Long wait times, budget constraints, and lack of local veterinary specialty services often conspire to make the job of primary care veterinarians harder. Fortunately, with advancements in access to remote veterinary specialist support, help is now at hand for the most complicated of specialty veterinary cases.
Primary care veterinarians work tirelessly to take care of challenging and complicated specialty cases amongst their pet patients. However, with increased pet ownership, comes increased demand on their time, available resources, and specialty support. To wit: according to the American Pet Products Association, as cited in Forbes ADVISOR, in 2023 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet. That’s a 10% spike over the last three decades. What’s more, the American Veterinary Medical Association 2018 and 2022 Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook reports that 85% of dog owners and 76% of cat owners consider their pets to be a member of the family.
In other words, pets are unquestionably a vital part of their owners’ lives.
Given this ongoing importance placed upon companion animals in an ever-stressful world, it comes as no surprise that primary care veterinarians play a correspondingly bigger role in the health and well-being of not only their pet patients, but pet owners too.
But no man is an island, and no vet should have to stand alone in the fight to save their patients. Which is where veterinary specialty services and support – like those offered quickly, easily and remotely by Hope Veterinary Specialty Services – come in.
What is Veterinary Specialty Care?
Much like human medicine specialists, veterinary specialists support general practitioners by offering medical expertise and services related to one specific area of medicine or disease. Veterinary specialists undergo years of additional training, and rigorous examination, to become experts in their specialized area of veterinary medicine.
Healthcare is a rapidly evolving field, and increased knowledge, research and new advancements in treatment can be hard to keep up with. This is especially true for busy general practitioners already stretched thin by daily practice filled to overflowing with pet patients requiring immediate care.
Veterinary specialists can relieve some of that stress and burden of care by providing primary care veterinarians with access to advanced diagnostics, treatment plans, and improved outcomes for complex animal medical conditions.
Fostering the Relationship Between Primary Care Veterinarians and Specialists
Of course, access to veterinary specialist services is not always easy or quick. When referred to a specialist, pet parents often face long wait times, long commutes, sometimes exorbitant bills, and even being denied care due to lack of capacity or staff. The doctors at Hope Veterinary Specialty Services are excited to be changing all that. By offering remotely accessed veterinary specialty services, they seek to partner with primary care veterinarians to change the narrative and outcomes for patients with complicated cases or confusing presentations by minimizing these obstacles.
How? With just one email, primary care vets can now gain access to comprehensive written guides for a wide range of diagnoses within 72 hours of request for help, in the following areas:
- Oncology
- Neurology
- Internal medicine
- Dermatology
- Mental health support for veterinary health care workers
- Emergency and critical care
The end goal of veterinary medicine is one all players within the veterinary community can agree on: to provide longer, healthier, happier lives for patients. A truly collaborative, mutually respectful, and caring partnership between primary care vets and vet specialists plays a key role in achieving exactly that.
Learn more about Hope Veterinary Specialty Services, and how they can help you, today.
AUTHOR PROFILE
IVC Journal is a division of Redstone Media Group. Innovation is the key to veterinarians staying competitive and being able to provide their clients with the absolute best care possible. IVC Journal delivers the most up to date and compelling information available by bridging the gap between the traditional worlds of allopathic and integrative veterinary care.
