Arhh So Frustrating !

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When the vet goes into the back room to read up on it, I am walking out.
This is the worst attitude I reckon. All you ever hear from the herp community is whinging about how vets know nothing about reptiles... but when a vet is willing to look it up in the text book and LEARN, they are shunned?

How the hell do you think people become good at doing reptile medicine? They aren't taught it at uni - they learn on the job, and if people don't let them start they will never know anything about reptiles and you will all complain bitterly about them.
 
When the vet goes into the back room to read up on it, I am walking out.

AND...when the vet refuses to look at the notes provided by me.
(Dr.Helen McCracken Reptile Vet.) I loose all faith in that vet treating any animal I bring in. Not my animal but injured wildlife.

It works both ways.

Cheers
Sandee :)
 
Livingstone Animal Hospital, is one of the best vets i have ever seen. Janet the head vet and owner of the place has worked with exotics and just about every single animal all around the world, she even treated elephants in africa. Has anyone ever been there and how did you find it? Awesome vet, couldnt recommend her enough and she does exotics as well....
 
How are you to build a relationship if the vet acts if you are stupid? I understand many people come off as internet experts but Jack IMO knows his stuff. A vet should assume that people know about their animals otherwise they wouldn't know to take them to the vet.

If the vet treats you poorly then obviously you are less likely to develop a good rapport with them. I'm just pointing out that like any relationship it will take time to develop. I'm not a vet but I bet that more uneducated owners are likely to be walking through the door than owners who know more than the vet does (this is assuming the vet has some training/interest in reptiles because otherwise why would you go in the first place?)

Essentially its a two-way street where both sides need to communicate clearly to achieve the best outcome.
 
This is the worst attitude I reckon. All you ever hear from the herp community is whinging about how vets know nothing about reptiles... but when a vet is willing to look it up in the text book and LEARN, they are shunned?

How the hell do you think people become good at doing reptile medicine? They aren't taught it at uni - they learn on the job, and if people don't let them start they will never know anything about reptiles and you will all complain bitterly about them.

Phil, there are vets and there are vets, I don't think I need to go into that any further. Some will take you money just for looking at you animal.
If I am charged $65.- for consultation, I not there to teach the vet or to give him/her the opportunity to learn. I want a professional service. Apprentices don't charge the same amount as masters do.
 
Isn't there a government incentive to do that anyway? I know here all you have to do is bring in a native and walk out.

Not in QLD. Having run an exotic animal practice for 6 years you get very sick of being abused by the general public because you won't perform expensive surgery on an Indian Mynah. It all comes out of the vets pocket here.

That is an interesting scenario. I know (reports from number of vets) that many herpers (smart Alexs) bring their sick or not so sick animal in and then tell the vet what's wrong with it and what the vet should do, showing off their knowledge. Understandably, that is very off putting.

It doesn't take long in a consult to work out thise that "know" vs those that "think they know". With every new client you will ask the questions that develop a history for that patient. Some experienced herpers will consider they are being treated as stupid as these questions are often very basic. If someone answers "Yeah, the temps fine, I keep heaps of snakes" I'll still ask the question because often you'll find that the information assumed is not the same as the real answer when you ask for specifics. Once I am happy that a client knows their stuff then they become good clients as they are far less hard work the next time. I left exotic practice for two main reasons 1. I got sick of "know it alls" bringing their almost dead animals in after asking internet experts for 3 weeks and then whinging because "you charged me all this money and it never survived" and 2. people that think that because I have the day off and they can't get an appointment its ok to ring or email me at home. Unfortunately being part of the reptile community makes you a better exotic vet but it will also ruin your life in many respects. I left that practice 6 years ago and I still get 20+ emails/calls a week (one at 11pm last night).
 
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wow geckodan...did you find that this stuff only happened with the exotics? and r you still a vet in practice today?? Cheers its always good to hear the vets POV
 
Only with exotics. I work night shift Emergency these days. Far more rewarding and I have my days to work with my own critters.
 
