Services - Second Opinions & Referrals

As a cats-only hospital, we are often asked to evaluate patients on a second opinion basis. We welcome these visits and make use of all of our resources to help treat patients with challenging medical and/or behavioral conditions. Our doctors have been feline-only practitioners for many years and focus our continual education on feline medicine, which is often very different from canine medicine. This experience and training provides a unique perspective in evaluating and treating cats. While our doctors focus their education and skills on cats only, we are not “specialists”. Specialists are doctors that have advanced degrees beyond a veterinary degree and are board-certified in an area of expertise (see “specialist referrals” below).

When scheduling a second opinion, we will need a copy of your cat’s complete medical records, including all test results, treatments, radiographs (x-rays) and ultrasound examination reports. We need to receive these records at least 2 business days before your appointment (unless it is scheduled on an urgent basis), so that our doctors have adequate time to review them and complete any necessary research prior to the appointment. This way, during your appointment, the doctor can focus on examining and evaluating your cat and developing a new treatment plan. If you are unable to get your cat’s medical records, you can still schedule the appointment; however, we may need to repeat some of the tests that have already been performed. A second opinion examination is scheduled for longer than our other appointments so that we can spend the addition time such a visit needs. After your visit, you are welcome to continue your cat’s care with us or continue with your current veterinarian. For further information, and to schedule your cat’s appointment, please call us.

Specialist Referrals

We work closely with several specialists on a consultation and referral basis to provide the best care for our patients. We try to make these referrals as convenient and stress-free as possible for our clients and patients. We have board-certified internal medicine specialists visit our hospital every two weeks to conduct ultrasound and endoscopic examinations. In addition, they are available for consultation and referral visits. If an expert opinion is needed on an x-ray, we can send our digital x-rays electronically for rapid evaluation. EKG’s are sent electronically to a cardiologist for evaluation.

We are lucky to live in an area with many specialists available (within a 1-2 hour drive) for consultation and referral. When a cat needs specialized care and/or evaluation, we refer our clients to these specialists, just as your primary care doctor will refer you to a specialist. Some of the specialties include ophthalmology, dermatology, cardiology, oncology, orthopedic/specialized surgery and radiology (for advanced imaging, such as an MRI or CAT scan). We work closely with these specialists to coordinate the care your cat needs after your referral visit. If you would like more information about referral to a specialist, please call our office.