robust zodiac
For sharing your reviews about vets, the good and the bad.
Here is a general format to follow:
**Rating (#/10):
Vet (business or person):
Location:
Total Cost:
Comments:**
Please include at least this information, but you are welcome and encouraged to do more! Do not post a review unless you have personally been to or communicated with the vet in question.
frozen wraith
Rating: 2/10
I took my Leo to Advent Veterinary Center in Evansville In, earlier this year for a fecal and to have them look at some spots. To be honest I was not impressed.
(Cost:$120)
Reasoning:
•outdated information
carpet, cohabing, 20 gallon
•rough handling
Merlin was very clearly uncomfortable and in distress, he was squirming and squeaking and the vet disregarded my concerns.
•incorrect diagnosis
The vet claimed that the spots were stuck shed and after I mentioned he had struggled with bad sheds before and this did not resemble that, he joked that I should just “trust the professional”. I reached out to another vet out of state with a picture after this visit and she confirmed that it was dry skin and not stuck shed.
• high prices
the visit overall cost $120 usd. $100 to see the vet and $20 for the fecal. We spent an hour and a half waiting for the vet and he spent about 5 minutes looking over my guy. He merely did a physical examination and did not prescribe me any medication, and I feel like $100 for doing nothing but tell me my gecko is healthy is a little much but maybe I’m just cheap.
Vet recommendations in the Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky area would be fantastic, because I don’t know that I trust this vet after that.
balmy trench
Rating: 8/10
Vet: Kennedy Heights Animal and Bird Hospital
Location: Surrey, BC
Total Cost: $465 CAD
i was initially incredibly wary about going to this clinic because of a poor experience in the past with an emaciated leopard gecko from petsmart. essentially there was zero diagnostic testing done, the only prescriptions were critical care and a liquid calcium supplement (with no instructions on how to administer the meds), and there was a refusal to euthanize despite the piss poor condition the gecko was in.
however my personal experience at the clinic with Dr. Cheng changed my perception on the situation. i took bex in at the beginning of april for her sudden weight drop and loss of appetite.
they were very thorough in questioning my husbandry, including things like my supplement schedule, tank size, substrate, uvb type, and how recently the bulb was changed.
they basically present you with your options for diagnostic testing, go over the risks and such, and get you to sign off on the testing before anything is actually done. they were happy to answer questions (even dumb ones) without judgement, and either Dr. Cheng or her assistant would text back and forth with me throughout the month regarding further questions and updates.
Dr. Cheng explained their process for the diagnosis (wound up being minor impaction), gave bex some fluids, and prescribed a liquid calcium supplement to make up for what she hadnt been absorbing due to missed feedings. I also left with laxatives and some emeraid carnivore care. (i also got a demonstration on how to get her mouth open to give her the meds, which i didnt think id get).
as well as the first visit went, i think id have to drop some points for my revisit two weeks ago.
I assumed my revisit would be with Dr. Cheng, but the appointment was with Dr. Tailor instead. im unsure with how vet practices are but i kind of assumed a revisit entailed seeing the same vet.
either way, while bexs impaction was resolved with the addition of a proper basking spot, Dr. Tailor was against the idea of loose substrate entirely and implied that bex could possibly be the type of gecko that couldnt be on loose sub ever again. i feel like he was being nonchalant about everything and while his tone was kind, he really made me feel like i didnt know anything about the animals i own.
overall, my revisit went fine aside from the loose substrate disagreement and i do believe this is a great vet clinic for exotics when it comes down to diagnostic testing and treatment.
update: nov 2023
i have now seen several vets at this clinic for bex's recurring GI issue. Dr. Cheng still stands as the best choice of doctor there due to their knowledge on advanced husbandry and encouragement for naturalistic environments, as well as keeping an open mind to clients concerns and ideas.
ivory iron
Rating (5-6/10):
Vet (business or person): Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Fitzpatrick
Location: Granby, CT
Total Cost: It's been a while, but it was around $109 per gecko checkup. Pandora was considered "hospitalized" for an extra $60, I am uncertain what this consisted of, as I did a drop off visit to get them in faster. In total I spent around $600-700 after checkup fees and medications for 3 geckos
Comments:
I originally planned on going to Kensington Bird & Animal Hospital, but Salmon Brook got me in faster (1 week out vs. 1.5 weeks out).
