Um... wow

A friend of mine just got a baby BP, a cute little rescue named Oliver. He's a little underweight, but she'll soon fatten him up. She's a good snake Mom, and I'm delighted for her and the boy! :) But her vet adventures have been insane, and I just have to share this little bit...

She's called this vet more than once to make sure they take reptiles. "Yes, we take reptiles." So she takes the new kid in for his first checkup and they tell her "Oh, we don't take snakes."

She says "But they told me many times that you treat reptiles" To which he replies "Yes, reptiles...iguanas...lizards...not snakes"

:omg:

Luckily he referred her to someone else, but... wow. Who knew snakes weren't reptiles? Learn something new every day... Just had to share this. I mean... what the... seriously? And he's a vet? Honestly...
:stupidme:

Probably not that uncommon Sheree. I know when I phoned around to locate an experienced herp vet back in Michigan I had to specifically ask if they saw snakes. One said they did but only up to a certain size, another said they saw lizards, turtles, etc. but no snakes of any type or size. Ended up that the vet clinic we'd been using for our aged cats had hired a lovely young woman fairly recently and she was pleased to treat snakes. She'd done part of her training in a major zoo and has a real interest and love of snakes. The funny part was how many of the vet techs were afraid of our BP's LOL. Dr. Pam would make them come into the examining room though and at least watch her examine our snakes while the vet tech's that didn't mind snakes assisted her. It was a bit funny to see a vet tech that probably helped hold a rearing horse or a biting dog, be that nervous of a little BP.

I'm always amused at how many people would rather tangle with a big dog than a snake or bird. *shakes head* Oy.

But even so, wouldn't the thing to say be "We only take certain reptiles" rather than "We take reptiles, not snakes"? That's the part that truely blew my mind. Lots of places won't take snakes, but I'd think most would acknowledge they're reptiles!

I don't know what their deal is. I did great dane rescue for years and had to actually body slam attacking 170 lb. dogs to the floor to gain control. GIVE ME A SNAKE ANY DAY!!!!:carrot:

People ask me all the time "how can you have snakes with a little girl in the house. Aren't you scared they'll eat her" Wow! You'd think they roamed freely or something. They never even think that their 100lb dog is a bigger threat for me to my daughter than a snake is, as if they hang out together while I'm not there or something. Jeesh!

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Originally Posted by jim020cricket

People ask me all the time "how can you have snakes with a little girl in the house. Aren't you scared they'll eat her" Wow! You'd think they roamed freely or something. They never even think that their 100lb dog is a bigger threat for me to my daughter than a snake is, as if they hang out together while I'm not there or something. Jeesh!

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I get this quite often too. Since I have snakes, I'm endangering my two young children's lives and I'm a horrible mother. :evileye: I think a couple actually thought the snakes were free ranging in the house as well. :O I usually try and be very patient with these people, since they're obviously not dealing with facts but a fear or misconception. :rolleyes:

Yes my bp is about a foot long and he's wrapped around my wrist sizing me up for supper! All six feet of me.:crazy: But seriously, my neighbor saw him and asked if I wasn't afraid of him growing up and killing me!!:clueless:By the way Oliver is an excellent name!:D

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

I get this quite often too. Since I have snakes, I'm endangering my two young children's lives and I'm a horrible mother. :evileye: I think a couple actually thought the snakes were free ranging in the house as well. :O I usually try and be very patient with these people, since they're obviously not dealing with facts but a fear or misconception. :rolleyes:

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I usually grab em by the back of their neck and dunk em in a pale of cold water until they are seeing things my way. :) :D

If it makes you guys feel any better, it isn't just with snakes, it is with any animlal that is not commonly kept as a pet, and that people tend to have phobias about. You should hear some of the reactions I have gotten when people find out that I have 18 tarantulas!!!

One of the most common and irritating is they find our about the T's and the next question is " You don't have any of them with you, do you?" Like I'm going to carry an exotic animal around as a common practice!!!! However the last time I got tired of it and said, "What? Oh, yeah, sure. Hang on for just a minute." And started digging around in the pocket of my jeans, she screamed and ran. Yes, I know, not the best PR for exotics but I was fed up!!!!
There is one good thing about the common reactions to my pets, it really cuts down on the number of solicitors that want to come into my house and do a demo. I tell them they are welcome to come in, this house is home to 18 tarantulas, a snake, and 2 pit bulls. I have yet to have anyone come in.

:rockon: Rock On!!! :partyon:

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Originally Posted by Mina

...However the last time I got tired of it and said, "What? Oh, yeah, sure. Hang on for just a minute." And started digging around in the pocket of my jeans, she screamed and ran...

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Hahahahahaha!! Good one!!

Weird that the vet wasn't more specific to begin with, but when I was calling around, I first said "reptiles". When they would say yes to reptiles, I would then clarify "including boa constrictors?" (the vet appointment being obviously for Carmen, hehe).

There are surprisingly a high number of herp vets in Southern California, but a lot of them are tortoise specialists, since this is the area for desert tortoises.

And I'm not surprised that a vet may do lizards but not snakes, or what have you. They are different animals and the vet may not be trained in one or the other.

I love the name Oliver too. :) They named him Oliver Twist because he was a poor lost stray little BP that ended up at the rescue. Somebody just found him wandering around. He couldn't ask for a better home, she's gonna pamper that boy rotten. ;) Madly in love.

Poor exotics... always with the bum rap. It just blows my mind that reptile automatically means lizard to these vets. It's bewildering to me to say "Yes, reptiles." then go "Oh, not snakes, reptiles." when you show up. Kind of reminds me of my mom saying "Fish aren't animals, they're sea creatures!"

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Originally Posted by MedusasOwl

I'm always amused at how many people would rather tangle with a big dog than a snake or bird. *shakes head* Oy.

But even so, wouldn't the thing to say be "We only take certain reptiles" rather than "We take reptiles, not snakes"? That's the part that truely blew my mind. Lots of places won't take snakes, but I'd think most would acknowledge they're reptiles!

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Funny you should say that about size. My grandma freaked out when I told her how big my BP with get. Yet, we have an 86 pound golden lab, who jumps on her, and cut her arms ALL the time. Not lil cuts, but 1-3 inch cuts sometimes. And being an older women, she cuts easily. Yet, Halen has never done anything to my grandma. Go figure huh?

Logical fallacies galore! :rolleyes: Oy!

Reminds me of my first pet rats, long before the snake days of feeder rats. The cable guy came to the door, I answered it w/o really thinking that I had Baby and Skitter out with me. Well of course the mean old cable man scared the girlie rats....one dashed into my sweater pocket, the other dove under my long hair. The face on that guy was hilarious when he's carrying on a conversation with what appears to be a totally sane lady (silly man for assuming that bwhahahahaha) and out pops a rat from my pocket, then before he can blink her sister sticks her nosey face out from under a lock of my hair. It was just too funny! Fastest cable service I've ever gotten though. Amazing a big grown man was creeped out by a couple of pet rats LMAO.

Oh and Nancy, if you've got the guts to tackle a dog that big....you've got my respect...wow! Funny though we had a couple of 120 lb plus GSD's growing up, big, strong, intact males....people were always afraid of them....but the "dangerous" dog was a little red female dashund....mean little witch was not trustworthy at all but no one ever watched out for her. People are silly.