Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone recomend a good herp vet with experience for fecals/treatments of wild caughts?
thanks,
Bob.

I'm not sure if its too out of your way, but I use Dr. Borin at Oradel animal hospitol, up in Bergen County. He is the staff vet for a few local zoos and really know his exotic stuff well.
cheers

Are you having problems or is this just preventative?

I prefer to not treat wild reptiles. Under good husbandry, they progress very well. I have had more problems with treated reptiles then non treated reptiles. Odd as that sounds its true.

Cheers

FR, It's as a preventative.My Goal is to establish a nice looking colony of Eastern Kings. I have several animals lined up and I got my N.C. collecting permit to go out with a friend that lives down there to get a few in May.I have a diverse colony of CB Gaigeae that I don't want to inadvertently give kooties to LOL.I of course quarantine any new animals for at least 90 days.

Funny you should comment on treating. Howie Sherman over at Strikers Herps has told me in his 30 year experience with Easterns that he has found them to be generaly clean and parasite free and adapt to captivity as well as any WC can. I just want to be careful.Any opinions as to how I should handle this venture?

Thanks again guys,
Bob.

If you collect healthy appearing snakes, then you have no reason to worry. Of course your quarantine period is a very good idea. Do not collect sick looking or emaciated individuals(common sense)

The reason for a quarantine is more about keeping the wild caughts from getting nasty captive cooties. Its far more likely that captives have something transferable then wildcaughts.

Wild caughts have parasites which normally require a particular host. Hopefully those host are not running around your cages.

I have always had this work out well for me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Snakes LIVE a normal life with parasites. They do not "need" to be treated unless compromised. Like with poor husbandry. In nature, they get more parasites with each meal. So if your husbandry is OK, it should not harm them to exsist without getting more. Eventually they will lose the parasites they have.

Do check for mites and ticks. Cheers

nm

I like this site because clients are able to comment on the vets. I'd avoid the ARAV site altogether because normal cat-dog vets get themselves listed there without any herp experience.

It's not easy finding a good vet. In my opinion, it's better to do all the work NOW than to wait until an emergency. Even if it's not a health emergency, you could have an animal die mysteriously and only have several hours to find someone qualified to do a necropsy.
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