Upset about Vets

[Fay]

I've been doing a lot of searching around over the internet to find dutch websites on guinea pig care and to find vets who are "so called" small animal experts. It just makes me so incredibly sad even the one website with the most accurate information I could possibly find still had a bunch of stuff on it that was completely wrong like for example at the most common diseases it didn't even mention URI and Mites and they recommended plastic cages and what not and that was on the best website I could find the other onces were horrible. The things these dutch websites recommend and some even run by one of the "beter" vetinarians just make me feel amazed and shocked. It just makes me want to cry. How on earth am I ever going to find a good vet for my pigs if they all don't know nothing, zero, squat. I'm even starting to think that I'd do a better job then all of them would concerning guinea pigs and I only finished highschool!! I'm just so angry. I want my pigs to get proper care but where am I gonna find that? I can't fly them over to America to get what they need everytime they get ill. Perhaps one of you guys know a good vet around here because I'm completely lost and frustrated.

[SoCalCavies]

[FONT=Century Gothic]Awww, Fay... hang in there!!! I know exactly how you feel. Believe it or not, the vets stink over here, too! I can't find a good one nearby either.

I don't have too much to offer (I'm sure others will), except to say hang in there and keep trying. Remember that even when you have a good exotics vet, you still have to be knowledgeable yourself. It's just like human healthcare - you are the first line of defense! In other words, YOU know your piggies better than anyone. Just try to educate yourself as much as possible, and when you hear the vet say something ridiculous, call them on it! Educate them, if nothing else.

I don't know. I hope that helps a little bit. I just wanted you to know that I feel your pain![/FONT]

[PookiesPiggies]

Fay, do you want to know what I did for the vets I work for? I bought 2 Medical Records Books from Guinea Lynx and presented them to my boss with the Guinea Lynx website. He got so into the book and was pleased that they mentioned VIN. Now he wants me to order 2 more. He believes in their research and in some cases, he said he'd rather refer to them (experts who know Guinea Pigs) then the vet school. Try ordering one of these books and bring it to the so-called Cavy Savy vet and see if they are willing to go as far as my boss did. Our Cavy Savy surgeon Trysh, refers back to the book and website on medicines often with great results.

[Cavy Ema]

That is awesome that your vet would do that. I'm sure some around here would as well.

What bothers me is that there are vets around here (and all over the globe) that THINK that they know all and that they don't need to get updated info on anything.

Some vets even I could heal hurt and sick animals better with my high school diploma yet lack of college than they can with their umteen years of college and specialized courses. But you can't give up hope. There are good vets out there as well. You just have to dig to find them.

[Fay]

My last vet prescribed my pigs with ivermectin mixed with praziquantel. When I looked it up on guinealynx I figured out it was no good. I went back to the vet and they looked at me like I was insane like "How dare you think you know better then us" kinda look. They just said that because the medicine is registered that its fine or whatever. (These vets weren't specialized in guinea pigs though) I'm going to be trying another vet next time that say they are specialized in small animals .. well I'm curious to see how much that really is.

[citronsoul]

I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time finding a good vet? Have you tried contacting rescues near you? They may be able to point you in the right direction.

Kuufke & Knoevel both have vets that have gotten positive feedback, but they may be too far away from you? You can also try contacting Stichting Cavia, as they're more spread around the country.

konijnen has a list of rabbit vets around the country as well. If a vet is experienced in rabbits, then there's already a good chance they know enough about guinea pigs as well.

[Fay]

Originally Posted by citronsoul

I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time finding a good vet? Have you tried contacting rescues near you? They may be able to point you in the right direction.

Kuufke & Knoevel both have vets that have gotten positive feedback, but they may be too far away from you? You can also try contacting Stichting Cavia, as they're more spread around the country.

Sadly even the websites of these people have a whole bunch of stuff wrong with them. Recommending small cages, bad pellets or other snacks and what not. They obviously care about guinea pigs but why don't they do their research properly? I actually sended an e-mail to the stichting cavia recommending guinealynx and cavycages but apparently they already know about them yet they give out wrong information? I don't understand that....

[akintolife]

The one thing I would suggest is if you can't find a cavy savvy vet is to find one that is willing to learn more about them. The vet I go to didn't start out as a small animal specialist (at least that's what I've heard), but she was willing to listen and learn from people that run resuces and will always look up information if she isn't sure of it.

I also take printed pages from guinea lynx if I think I've identified the problem and will show them to the vet if I think they aren't doing/looking at the right thing.

[CarrieBrianne]

I'm so sorry you've had such a bad experience with vets. I really know where you're coming from, I went to the vet just yesterday for my pig and she was so rude to me. I told her I want ivermectin applied topically for lice and she refused and told me she would only give him an injection. She was condescending and snotty. I ended up just walking out. Vets can be so frustrating. All I can say is hang in there and keep looking for a good one. Good luck

[SoCalCavies]

You, too, CarrieBrianne!