First vet visit

[frankykeno]

What should we expect from the first vet visit (we are taking the word of the vet that it's "experienced" with snakes, this clinic handles our cats, but have never seen this one vet before). We are planning a general health exam and sexing by probe of an approximately 18 month old snake.

[Smulkin]

Make sure to get a fecal sample!

Where's our p00p-scene investigator when we need her to champion that importance?

Our first trip to the vet was an eye-opener . . and vent-opener as at that point I had never seen a snake probed.

Or did you mean cost-wise?

[frankykeno]

Nope not cost-wise, we've already got a quote and seems reasonable ($30 for check-up, $20 for sexing). We figure that's reasonable all in all from a good clinic.

Fecal sample (geesh first the kids, then the cats, now I gotta take a bag o snake poop with me and why do I just KNOW this will be my job and not Mike's LOL). Will try to take a fecal sample but if dear lil Punkin doesn't do it's thing (kids, cats, snakes...no one poops when the doctor says so and I end up being the wierdo with the plastic bag and a hopeful look in my eye!) I will make sure and send the first fecal in to the vet when it arrives.

Thanks as always for the advice.

[Smulkin]

Yeah - I know the baggie drill - it will rarely work ot otherwise. Chalk it up to performance anxiety hahaha. Well it ought to be interesting - the vet we took ours to (the ONLY exotics vet in driving distance) proclaimed severally things which made me quoth "hmmmm".

"Make sure you give this little girl UVB . . ."
Didn't seem to understand what "nocturnal" meant - but no harm no foul - how many iguanas do you have to see with metabolic bone disease before that jsut becomes a kneejerk bit of advice.

You ought to see them check the snakes mouth for signs of an RI, examine the snake closely for visible parasite infestation, weigh (and possible measure) the snake, hope they know the physiological differences between boids/primitives and other snakes (lungs etc). Ask when they probe how many scales deep the probe was - go beyond the male/femme call.

That may be way too exhaustive - we don't have a lot of options for suitable vets and so took what we could get. Either way let us know how it goes!

[Adam_Wysocki]

If you can't get a fecal "sample" in time for your appointment, your vet may be able to do a cloacal swab and scope that. It's not conclusive, but it would bring anything really nasty to light sooner rather than later.

Something worth asking about.

-adam

[Smulkin]

cloacal swab

Danke Adam! I think you just named our 15yo's band!

[Adam_Wysocki]

Danke Adam! I think you just named our 15yo's band!

Cool .... I'm sure we can work out some kind of reasonable royalty before the first worldwide tour!

"Just remember, guys---we are loved in Germany AND Belgium." - Cliff Poncier

-adam

[SatanicIntention]

That sounds like a good price for a check-up and a sexing. If you can't get a fecal sample in the day of the appt., then just get one in when you can. If it is during the night, place the sample(teaspoon size) in a baggie and place in the fridge. That will keep the parasites eggs(if any) in a dormant state until you can get it to the vet the next day.

Sounds liek you've got it all planned, so you should be good to go. Make sure the trip to the vet is as quiet and non-stressful as possible. Snake in pillowcase, with pillowcase in cooler, with pillowcase surrounded by newspaper or something else cushiony(mind my scientific words) to help minimize vibrations. The floorboard is a good place to put the cooler, and keep it out of the sun. Other than that, everything sounds in order

[frankykeno]

Okay snake poo in baggie in fridge....frozen mice/rats in freezer...hey this could stop the kids raiding the fridge for late night snacks and help my monthly grocery bill!!!! Oh well collecting snake poop in a bag can't be near as bad as what I used to put in baggies when I worked for a fish hatchery (my mother flat out refused to tell her neighbours what I did with those male fish LOL). As always, Mike and I send our thanks and feel better prepared for the first visit. We don't have much selection up here either as far as vets that handle snakes goes but since this is a clinic we use for our cat we feel pretty okay with them (just a different vet from our regular one).

*adds "cushiony" to the list of snake words to know (umm just to clarify is cushiony less smushy than say fluffy would be, or perhaps slightly mushy??? soooooo much to learn!) LOL