Ian, I definitely respect your knowledge on the subject and I know you have a fair amount of training and schooling in this area of study. You have given very good advice on this forum and helped numerous people with their questions. I would however take issue with the comment you made that “the biggest vet haters I know are the oldtimers.” I know numerous reptile hobbyists that have been around as long as I have that routinely seek out the advice of vets. I have been keeping snakes, mostly boids, since the early 1970’s and still to this day will consult with vets on occasion. Most of my initial contacts were in the early 1980’s with Frye and Richard Ross. I still believe to this day that Dr. Ross was one of the most knowledgeable people ever on antibiotic treatment in reptiles and with other various aspects of pathogen control and treatment in captive reptiles. I spoke with him numerous times throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s, and learned considerably from his consultations. I have a strong science background in biology and chemistry, worked in a laboratory for many years, and have followed the practice of antimicrobial therapy in reptiles for about 30 years. However, I am still no expert in the area and continue to read journals and textbooks on the subject, and also still consult with vets when needed as I stated above.



I think one big area of misunderstanding is that surrounding the issue of contacting a vet with reptile experience. They are truly more difficult to find than you might think, especially for an office visit. This is especially true once you get away from the larger cities in this country. I live in a town with a population of 125,000 and there are only two vets here that have any knowledge or experience whatsoever in treating reptiles. Most other places in this State are not even this fortunate. It just becomes really difficult for some people to contact experienced vets for their reptiles. Not that this is an excuse, but it is a factor that needs to be taken into consideration. I think this is a lot of the reason that people come to this forum hoping to gain a little extra advice. I think I have always made it clear that self administration of drugs to reptiles is inherently risky, and it is always best to consult with a vet if possible.



One further comment, and one that did surprise me not too long ago, was related to one of your other comments on the legal acquisition of prescription drugs. Apparently, in the not too distant past, there were some vet drugs that were de-regulated and can now be purchased over the counter without a prescription. The two that really surprised me are fenbendazole (Panacur), and praziquantel (Droncit). Not sure when this took place, but I was really surprised to see them on the shelf.



Thanks again for your posts and agree that this is a very interesting topic of discussion.



Kelly

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