What questions to ask when seeking a vet with FD exp/Boston

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Susan G & Jimmy G

Susan G & Jimmy G

Member Since 2017
Someone had posted somewhere questions to ask when seeking out a new vet. Right now, I am trying to seek a local vet with experience in higher dose diabetic kitties. I am in the Boston area - if others have a recommendation. TIA.
 
Yong said:
Is this what you may have been looking for? https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BqrojKe9oBVAoexL59pUWidEd7viNmxSqW5l2IBTWjY/edit
Also, @Caitlin M is in MA too and just found a couple good Vets :)
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Yes! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Yong! @Caitlin M who did you end up going to? I am in the city but willing to travel if you having good luck with your vet. I have a great mobile vet but high doses are out of her wheelhouse and we're quickly approaching what is considered high dose.
 
Susan G said:
Yes! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Yong! @Caitlin M who did you end up going to? I am in the city but willing to travel if you having good luck with your vet. I have a great mobile vet but high doses are out of her wheelhouse and we're quickly approaching what is considered high dose.
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Hi Susan! The exact questions I asked were:
1. Have you treated diabetic cats before?/how many?
2. Do you support home testing?
3. Do you require in-clinic curves?

Those were my three biggest. I actually just went to the vet this morning who answered exactly how I was hoping! (Yes-she also had a diabetic cat herself. Yes and she knows human meters. No, she absolutely prefers NOT to since they aren't reliable)
Anywho, I live in Methuen and she is actually in North Andover at Bulger Animal Hospital http://www.ivghospitals.com/hospital/bulger-veterinary-hospital/
Her name is Krista Vernaleken (hope it's ok I wrote that). I loved her! Pita actually did amazing with her as well. She just met him to check him over, looked at some numbers, said I was doing great and gave me a prescription! She was very personable and made me feel so comfortable. If you're willing to travel there I highly recommend her, otherwise I'd say call around and definitely ask questions! Good luck and let me know if I can help any more :)
 
Caitlin M said:
Hi Susan! The exact questions I asked were:
1. Have you treated diabetic cats before?/how many?
2. Do you support home testing?
3. Do you require in-clinic curves?

Those were my three biggest. I actually just went to the vet this morning who answered exactly how I was hoping! (Yes-she also had a diabetic cat herself. Yes and she knows human meters. No, she absolutely prefers NOT to since they aren't reliable)
Anywho, I live in Methuen and she is actually in North Andover at Bulger Animal Hospital http://www.ivghospitals.com/hospital/bulger-veterinary-hospital/
Her name is Krista Vernaleken (hope it's ok I wrote that). I loved her! Pita actually did amazing with her as well. She just met him to check him over, looked at some numbers, said I was doing great and gave me a prescription! She was very personable and made me feel so comfortable. If you're willing to travel there I highly recommend her, otherwise I'd say call around and definitely ask questions! Good luck and let me know if I can help any more :)
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Sounds like a great vet visit, Caitlin. :)
 
Thanks @Caitlin M! N Andover is not too far...prob 40 min. I talked to Boston Cat Hospital yesterday and I have brought other kitties there in the past...but I don't know about their exp with diabetic kitties let alone high dose ones. I emailed them my SS, his recent Bloodwork and a general overview of his well being. I was told I would hear back today or tomorrow. If that doesn't pan out I will def try your recommendation. Were you using a human meter? Or have you switched?

Bottom line I need to get Jimmy seen soon as his numbers are not improving with the increased doses and I don't want him lingering in these ranges too long.

Thanks again for your response! I appreciate it.
 
Susan G said:
Thanks @Caitlin M! N Andover is not too far...prob 40 min. I talked to Boston Cat Hospital yesterday and I have brought other kitties there in the past...but I don't know about their exp with diabetic kitties let alone high dose ones. I emailed them my SS, his recent Bloodwork and a general overview of his well being. I was told I would hear back today or tomorrow. If that doesn't pan out I will def try your recommendation. Were you using a human meter? Or have you switched?

Bottom line I need to get Jimmy seen soon as his numbers are not improving with the increased doses and I don't want him lingering in these ranges too long.

Thanks again for your response! I appreciate it.
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Oh good! Yes I use a human meter-brand ReliOn Confirm. I hope it all goes well for you! I know nothing about Lantus but that's a bummer his numbers are high!
 
