DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON REPTILE VETS

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wellington

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I was searching my area for reptile vets. Just to see how many would be available to me, should I need one. The first one I came across is in Skokie Illinois. They have a website with several reptiles listed and care sheets for those reptiles. Lets just say I put in a not too happy phone call into them. The advice they are giving on the site for the care of a leopard and the way a leopard is suppose to look, is what you would expect from a pet store, such as Petco:(. Just because they are a exotic reptile vet means very little if they don't have a clue about proper housing, diet, care and the way a tort is suppose to look. Please, before you take your tortoise to a vet, be sure you do your research. Research on the web and see if they have a site with care sheets. Call and ask, how they would house your particular species. Ask what your species shell should look like. Ask, what about water and humidity. If they get one answer wrong, I would look some place else, unless they are willing to learn the correct answers. Here are a few of their statements in their care sheet:

(The carapace (top shell) is domed with steep sides with conically domed vertebral scutes or “humps” to assist the tortoise in righting itself if it is knocked over on to its back).
Here is another: (Substrate for young tortoises should be rather simple and easily cleaned. The most recommended substrate for juveniles is reptile carpet or butcher paper with hay on top of it.)
Another: (Hatchlings can be kept in a 10 gallon tank and increased in size from there)
And another: (Relative humidity of 40-60% is ideal during the day and 70-80% at night ( this is with temps 68-86) which can be accomplished by misting the substrate at night)
and yet another: (A burrowing tortoise, the burrows can be 30 feet deep with chambers to turn around in)


Makes me very sad and mad that a reptile vet has so much bad info out there. People will believe their vet and not look any further.:( Oh, this is just the Leopard. They have a few other tortoises listed that I haven't looked into yet.
PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST
 

JoesMum

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I know that I am very fortunate to have one of the best reptile vets in the UK just ten miles from me... I could not agree more with you.
 

Tom

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What? Your leopard doesn't make 30' burrows? You don't mist your butcher paper with hay on it every night with 68 degree temps?

Come on Barb. This person has a doctorate degree. Anyone with a "Dr." in front of their name is an all knowing genius, aren't they?


(No offense to any of the GOOD vets out there. Like our own Dr. Westin, who really is a genius)
 

wellington

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SOME GOOD NEWS? I spoke with the person that wrote their care sheet. She did explain to me that they deal with a lot of impulse buys. They put on their care sheets, basically a quick easy "for dummies" guide setup suggestions for the impulse buyers so they can get the tort set up and kept warm, etc until they can do their research or get the tort into the vet, where they will educate them better. As for the substrate, they have to suggest the paper or reptile grass, if they recommend anything that the tortoise could possibly swallow, and then the tort comes up sick or dead, the vets are the first accused. She did also explain, that the pics of leopards they were showing, weren't meant to be good examples of a tortoise. I explained to her, that's how it comes off. She is willing to make some changes and to explain in different terms, so it's not taken wrong. She will also put a link up to TFO. I explained, this wonderful site to her and all the different knowledgable members and what a lot of them do for the betterment and advancement of tortoise. Although I don't agree with beating around the bush, I did understand to a point why they have to say some of the things they have to say and in the way they have to say it. Hopefully, this will be a start in the right direction. Also, hopefully they will check out TFO and learn much more that they then can pass on and refer people too.
 

wellington

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Tom said:
What? Your leopard doesn't make 30' burrows? You don't mist your butcher paper with hay on it every night with 68 degree temps?

Come on Barb. This person has a doctorate degree. Anyone with a "Dr." in front of their name is an all knowing genius, aren't they?


(No offense to any of the GOOD vets out there. Like our own Dr. Westin, who really is a genius)

Tom, I just don't know. I thought I was going to have to rehome Tatum. That's the reason I didn't get a sully, the burrowing. Funny, I didn't see that on their sully care sheet. I will have to go back over all of it again. I got her email so I will be sending a lot of corrections their way.
Dr. Barb:p :D


JoesMum said:
Well done wellington :)

Thanks. :)


So, in researching for your reptile vet. Be sure to not only check out any info they may have out on the Internet, but also be sure to call and talk to them. That is probably the most important part. They, this one anyway, does seem to have the knowledge you would want. However, because they do have that knowledge, they don't see as easily where some of their info can appear to be misunderstood by a newbie. Also, we don't see, what they are approached with and have to deal with. Most of their info I pointed out, is meant more as a quick fix for impulse buyers, who, got this tort and now does not know what to do with it. I understood it as, their way is to keep it safe long enough until the tort can be seen. Hoping the new owners don't freeze it or bake it first. Sounds like vet sees people that really have no, zero clue. I'm still got some changes I would like to see them do. Will keep working on them:)
 

CourtneyAndCarl

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My exotic vet has been a life saver for my bird with immune problems. But I was appalled when I took Carl to him. Being in the middle of nowhere Midwest, it is no surprise to me that he rarely works with baby tortoises. But he said that he'd never seen a tortoise or turtle as small as Carl, who was already about an inch longer than he was when I got him. I knew he was treating him in the way he would treat an adult Russian, fresh out of the pet store. He wanted to give him worming medication and a vitamin shot. I figured the worming meds probably wouldn't hurt but I practically jumped out of my seat and ran away with little Carl when he suggested the vitamin shot, after reading so many horror stories on here. He'd also never even heard of a Hermann's tortoise and gave me a care sheet for a Russian tortoise when I was on my way out the door.

Dr B. is a great exotic vet and he knows a ton about birds but unless Carl's dying in front of my eyes and I've got no other option but to rush him to the vet, I will always trust the words of people on this forum to what the vet has to say from now on.
 

JoesMum

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Trinity Vet Centre in Maidstone has two zoo qualified vets and specialises in all sorts of exotics. Vets and nursing staff alike keep tortoises and are very knowledgable. Joe's hormonal troubles are the subject of a paper being written by vet Mark Rowland.

Richard, the other vet, is also an expert in elephant calving should you ever need it :D
 

jax7271

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Yes, you need to do your homework before problems arise... I have a great vet in S Ontario for my babies... :)
 
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