|
 VETERINARY
ETHICS:
Why won't a vet diagnose a problem by telephone or email?
It’s unethical for any veterinary surgeon to attempt to diagnose
or treat health problems without a physical examination of their
patient. Why? Consider the situation if someone tells us their
cat has an itchy ear. There could be a bacterial infection,
a fungal infection, an allergy, a foreign body, a polyp, a tumour
or ear mites. The presentation is the same but the potential
causes are all very different, as are the treatments.
If we’ve made the wrong diagnosis based purely on an owner’s
description, we could give the wrong treatment which could be
potentially harmful for the cat. What if the ear drum is ruptured?
If we use ear ointment, the cat could end up having significant
problems with its balance and could require intensive treatment
to try to correct the problem. It could even end up with permanent
nerve damage. We can’t possibly know if an ear drum is ruptured
without an examination.
Given the above example, we’re sure you can understand why
we at The Cat Clinic are unable to become involved in diagnosing
without examination. If your cat has a problem and you want
a diagnosis, you need to arrange an appointment with your veterinary
surgeon.
My cat has been seen by my vet but there are still problems.
What more can I do for my cat?
In the UK, if we have a perplexing or complex case we can consider
referring our patient to a veterinary surgeon who can offer
more specialised services. For example, we now have veterinary
surgeons who deal purely with eye problems or skin problems.
Some pieces of diagnostic equipment costs tens of thousands
of pounds (if not hundreds of thousands) and don’t justify their
existence in a typical general practice but will be used more
frequently in a referral practice.
A referral centre will not accept a direct approach from the
cat owner- your own veterinary surgeon has to arrange the referral
for sensible reasons:the full medical history and details of
treatment and investigations can be forwarded to the specialist
so they are fully aware of the background to the case.
How do I find out if there is a specialist nearby?
Your own vet will also be able to advise you of the best contact
in your area. All practices have easy access to lists of specialists.
In some situations, there may be a suitable specialist a few
miles down the road. In other situations you may have to travel
several hundred miles to have your cat seen by the right person.
It is also possible to consider a second opinion with another
local veterinary surgeon. In this situation, the approach is
usually made by the owner of the cat to the other practice.
Ethically, the second veterinary surgeon has to approach the
first practice to obtain the case records and to advise the
practice of the client’s approach for a second opinion.
In the majority of situations, your veterinary surgeon would
have no problem about your request for a referral or a second
opinion. It’s understandable why you as an owner may wish to
have another veterinary surgeon involved in the care of your
cat, particularly if it is a complex case.
|
