Good Herp vets in northern Utah?

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Floof

Juvie Member
I recently relocated to Tooele, Utah, and long distance move means time to find a new vet for the beardies. Herp Vet Connection isn't much help on this one, since the Utah section hasn't been updated in more than 3 years, and the last review for the only good-sounding vet in the SLC area was written in '04.

So, I know there has to be at least a couple Utah members here... Does anyone know of a good vet in the Salt Lake area?
 

Beardednoob

BD.org Addict
Dr. Orr is in Sandy and is just off of I-15. Dr. Harris is in Salt Lake City at about 7200 S near 2000 east
Recommended by the reptile curator at the Hogle Zoo.
:wink:
 

Floof

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Do you know of any other good vets, or have personal experience with either of those? I'm a little doubtful about both recommendations...

Immediately prior to posting this, I was talking to a local snake keeper who had a not-so-great experience with a Dr. Harris, who I believe may be the same one you're talking about.. Wasatch Exotic Pet Care? Not bad, but not very good, either, and I'm worried about her ability with beardies if her snake knowledge is unimpressive and her techs don't know anything about the animals.

As well, if the Dr Orr you're talking about is Dr. Martin Orr of Bird and Exotic Pet Hospital, he has received some appalling reviews that make me highly doubtful of his abilities (see here, under Draper: http://herpvetconnection.com/utah.shtml).

No offense meant to you or the Hogle Zoo curator, but I don't want to take one of these recommendations only to regret it, so I'm trying to find out all I can ahead of time... =/
 

Beardednoob

BD.org Addict
I have no experience with either of them. I was consulting the curator for my mountain horned dragon (RIP). We are extremely limited when it come to exotic pets. That sucks to hear both are not a good standing with locals. There was only one more..

Dr. Marty Orr, Dr. Laurel Harris and Dr. Doug Folland

IDK lol those are the only 3 she told me. And after rereading the email message she is the associate director of the Hogle Zoo. LOL not that it matters. If you have a concern I would go down to Pets and Such and speak with the guy with the pony tail... I forget his name. He is very knowledgeable and could make a recommendation I think. My favorite pet shop in the valley btw I am there every Tuesday at around 5pm for my crickets. :wink:
 

Floof

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Oh, geeze. If that's not a confidence breaker, I don't know what is. From Dr. Harris's "Care of Carnivorous/Omnivorous Lizards" page (all emphases mine):
"Species that remain smaller as adults such as bearded dragons may be kept in enclosures as small as a 20 gallon long aquarium."
"Particulate substrate small enough for the lizard to ingest is not recommended, with the exception of very fine sand-we like Jurassic Playsand."

Two things any one here can tell you is VERY wrong, and the latter is a very dangerous generalization to make when the care sheet applies to everything from monitors to water dragons to bearded dragons. I'm kind of afraid to read her other care sheets... God forbid the tortoise care sheet, considering accurate info on them is already tough to come by.

Crap, internet shuts down in 10 minutes. I'll definitely look up Dr Folland tomorrow. I'll have to check out Pets and Such next time I'm in the area... Maybe the owner of Rockstar Pets here in Tooele has a recommendation, too... Haha. I'm really starting to miss how easy it was to find a good herp vet in the Seattle area... =P
 

Floof

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Living with a family including teenagers who get on too late, so the internet shuts off at 9. It sucks, but eh.

It's part concern, part just in case. All three are due for fecals, and I'd like to get exams for the girls since they're recent rescues, even though they seem healthy. It's nothing really urgent, which is part of why I'm taking the time to find the best vet in the area.
 

Beardednoob

BD.org Addict
I am planning on getting my own testing equipment. A microscope, slides, lenses, book on identifying, some saline solution and I am set. :D
 

Floof

Juvie Member
Original Poster
What a fantastic idea!! One of these days I'll have to look into it. I'd love to do active rescue work someday, and I bet being set up to do your own fecals, especially in that situation, would be so infinitely more convenient and wallet-friendly than always stopping at the vet. How do you go about finding the correct dosages for different medications, or even correct medications for different parasites? Two big concerns of mine... Though I guess you can't always trust the vet will even know that when it comes to reptiles.. :roll: Haha.

Looking through his website, Dr. Folland sounds like the most promising vet so far... At least worth a try. :) Whenever that happens (aka whenever I magically come up with enough spare cash for a vet trip), I'll report back here with my experience.
 

Floof

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Good to know, thanks!

On the vet subject, I was talking to the snake keeper who had the not great experience with Dr. Harris today, and apparently Dr. Folland is the U's reptile vet, which reinforces my decision to try him first when the time comes. :)
 
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