When do you go against the advice of a veterinarian?

[azrael]

Hi all,

We are currently in the process of treating an eye irritation for our 5.5 month old male ambilobe panther. It was deemed not an infection after doing a fecal test, bloodwork and an eye swab. There were particular treatments recommended based on the exam and thought I trust the vet and he is recommended for chameleons online and elsewhere, I can't help but wonder if there aren't other things I should be addressing, such as vitamin A efficiency. I can provide more information about what has lead me to the thread title question if people are interested but the question is also a more general one.

I have worked in a small animal hospital for mammals and can assure you that clients want to do this frequently, often to the detriment of the animals health. You can't always trust what you read on the internet, even in especially informed and thoroughly researched forums such as this one.

So, at what point do you take the the information you've researched on your own via forums, articles, blogs, breeder etc over the recommendations that your veterinarian has given you?

 

[azrael]

Any thoughts?

 

[Rodcham]

Pretty controversial topic, I would say it depends on experience and knowledge. A vet may not know reptiles too well but has the medical know how. An experienced keeper may have more experience with certain diseases etc. I would not dismiss a vet's diagnosis fully but would also listen to the ppl in the know when it comes to chameleons. If you believe you are not getting anywhere with your vet maybe try 2-3 opinions.

 

[RonWhitmill]

That is a tough question. And there probably isn't a good answer to apply to all scenarios. I think there are a lot of experienced, well informed, well intentioned people in forums such as this. And hopefully people don't get offended by this, but some with a certain level of arrogance. I was a professional athlete and I now coach for a living, and I can tell you this, once people think they know everything, they become close minded and that's when they stop learning. I say that because I think that is the case sometimes on here. There are people on here that have owned chameleons for 2 months and talk like they are experts. I think we all have a lot to learn and sharing our experiences and having enough humility to know that we can all be better chameleon owners is important. But like I said in the beginning, there are a lot of good people with very sound advice on here.

As far as vets go, to me they are like doctors. Some good, some bad. My youngest daughter last year at 3 years old jumped off an ottoman and hurt her arm. We took her to the ER and they took several X-rays, told us they were pretty sure it was broken, splinted it, then told us to make an appointment to see her pediatrician in a week to let the swelling go down and get a more permanent cast put on. My wife and thought it was strange advice, but trusted him because he was a doctor, and followed his directions. Turns out not only was it broken, her elbow was dislocated. So waiting a week like we were instructed caused serious complications. So 3 days in the hospital and 2 surgeries later, she was finally on her way to getting better. My wife and I still feel guilty for listening to the doctor and not trusting our instinct because at the time when we were in the ER, we thought what he told us to do sounded wrong.

So I guess what I'm saying is you should listen to you own better judgement and take the advice of this forum and your vet for what it is, advice. At the end of the day you have to live with the decisions you make, not forum members or vets. So if you feel you are getting contradicting advice, you need to do what you have to to satisfy your own conscience. Sorry I ended up rambling, and I'm sure someone will get defensive about what I said. This is just my opinion. I hope it helps, and good luck to you.

 

[Rodcham]

Very well said Ron, its the story of 10 years experience or one years experience 10 times over. Some ppl never stop learning and others don't.

 

[FlChamMom]

I also agree-great post Ron! I think you can get a vet with limited cham experience who may go for an obvious diagnosis instead of exploring all of the options... The first vet I had was an exotic vet who specialized in birds and had never seen a panther chameleon in person. That said, I found another vet who had a predominant reptile practice. He and I discuss care/treatment options at every visit. A good vet will listen to your opinion and take your observations into consideration but at the end of the day I trust his knowledge and experience. There is a thread on here that lists vets by area with chameleon experience if you need a second opinion.

 

[fluxlizard]

If it's just a vit a deficiency, you don't have to make an either/or plan of action.

Treating for the deficiency doesn't mean you have to not treat it as an irritation, and the two kind of go hand in hand anyway (irritation and infection can be the end result of a deficiency).

This isn't the exact intent of the original question, but seems like it might be a practical approach for this specific animal.

 

[azrael]

Great post, Ron. Especially your point on learning. I am always learning and appreciate your input.

Everyone has valid points. This vet in particular was recommended online and has experience with chameleons, though I would have preferred to see the other reptile vet that is in the same hospital. I am in Chicago and am considering going to either Dr. Gray or the Midwest Animal ER which was recommended by the vet Shiva initially saw. I'd rather not go to the ER and wait to see a regular appointment if possible, but if it comes down to it, we will.

I posted a more detailed post with an update on how Shiva is doing this morning that includes a video. If anyone would be willing to take a look and comment, it would be appreciated.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-noise-he-making-er-visit-worthy-132839/