Arhh So Frustrating !

[Exotic_Doc]

Nah i didnt mean that. Experience is the key in alot of professions but cost when it comes to vets often plays a major role as i have seen many animals euthanized due to people unable to afford the care and it breaks my heart and we all know the prices some bills can reach :O , My vet has been one for 25 years and is awesome !!

 

[PhilK]

Vets are expensive because running costs are high. Most vet clinics run at a loss every year. There is no medicare for pets so no government subsidy, meaning the clinics and clients must absorb the costs.

It is completely unreasonable for clients to expect everything done for cheap or even for free as some do! Things in this world cost MONEY. If you don't like vet bills or having to pay them do not get a pet. I hate the complaint about money so much... it costs me a LOT to get new tyres for my car, but do I whinge and whine and ask the bloke if I can have them cheaper? No.

 

[Helikaon]

bahaha phil, but that tyre dude needs to remember why he became a tyre dude and just do it for the passion of the job. I have no sympathy. especially when the ppl who whinge get payed muhc more then i do per annum and i manage to treat my animals.

 

[PhilK]

Bingo.

 

[Waterrat]

Exotic-doc, can you define what "exotic vet" is? I gather you specialise in exotic birds but surely, you wouldn't expect to have people lined up outside your practice with cobras, retics, boas or komodo dragons.

In general, the most important thing to me is honesty. If the vet knows very little or nothing about reptiles, he/she should say so and recommend one of their colleagues. When the vet goes into the back room to read up on it, I am walking out.

 

[Exotic_Doc]

By exotic, it is not meant as exotic reptiles from o/s. Birds, reptiles, and exotic mammals. Not all vets treat them. And i agree with the money issue but like i said earlier, alot of people cannot afford expensive treatment. Now this can spark a massive debate about whether they should own pets in the first place if they cant afford them but i believe at the end of the day it is up to the vet. I was more than willing to pay for my cat's accident and under no circumstances would he accept... Not saying i have a problem with vet bills, im saying alot of people do suffer from it JMO

 

[Waterrat]

My vet likes to drink red wine (my wine), so I don't go to him, he comes to me and looks at my snakes at the same time if needed.
Happiness on both sides.

 

[Dannyboi]

My vet likes to drink red wine (my wine), so I don't go to him, he comes to me and looks at my snakes at the same time if needed.
Happiness on both sides.

Vets that are easy to get along with are great too. Obviously they cannot do this with everyone. But they could at least try to come off as friendly

 

[PeppersGirl]

When I took my netted dragon to the vet, I found the guy was pretty rough with her. She's only a little, frail thing and I thought it was a bit unfair to hold her as though she was a large, tough lizard. I would've really appreciated it if he'd treated her more gently.

 

[Exotic_Doc]

My vet likes to drink red wine (my wine), so I don't go to him, he comes to me and looks at my snakes at the same time if needed.
Happiness on both sides.

HAha nice nice

 

[Waterrat]

Vets that are easy to get along with are great too. Obviously they cannot do this with everyone. But they could at least try to come off as friendly

But it took me years to train him and cost me bottles and bottles of good wine. So, in the end, I suppose I paid in kind for his services but it was also good fun. No regrets!

 

[Dannyboi]

With all your snakes/reps it would be to difficult to go to him for checkups.

 

[euphorion]

In the past i have found most of the vets i have been to have been friendly, competent in handling their patients and great at translating things out of 'vet speak' so that i could clearly understand what was going on. Having said that i have worked for some vets that have been so entirely incompetent at these simple things that i always wondered why their clients came back to them.

Now, are you asking what we want from a vet, or from an exotic vet? Regular small animal vets; see above. Exotic vets; honesty, competency and to not beat around the bush. Also, not to offer the cheaper option first when they assume clients can't pay for the premium treatments. I don't like taking my reptiles to the exotics vet unless i'm sure it's something i can't handle because of the risk of them picking something up from there. There should be literature available on zoonotic and transferable viral diseases that are risks when visiting such places.

 

[jack]

the humility to accept that people who have kept the animals may actually know more than the vet does.

 

[Tsubakai]

the humility to accept that people who have kept the animals may actually know more than the vet does.

How do you separate those owners from the ones who THINK they know more but are just internet experts? Not trying to be argumentative but its tough in a one-off consult to work out how much an owner really knows. The only way around it is to develop a relationship with your vet over a period of time and respect each others strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Dannyboi]

How do you separate those owners from the ones who THINK they know more but are just internet experts? Not trying to be argumentative but its tough in a one-off consult to work out how much an owner really knows. The only way around it is to develop a relationship with your vet over a period of time and respect each others strengths and weaknesses.

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.

 

[Waterrat]

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.

 

[Elapidae1]

If you know more than the vet why are you there in the first place

 

[Dannyboi]

If you know more than the vet why are you there in the first place

I don't know more than the vet but in the case that you do know more than the vet you would go there because only a vet can get the drugs.

 

[rae6mon]

I would like to share my experience with a vet in south west sydney that i was very impressed with. She was very helpfull and was highly recommended for reptiles. I had the whole family in the surgery, wife and two kids plus our pet dragon. We learnt alot about our pet beardie and she took good care of him, she was even good with the kids. It was a real family affair as our beardie is part of the family too. Now we didn't have a fecal sample with us that day but allowed us to drop it off another day. As she works at another surgery as well she went out of her way too pick it up the next morning after we dropped the sample off. She even gave us a call at 8pm on that day she received the sample to inform us of the results and arranged for antibiotics for us to pick up. We were so thankful for such dedication. As for the cost it was not unreasonable at all as it was well worth it even if it was more than we payed for our beardie. He deserves that level of care and we could not have expected more from our vet.