Getting a second opinion, awkward situation

[njg55]

One of my cats was diagnosed with kidney disease last fall. She's on a special diet, and like many cats, often rejects the prescription foods. I recently had a paid phone consult with a cat behavior specialist with whom I've worked before to discuss the appetite issue, and the conversation of course addressed her overall condition, medications she was taking, etc. The consultant works for a cats-only vet practice in a role comparable to a vet tech, and strictly speaking her consulting business is separate and conducted outside of office hours. I wasn't planning on an office visit, but since the consultant discussed other dietary options that would require a prescription, as well as additional medications, I agreed. She also wants to show me how to administer sub-q fluids in a different part of the body; my practice only taught my husband and I how to administer them between the shoulder blades, and will have other behavior/management advice.
The visit is a few days from now. I need to ask my regular vet, a practice I've been visiting for all of my pets for many years, for her medical records, and at some point I may need to go through them to get prescription foods so that I don't have to drive to the specialty clinic. And the next time they see my cat, I'll need to tell them if she's on medication prescribed by the other vet. That might be an awkward situation. It's also possible that the cat clinic will automatically send my other practice a summary of our visit as a courtesy, which is fine.
I am not disputing the diagnosis, and I don't intend to transfer care of my cat because for one thing the specialty clinic is considerably farther away, and the less time my cat has to be in a car, the better. I may not need to take my cat to this clinic again, since my nearby practice presumably can manage routine follow-ups regardless of whether I'm doing things that they didn't initially recommend. Also, I have other pets (two cats and a dog), and I will continue taking them to the nearby clinic. How should I tactfully explain why I went to someone else without making it seem I was dissatisfied with their care? (Maybe I am, at least a little, and from prior experience with the cat-only practice when the kidney cat had another serious condition, as well as with another senior cat, their approach is what you might call more aggressive or intensive: prescribing three medications when my regular practice only suggested one, for example. Maybe sometimes that's good, maybe sometimes not, but it's difficult for me to judge).
My priority is trying to help my cat in any way possible and to learn effective ways to handle challenging situations like medicating her, and if I feel I need to get help from more than one doctor, I'll do it. Still, I don't want to jeopardize the relationship with my regular vets, and I hope I don't get caught in a situation where one practice strongly suggests one course of action and the other strongly disagrees! Any ideas on how to finesse this?

 

[fionasmom]

Your last paragraph more or less says what you are feeling, sounds very professional and non accusatory, and could probably be quoted if the subject comes up in an awkward way. There is nothing wrong with seeking a second opinion or adding an additional practice. Both practices need to know what the other is doing and recommending for the safety of your cat's health, but they should coordinate automatically as you stated.

I have done this numerous times with my dog (s) and cats. At one time they all went to the same practice but the dog vet moved to another practice and asked me to go there with her. I had no problem doing that, but left the cats with the cat vet at the old practice. In fact, the dog used to like to go with cats to the vet to gloat over the fact that it was not his appointment and, when he was still able, I would take him along....so they it was abundantly clear that I had moved his account and that he was still up and running under the care of a new hospital. I don't think one word was ever said about it and there was certainly no change in the care that my cats received.

You are still being very loyal to the original practice and I see no reason for them to be unpleasant about the fact that you want the best for your cat and that involves another person on deck.

Your vet should treat this professionally as well. There is no reason for you to expect any kind of comeback, even of a very minor sort like remarks being made. If you suspect that this could happen, that opens up a whole new point about the current vet.

 

[CindyH66]

I agree with fionasmom ! you sound very level headed, and your first priority is to your kitty. The vet office should be professional enough to understand that your sought a second / alternative treatment in the best interest of your kitty and mean no disrespect to them. There is no harm in exploring all options. In fact , considering the additional cost is on YOU , they should be respectful of the fact you are going the extra mile to explore all options in your kitties interest, and it is not a reflection on them in any way. My dad and step mom had a border collie who eventually got arthritis. Dad was fine with the vets " standard" treatments .. but my stepmom insisted on taking pepper for acupuncture. Insisted it helped him be more comfortable ! Did it ? who knows . but all the medical people respected her wishes on it , and after all ..she was trying to help him and all the work and additional expense to take him , was on her. Be firm, your decision is rooted in love.. I'm betting they will understand. Good luck !

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I totally agree with fionasmom , that last paragraph sounds perfect. This should not be awkward in the least. Explain that you are seeing someone specifically for this cat, and for this condition, but still consider her your main veterinarian. No responsible, caring vet gets upset over a second opinion.