When you and your pet are faced with a difficult to diagnose or difficult to treat condition, your primary care veterinarian may recommend getting help from other experts at a veterinary teaching hospital or at a veterinary referral practice. These facilities often have more high-tech equipment and access to specialists of all kinds.

Quite often your veterinarian will make the initial contact with the specialists. By doing so, he or she can be sure that your pet's medical history is given with the level of detail needed to take action at the next level. While you may take your pet to be seen by the new expert, the specialists will be in contact with your primary care veterinarian throughout diagnosis and treatment.

Sometimes pet owners seek outside help directly, only to be frustrated. The reason? They are unable to give the medical history in a way that is constructive, or they expect to chat with someone on the phone and get an immediate answer or solution. If you want a second opinion from another expert or a specialist, it is important for your primary care doctor to be involved and to make the initial contact for you. This ongoing communication between everyone involved creates a foundation for effective pet care.