Home smaple testing

[JodanOrNoDan]

I don't want to turn this into a vet bashing thread. We all know that all vets are not created equal especially when it comes to snakes, so all I will say is that I am not real thrilled with my most recent vet interaction and leave it at that. I do have access to a competent snake vet but he is an hours drive away and can be accessed when really needed.

What is going through my mind is how much could I possibly do on my own when it comes to preventative care and testing. The few times I have taken a snake to the vet, basically all that is done is that samples are sent to the lab. The majority of the time I know more about the animal than the vet does. In my home we are perfectly capable of taking samples and preparing them for the lab (I have a dentist "in house" so medical stuff is not completely alien to us even if it is not directly related to reptiles). I am also wondering how much testing I could actually do myself. I know there is equipment required for many tests that it would just not be practical to have in the home, but I would be willing to buy equipment within reason (I am obviously not going to buy an electron scanning microscope LOL). We have some simple equipment now and have acquired and are studying reptile pathology textbooks.

Has anyone here attempted to go down this road? Is it worth it or am I going to hit too many roadblocks?

[Craiga 01453]

Interesting question. Can't help, personally, but am interested to see where this goes.

Based on the vets around here, I'd almost rather drive from MA to the glades to bring my animals to you though, hahhaha!! Or at least send you fecals!!!

[JodanOrNoDan]

Interesting question. Can't help, personally, but am interested to see where this goes.

Based on the vets around here, I'd almost rather drive from MA to the glades to bring my animals to you though, hahhaha!! Or at least send you fecals!!!

LOL. I've got more than enough of my own snake crap. Wednesdays I usually fill up two publix bags with the stuff. I'm just tired of the vets, especially when I know they are just reading out of the same book I have. I'd like to be able to test animals when they come in myself within reason.

[Craiga 01453]

LOL. I've got more than enough of my own snake crap. Wednesdays I usually fill up two publix bags with the stuff. I'm just tired of the vets, especially when I know they are just reading out of the same book I have. I'd like to be able to test animals when they come in myself within reason.

Hahhaha, ok, I'll refrain from sending my snake poop your way!
Publix, you're definitely in FL!!! hahaha, we don't have Publix up here, but they were everywhere when I would visit my grandparents in FL.

But seriously, I hear ya. I've been fortunate enough to not need a vet yet, since getting back into keeping snakes, but having searched for a quality exotics/reptile vet near me I honestly don't know where I'll go yet. NOBODY stood out based on my research.
And some of the threads I see on this forum alone are baffling...the vet said WHAT?!?!?!?!? I honestly think they are just reading out of their books from school and regurgitating what they learned in their Snakes 101 course from sophomore year. I feel more qualified than they are being an accounting major college drop-out who now cooks for a living...

[DennisM]

Here's a recent post on home fecal exams.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ighlight=Fecal

[JodanOrNoDan]

Here's a recent post on home fecal exams.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ighlight=Fecal

Thank you. This got me pointed in a direction. Just what I needed.

Anyone ever sent a blood/tissue sample to a lab or do they have to come from a vet?

[Timelugia]

Could you maybe ask the vets what lab they send it to?

[MasonC2K]

And here I was thinking you had some new form of maple syrup.

[JodanOrNoDan]

And here I was thinking you had some new form of maple syrup.

LOL, yeah, can't edit a title after you screw it up.

[wolfy-hound]

I know you can do your own fecal exams. That's pretty simple.

Blood testing though, that is probably out of the home system.

Your best bet is probably to pull some vet books, like what vet students would be studying for lab testing. Those would give you a lot of the information you'd need, for about the cost of a vet visit and lab testing. It's not going to guarantee that you can do testing at home, nor will it guarantee that you'll know what you're looking at once you have the book... but it's probably going to have the best information available.

I might be able to ask a couple family members about home testing abilities.