I have my snakes and lizards and I do wildlife rescue alot of the animals i get are from vets, most are honest that they know little about these creatures and that,s fine I then know to take them to the uni vet or another vet that dose. You would think that vet schools would teach about snakes and lizards been native but I been told its not.

Some vets dont charge for wildlife some ask for the medicine costs only,lets face it nothing is free in todays world and these vets have to pay for there business some how?
 
Geckodan, i find it kind of peculiar as when you jump on a pedigree dogs forum the people on them especially registered breeders claim openly that they would probably know more than a vet and the way they talk about the profession is very snobbish so im amazed its only the exotic owners that are like that at work ...
 
Geckodan, i find it kind of peculiar as when you jump on a pedigree dogs forum the people on them especially registered breeders claim openly that they would probably know more than a vet and the way they talk about the profession is very snobbish so im amazed its only the exotic owners that are like that at work ...
You don't see a lot of dog breeders in exotic practice !!! I do agree however that there are obnoxious jerks in all animal fields but as far as dogs are concerned there are many more vets available to carry the load and share them, especially afterhours. In Exotics you may be the only person in a 100 km radius, so get get all of them whether you like it or not.
 
You don't see a lot of dog breeders in exotic practice !!! I do agree however that there are obnoxious jerks in all animal fields but as far as dogs are concerned there are many more vets available to carry the load and share them, especially afterhours. In Exotics you may be the only person in a 100 km radius, so get get all of them whether you like it or not.
OOppps i totally forgot haha sorry. Ye i guess thats right its because everyone can spread to different vets with dogs, im not generalising but the way some of those breeders talk about vets you would think they dont need one and can open their own clinics at home but funnily enough when the crap hits the fun guess were they run to?
 
Not in QLD. Having run an exotic animal practice for 6 years you get very sick of being abused by the general public because you won't perform expensive surgery on an Indian Mynah. It all comes out of the vets pocket here.
The indian mynah is introduced is it not? I was talking purely natives. I guess it differs from state to state. But in SA bring a wild native in walk out problem solved although some vets just put them to sleep them if it will be to expensive or time consuming.
 
I think I love you GeckoDan and WaterRat.
You hit the nail on the head every time.
Have been reading this little discourse with interest.
Not wanting to get off topic.....Dannyboi - how do you know personally that vets put wildlife to sleep because of an inconvenience?
It is complete rubbish that you type.
The only part you were right about....was that any member of the public Australia-wide can take an injured native animal to their vet at no cost to themselves.
Treatment invariably comes out of the pocket of the vet him/herself.
Then off to trusted carers for rehabilitation goes the animal.
You should try something like being a wildlife carer yourself, so that you can gain an appreciation of the way things work.
Not too many vets are beneficiaries of a government grant to treat wildlife.
Dannyboi - what do you do for free? Out of your own pocket? And on your own time?

And to the OP - very good topic !!
 
I think I love you GeckoDan and WaterRat.
You hit the nail on the head every time.
Have been reading this little discourse with interest.
Not wanting to get off topic.....Dannyboi - how do you know personally that vets put wildlife to sleep because of an inconvenience?
It is complete rubbish that you type.
The only part you were right about....was that any member of the public Australia-wide can take an injured native animal to their vet at no cost to themselves.
Treatment invariably comes out of the pocket of the vet him/herself.
Then off to trusted carers for rehabilitation goes the animal.
You should try something like being a wildlife carer yourself, so that you can gain an appreciation of the way things work.
Not too many vets are beneficiaries of a government grant to treat wildlife.
Dannyboi - what do you do for free? Out of your own pocket? And on your own time?

And to the OP - very good topic !!

