Chinchilla Reviews

How To Find A Vet For Your Chinchilla

An Experienced Vet is Worth the Search

Establishing a good enterprise relationship with a veterinarian can be a challenge for any pet owner, but is a special challenge for the exotic pet owner. The exotic pet owner must find a vet who is prepared to see their pet, knows something about their pet, and has the facilities, equipment and materials to treat their pet.

An interest in exotics doesn't necessarily equal proficiency in treating them. I say this from experience, as although I am fascinated with exotic pets, I have no special proof in treating them medically. When I was practicing as a veterinarian, except for very routine care, I generally referred exotics to a specialist nearby. Thing may have single a bit since I went to school, but during my training, exposure to exotics was still very imited even though I sought out extra exposure to lovely pets in my choice of clinical rotations. If at all possible, try to locate a vet who specializes in exotics and has taken specialized training ( e. g. a residency in exotic animal medicine, or one who is board certified in an exotics metier ).

Such specialists can be hard to come by, so the subsequent best is someone who has lots of experience treating exotic pets. Ask a potential veterinarian about their training, credentials, and memberships in racket organizations such as the Association of Avian Veterinarians ( AAV ) or the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians ( ARAV ). At the veritable least, choose a veterinarian with a real interest in fine species and who is willing to learn about them and who will consult with a specialist when needed.

Personal advocacy or word of mouth is probably the vastly efficient way of finding a veterinarian. Friends, breeders, or organizations ( e. g. the discriminative herpetological society, other clubs ) are good starting points. Other places to locate veterinarians include the yellow pages / phone directories ( look for clinics that specifically advertise that they treat exotics ), the state / provincial veterinary association directory, or even web pages that have veterinary directories ( including the AAV and ARAV sites mentioned above ). Several species specific web pages own sections where readers can submit contact learning for veterinarians they have used.

Most importantly, do not wait until an emergency to find a vet. If your pet should get sick, a veterinarian with whom you feel comfortable and who is comfortable dealing with your pet will make the situation less stressful. An initial check up is well advised for sliver virgin pet and this is a good transpire to see how a veterinarian handles your pet and how comfortable they are with your pet, and also to see if you and the veterinarian make a good match - sometimes there is a personality clash and you won't develop a good rapport with a certain veterinarian.

A veterinarian familiar with exotics will spend a good deal of time discussing the care and husbandry of a particular pet, as many problems with exotic pets are equivalent to improper diet or husbandry. The veterinarian should also appear confident handling your pet.

There are several criteria which can be used to evaluate a practice in general and the following web pages discuss these in detail:

- How to Find a Veterinarian - advice from About's Guide to Veterinary Medicine on decision and evaluating a vet, with a link to some online vet finder directories.

- How to Find an Avian Veterinarian - helpful tips for finding a veterinarian - geared toward bird owners but also felicitous to any exotic species.

For exotics professional are more specific considerations, including:

- special evidence or continuing discernment related to exotic pet medicine

- how often exotic species are empirical in their practice

- special facilities or apparatus to handle exotic pets

- caution ( personal or professional ) and familiarity with the husbandry and medicine of a individualistic species

Finding the right vet can be a challenge and may not seem that important when your pet is healthy, but the effort will be well worth it if your pet should fall ill!