Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently bought an adult imported ETB. I was told it was cb but I have a microscope and took a fecal slide and there are small eggs visible under 100x magnification. I keep my cage about 85 on the warm end and 75 on the cool end. Should I Lower the high of 85 overnight or will the temp gradient allow them to thermoregulate as they need? Also does anyone have any advice on getting rid of the intestinal parasites? And yes Im going to take her to a vet if I can't treat her myself. thanks

First off Congrats!

Second, for aclimation keep ambiant temp arround 84-86, dim lit lights usally sunlight is enough. No night droping for at least a year if it is WC.

Third, you can take care of the parasites yourself, but I wont give advice on medicating because I am not a vet and not liable. Best advice is to go to a "GOOD" herp vet, remember if you see a dog or cat just walk back out.

Best of luck

Joeb

So you are saying no "good" herp vet would also provide services for other non-exotic animals? I find that extremely hard to swallow. No veterinarian program that I am aware of specializes in herpetology care; therefore, the person is getting the education but should only use a very small percentage of it to be considered "good".

Don't let these forums fool you, there are still only a small percentage of people out there who own reptiles as pets, and even a smaller percentage of people who would think to take them to a vet if needed. I am sure many people would just let the animal die and run to Petco tomorrow for another one. Considering this, a "good" herp vet by your standard would have a considerably smaller clientele and would therefore have to charge a fortune for their services to maintain the same standard of living as their professional peers.

I agree that you need to find a vet that specializes in reptiles and this can be challenging, but if you are going to screen them by whether or not they also treat dogs and cats, you are really in for a challenge. Good luck with that.

Bart

To start off man specialization is the hallmark of excellence. With out it we would have a bunch of people who knew just enough about something to get by. If that’s what you want in a vet than go to it, if it will save you a few hundred dollars a year keep squeezing those pennies.

Would you let your primary care physician perform open heart surgery? NO, because he does not specialize in that field of study.

It may cost a few more dollars but going to a reputable reptile only vet is the smart decision. Most of the time they are keepers themselves, speak from hands on experience, and see hundreds of reptiles per month. Where as an “All Inclusive” vet may see a 10th of that and not to mention the thousand mammals that they deal with on a daily basis.

MY point is simple; it’s hard to spread yourself thin when you focus on one thing.

I drive 3 hours to visit my vet, a small price to pay…….

Joeb

www.emeraldboas.com

Don't get me wrong. I would drive 3 hours or more to see a vet that treats herps only as well. My point is that experienced herp vets are few and far between. To try and find one who absolutely treats nothing but herps decreases one's choices drastically. I would not take my herps to a dog & cat vet who occaisionally treats herps, but would have no problem taking them to a herp vet who occaisionally treats dogs and cats. Realistically, what one finds is a veterinarian practice which employs a herp vet that treats all of the exotics that come into the clinic but is also capable of treating more traditional pets to fill his/her schedule.

Would I have my family doctor perform open heart surgery? No. Because my options are not limited. There are plenty of heart specialists because everyone has a heart. This example is pointless here because, as I already posted, only a small percentage of people keep herps, making it economically non-viable for many vets to treat only herps. These vets are very few and very far between, and by suggesting herp owners should only seek out the services of these select few is, in my opinion, bad advice.

YOUR point is correct. Theoretically, the most experienced herp vets are those who treat only herps. MY point is that many people will be hard pressed locating such vets in their area because, realistically, it is not economically feasable for many vets to treat only herps.

If someone is fortunate enough to live within commuting distance of such specialized vets, then by all means, take full advantage of it; however, I feel many people do not have this opportunity. What do you suggest these people do? It is not about pinching pennies, it is about locating the most experienced herp vet in your area, and accepting the fact that this person may treat dogs and cats as well.

Bart

np