Went to the vet -- some things he recommended

[Starscream]

Sorry you had such a poor experience! I would also recommend finding a good reptile vet - the closest to me is 2 hours away but the drive would be worth it.

I work in the veterinary field and there is no excuse for a vet to talk at you not to you, granted they probably were rushed and started to vent facts they learned at some point instead of listening to their clients, but you should never feel like you can't talk to someone. A good veterinarian should be open and listen to your history, even if you were doing something wrong they should correct you in a professional manner and also explain the 'whys' behind their advise. Even if it is a bit of a long haul you should try and find someone you are comfortable with, it will make all the difference for you and your pet

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I also keep a "medical file" on mine where I record temps and humidity (used to be daily before the AP cage, now weekly), food offered (size, gender, brand, whether eaten or not), bowl movements / urates, shed dates, and any other notes that I need. This way should he ever need a vet I can give them his history in a format that they understand and can follow - also helps me to learn his patterns. I know this isn't realistic for large collections but it helps me lol

Yeah, I keep a calendar with all of Maze's important dates. Feeding, sheds, cleaning. I don't record the weights of the rats, but I put down what size they were listed at and how many. Also keep track of her weight, but that's a given. I've been working on organizing it all into nice little spreadsheets for sharing/personal organization purposes. Will definitely try to remember to share them with the next vet I see.

(And I have picked out a new one with a very good reputation in the local reptile community. He's 1:15 away but it's worth it to get actual helpful feedback instead of condescension.)