Your primary care veterinarian calls in a specialist for your sick horse; you didn’t know there were veterinary specialists. You are familiar with the specialty system in human medicine. Most of us have been to an ophthalmologist, some to an internist, a cardiologist, or a dermatologist. Since about 1972, specialty organizations have become more prominent in veterinary medicine. These organizations oversee the post-graduate training and examination process required to achieve board certification. So, someone who is a veterinary specialist has completed a training program following graduation from vet school, a minimum of two or three years of residency, and subsequently submitted credentials to the certifying organization to be approved to take a comprehensive examination.

How does the specialist fit into the scheme of things for your horse? Usually, the specialist confines his/her clinical practice to one specialty, maybe reproduction or internal medicine. In some cases, a specialist might work in general practice as he develops a specialty offering in a particular region. In most cases, a general practice veterinarian will refer a patient (your horse) to a veterinary specialist for evaluation and care of a problem requiring more in-depth care or experience. The specialist and the generalist become a team to try and provide the best care for your horse.

What does a specialist do? It depends on the problem. A dermatologist might perform a skin examination with certain diagnostic tests, then suggest a course of treatment. An internist might conduct an in-depth physical examination followed by ultrasound and/or endoscopic exams, biopsies, and other diagnostic tests in order to make a specific diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

Surgeons might evaluate the animal to determine if surgical management is appropriate. Many clients’ first experience with a surgeon might be when a horse has to have abdominal exploratory surgery for colic. Others might need orthopedic surgery for developmental limb problems or fractures