I did a drop off visit where I dropped my geckos off in the morning and they did their examinations and treatments inbetween scheduled appointments. I never met the vet due to this and rather we spoke only on the phone.
I was never asked to plan any follow up appointments or visits. Which I wasn't a huge fan of. I did feel during the initial visit that the vet wasn't completely sure what Pandora's wound was like (She implied she couldn't breathe at all through her nose). So I believe a follow-up exam was something that likely would have been helpful in determining quality of life & healing progress. In hindsight, I should have reached out on my end. So keep in mind you may have to push about follow-ups.
However when I had concerns over respiratory sicknesses in Pandora, I was allowed to simply send a video of the noises she was making and got a prescription based on that, which I considered very nice and saved me money.
Their husbandry knowledge is severely outdated: stated you can cohab multiple leos as long as there's only 1 male in a "colony", recommended repticarpet for Pandora, to name a few (unfortunately I've tossed their pamphlet)
Overall they appear to be an average vet, however I hear amazing things about Kensington and if I ever need visits in the future, I will be trying them over returning here.
stark echo
\ Rating: 9/10
Vet (business or person): Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Total Cost:
** ** $214.93 usd - $85 basic exam (exotic lv1), x-ray $150 (1 view), and $3.57 for canned food to syringe feed - $23.85 discount for visiting during exotics month. There IS a deposit fee for booking the appointment however it goes toward the exam fees afterwards, so that doesn't matter unless you plan to miss the appointment
Comments:
** ** I saw Dr. Margaret Campbell for my leo Geiger because I was concerned for her weight loss- not only was doc extremely kind and understanding, she was patient and willing to listen to my concerns and was happy to make a plan with me to help geiger. She was extremely gentle while handling her as well, and professional the whole visit. Geiger was prescribed daily syringe feeding of critical care carnivore, and even though the vets office was out of stock of it, they printed me exactly what to look for and where to find it, and gave me a canned food replacement that would work until i got the carnivore care, along with a syringe. She did also mention that she would be happy to do a fecal if I could get samples for them, and that i could just drop off said samples, and that she would be happy to book further appointments if needed.
** ** The provided care guide they gave me was not good really, but it wasn't the worst- mentioning that uvb lighting is needed, even of their uvb guide itself isn't accurate, as well as mentioning that mercury vapor bulbs and heat rocks are unsafe to use. Unfortunately the enclosure size they recommend is much too small as well as they don't discourage cohabbing, it recommends carpet, temperature recommendations aren't the best, etc.
** ** In general, I definitely would go back, and so far geiger has been gaining weight back! At this moment I don't think I will need to get a fecal done, but if that changes I will go here even with the rather long drive, because I felt she was very confident and capable of helping- the docking of a star is purely for their care standards being poor, however I was not nagged to change anything about my setup so I don't overly care
floral bridge
**Rating (#/10):0/10
Vet (business or person): Yalesville Veterinary Hospital
Location: Waterbury, CT
Total Cost:$124 (tried charging me over 900)
Comments: they all around did nothing but a general checkup and soak, they did not get her stuck shed off her eye which was my primary reason for the visit, the tried charging me over $300 for a fecal sample and OBS(I think) alone. Today and the day of which I though I was the one bleeding when I saw the blood on my hand she experienced some bleeding after the soak, while the vet was nice and gave me recommendations I received no medicine, no eyedrops, nothing, all around I wouldn’t but your animals at risk by going there
hearty light
Rating 8/10
Vet- Radnor veterinary hospital, Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Figured as a last ditch for my guy before I considered euthanasia id get another opinion. The local vet told me if my current stuff doesn't work euthanasia is my only option.
I went to this place as its the next closes (2.5hrs away) the reptifiles dr no longer workers there but a fantastic lady Dr.Dymond does. Basically a rundown of my guy, lost weight, eye discharge. I have gone through metronidazol and now I'm using bytril. Along with tobramyacin for the eyes. This vet did offer bloodwork which I accepted. Only thing I didn't like is they took my animal to a back room. I honestly like to watch. Everything I saw, handling wise and talking to me was fantastic though. Just got a call for organ function and that's fine but they said an infection test is going to take a day or 2 (white blood cells count and what not)
Total cost 310. Vet visit was 90, and boodwork 220.
Making a tech appointment for medication as she's recommending an injectable antibiotic and a vitamin injection. They said that would run me 50$. I dont mind spending money on my animals (as most of us dont) I just regret not making the drive before racking up the same cost at the local one for no help