DrCarrotTail
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After being a vet tech for a half-dozen years I can’t stress the importance of being prepared for emergencies. I know I might not have thought of some of the things in this list before I went through a couple emergencies with my own critters, so to hopefully encourage some learning from some of the bad situations I've read about on here. I thought I might start a list of things you can do to be prepared for an emergency with your pets.
Before you purchase a pet, especially an exotic pet, you should find a veterinarian. If you already have a pet and don’t have a vet lined up or are moving in the near future – I would find one where you are or where you’re going ASAP. You don’t have to bring the pet in for an office visit, although that might be ideal if you have the money! You can call around for free and ask some questions of the vets in your area. This is especially important for exotic animals, which to many vets include most animals other than dogs and cats, since not all vets are prepared to treat them. Some important questions I might call and ask are:
• Are they equipped to treat the kind of animal you have? Should you ask to see a specific doctor that specializes in exotic animals? How much experience do they have working with exotics? Do they have any references or certifications that demonstrate their expertise in dealing with exotics?
• What are their hours? Do they have an after hours answering service? How do they handle emergencies? While some vets are willing to get themselves out of bed at 3am and meet you at their clinic, others will refer late night emergencies to other clinics. This can be problematic with exotic animals since the late night emergency doctor may not have any experience working with your species. It’s also a good idea to find out how far away the referral clinic is as well.
• What do they charge? Will they work with you to come up with a payment plan if you can’t pay immediately? Many vets will not and it’s a good idea to have a “what if” talk with your parents, spouses, partners, etc, to decide how you might handle the event of a costly bill, and how much is too much for your budget.
• Even thought it’s a morbid thought, it may also be a good idea to find out what they charge to euthanize an unusual type of animal. Many vets will work with the owners of small critters at a reduced cost – especially if you are currently a client of theirs with your other pets. I know my dog’s last vet was awesome and charged only $25 to put down small animals with no office visit required. When the hamster I had in college started to grow a tumor, it was relieving to know that I could make the decision as soon as he started to decline and wouldn’t have to scrimp and save to end his suffering.
• As an aside, local vets can also help you understand the regulations about exotic species in your area and make sure the type of pet you are purchasing (or own) is legal to own in the state you live in. This is important for those of us who live close to another state and are able to cross state lines to visit reptile shows or pet stores. For example, I know turtles and exotic parakeets (like Quakers and Ringnecks) are illegal to own in NJ even though it’s easy enough to make the short drive to a pet store in NY or PA and pick one up.
Can anyone else think of anything else that would be good to ask or other ways to be prepared?
P.S. Apparently I write books for posts…haha...apologies to those with short attention spans
Before you purchase a pet, especially an exotic pet, you should find a veterinarian. If you already have a pet and don’t have a vet lined up or are moving in the near future – I would find one where you are or where you’re going ASAP. You don’t have to bring the pet in for an office visit, although that might be ideal if you have the money! You can call around for free and ask some questions of the vets in your area. This is especially important for exotic animals, which to many vets include most animals other than dogs and cats, since not all vets are prepared to treat them. Some important questions I might call and ask are:
• Are they equipped to treat the kind of animal you have? Should you ask to see a specific doctor that specializes in exotic animals? How much experience do they have working with exotics? Do they have any references or certifications that demonstrate their expertise in dealing with exotics?
• What are their hours? Do they have an after hours answering service? How do they handle emergencies? While some vets are willing to get themselves out of bed at 3am and meet you at their clinic, others will refer late night emergencies to other clinics. This can be problematic with exotic animals since the late night emergency doctor may not have any experience working with your species. It’s also a good idea to find out how far away the referral clinic is as well.
• What do they charge? Will they work with you to come up with a payment plan if you can’t pay immediately? Many vets will not and it’s a good idea to have a “what if” talk with your parents, spouses, partners, etc, to decide how you might handle the event of a costly bill, and how much is too much for your budget.
• Even thought it’s a morbid thought, it may also be a good idea to find out what they charge to euthanize an unusual type of animal. Many vets will work with the owners of small critters at a reduced cost – especially if you are currently a client of theirs with your other pets. I know my dog’s last vet was awesome and charged only $25 to put down small animals with no office visit required. When the hamster I had in college started to grow a tumor, it was relieving to know that I could make the decision as soon as he started to decline and wouldn’t have to scrimp and save to end his suffering.
• As an aside, local vets can also help you understand the regulations about exotic species in your area and make sure the type of pet you are purchasing (or own) is legal to own in the state you live in. This is important for those of us who live close to another state and are able to cross state lines to visit reptile shows or pet stores. For example, I know turtles and exotic parakeets (like Quakers and Ringnecks) are illegal to own in NJ even though it’s easy enough to make the short drive to a pet store in NY or PA and pick one up.
Can anyone else think of anything else that would be good to ask or other ways to be prepared?
P.S. Apparently I write books for posts…haha...apologies to those with short attention spans
