The Importance of Selecting an Experience Reptile Vet

[angllady2]

You make a very good point.

No vet should make a diagnoses of any kind without asking what symptoms it had, what it's recent behavior was like, or at least running some tests.

That to me is like a doctor diagnosing me with e.coli because I have diarrhea, and not asking me about the 2 pounds of chocolate covered raisins I ate yesterday.

I certainly appreciate this information. I hope against hope I'll never have to deal with a serious condition like one of these, but now I know not to jump to conclusions and have the animal tested for many different things and not just IBD.

I will be sharing this information with my own reptile vet, and encouraging her to look into it on her own.

Gale

[wilomn]

Another thing to think about Craig, is that you are farrrrrrr kinder than I. Had that guy called me SEVEN years after purchasing and copped an attitude I would not be fronting for any tests anyplace. In fact, my "Piss Off" after his rant would hopefully be enough to convey that succinctly.

[Skiploder]

Another thing to think about Craig, is that you are farrrrrrr kinder than I. Had that guy called me SEVEN years after purchasing and copped an attitude I would not be fronting for any tests anyplace. In fact, my "Piss Off" after his rant would hopefully be enough to convey that succinctly.

Wes, that was my initial reaction - 7 years? Go find a pile a sand, a hammer and, well, you know the rest.

When he first contacted me I was busy with work so I told him to send me the vet info, the feed/crap logs and I'd call him back later. That gave me an opportunity to think and weigh which way I wanted to go. Thank God the animal had just died and he refrigerated it.

When I saw the history of regurges and discussed the timeline with him, I had already pretty much come to a conclusion on what happened. At that point, without the backing of a professional opinion I figured this could devolve fairly quickly to an argument between me and his vet. I'll admit it, I approached this as if we were going to end up on the BOI.

This is a dude who bought a trio of anthills, a trio of childreni, two female womas and a pair of blackheads over the last 8 years.......and he bought those womas back when I was getting $1200 for a female. I figured in that time, he'd spent some good coin on me.

So in the end I bit my tongue and decided to have my vet debunk his vet. In the end, our good doctor thoroughly exposed his sawbones for the part time reptile hack that he was. Have I got an apology for the accusation and the threat to take me to the BOI? No. At this point I don't care.............

The histology and the necropsy set me back about $575.00. It's a steep tab but in order to get clear on the IBD they look at several things. They also looked for damage to the lung in an attempt to rule out the possibility of OPMV. I hyperventilated when I was told that if they did find inclusions, they would then have to differentiate if they were IBD inclusions or inclusions from another virus. Yep, check every option on that form Doc, I've got American Express.

I've got an e-mail with a promise to drop off a check on the porch this weekend. That check clears and I figure we're square.

He posts here and he posts on Fauna. While I'm still debating whether or not to out that "vet" of his, I'll leave him anonymous.

[wilomn]

Thought. Ponderation. The ending, or unbeginning, of many an argument that never happened.

I've used them myself on rare occasions. Useful they can be.

Sometimes I just miss The Wild West of Faunathatwas.

You handled this quite well, which not a surprise at all.

[Chkadii]

He posts here and he posts on Fauna. While I'm still debating whether or not to out that "vet" of his, I'll leave him anonymous.

While I'm not sure that the vet should be completely discredited (they may be great with cats and dogs, but not so much with reptiles), I do think it's important that, if the recommended herp vet list is a part of this site, the vet's name is removed. It's one thing if I were to go into the first vet I saw asking for help with my animal, and having an inexperienced vet attempt to help. If I were to find a vet at the recommendation of others, and they misdiagnosed/mistreated my animal, it would call into question the experience and quality of those that created the list as well as the vet.

Knowledge is power, and if there are people to avoid -- even those with the best of intentions -- I'd rather be able to make a fully informed decision. So, maybe not the full BOI for the vet, but at least gently redirect those looking to that person for the treatment of their herps.

[Aes_Sidhe]

I have different Question at this point... If I good remember that was You Skiploder writing here about snakes living with IBD dont showing typical "hard core' symptoms..

Is even possible theoretically speaking That IBD will "hide" for SEVEN YEARS and just pop up like that ??

[Skiploder]

I have different Question at this point... If I good remember that was You Skiploder writing here about snakes living with IBD dont showing typical "hard core' symptoms..

Is even possible theoretically speaking That IBD will "hide" for SEVEN YEARS and just pop up like that ??

Rafal:

My understanding is that there is no time limit that has been defined in which animals may remain asymptomatic. The time limit may be indefinite.

So yes, I suppose it's entirely possible. However this animal was thoroughly necropsied and was IBD free.

[Homegrownscales]

Skip
Thanks for the great post! Fronting 575.00 is really priceless to find out an amazing piece of information such as this one. I too will be copy and paste and forward this to my vet. Im hoping this Info is already on his radar screen but ya never know.
Thanks!


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[ogdentrece]

Totally sticky please itll be good if everyone here learnt from this and quit jumping to so many unsubstantiated conclusions trying to find someone to blame.

[kitedemon]

The thing that makes me sad is not everywhere has a great reptile vet. The only reptile vet we have is doing lots to learn fast but still is missing experience but at least she is willing to listen and accepts that she doesn't have as much experience as she would like. I am sure not everywhere is as lucky as I am and has the heavy handed 'I have a doctorate and you don't so I know more than you do', vets. In my case the vet I'd like to take my animals to is just short of 19 hours away by car.

As always an excellent post.