vet visits

[John33871]

well i was reading royden's post"https://www.chameleonforums.com/otto-back-vet-6114/", and i didnt want to take his thread or anything, but i was wondering how often should you take your chameleon to the vet for a check up? once or twice a year?

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Personally I refer any concerns , first , to knowledgeable friends , who also keep herps. Further to that , I take stools in to check for parasites, then if an issue remains unresolved , definetely time for a vet visit. But, I dont routinely take my chams in for a scheduled check up.

Other than a stool sample check for parasites, your vet will be doing a visual check for hydration, observing skin and bones for edema or MBD, possibly verbally reviewing your husbandry, which I very much doubt, and then presenting you with the bill.

It certainly cant hurt matters, but I question the value ...

 

[John33871]

yea, i do check the stools also from time to time. i was just curious. thanks for your reply

 

[MWheelock]

It really depends on what you are trying to achieve by going to see the vet.

I always recommend a physical when you get an animal (this is a bigger deal if you are a novice herper or not.) There is certainly value in having the reptile assessed for health, especially if you invested any sort of money into it. Discussing specific husbandry is big. This of course is only as beneficial as the vet is versed in your particular species and you are not.

Sometimes a general physical exam is a good time to decide whether your vet knows what they are talking about. Better then than when your animal is sick and really needs some expertise. Also, once you are a client, it is easier to get in to see the vet since you are one of their clients.

How often? I agree with Cham_man. After the initial visit, besides fecal checks, unless there is a problem, a visual physical is often what is done. If you have the money to do it, I recommend bloodwork every couple years to have a baseline and to confirm various electrolytes.

Fecals- unless you done know where your insects are coming from, (wild caught) fecals may not be necessary.

Sometimes a knowlegable herper knows more about a particular species than the vet. (I don't pretend to know everything. But I do know more than the average herper...) I do defer to some other specialists (zoo keepers, ARAV members, professors, and other herpers)

If you have the time, call all the vets that see reptiles. See if they own any themselves. What experience do they have (zoos, special training, continuing education). Vet schools don't require much exotics to pass, and you can conceivably graduate without ever putting hands on them at all. Those with experience often have gone out of their way to study on their own, or are enthusiest in their own right.

The money that I make on exotics does not at all compensate me for the time I spend with my exotic clients. I do it because it is fun and interesting. Unfortuanately if I did things for free or less, my bookings would be full of people looking for treatment for free (especially frustrating when most ailments occur because they never bothered to research basic husbandry before they bought the animal, or just took the pet store's advice without question). Certainly there are vets that are looking for a quick buck. Keep this in mind though--that same vet would have made 3-4 times more by filling that appointment with a dog or a cat.

Take that for what its worth. Know why your going in. Call and confirm that you will be getting that service before you go in. Do your own research. These forums give a great reference point. A lot of issues are easily solved. When a problem that requires a vet comes up, they are usually forthright in suggesting a trip to the vet.

Good luck,
Matthew

 

[John33871]

thanks for the advice! i wish you were located down where i live, you would be a great vet, im sure. again thanks for the advice!

 

[royden]

I don't mean to insight jealousy but I must have seriously hit the jackpot here in Washington. This vet is so close I could've walked there on a sunny day with Otto on my shoulder. He made me fill out an exstensive husbandry sheet and then went over it with me verbally. When I made the appointment with the assitant at the desk I asked her if he had experience with chameleons, and she chuckled to herself and nodded.

With that said he had a very relaxed approach, like, 'these are not babies, don't stress out, you're doing everything right, just keep it up' kind of attitude. As apposed to the 'I'm going to tie you down and beat you if i even sense that you're using substrate' kind of attitude that I've run into before.

Also watching the vet 'man handle' the chameleon to check his skull and the inside of his mouth also showed me that it's ok to piss the lizard off if you need to check him.

If you're cham's healthy and you're tight on money, I don't see the need. This hobby requires that you pick up some observation skills yourself. But if you've got the extra cash it never hurts.

 

[PardalisGirl]

vet visits..

It is best if you can connect with your vet at least once or twice a year even if you don't think you have a particular issue. Fecal checks are a good reason to do this. Making sure that your vet has one healthy blood panel on file for future comparison is a good idea too. Building this relationship with your vet benefits both you and your vet. It improves his/her ability to help your reptile more efficiently if you have an emergency or serious issue. I understand exactly what Matthew said about enjoying his reptile clients and spending far more time researching and knowing as much as possible about them than is "profitable" on paper. A good vet like Matthew will do this and the process will give you the comfort that you have the right vet that you can turn to when you do have a serious issue. I'm lucky to have a vet in my area who is like Matthew. They are not to be found in every community. When you do find one, you realize right away that you have hit the "jackpot"