If you’ve ever received a scary medical diagnosis for a pet, family member or yourself, you know that your knee-jerk reaction tends to be, “Are you sure?”

It’s natural to not want to believe that it’s true or to think that there may have been some mistake that resulted in a false diagnosis. And the fact is, you’re right to question it. And your pet may, indeed, benefit from seeing another veterinarian who can offer a new perspective that may differ.

The only time you definitely should not get a second opinion is when there’s an emergency situation that requires immediate care. In this case, waiting may put your pet’s life in danger.

Still unsure on whether or not to proceed? Read on for a few signs that it may be time to seek a second opinion.

1. New Vet

When you go to the same doctor year after year, they earn your trust in their expertise and judgement. When visiting a new veterinarian though, it’s OK to be a little skeptical about surprising results that result in costly bills. They may very well be right, but you’d also be right if you wanted to get a second opinion before moving forward with the new vet’s recommendations.

2. Devastating Prognosis

There’s never going to be a good way to hear that your pet has a poor prognosis. If you find out that they have a life-threatening condition though, there’s no harm in getting them in front of another veterinarian to confirm that it’s really as bad as the initial vet told you. Even if this just gives you peace of mind, it’s worth it.

3. Unclear Diagnosis

Just like with human health, some cases are complex and not very straight forward. If your veterinarian is doing lots of testing and having a hard time figuring out what’s going on, then it could be beneficial to get the opinion of a more specialized vet who has in-depth knowledge of specific types of health issues.

4. Expensive Treatment Plan

If your veterinarian recommends a very pricey plan for treating your pet, the likely case is that’s what’s needed. However, you’d be perfectly within your rights to confirm that fact with another veterinarian before parting with thousands of your hard-earned dollars.

5. Something’s Not Right

As loving pet guardians, sometimes we just get a gut feeling that something isn’t right. You may not be able to express why you have doubts, but you have them. In this case, it’s the right move to see what another vet has to say about your pet’s health.

6. No Improvement

Much as we might hope, treatments are sometimes not 100% effective at addressing a health problem. But if you’ve paid a lot of money for treatment that you were told would work, then it’s understandable that you’d have some concerns if there’s no improvement in your pet’s health.

Once you determine that you would like to get a second opinion, don’t worry about hurting your current vet’s feelings. A good veterinarian knows that your number one concern is your pet’s wellbeing and will understand. It’s best, however, if you can frame it in a way that doesn’t imply that you doubt their abilities or don’t trust them. Try something like, “I’m really worried about this course of action and feeling unsure about how to proceed. It would make me feel better to get a second opinion before making a decision.”

Worst case scenario, you consult another veterinarian and are told the same thing. But at least you can now rest easy knowing that you did everything you could to ensure your pet gets the best care possible.