I've always thought it easier to find a new doctor for me than my cats.
This hit home when I began finalizing having my Norwegian Forest Cat scanned for HCM before breeding her.
Yesterday, I checked with my veterinarian. She uses a ultrasound service that comes to her clinic. Charge: $375.
After a few calls to friends, I learned of a special HCM clinic in Houston TX on Saturday morning. A board-certified veterinarian heart doc will do the scans. For $125, he gives the cat a brief physical, does the scan (color Doppler) and hands you a report.
For the $250 difference, I would save some $, even allowing for gasoline, meals and spending Saturday night at a LaQuinta.
The website for the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, which board-certifies internists, cardiologists, neurologists and oncologists in the U.S., lists only 6 cardiologists in Texas. The DVM doing the Houston clinic is one of the those (2 in Houston, 2 in Austin and 2 in College Station, home of Texas A&M Vet School). None here in North Texas.
I snagged the last slot open for the special screening.
Should ask if the vet-cardiologist could run an echo on me, too.
Would save me $$ -- mine is scheduled June 24.
This experience has me thinking of all the times our valvereplacement.com members have had to change cardios for various reasons. How lucky we are -- we have at least more than 6 in our state to choose from!
This hit home when I began finalizing having my Norwegian Forest Cat scanned for HCM before breeding her.
Yesterday, I checked with my veterinarian. She uses a ultrasound service that comes to her clinic. Charge: $375.
After a few calls to friends, I learned of a special HCM clinic in Houston TX on Saturday morning. A board-certified veterinarian heart doc will do the scans. For $125, he gives the cat a brief physical, does the scan (color Doppler) and hands you a report.
For the $250 difference, I would save some $, even allowing for gasoline, meals and spending Saturday night at a LaQuinta.
The website for the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, which board-certifies internists, cardiologists, neurologists and oncologists in the U.S., lists only 6 cardiologists in Texas. The DVM doing the Houston clinic is one of the those (2 in Houston, 2 in Austin and 2 in College Station, home of Texas A&M Vet School). None here in North Texas.
I snagged the last slot open for the special screening.
Should ask if the vet-cardiologist could run an echo on me, too.
Would save me $$ -- mine is scheduled June 24.This experience has me thinking of all the times our valvereplacement.com members have had to change cardios for various reasons. How lucky we are -- we have at least more than 6 in our state to choose from!
