? Advice/Suggestions on how to find a new vet

For those of you who have a good veterinarian, how did you find them? Is there a list somewhere of vets who follow the guidelines on this board? If you searched Google, or called around until you found someone, what questions did you ask them?

I've been unhappy with my vet for awhile, due mostly to the disorganization in her office, but I spoke to her yesterday about her goals for diabetic cats and I really just didn't agree with her. She's not open to prescribing any insulin other than Vetsulin, and she wants the nadir "around 300." That's not even the renal threshold.

It's a moot point since my Spooky probably has cancer and is in so much pain, that his diabetes is not my top concern anymore. But if she's so off on diabetes, what else is she behind the times on?

 

I was referred to a nutritionist by a friend and she worked at a specialty hospital with an er. When Minnie had her first emergency I took her there and the care was amazing so I asked them for a list of vets they worked with. Unfortunately, before that I had been to 3 different vets never really liking any very much. I looked through referrals on my Nextdoor app and that can be a good resource as folks will share their experiences and why they like that particular vet. Do you have any friends with pets near you who love their vets? I think we have a link here about how to screen vets. Let em looks for it

 

https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/vet-interview-screening-topics-check-list.156663/

 

I second Nextdoor, I have had good luck with that, and also Google and Yelp reviews. You can search reviews for key words and see what experiences come up for instance if you look up "diabetes". Also this is going to sound awful but I have had better rapport with middle-aged women - they tend to listen a little better than men (at least in my experience), and better chances of them being up to date with research than the old guard, while also having experience and not being fresh out of vet school.

 

I see you’re in Chicago. Another idea is to starts a thread titled something like looking for a diabetes friendly vet in Chicago so members who live there can see and comment

 

That pretty much fits the profile of Minnie’s vet team at Mash and her regular vets who are now all also Bobo’s vets. Except for one of her IMs at Mash’s who was/is a gay man so that is a category of its own

 

This is exactly what I was looking for - thank you!!

 

Thanks for the suggestions - I did reach out to a friend who is a big animal lover and fosters dogs. I have a recommendation from her that I will try, but sometimes vets are great with dogs and not so great with cats. I'm encouraged though, by the pictures of the vets on the website - both of them are holding cats.

 

Here is a link you can use to find vets that only treat cats. Hopefully you have one near you.

https://catfriendly.com/find-a-veterinary-professional/

 

The hardest is getting past the receptionist. Of course she'll say he's a good vet and asking for a 'meet and greet' seems like a waste of time to them.
They have a diploma on the wall, a lab coat and a stethoscope so as far as they're concerned that's all you need to know and how dare you question them further.
Do not mention the internet, instead make up some story about two friends whose cats did much better with something other than Vetsulin and that the leading veterinary colleges now know (we all know this) that Vetsulin is a dog insulin that seldom lasts the entire 12 hour cycle. Vets normally attend a yearly conference to see what's new so this shouldn't be news but some vets think once they've graduated (last in their class) that's all they need to know.
From Google...
Vetsulin was initially launched in 2004, but in 2009 the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised concerns about its stability, stating that the product could have an unpredictable onset and duration of action and recommending that diabetic patients be switched to other products.
It's no fun being confrontational with any professional but just like getting a quote for a new roof if you know something isn't right you move on. You have every right to ask lots of questions.
Pain management. This seems to elude doctors both human and animal. Noah needed all his teeth pulled but would not have survived the anaesthetic so for three years he was on transdermal BUPE. It was obvious it just plain hurt and we didn't turn him into our little drug addict. Besides, what if we did? His numbers were normal, no constipation and he didn't have to stay away from the stairs. I can honestly say the BUPE extended his life by three years all because of my compassionate vet.
Vets deserve our respect but they're not God.

 

One more thing. Your cat's medical records belong to you as well. I've had vets make a fuss over this and had one vet fax over the reasons he thought the cat was ABC but not the lab results that led him to that conclusion. The receptionist acted like I just dumped her on Christmas Eve and I wasn't getting the ring back. That's legally and ethically wrong.
And my vet? She phoned us twice a day every day for two weeks advising us on Nigel's dose. When Nigel died the entire staff signed a card and we got a $100 bouquet. I've always had incredible luck with vets with the exception of any VCA clinic.

 

Another suggestion is to ask if there are any members of FDMB that are in your area if they have recommendations. We have members all over the world so it is possible that someone may live near you.

 

We had two but Julie and Honey and Joybee are no longer here. Maybe check the Reunion forum?

 

Thank you for your posts - I actually love the receptionist at my vet. I knew her years ago when she and her husband owned the Shell station across from where I worked and I would visit her daily for my chocolate and caffeine. Unfortunately with the downturn in 2008-2009 they lost the business. Now many (20) years later I was pleasantly surprised to find that she is a receptionist and vet tech at my vet clinic!

I finally heard from my vet about the blood tests that were done on Tuesday. Apparently everything is normal except that Spooky is severely anemic - dangerously. Possibly/probably due to cancer.

I will be picking up new Ringers solution with a B complex in it and I've ordered a couple things off of Amazon that were recommended in the forums here. Jarrow B Right and Liqui-tinic.

But anyway, I called the clinic back and luckily my favorite receptionist answered. Told her I was coming in to get the fluids and asked if she would get me a copy of Spooky's history. She said she would make copies immediately for me. No I did not mention that I am probably leaving. I did not say "give me my kitty's records!" I just asked if she could get me copies of his history and tests so I could digest them.

So tomorrow I will be typing all of that into Spooky's spreadsheet. And most likely crying, because that is my life.

 

So sorry to hear about Spooky, Rachel. I hope the treatment will help him feel better and give you more precious quality time together

 

Yes me too and I do it more than I used to. This is the part that kills me, they're kittens and before you know it you're old, the cats are old and we never thought this day would ever come.
I'm happy for you things turned out as well as could be expected at your vets and I should be happy Spooky had a good life but since I can relate I wish I could take those tears away. That's not very poetic but now you know it's not just you.
One thing I'm good at is pain management so if you need help just ask.

 

Well put. From the day they join our family, we know their lives will be short. We hope we will outlast them, that they will go first, because what would they do without us? Who would love them the way that we do? But then the day comes and it's always so darn painful. We pour all our love into them, knowing that someday it will lead to heartbreak.

 

Quick follow up - we weren't able to get into the vet that was recommended to us by a friend, but we have an appointment Monday at a different clinic. I was impressed by the intake over the phone and by email so my fingers are crossed!

 

When I lived in Chicago, I used Cat Hospital of Chicago. After they had a fire (no kitties were injured!), they affiliated with VCA and they are now VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago. I have friends there who have used the practice for years. I particularly like Drs. Czerwonky and Thompson.

The U of IL also has a clinic in Chicago.

 

Went to the new vet today and we liked her!