The Rant Thread

[Maz]

Thought we could have a thread where we can have a rant about something that is really annoying - whether related to hamsters or other matters in life!

I already had a mini rant recently about - where do all the nails come from on roads - as had two punctures in the past year!

There are lots of things I could rant about now - NHS waiting lists and lack of proper legislation for hamsters - but right now I would like to rant about the lack of exotic vets in my area! It is really hard to find a good vet and I have to travel a long way every time. There is a small animal vet just 7 miles up the road from me but I will only use a vet that guarantees they use gas with euthanasia.

 

[Socks' Mum]

With you there! Small animals are so popular, they should not be an optional specialty. A great deal of health issues are fairly simple, a skin scrape, lab test, an antibiotic. As a patient, you have to be careful your vet doesn't prescribe a routine steroid that could be harmful to rodents. A lot of the problem is the lack of insurance available compared to cats, dogs and horses. What insurance there is isn't very comprehensive.

 

[Maz]

I think when I looked into insurance, it didn't seem worth it as there were so many things it didn't cover.

In my case, it's an hour's drive to see the exotic vet practice, and a really tedious drive with lots of roundabouts. There is only the one exotic vet at the practice, who is only part time and so it needs planning well in advance - which isn't good for an acute situation. There is a general vet about 40 minutes away I could use for general things - like needing more metacam eg. But you can't be registered with two vets at the same time!

 

[Socks' Mum]

That's interesting, I didn't know that. But if you want a second opinion, could you see another vet?

 

[Maz]

I think so but I think you have to switch vets! Unless the first vet refers you for a second opinion.

 

[Maz]

Google seems to say that you can be registered at more than one vet (despite my vet telling me otherwise!). But it sounds like it could be complicated. If your first vet doesn't have the history/notes for the pet if you took them somewhere else.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Ah, yes, the history would be elsewhere, that makes sense. I hope a vet wouldn't black list patients who consult another practice because they need to see an exotics vet.