Hard time at the vets!!! (not really, kinda funny actually)

I have a banana and a super mojave. Now try to explain that to a person who have NO idea about morphs or combos. THAT WAS MY DAY TODAY AT THE VET!

"... is it an albino?" -No sir, it's a Blue Eyed leucistic
"... so how do you get a white one?" -Well, Luna is a Super Mojave... a Mojave is... hmm A mojave is... HMMM.

"what type of boa is it? We only get the brown ones" -it's a ball python... a banana ball python...

lol I'm understanding, but it's kinda difficult to explain morphs without visual aids haha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thvkfn4nw

I have a banana and a super mojave. Now try to explain that to a person who have NO idea about morphs or combos. THAT WAS MY DAY TODAY AT THE VET!

"... is it an albino?" -No sir, it's a Blue Eyed leucistic
"... so how do you get a white one?" -Well, Luna is a Super Mojave... a Mojave is... hmm A mojave is... HMMM.

"what type of boa is it? We only get the brown ones" -it's a ball python... a banana ball python...

lol I'm understanding, but it's kinda difficult to explain morphs without visual aids haha

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You need a new vet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So next time, take some "visual aids" & educate them. Seriously, it's your chance to promote the fascination we all share...& when you interest those in the
veterinary profession, it helps all their future patients & owners. An exotic vet I used to know (in another state) is a good example: all he learned in college
was the medical perspectives, and I was stunned when he asked me to teach him about incubating eggs & candling them, for example. Some of what we
keepers are best at is just careful observation: it's not only me that has taken a snake to the vet KNOWING something was wrong, but to them, the snake
appeared to be fine. (and that doesn't help at all) It's not easy having patients that give out so little information. But if they learn more about morphs, it
just might make them more interested in other aspects. We all have knowledge & skills that others don't...we all win when we share.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spechal

You need a new vet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Agreed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spechal

You need a new vet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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The vet was fascinated, but the one who asked the questions was the nurse/assistant and the last one was from the receptionist.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

So next time, take some "visual aids" & educate them. Seriously, it's your chance to promote the fascination we all share...& when you interest those in the
veterinary profession, it helps all their future patients & owners. An exotic vet I used to know (in another state) is a good example: all he learned in college
was the medical perspectives, and I was stunned when he asked me to teach him about incubating eggs & candling them, for example. Some of what we
keepers are best at is just careful observation: it's not only me that has taken a snake to the vet KNOWING something was wrong, but to them, the snake
appeared to be fine. (and that doesn't help at all) It's not easy having patients that give out so little information. But if they learn more about morphs, it
just might make them more interested in other aspects. We all have knowledge & skills that others don't...we all win when we share.

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you're totally right. I have to go back in 3 weeks so I'll bring a whole presentation lol. Knowing about morphs has its pros, for example I know my male banana will produce mostly male babies BECAUSE of his morph, and things like that. But on the other hand, it's understandable because that hospital apparently hasn't even seen an albino!

Anyways as long as the vet knows what he's doing medically I'm ok with having to teach the different mutations and their characteristics. I did get to show them what would come out if I cross my snakes so baby steps hehe

First time I took Monty there the receptionist asked me if I was sure he's a male and I was there thinking "Lady you do NOT understand the implications of the store selling me a female at a male's price"

As a person who loves to talk about morphs, I like that Monty and Luna are the first ones at that, I look forward to expand on them each visit.

Veterinarians are just like our own doctors: the doctors time is so valuable, and/or their personality keeps them from talking more, so most of the time it IS
the rest of the staff that we can reach out to the most effectively. But trust me, they influence the vets they work with & for. It's all good...

Like most people who work for a living, they all work hard all day, and after work have lives too: they may want nothing more to do with animals by then, or
they are just too tired & busy with family to learn as much as we'd like them to know. It's up to us to spark their interest & feed it so it grows. ;)

It tickles me that every time I've ever taken a snake in to see a vet, they are so docile with everyone: that alone impresses the staff, when their other patients
bite & scratch them all day. Changing people's minds one at a time is my favorite thing, can you tell?

And changing how snakes are perceived (& thus, how they're treated by society) is one of the more important things we can all do as keepers. If so many people
continue to hate & fear snakes, it doesn't bode well for their future, either as pets, or in nature. It's a lot like voting...it may seem overwhelming to really make
a difference, but it all adds up.

I get you Bogertophis,

I also like changing people's perception one at a time, so far I've changed my friends' perspective on them, one swore to me if she saw a snake she would beat it up, and after meeting Monty, one day she started handling him and I can assure you no snake was beaten that day! Lol Same with my family, they see them as cold scary creatures but I tell them "well if you put them on the hot side for a little while they'll be warmer"

It put a smile on my face when the doctor opened up Luna's crate and uncovered her and said "This is a beautiful snake, I did not expect to see this when I opened it, let me get my camera"

As I said before I look forward to go off about morphs, genetics and traits on each visit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thvkfn4nw

I have a banana and a super mojave. Now try to explain that to a person who have NO idea about morphs or combos. THAT WAS MY DAY TODAY AT THE VET!

"... is it an albino?" -No sir, it's a Blue Eyed leucistic
"... so how do you get a white one?" -Well, Luna is a Super Mojave... a Mojave is... hmm A mojave is... HMMM.

"what type of boa is it? We only get the brown ones" -it's a ball python... a banana ball python...

lol I'm understanding, but it's kinda difficult to explain morphs without visual aids haha

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When I took Rainbow to the vet the first time the doctor told me he had only seen normal retics and 1 golden child in person. He knew a lot about herps in general and took great care of Rainbow. He could not get over how beautiful she is. He knew more about PB morphs and boa morphs than retics. He has experience with retics but just had never seen a suntiger in person.