Vet Finding a good vet

[C1407]

I'm still reconsidering my vet since I read one of the vet links on either this site, cavyspirit, or GL about a month ago and I'm reconsidering even more now that I read a post about finding a vet that's certified rather than just interested in small animals.

At the time, the vet I saw was explained to me to be the one who works with small animals, and she did successfully treat some mites for both of my pigs with ivermectin, but I don't know how much she actually knows about guinea pigs specifically.

On the vet website, it says a different vet sees small animals, too. However, for this one, it says she has a "professional interest" in exotic animals, so I question how certified she is or how much she would know about guinea pigs and their needs in particular.

I know the vet page I was reading on one of those sites had some questions to 'test' the vet with, but I don't really feel comfortable doing that, especially when I've been to her before. Does anyone have any advice on how to find out if they are good with guinea pigs and their needs rather than just small animals in general, as in calling them and asking them if they are? Or could I ask them if they can refer me to someone who can be more helpful with guinea pigs if necessary?

 

[bpatters]

This is a good question, and it's one that's hard to answer.

The vet page on another site that C1407 was referring to is the one at Guinea Lynx -- https://www.guinealynx.info/vet.html. There is excellent information on there, and very good guidelines for finding a vet. I highly recommend it.

Regarding vets with "interest in exotic animals," my take on that is that they have done some informal study and reading on them, but have little or no formal education beyond what they got in vet school. A vet who is certified in exotics will have completed a formal course of post-graduate study, possibly had an internship, and passed a certification exam.

Vets with "interest" may be quite knowledgeable, and more importantly, may know what their limits are in treating exotic pets. Or not. There's no way to really know without interviewing them using some of the techniques listed at GL, and that requires you to educate yourself first so you can evaluate the answers.

Here in Houston, the best exotic vet clinic will not take direct appointments -- they require a referral from another vet. My dog and cat vet has a person on staff with exotic interest, so I went to talk to her when I got my guinea pigs. The arrangement we came to is that if she feels comfortable treating a particular condition and I feel comfortable with the treatment, we go ahead with it. Otherwise, she will refer to the exotic clinic. So far she's been quite satisfactory.

Making a decision on a vet's capabilities, however, can be a daunting process for many guinea pig owners. I was a pre-med major in college, and worked for many years in various hospital positions. I'm knowledgeable enough to ask questions, and old enough not to be intimidated by the doctor's degree the vet holds. Many of you may not feel that you're qualified to question the vet. But you need to remember that the vet is (or should be) as interested in taking care of your pig as you are, and that if you approach them politely and with the intention of learning from them, they'll likely be receptive.

Some of you are in areas where vets are scarce. Your best bet is probably to see how interested your vet is in learning about guinea pig care. There are excellent articles over at Guinea Lynx (www.guinealynx.info) that you can print and take with you when taking a pig in for care. You can recommend both this site and GL to them -- write the URLs down and take them with you. You could also find the name and phone number of exotic vets around, maybe at your state veterinary school, and ask if your vet would be willing to consult with them if necessary.

If you've got more vets around, then do the GL technique of calling several and asking who they refer guinea pigs to. If you wind up with one or two names, you're probably in good shape. If you wind up with several, then keep calling more vets and asking until you get a consensus.

If you've been to the vet before, you can certainly ask about his/her interest in exotics -- how did they get interested, have they done any special training, how many do they see? If you're a teenager and don't feel comfortable asking an adult those kinds of questions, then take a parent or older friend with you for support.

In the end, your best defense is your own education about your pigs -- what the signs and symptoms of illnesses are, how much of an emergency a particular illness is apt to be, what the recommended treatments are, what drugs shouldn't be given, what the particular side effects of a drug are apt to be. There's aren't that many drugs that guinea pigs can take, so it's not like learning a whole human drug formulary.

Hope this helps. And good luck!

 

[C1407]

Very helpful, thank you!