Always great to find a vet that ticks all the boxes. I'm not trying to ruin someone's day but one thing we cannot foresee is the front end staff, worst case being "Nurse Ratched". I have managed my way through this minefield with cookies (not a euphemism). If it's a big practice then you are just one of many and they do not know if you have developed a rapport with the doctor. You'll figure that one out yourself.
Does the doctor keep up with an ever changing knowledge base?
This can be a very sensitive topic. Your family doctor knows a bit about everything and when they don't they refer you to a specialist. Some veterinarians do cats only or split cats and dogs between partners if it works for them. Our vet had an associate (she had no interest in becoming a partner) and together they did the cat/dog thing. Now she is working alone and is also called upon to examine iguanas, hamsters etc. Our vet's Dad was a veterinarian as well so she has seen and done it all. She has also spent years as a poor student and, perhaps rightfully so, may resent you telling her "what's new". Fortunately for me both my family doctor and my vet appreciate the patient that does a little homework on their own.
If the vet sometimes appears inflexible this might work;
veterinary partner.com http://www.veterinarypartner.com/ is a no nonsense sight that does not deal in magic beans and is not sponsored by MagicBeans Inc. I can only guess what may work but I would try this. Print the page you think is relevant, highlight the section you have questions about followed by a question mark. Sounds silly? It's all about perception. Hopefully the doctor will see you have chosen a universally respected web-sight and the question marks will signal "I respect your knowledge, what do you think of this?" There may be eye-rolling or raised eyebrows, just go with the flow.
Everything I've just written is the definition of understatement and vague. Everyone has bad days. We all know how to keep friends and show respect.
Good luck Susan and I wish continuing good luck to Caitlin and Pita.
How lucky are we? We may have to make a sudden 8 hour journey involving a connecting flight and a ferry ride (family health) and our vet has volunteered to board Noah, something they do not advertise. Noah is NOT a candidate for home visits as he is terrified of even looking out the window. After 14 cats and a dog our vet understands what we expect and that we do not expect miracles.



http://www.veterinarypartner.com/
 
Noah & me said:
Always great to find a vet that ticks all the boxes. I'm not trying to ruin someone's day but one thing we cannot foresee is the front end staff, worst case being "Nurse Ratched". I have managed my way through this minefield with cookies (not a euphemism). If it's a big practice then you are just one of many and they do not know if you have developed a rapport with the doctor. You'll figure that one out yourself.
Does the doctor keep up with an ever changing knowledge base?
This can be a very sensitive topic. Your family doctor knows a bit about everything and when they don't they refer you to a specialist. Some veterinarians do cats only or split cats and dogs between partners if it works for them. Our vet had an associate (she had no interest in becoming a partner) and together they did the cat/dog thing. Now she is working alone and is also called upon to examine iguanas, hamsters etc. Our vet's Dad was a veterinarian as well so she has seen and done it all. She has also spent years as a poor student and, perhaps rightfully so, may resent you telling her "what's new". Fortunately for me both my family doctor and my vet appreciate the patient that does a little homework on their own.
If the vet sometimes appears inflexible this might work;
veterinary partner.com http://www.veterinarypartner.com/ is a no nonsense sight that does not deal in magic beans and is not sponsored by MagicBeans Inc. I can only guess what may work but I would try this. Print the page you think is relevant, highlight the section you have questions about followed by a question mark. Sounds silly? It's all about perception. Hopefully the doctor will see you have chosen a universally respected web-sight and the question marks will signal "I respect your knowledge, what do you think of this?" There may be eye-rolling or raised eyebrows, just go with the flow.
Everything I've just written is the definition of understatement and vague. Everyone has bad days. We all know how to keep friends and show respect.
Good luck Susan and I wish continuing good luck to Caitlin and Pita.
How lucky are we? We may have to make a sudden 8 hour journey involving a connecting flight and a ferry ride (family health) and our vet has volunteered to board Noah, something they do not advertise. Noah is NOT a candidate for home visits as he is terrified of even looking out the window. After 14 cats and a dog our vet understands what we expect and that we do not expect miracles.



http://www.veterinarypartner.com/
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Actually, that link to www.myveterinarypartner.com is the resource my vet gave me at my kitty's FD diagnosis. She's a proponent of her clients working collaboratively with her.
 
That's the site where I found "symptoms that can mimic those of a common GI tract cancer", the cancer our dog had that was actually a cyst. She lived a year longer than expected, including Christmas. She lost a few pounds, then got the weight back (The Princess treatment was hard to keep up after 30 days). After 100 days we stopped counting and instead just enjoyed life with our "Miracle dog". It was no one's fault, only invasive surgery would have found the truth and from all the symptoms and findings that was the only conclusion anyone could make 99.9% of the time.
 
You may find it difficult to find someone who has worked with high dose cats before. Most over a certain age were taught that high dose conditions were rare - it's only recent research in the last couple of years that has shown it's more like one in four with a high dose condition. I found it better to find a vet that would work with me and listen to my opinion and questions, and got the high dose knowledge I needed from experienced people here. If vets have seen a high dose cat before, it might be one or two, and not likely a caregiver that tests and collects the kind of data we do. If you like your current vet, would she be willing to work that way? We can give you some research papers to hand onto her.

I had to ask my vet to humour me and get the high dose tests done. The clinic owner called them "exotic tests". I gained a lot of respect when the tests came back positive. Later that year my vet found another acrocat in her clinic. I found the internal medicine (IM) vet more knowledgable on high dose cats, but he is a more recent grad. The IM vet was needed when it became more than "just" diabetes/acromegaly/IAA/kidney disease. :p

Here is a post on vet interview topics: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/vet-interview-topics.156663/
 
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