more

Pinto's surgery was a success! Thank you Dr. Hoots and the surgery staff Veterinary Specialty Services and Veterinary Emergency Service. Last week we posted Pinto's story; he was abandoned and hurt near a farm in Visalia. He had likely been hit by a car and shot! Despite his misfortune, he remained sweet and friendly. Pinto was taken in by the Herndon family who found him. He's in loving hands now!

So, what’s the difference between a veterinarian and a veterinary specialist? Well, as human medicine has gotten progressively more specialized, veterinary medicine has been slower to do so until the past few decades. Veterinary specialists have advanced training beyond veterinary school it’s someone who has gone on to complete secondary training through a rigorous internship and further training in a residency or fellowship (typically 2-4 additional years). In order to b...e board-certified following your residency, you have to publish a scientific research paper (in a peer-reviewed, scientific, accredited research journal) and pass an intense 2-3 day exam (similar to a lawyer’s bar exam). So, not easy at all! There are currently multiple specialties, such as veterinary anesthesiology, behavior, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, emergency critical care, internal medicine, neurology, nutrition, ophthalmology, pathology, radiology, surgery, wildlife/zoo medicine, etc. So, why would you need to see your regular veterinarian versus a veterinary specialist? Specialists typically see referral cases that may be more complicated or critically ill, or need advanced procedures performed that your veterinarian doesn’t routinely perform. For example, if your dog or cat requires advanced surgery (a total hip replacement, for example) or an ultrasound of his heart, he may need to see a board-certified veterinary specialist in surgery or cardiology, respectively. If your pet is in advanced kidney failure, a consultation with an internal medicine specialist may be imperative. If your animal needs 24-hour care and is critically ill, he may need to be evaluated by an emergency critical care specialist. More information on specialists can be found at the AVMA's veterinary specialists page, or specifically at the specialties website. The best way to tell who the specialist is, is by looking for extra letters behind a veterinarian’s name (e.g., Jill Lane, DVM, DACVECC). These letters stand for something. See more