Well as someone who has never owned ANY pet before I am a bit overwhelmed about my first vet visit. I know I should have him do a fecal check and measure him and such, but I don't know what else I should expect. Also the local vet here charges about 80 bucks for a checkup, is that about normal or are they gouging me? Any help would be appreciated since I have been very stressed by my Russian lately.
Taking my tort for his first vet visit soon!
- Thread starter Treebon
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Ouch! I would collect the sample myself and take that in for analysis...no need for a check-up if nothing's wrong...you can measure him yourself. And a scale is gonna cost you less than half the visit. My advice? Now that's FREE!
Well for a new WC tortoise should I be worried about anything else but parasites? I have had him for three days and his eyes and nose are clear. His shell seems solid with no signs of damage, and he has a heft to him. However, I do not know how old he is or if he is a he for that matter haha. He also has been somewhat lethargic and hasn't eaten much if at all so that has me worried too. Does this sound like a sign of something that requires a full vet appointment or should I still just look into getting only an analysis?
A good vet will ask a lot of questions be honest with them if they do, bad vets pick up the turtle look at it and go he/she looks good, that will be 80 dollars please.
My vet charges maybe $50 for the visit and $15-20 for the fecal test. I think it is well worth the money because my vet will spend about 30 minutes with us talking about my tort's overall health, growth, the fecal test results and how best to treat the parasites found, and my husbandry. They don't even weigh/measure Trevor as I bring in an updated growth chart each visit (I go yearly for check ups and twice a year for fecal tests, and plan to do the check ups at least as long as Trevor is growing). I think if you have a good vet, the money is well worth it for the peace of mind. I think of it as an investment in my tort's lifespan. If this vet only spends 2 minutes with you and takes your money, then that isn't the vet I'd want to go to. The vet should give the tort a very thorough look over and discuss any abnormalities and ask about how you keep the tort and give you pointers. Mine takes Trevor's internal temperature and listens to his heart. Trevor is more than happy to provide a fresh fecal sample for them too! I would ask about a vet's tort experience before making an appointment with them. Find some recommendations online too. Yes the fecal test is most important, but new owners especially are likely to miss something about their tort's health that an experienced vet can find.
For example, the very tip of my tort's tail was damaged due to hot dry conditions one summer. The vet noticed it in the exam (I didn't) and let me know what it was, that it was going to fall off, and nothing to worry about as long as it wasn't raw/bleeding. My vet has gave me some great husbandry pointers I've shared with the forum, treated my tort for two parasites (and he was captive bred, so this was very surprising), and educated me about all sorts of health information.
I would recommend to the OP to go to the vet appointment if this vet sounds educated in torts. If not, if they will let you, drop off a fecal sample and then take the time to find a good vet. With the lethargy you describe, you being a new owner, and this being a new to you tort, I highly recommend a vet check up in the next month. There may be a health problem going on, there may be some improvements to be made in your husbandry, or the tort may just still be settling in.
For example, the very tip of my tort's tail was damaged due to hot dry conditions one summer. The vet noticed it in the exam (I didn't) and let me know what it was, that it was going to fall off, and nothing to worry about as long as it wasn't raw/bleeding. My vet has gave me some great husbandry pointers I've shared with the forum, treated my tort for two parasites (and he was captive bred, so this was very surprising), and educated me about all sorts of health information.
I would recommend to the OP to go to the vet appointment if this vet sounds educated in torts. If not, if they will let you, drop off a fecal sample and then take the time to find a good vet. With the lethargy you describe, you being a new owner, and this being a new to you tort, I highly recommend a vet check up in the next month. There may be a health problem going on, there may be some improvements to be made in your husbandry, or the tort may just still be settling in.
Well we went to the vet today and the vet was very knowledgeable which I was happy about. They also took the fecal sample, and I should hear back from them tomorrow. Overall I was pleased with their care and they seemed very enthusiastic about treating and meeting my tortoise. If anyone is in the Greater Boston area and looking for a vet I would definitely recommend the doctor I went to.
Treebon said:
Hopefully you get good news with the test!
I am curious though, was the $80 including a fecal or was a fecal and other tests extra? Seems expensive if just for the visit.
Around here, the closest reptile vet was $90 (not including tests). I ended up finding one about 35 minutes away that charged $50 for the visit and $25 for each additional reptile you brought in (at the same time of course). Fecals were 10-15$. She was an old zoo keeper for the Detroit Zoo and knew what she was talking about.
Altogether with the test too it was 130 dollars. I knew it was a little steep but I couldn't find anyone else close that actually knew about tortoises. Most of the vets here really only take care of dogs and cats so for me the higher price was worth it since she actually knew what she was talking about. She was also very nice to him too considering that he was an absolute terror haha. He pooped on the tech that weighed him and stuff, and he also pooped and released his urates on the vet haha. She was very nice about it all and was very helpful so considering this will be a mostly yearly thing I am okay with the price.
M
Maggie Cummings
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Didn't the Vet sex your tort?
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