Living Longer and Better: Advances in Veterinary Medicine By Dr. Gary Weitzman The days of a general practice physician coming to your house to treat everything that ails you are over. Frankly, so too are the days of a veterinary generalist. Today, there are as many specialties in veterinary medicine as there are in human medicine and surgery. From cardiology, to ophthalmology, from dermatology to radiation oncology, veterinary medicine has changed dramatically. The James Herriot days which lured us veterinarians into this field are over. Recent advances include stem cell treatments for arthritis, complicated orthopedic repairs that would have been inconceivable a decade ago, limb prosthetics, and medical protocols so sophisticated that they take a team of doctors—and at least a few checkbooks—to administer. Clients, by and large, welcome these changes and even expect veterinary medicine to be equal in sophistication to human medicine. Yet few will happily pay for it. While we expect and accept astronomical fees for human health care, many of us still deeply resent the expenses that stem from providing comprehensive, advanced care for our animals. That's a paradox. And then there's the convenience factor. Remember the daily heartworm tablets? Now, that was inconvenient. Or what about the days of dipping your dog or—Horror!—cat in flea dip? Now we complain because the monthly application of flea medication that is so quickly and easily applied onto one small spot on our pet's neck may not work the full four weeks. We've become accustomed to progress and convenience. Fortunately, veterinary medicine is doing its best to keep up. But to keep up, we veterinarians have had to learn more, continue longer training under huge debt, and seek board certification, like our human physician counterparts. Today's veterinary school graduate is predominantly female, has had at least eight years of post-high school education, and is in debt well into the six figures for her education. Then, there is the year of internship and at least three years of residency training, followed by specialty fellowships and board examinations. That's another half to full decade of training to get through—and pay for. What that means is, we can do so much more for you and your pet than the previous generation of general practice veterinarians could. But as in human medicine, these advances affect the very nature of health care. It's no longer reasonable to expect quick answers from your primary veterinarian. Or a rapid cure. With the scope of today's diagnostic tools and medicinal options, treatments may take time. Not everything we try may work, or even work the same way between one patient and the next. Given today's many advances in veterinary medicine, it should be more understandable than ever that your vet may not be able to diagnose and treat every disease quickly and at a minimal cost. Consider, for a moment, the dental service we offer. These days there are new machines, dental x-rays, and entire dental suites to aid in keeping our best friends' teeth and gums healthy and