ToadCountry you speak alot of sense thumbs up to that!! And thanks for appreciating the topic, its something that i always think about and question myself. Its something i dont want to get wrong in practice....and i knew it would bring out alot of good advice and let people speak their mind
 
I think I love you GeckoDan and WaterRat.
You hit the nail on the head every time.
Have been reading this little discourse with interest.
Not wanting to get off topic.....Dannyboi - how do you know personally that vets put wildlife to sleep because of an inconvenience?
It is complete rubbish that you type.
The only part you were right about....was that any member of the public Australia-wide can take an injured native animal to their vet at no cost to themselves.
Treatment invariably comes out of the pocket of the vet him/herself.
Then off to trusted carers for rehabilitation goes the animal.
You should try something like being a wildlife carer yourself, so that you can gain an appreciation of the way things work.
Not too many vets are beneficiaries of a government grant to treat wildlife.
Dannyboi - what do you do for free? Out of your own pocket? And on your own time?

And to the OP - very good topic !!
Some family members have brought natives in walked out taken a step back in because they have forgotten something and overheard the vet saying it was too much of a hassle and just to put it down, They were probably a bad vet and you get dodgy people everywhere. I have done a range of volunteer work from giving blood, setting up sausage sizzles and being an assistant co-ordinator on an outdoor education camp where there were quite a few nice herps. I do not recommend going to a survival camp where you set everything up with little sleep just for some year 9's after giving blood.

I would love to do some work as a wildlife carer but at this stage I am living with my mother and its just not aloud.
 
I have a lot of experience with wildlife and vets being a local herp catcher/carer. I have a great rapport with a very good "herp vet" and when he looks at the animals I know they are getting the best. On the other hand, a less knowledgeable with reptiles, vet at the same practice (she is good just not as good) once told us that a carpet I had found and handed on to another carer was gravid. Because of the size and nature of this snake it soon came back to me and I checked it and said not gravid.
But coming from a vet I took it back to get another look when it was obviously over due (if gravid). She looked again and said probably slugs. I asked if she could show me what she was feeling as I could feel nothing. She couldn't, but she did say she should ultra sound just in case. I said ok so we did and there was nothing there. Now having gone from "many eggs" (her words) to maybe slugs (her words), to nothing, I felt a little put out that she still wanted to charge us full freight for the ultra sound. Its not my money, the organisation pays for all vet bills, but we are volunteers and I thought it a bit steep.

I have also been quite vehemently turned away from one particular practice when I needed anti biotics for a wild diamond python and thought that was very bad form.

I have found that 99% of vets, even if they are not familiar with the animals, they will ask that I restrain the beast, and they will have a go. Another thing is that ALL our wild caught stuff is delegated a number and the vets will ask for that number for the records.
 
Some family members have brought natives in walked out taken a step back in because they have forgotten something and overheard the vet saying it was too much of a hassle and just to put it down, They were probably a bad vet ...
Or perhaps the treatment to fix this animal would cost $500 of the vets money? Perhaps that animal would be in immense pain too? Perhaps euthanasia is the kindest thing when treatment has a lower chance of success and will be expensive?

How about next time you take a wild animal in to the vet YOU offer to pay for it? Funny how nobody does that isn't it... (actually that isn't true at uni one couple found an injured tawny frog mouth and paid for its wing to be pinned)
 
Although i havnt had any "bad experiences" i do think that vets charge way to much for a simple consult. they should have some schheme like medicare for your pets.. i have seen people let their pets suffer, as they can not afford the medical treatment needed. i myself could not do this, as my pets are my babies, and are treated like my own children. good luck in your future studies.. we need more vets like you wanting to know and asking the question about what us pet owners want and need.
 
I would like medicare for pets too, when I bring mine into the vet it would be great to be able to bulk bill :D

But I don't wanna pay tax to subsidise someone else's sick animal, and nor will non-animal lovers. Let's not lose track of what Medicare actually is... So in that context, vets aren't charging that much, even if it hurts my pocket sometimes :)

To get back to the original topic, I think the client relations side of things, and being willing to be up front about when they are not sure are what I look for in a vet. I haven't had many bad experiences myself tho, so must be lucky :)
 
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