Bay Area Vets?

[JenEinCA]

Hi All,
We are in Northern California in the S.F. Bay Area, and would like any feedback possible regarding veterinarians in the area? Our only experience is with a vet in Pleasanton, and though it wasn't her fault, it ended up a waste of time and money. Our new rescue is a big 5-year-old male normal, and he is settling in great, but just want to know where we need to take him when the time comes. We're in Fremont...so close to that would be nice. Thanks! This site is a wonderful reference point for us so far, we're glad we found it!!

Jen/Geo


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[Capray]

Berkley Dog and Cat veterinary hospital has a pretty good exotics vet, specializing in reptiles and small mammals. I'm in oakland, and this is my preffered vet.

[MisterKyte]

There's also a vet around San Rafael (Dr. Lynne Lankes, I believe that's her name) who works at Central Marin Cat and Exotics, we just saw he this morning actually. She was very helpful and knowledgeable so I'll definitely be going back to her in the future for all my reptiles' health needs but that is a bit more of a drive than Berkley if you're coming from Fremont.

[alpine]

One of the other forums that I go to has a vet finder, here is the CA section, you may want to call to find out if they are still able to look at reptiles because I am not sure how often this list is updated. At the very least it is a start:
http://www.herpcenter.com/reptile-ve...et-listings-6/

Good luck finding a good vet. I know there are a few listed that are close to us (I am in the Bay Area as well)

[satomi325]

I don't trust any vet to treat my exotics in the Bay so I go to UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Davis.
Most vets are companion animal (dog/cat) vets who treat exotics on the side and haven't done any specialty training in exotics other than the basic course they took at vet school.
I've taken a number of exotics (mammal and reptile) to a few Bay Area vets and have never been quite satisfied even though they 'see' exotics. For example, when a rescue BP got RI, the vet(who supposedly saw snakes regularly. And I can't remember which place, but it was in the East Bay) didn't take a culture and immediately prescribed oral Baytril. They also said that with some extra UV, the snake should get better in time. I never went back ever again. When a snake gets RI, a culture MUST be done. And oral meds on a snake is hardly effective since their metabolism is so slow.

Either way, I highly recommend UCD. They are not cheap, but you are paying for quality treatment. They are top notch in their vet care since they are a veterinary school. They know all the latest techniques.
The vets really know their stuff and ask a lot of questions regarding your animal. They just don't prescribe or start treatment without just cause. And because they are a vet school, you may get more than one doctor plus a student seeing you at a time. So you get more than one opinion.