By Jo Singer
The art of veterinary medicine has been growing by leaps and bounds over the years. With the wide range of modern diagnostic techniques and treatment options available today, veterinary medicine now offers our cats a much longer and healthier lifespan.
This said, in my experience I have found it’s not that easy to find just the right veterinarian. Being able to find a practitioner who gives me confidence and is highly skilled, who adores cats and is compassionate, patient and gentle, and of course someone with whom I feel comfortable has been far more difficult than finding an excellent doctor for myself.
In their training veterinarians learn a great deal about feline medicine. But as far as I am concerned there are few and far between who truly understand a cat’s nature. I have even run across some veterinarians who are scared of kitties. For example, a few years ago, an Emergency Room vet from another area who was accompanying one of my vets on an after-hours house call to tend to our very sick kitties wanted to be sure that our cats were “nice” before she felt comfortable enough to assist him.
I feel strongly that any veterinarian who is treating my cats should be their “second best” friend. Since we had an excellent veterinarian in New York when my husband and I moved to Florida years ago, we were faced with a huge challenge; finding an exceptional local veterinarian.
There were tons of veterinary clinic shingles hanging in our neighborhood, and advertisements galore in our local newspapers. But how were we going to make the right choice in getting the best practitioner. To say the least I was greatly concerned.
First we checked with friends for referrals, but following several visits to these clinics it was obvious that the scope of their practices was quite limited, and some weren’t even using recommended vaccine protocols. Most of the local veterinarians were not particularly sophisticated in the feline department. And having cats with chronic medical conditions required our finding someone who could handle these concerns without sending us off to specialists on a regular basis. I was getting very frustrated.
We wanted a practitioner who could provide both the routine veterinary care as our cats matured as well as have the ability to handle a variety of medical conditions as they presented themselves. And while a feline practitioner can be likely to be more current with newer technique and can more easily ab handle cats; this is not always the case.
Years ago I found a flyer in my mailbox advertising a house call and office practice that had recently opened which offered services for both cats and dogs. The house call option was appealing since our cats are not particularly fond of traveling. I made an appointment, and the rest is history. We love Florida Wild Veterinary Hospital.
We are blessed with two wonderfully capable veterinarians who are always willing to go the extra mile to provide our cats with outstanding care. They even take the time to consult with a specialist when necessary. The hospital is a breathtakingly beautiful and immaculately clean facility that offers a separate kitty-only waiting room.
Both the administrative staff and veterinary assistants are helpful and friendly. All the pets and their guardians are handled with such tender loving care; making us feel like we are very special and I have no doubt that Both Dr. Erin Holder and Dr. Lisa Mason are Dr. Hush Puppy’s and Sir Hubble Pinkerton’s “Second –Best” friends. What is even better is that they think so too.
How do you know that your veterinarian is your cat’s “Second- Best” friend? Tell us in a comment.
Jo Singer
Other qualities that I find important in a vet are a calm, low-key manner, good judgment, and a straightforward way of explaining diagnostic tests or treatment recommendations. Many fancy and expensive interventions are available these days, but sometimes they may be unnecessary. I like our vet because he really respects our kitty and doesn’t want to disturb her any more than he has to. He talks to her and pets her during the exam, and she seems to trust him. Doesn’t get any better than that, I guess. Thanks for writing a thought-provoking column, Jo.
Another good point Judy. Good vets do the minimum treatment for the maximum effect.
You are so fortunate to have such a great vet! We had a very good one in the Mojave who had a good heart, a full state-of-the-art hospital with everything on premises, and a great way of working with his patients and their caregivers to try to accomodate both the more and less fortunate financially. His patients seemed to be his first priority. Unfortunately, in this location I have to say that the bottom line is $$$, and that most of the vets seem dog-oriented. None of that is good for us! Our current vet is kind and gentle, but his business is quite small and old, and the waiting room is very cramped; when there are dogs in there, I don’t know about my cats for sure, but I do know I am very uncomfortable and want to leave, because I don’t like being anywhere near dogs.
You make an interesting point. We never know or rarely know if a vet likes cats or dogs or keeps cats or dogs. I like it that my vet keeps a cat and likes cats and understands them. It comes across in conversations. The way a vet relates to your cat during consultation is important. Waiting rooms can difficult as even in a carrier a cat can end up being a few feet from a dog and some cats never get to be near dogs usually.
I’m actually more wigged-out than they probably are; I have a security door and I keep the main door open in good weather so my indoor-only cats can look out, and they see a LOT of dogs being walked on the block. I have had to care for two dogs, but I do not like them and do not want to be around them. I wish the vet had a larger business, but it is what it is. He’s very good with cats, and good with caregivers.
Well, I get pretty wigged-out too at the vets. Me and my cat together. It is all bubbling under the surface 😉 In Charlie’s case it is all over the carrier (pee!).
(^^O) My calico sends *purrz* too – she just crawled up onto my lap to get away from the Mainey Man Menace 😉