How to Find an Exotic Animal Vet

Опубликовал Admin
24-06-2021, 10:20
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Finding the right vet for your pet is an important decision. Many vets have experience treating cats, dogs, or horses. Far fewer, though, have experience working with pets classified as ‘exotic’ (e.g., hamsters, birds, reptiles). If you have an exotic pet, finding an exotic animal vet may take some extra effort. However, finding a vet who can handle and treat your exotic pet will help ensure that your pet stays happy and healthy throughout its life.

Asking Around for Local Vets

  1. Ask your friends. If you’re not sure where to start your search for an exotic animal vet, talk to your friends who own exotic animals. They can recommend an exotic animal vet to you. Ask your friends why they chose a particular vet. Other questions you can ask your friends include:
    • What do you like about the vet? Is there anything you don’t like?
    • How long have you been taking your pet to that vet?
    • Is your pet comfortable with that vet and the other staff?
  2. Call your local pet store. In addition to speaking with other pet owners, contact your local pet store. A pet store has different species of exotic pets. The store will likely have one or two exotic animal vets that they use to care for their exotic pets.
  3. Speak with local veterinarians. Veterinarians in your area will know which types of veterinary clinics are nearby. Visit or call a local veterinary clinic for recommendations on experienced exotic animal vets in your area.
  4. Search the business pages in a phone book. If you have a phone book, look through its business pages to find an exotic animal vet. There may not be a specific category on exotic animal vets, so search through the heading ‘Veterinarians.’ Keep in mind that the listings in the phone book will likely not be as extensive as searching http://www.yellowpages.com, which is the online version of the phone book.

Searching Online for Exotic Animal Vets

  1. Visit veterinary websites. State veterinary medical associations have directories of veterinary clinics in that state. Locate the website for your state veterinary medical association and search through its directory. If your Internet search is not successful, call the association to see if it knows of exotic animal vets in your area.
    • You can also visit the websites of veterinary associations for exotic animals, such as the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV), Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV), and Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV). On each of these websites, you can search for exotic animal vets in your area.
  2. Find exotic animal interest groups in your area. Animal interest groups exist that focus on specific breeds or species. Conduct an online search to identify animal interest groups in your area that focus on exotic pets. If you can, find an interest group for your specific type of exotic pet. The members of the interest group will be able to recommend exotic animal vets.
  3. Do not rely solely on review websites. Review websites can be helpful to get a sense of how other pet owners like or dislike vets in your area. However, these reviews usually do not represent the average client experience, so they may not be very reliable. Do not make your decision about an exotic animal vet based solely on online reviews.

Visiting Veterinary Clinics

  1. Visit several veterinary clinics. When you have a few recommendations for exotic animal vets, consider visiting each one. The visits will allow you to get a good idea of how each clinic operates and how comfortable the staff is with handling and treating exotic pets. After visiting several clinics, you can decide which one will work best for you and your pet.
    • You can visit the office with or without your pet. If you want to bring your pet with you, schedule an appointment first.
  2. Determine whether the clinic has the proper equipment. Equipment that works well for examining and treating dogs and cats doesn’t necessarily work for exotic pets. For example, if the clinic works with exotic pets, it should have small scales to weigh tiny animals and tanks to hold larger animals (e.g., snakes, chameleons). If you are not able to tour the clinic, ask a staff member about the type of equipment they have for exotic pets.
    • If the clinic does not have the proper equipment, the staff probably does not have much experience working with exotic pets. This may not be the right clinic for you and your pet.
    • If you are able to tour the clinic, take note of how the clinic looks (neat or unorganized) and smells (pleasant or foul odor).
  3. Observe how the staff handles exotic pets. If you bring your pet with you to visit a particular clinic, watch how the staff handles your pet. Many exotic pets are prey animals in the wild, so they can become stressed when handled by people. Be wary if the staff is unsure how to handle your pet. On the other hand, if the staff is very comfortable and relaxed with your pet, that is a good sign that you could trust them to treat and care for your pet.
  4. Ask how the clinic handles pet emergencies. There may be a time when your exotic pet needs emergency care. Since many veterinary clinics are not open 24/7, they will refer pet owners to nearby emergency clinics for emergency care. These emergency clinics are well prepared to handle dog or cat emergencies, but may not have the equipment necessary to handle exotic pet emergencies. When you visit, ask the clinic how they handle pet emergencies.
    • Whichever exotic animal vet you choose, make sure they know of an emergency clinic where you could take your pet.
  5. Inquire about costs of exotic animal services. Not all veterinary clinics charge the same fee for a particular service. For this reason, you should know the approximate cost of an average veterinary visit and other services (e.g., blood draws, x-rays) at each clinic. Compare the costs to see which clinic has fees that align best with your budget. Below are examples of other cost-related questions you can ask:
    • What types of payment do you accept (credit card, check, cash)?
    • Do you offer payment plans for your clients?

Talking with an Exotic Animal Vet

  1. Ask the vet about their exotic animal training. Veterinary schools do not offer extensive training on exotic animals. Therefore, vets with an interest in exotic animal medicine need to seek additional, specialized training to become exotic animal vets. When you speak with a vet, ask them what additional training they have received, such as a residency in exotic animal medicine.
    • A residency is a form of specialized training that takes several years.
    • After completing a residency program, a vet can take a standardized test to become board certified (specialized) in exotic animal medicine. Ask your vet if they have this certification.
    • Vets are required to take a certain number of hours of continuing education. The number of hours varies by state. Ask the vet if they take continuing education courses that focus on exotic animal care.
  2. Talk to the vet about their experience working with exotic animals. To ensure that your exotic pet receives excellent care, you should want a vet with a lot of experience working with exotic pets. Ask how many exotic pets they see per month. If the vet treats only a few exotic pets per month, they may not have enough experience or knowledge to adequately care for your pet.
    • Ask the vet about their experience working with your specific type of exotic pet.
  3. Ask what professional organizations your vet belongs to. Ask the vet if they belong to ARAV, AAV, or AEMV. If the vet belongs to one of these organizations, or other professional exotic animal organizations, this can indicate a strong interest in caring for exotic animals.

Tips

  • Because exotic animals can become very stressed when handled, ask each vet clinic if they do house calls. Your pet may be more comfortable being handled at home than at a vet clinic.
  • Poor husbandry (care of animals) is a common cause of illness in exotic pets. During your appointment, if the exotic animal vet spends a lot of time talking about proper husbandry and medical care for your pet, you can be confident they have the knowledge and expertise to care for your pet.

Warnings

  • A strong interest in exotic animal medicine does not always equate to experience. Make sure the exotic animal vet you choose has real life experience working with exotic pets.
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