All certified specialists have letters after their name in addition to their veterinary degree. If you are not sure if a doctor is a specialist, you can ask the doctor if they are board-certified in a particular area.
Listed here are the specialties that pets need most commonly. With each specialty is listed the organization that oversees it, their website address, and the initials that will be used after the specialist’s name if they are board certified. These initials generally start with “D”, which stands for diplomate. For example, the initials DACVIM after my name mean that I am a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
The websites often list the names and locations of members of the specialty, to help you find a specialist in your area, as well as general information about the field. To get more information, you can contact the American Board of Veterinary Specialties at http://www.avma.org/education/abvs.
1. Cardiology:
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (www.acvim.org)
Title: DACVIM (Cardiology)
2. Dentistry:
The American Veterinary Dental College (www.avdc.org)
Title: DAVDC
3. Dermatology:
The American College of Veterinary Dermatology (www.acvd.org)
Title: DACVD
4. Emergency and Critical Care:
The American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (www.acvecc.org)
Title: DACVECC
5. Internal Medicine:
The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (www.acvim.org)
Title: DACVIM
6. Neurology:
The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (www.acvim.org)
Title: DACVIM (Neurology
7. Oncology:
The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (www.acvim.org)
Title: DACVIM (Oncology)
8. Ophthalmology:
The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (www.acvo.org)
Title: DACVO
9. Radiation Therapy:
The American College of Veterinary Radiology (www.acvr.org)
Title: DACVR (Radiation oncology)
10. Radiology:
The American College of Veterinary Radiology (www.acvr.org)
Title: DACVR (Radiology)
11. Surgery
The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (www.acvs.org)
Title: DACVS
12. Behavior
American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (www.dacvb.org)
Title: DACVB
Louise Murray DVM DACVIM
www.drlouise.com
