Quote:
Originally Posted by Peggy
Yup, I think I'd be asking now. At the very least I think I'd want a second opinion from one of them. Or talk with them and see who you'd like to go see.
Peggy
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Ok, I've spent half of the day trying to find dog othodontists in Austin. It appears there is only one in Round Rock, which is only a few miles north of here. When I asked the receptionist if they did Orthodontics, she said, "No. I don't think we do that, let me ask." She came back and said "No, we don't." I asked if the vet could refer me to one. She put me on hold again. Came back and said, "Oh yes, we do Orthodontics." (I don't think she even asked the first time...geez!) Anyway, I asked if the vet could call me back to answer some general questions. She took my name and number. Still waiting.
I also called Texas A&M, one of the best veterinarian colleges in the country. Not much help there. The head of the animal dental specialty department won't consult with pet owners, only other veterinarians. They also did say that prices were the same as any vet clinic. I thought the treatment might be less expensive at a college of learning, where they are letting students use your dog like a lab rat (with some of the best specialists teaching/supervising).
Just for the benefit of any future forum members who may be looking for a dental specialist for your dog, I'll post a couple of my findings from several hours of research. It might save others some time.
Vets with specialized dental knowledge have either AVD, AVDC, or FAVD titles, in addition to DVM. They have attended, and are certified by the American Veterinary Dental College. If you are doing an internet search, type in "AVD, DVM,
your city and/or state". If that doesn't pull, try the next acronym (i.e. AVDC, then try FAVD) etc.
I ended up with the best luck going through the 15 pages of vets in the Yellow Pages book, skimming until I found "DVM FAVD".
Here is a link to the AVDC Directory. (This list has not been updated lately. The FAVD I found close to Austin is not on the list, so he must be relatively new.)
AVDC Diplomates Directory
Hopefully this information will help others in the future. I can't believe how much work it has been to find one vet.