Looking for Vet rec - Butler - Cranberry Twp Pa area

[Shari and Max]

I'm frustrated with my vet. Can anyone in the Cranberry Township, Zelienople or Butler PA area recommend a vet for Diabetes managment? Thanks.

 

[dian and wheezer]

is there something we can help you with shari??, do not know vets in that area. will see where deb and spot goes. maybe it is close enough for you

 

[lynda and scruffy (GA)]

Shari - I've been through four vets in this area. There is a significant dearth of vets with up-to-date knowledge of feline diabetes. Even though I called and asked specifically for information on each vet's treatment protocols and priorities for FD, I was still unpleasantly surprised to find how little current information they had. (Pennsylvania does not seem to have continuing education requirements for vets.) Three of them thought home-testing was unimportant and unnecessary - the fourth actually refused to even look at my spreadsheets. Honestly, you can find virtually ALL of the information you need to take care of Max's diabetes right here. When you think about it, even human diabetes is essentially a home-treated disease; once you get the information and have a little experience, you probably would only need a vet for prescriptions and for the occasional consultation, if you're into that. And once you can hometest, you have the key to know exactly what the effect of every dose of insulin is. No vet can give you that information. (I'm not suggesting that anyone here is a substitute for a professional veterinarian, or that other diseases might not require significantly more hands-on medical care, just that FD is a disease that really lends itself to owner-management.)

I think that we all started out here, feeling defensively like our vets knew what was right - even when the advice was REALLY bad (like your vet gave you!) and of course, "internet crazies can't be trusted....." But, the more you read and the more you learn, the more you realize that this is an enormously helpful site, with a vast world-wide reach and a stunning, incomparable amount of personal experience. Because members are living the treatment of FD on a day by day, minute to minute basis, help is available at any hour. If you are put off by personality issues, you can still find virtually all of the information you need by searching the site. People post about the newest research, news articles, etc, in addition to the invaluable actual experience. And the knowledge is cumulative - you can learn about FD, and move on to feline nutrition, and other diseases - somebody here has, at some point, dealt with EVERYTHING you can possibly need to know in order to find appropriate treatment for your cats. And, some of the most caring, amazing people are here on a regular basis; it truly is a community. FDMB can't write your insulin prescriptions for you, but it can certainly help you provide the optimal care for your Max.

All that said, if you want the name of my vet - at least he's been broken in! - let me know..... He's in Cranberry.

 

[Shari and Max]

Lynda,

I sent you a PM but I'm not sure it actually got sent. It's sitting in my "Outbox" not in the Sent Messages folder.

 

[Shari and Max]

Dian - No, thank you. There's nothing specific. I would just like to see if there is another vet in the area that I might be a little more comfortable with. Thanks!

 

[dian and wheezer]

ok shari. I agree with what lynda has said. I am a person of few words lol.
remember, we are here if you need us.
I will let deb know you will more than likely be using lynda,s vet.
how is max doing??