“Sometimes referring is not an option. A client's financial constraints, the distance to a referral center, and a client's refusal to accept the referral are common reasons. I spend a lot of time on the phone consulting on cases with primary-care veterinarians. Most of the time, all that is needed is someone to bounce ideas off of or to concur with the diagnosis or treatment plan. Sometimes it requires a reassessment of the history or test results.”

—Kenneth R. Harkin, DVM, DACVIM

From Making the most of specialty referral services