All around the country, there are wonderful veterinarians familiar with cerebellar hypoplasia — but what can you do if you don’t live close to one of them or don’t know if your vet knows anything about CH?
Here are some tips — and if you have your own, please share in the comments!
Photo courtesy Priority Pet Hospital.
1. Look into the vets near you. This may mean asking friends for recommendations, looking up vets on Yelp, and asking your local shelter. By doing your research, you will hopefully get a feel of who’s out there and who may work best for your cat, even if they’re not familiar with CH.
2. Then do your homework to find out if that vet, or others at their practice — or even others that they know, is familiar with cerebellar hypoplasia. You can do this by simply calling the different offices.
3. Odds are, if you’re reading this post, you’re pretty sure that your vet doesn’t have any experience with CH, and that’s OK. Do your research on the condition, and bring along an educational flier so you can discuss the condition the next time you go in.
View this as an opportunity to share knowledge. You can be frank that you don’t know too much either, but you’re willing to work together, and want to give this cat a chance.
4. Along those lines, be an advocate for your cat and his condition. Some vets are unfamiliar with cerebellar hypoplasia and may suggest euthanization. If they do, let them know that it’s not an option. If they stand firm in their position, you may need to ask to work with another vet, or find another practice in your area.
In the end, you may simply need to work with your vet and learn about the condition together.
Check out these posts for more veterinarian tips.
For those who don’t live near a cerebellar hypoplasia friendly vet, what have you done? Please share in the comments!
