The First Vet Visit!
May. 26th, 2007 09:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jhameiaI'm quite inordinately pleased with how yesterday's vet visit went. Granted, it was $20 there and $20 back by taxi because I didn't want my boys to go through the stress of a bus ride, but still!
My vet is Dr. Schrage at the Parrots to Ferrets Hospital. It's now called Vetopia, but the old name is still listed. My purpose for going to the vet? Check out the facilities, see what the staff is like, see how knowledgeable the doctor is, find out about their emergency hours / options and basically start a working relationship with the doctor. Also, the doctor knows how the pets look like when healthy, and can assess better when they're actually sick.
This vet was really nice and friendly, and she started off by having me hold Jack while she checked for heart murmurs, checked his ears, eyes (for infections) and nose (respitory). Jack squirmed while she had the stestocope underneath him. She checked for hair-rings (it involves pulling the penis out from the shaft and making sure there's no hair there. Hair rings often are found on breeding males) and felt their testicles. Then she put him into a burrito (which means wrapping a cloth around him up to the neck so he can't scratch) and checked his molars and teeth. Chins have the problem of malloclussion fairly often - breeders immediately remove malocluding chins from the program because it's suspected to be a genetic problem. In worst case scenarios, the teeth grow right up through the roof of the mouth.
Finally she put a rubbermaid container onto a weighing machine and Jack plopped into it.
Repeat for Mortimer! Although Mortimer was a LOT jumpier... maybe I just didn't expect him to fight so hard, he's usually so laid-back.
Jack checks in at 516g and Mortimer at 463! Funny, considering how boring Mortimer is!
The facilities were clean, and they sell a whole range of Oxbow products - good stuff. I also got a packet of Critical Care for chins who have problems eating (due to intestinal problems) and a syringe (you have to mix the CC in water and hand-feed the chins with it). I also bought a lint roller for good measure, because they were slipping fur all over me in panic.
So yes, quite the success! The total came up to $133, which I think is ridiculous, but pet-ownership here in North America is RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Oh well. It's a once a year visit anyway.
My vet is Dr. Schrage at the Parrots to Ferrets Hospital. It's now called Vetopia, but the old name is still listed. My purpose for going to the vet? Check out the facilities, see what the staff is like, see how knowledgeable the doctor is, find out about their emergency hours / options and basically start a working relationship with the doctor. Also, the doctor knows how the pets look like when healthy, and can assess better when they're actually sick.
This vet was really nice and friendly, and she started off by having me hold Jack while she checked for heart murmurs, checked his ears, eyes (for infections) and nose (respitory). Jack squirmed while she had the stestocope underneath him. She checked for hair-rings (it involves pulling the penis out from the shaft and making sure there's no hair there. Hair rings often are found on breeding males) and felt their testicles. Then she put him into a burrito (which means wrapping a cloth around him up to the neck so he can't scratch) and checked his molars and teeth. Chins have the problem of malloclussion fairly often - breeders immediately remove malocluding chins from the program because it's suspected to be a genetic problem. In worst case scenarios, the teeth grow right up through the roof of the mouth.
Finally she put a rubbermaid container onto a weighing machine and Jack plopped into it.
Repeat for Mortimer! Although Mortimer was a LOT jumpier... maybe I just didn't expect him to fight so hard, he's usually so laid-back.
Jack checks in at 516g and Mortimer at 463! Funny, considering how boring Mortimer is!
The facilities were clean, and they sell a whole range of Oxbow products - good stuff. I also got a packet of Critical Care for chins who have problems eating (due to intestinal problems) and a syringe (you have to mix the CC in water and hand-feed the chins with it). I also bought a lint roller for good measure, because they were slipping fur all over me in panic.
So yes, quite the success! The total came up to $133, which I think is ridiculous, but pet-ownership here in North America is RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Oh well. It's a once a year visit anyway.