Exotic Vets

[ReptileAddiction]

hello so I have had my dragon for a while and she has always been healthy. All the vets in my area say they are exotic vets. I was wondering what questions should I ask over the phone to figure out if they know what they are doing?

 

[Maxwellsmomma1989]

hmm i dunno see if they know what kind of substrate to use, simple stuff like that, i took maxwell to a vet that said he did reptiles he literally held max in the air looked at him put his nose to his ear to hear breathing and said he looks fine to me , i was like well why is he not eating , hes like cuz he dont want to ? left after he made me pay 50 bucks my vet know is the vest herp vet in the county and she gives a 10 dollar off discount for healthy pets! its further of a drive for me but max loves car rides lol

 

[ReptileAddiction]

I tried asking what species they worked with in the past and she said everything

 

[Maxwellsmomma1989]

well you could always give it a try they might know their stuff. the lady itook max to when i first got him dont specialize in reptiles but she knows enough that i trusted her the guy i take my dog to thinks a sick lizzard is a deal lizzard i use to different because my old lizzard vet wouldnt see my dog unless h had all his shots and i was just rescuing him them and he was beaten alot by the previous owner and now my dog likes that vet so i got to keep it that way which i dont mind

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

Ask if they have a care sheet for bearded dragons, and if not then ask which care sheet they recommend. Take a look at it and make sure everything suggested on the care sheet falls in line with what you know to be correct. Ask how many bearded dragons they've seen within the past 5 years. Ask if they've ever done a blood draw, x-rays, fecal tests, ultrasound, and/or surgery on a bearded dragon. Ask how familiar they are with things such as yellow fungus and Adenovirus. If they are well versed with the majority of these things, then I would consider them a good herp vet option. If they don't have much direct experience with beardies, but have worked with other desert reptiles instead (like uromastyx, etc.) then they may still be an option worth trying.

I also entered the name of my city into the search bar function here on the forum to try to find other members who lived in my area. Then I PM'd them all and asked for vet recommendations.

I understand your frustration... I tried and paid for two different "exotic" vet appointments before I finally called or emailed every vet in town to see if they could answer these inquiries adequately. I was honest and explained that I was tired of wasting my money on vets who didn't have a clue what they were talking about. If the vet is legitimately knowledgeable, then they shouldn't have any problem answering these questions for you before you make an appointment. Hope that helps, good luck!!

P.S. I consider my beardies' primary care resource to be Tracie Kretzschmar (username Drache613 on this site). She is not a veterinarian, but she has a year or two of vet school under her belt and she is more knowledgeable about beardies than any vet I've come across. She does phone consultations for a small fee (check her out at http://www.bug-de-lite.com/) and she knows how to evaluate blood work, x-rays, etc. plus she can recommend/source medications and tell you how to properly calculate dosages. I've had her evaluate every test my vet has ever run on my beardies, and she's caught things that my vet overlooked - even though I consider him to be a great herp vet. I usually schedule a 30min-1hr phone consultation with her once every couple of months. She even heads up a big Adenovirus research project and has access to a lab that you can send a fecal swab to get your beardie tested for it! She's definitely what I would consider a bearded dragon "expert", and is a great resource for your beardie's health & care.

 

[ReptileAddiction]

I have talked to her before When you call her what do you talk to her about?

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

I have talked to her before When you call her what do you talk to her about?

Oh gosh we've talked about so many things! What I usually do is keep a list of questions going until the next time I talk to her (the questions are bound to add up if you remember to write them down every time you think of one). She's taught me about all kinds of supplements like black cherry extract, bee pollen, vitamin B complex, serrapeptase, etc. and how to use them. She diagnosed my dragon with pre-gout when she went over her blood panel, and showed me a place where I could purchase Allopurinol without a prescription so I could treat her. She also taught me how to mix and dose the meds myself. She's gone over all of my fecal tests and told me the best medications to use for certain parasites, where to get them, and how to dose them. I've talked to her about my dragon's perpetual stress marks, she took care of Adenovirus testing for me, she recommended which lab tests I should get done based on my dragon's history (rescue), she's taught me how to care for my dragons based on their different ages (2yrs and 9months), recommended diet/supplementation plans, helped me figure out my lighting set-up when I was having issues regulating the temps, etc. There are soooo many things that she's capable of consulting on. Just think of all the things you'd like to ask a knowledgeable vet as if they had a full hour to just sit and talk with you, and ask Tracie instead

 

[ReptileAddiction]

Will do! I might just skip it all together. I can do fecal tests myself and around Christmas I will invest in a very nice new microscope that I will be able to see scant amounts of parasites and see them up very large. I get all my medications and medical supplies from Cheryl (bd.co) and I could call or maybe skype Tracie for the rest.

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

Will do! I might just skip it all together. I can do fecal tests myself and around Christmas I will invest in a very nice new microscope that I will be able to see scant amounts of parasites and see them up very large. I get all my medications and medical supplies from Cheryl (bd.co) and I could call or maybe skype Tracie for the rest.

Lol as tempting as it sounds to skip the vet altogether, I would at least find a good one and take your beardie in for one check-up just so you know you have a good herp vet at your disposal in case anything ever happens and you need vet care

 

[ReptileAddiction]

After calling all the vets i really dont thing I have a "good" herp vet.

 

[ReptileAddiction]

I found a good herp vet and there very close! Their exam price is 65 buck. Their fecal price is 55!!!! I do my own fecals though so I dont care.