What is a specialist?

Someone tells us every day they wish they had known earlier that there are specialists for animals. We wish more people knew, too. Veterinary specialists exist just like human medical specialists. Think about your own medical care. When you are sick, you initially go to a general practitioner who can refer you to a specialist if your problem is more complicated than they feel comfortable treating. It is the same for your pet.

Veterinary specialists are not common. Veterinary specialists or "diplomates" are veterinarians who have pursued advanced training beyond veterinary school. Most specialties require a minimum of 4 years of internship and residency training after veterinary school and a rigorous credentialing and examination process to achieve the diplomate status. This means that most true veterinary specialists have a minimum of 12 years of college and post-graduate training.

Veterinarians refer cases to Southeast Veterinary Specialists when treatment requires a level of expertise or technical skill that they are not comfortable providing. Private referral hospitals are a relatively new resource for veterinarians and their clients. It is no longer necessary to travel to a teaching hospital for specialized veterinary care. Southeast Veterinary Specialists is not a replacement for your veterinarian. We are here to treat specific problems and do not provide general veterinary services such as vaccinations.

We hope that veterinarians and their clients will use our hospital as a resource to improve the quality of veterinary care in the Gulf Coast region. We are not here to replace your regular veterinarian, but to enhance their care for your pet.