Small Town Herp Vet

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Kayti

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Hey, I don't really post here often but I thought I would share my recent experience with a local vet (Animal Medical Hospital) in my little town (Ashland, OR.) This is an office that sees mostly average household pets, but advertises itself as an exotic vet as well.
I decided to have my young Sulcata Delaware see a vet because she weighs 3 grams less this month than 2 months ago. Not that much of a difference, I know, but when you're 50g total I figure it's important to sweat the small stuff. Plus, she is supposed to be gaining weight.

We saw a Dr. Scott Knox.

I didn't like him almost immediately. He acted like seeing a tortoise the size of a silver dollar was beneath him. He also asked me absolutely NOTHING about how I care for her. I was basically the only one talking, except when I pressed him for info. Some of the more interesting tortoise care facts I gleaned from Dr. Knox were:
1) It is important to keep tortoises absolutely dry, because of the risk of bacteria and infection. The best substrate is, apparently, dry newspaper.
2) My young Sulcata is digging in her substrate (coconut fiber/orchid bark) because she is trying to hibernate.
3) I should feed her wet dog food to help her gain weight. (When I told him I had read about how protein is bad for tortoises, he said that this is only true when they are older.)
He never asked me what I feed her, what kind of lights I had, what I kept her in, or if I soaked her.
I told Dr. Knox that Delaware had spent the majority of her summer in an outdoor enclosure, and I was concerned she had picked up parasites. He said he didn’t want to worm her without first doing a fecal test.
We left it with me planning to return with a fecal sample, but I’m pretty sure I am not going to do that.
I noticed after I got back from the vet that the multivitamin I have been sprinkling D’s food with 1x weekly contains Calcium. Normally, I sprinkle her food everyday with a Calcium supplement. Since the vet, I stopped giving her any supplement at all- and lo and behold, she has gained 2 grams in one week. I’m pretty sure I was just overdosing her, so she stopped eating as much.
I’m usually a stickler for following medical advice, but in the case of Dr. Knox, his information was just so glaringly outdated that I really can’t believe anything that he told me. I’ve heard of people having bad experiences with exotic vets before, but I’ve definitely never had it happen to me to this degree. This guy clearly hadn’t even taken the time to Google the word “tortoise.” And yet, I paid money for his advice! It seems like someone should be regulating this kind of thing. Very frustrating.
 

Yvonne G

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Thank you so much for posting that. We don't have a "Vets Not To Go To" list, but maybe we should start one. Maggie????? Just kidding! She's on page 60 or so of her vet list and only a third of the way through the alphabet. :D

Yvonne
 

Isa

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I am sorry to hear you and your little tortoise had to go throught this!! What a bad vet!!! Thank God you know how to care for your little one because I am sure some people would listen to him!
Thanks for sharing your bad experience with us.
 

Shelly

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Kayti said:
Hey, I don't really post here often but I thought I would share my recent experience with a local vet (Animal Medical Hospital) in my little town (Ashland, OR.)

Absolutely, without a doubt, one of my favorite places on earth. You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Lithia Park is absolutely gorgeous.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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Kayti...All the Vets I have in Oregon are North of Eugene, I have nothing close to you so maybe there is someone on the forum who see's a good Vet in Southern Oregon. DoctorCosmonaut and I both see the same Vet here in Corvallis and swear by her, so if you need to come up here you can always stay here with me. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.

And I will make sure that jerk is NOT on my Vet list...
 

Stazz

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Goodness me....make me so mad how vets can just THINK they're giving off the correct info, phew! That vet is SO lucky I live far away hahaha.
Good luck, I hope you find a new experienced vet closer to you soon!
 

Kayti

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Shelly said:
Kayti said:
Hey, I don't really post here often but I thought I would share my recent experience with a local vet (Animal Medical Hospital) in my little town (Ashland, OR.)

Absolutely, without a doubt, one of my favorite places on earth. You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Lithia Park is absolutely gorgeous.

Thanks, I agree!

maggie3fan said:
Kayti...All the Vets I have in Oregon are North of Eugene, I have nothing close to you so maybe there is someone on the forum who see's a good Vet in Southern Oregon. DoctorCosmonaut and I both see the same Vet here in Corvallis and swear by her, so if you need to come up here you can always stay here with me. Please let me know if I can help you in any way.

And I will make sure that jerk is NOT on my Vet list...

Thanks! If I ever have a reptilian medical emergency, it's great to know I have some options other than this jerk :(

As of today, Delaware has gained 3 grams back since I have drastically lowered her vitamin intake. Hooray! I'm still watching her weight very closely though.

Thanks for all the replies everybody!
 
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