Incompetent vet

[kimbosaur]

I would also contact the vet if there was an obvious difference in the snake before and after the visit. Obviously something happened during the visit, whether that be a broken spine or something else. It seems ridiculous that they would charge you (probably a crazy amount) to possibly damage your snake. I understand mistakes and accidents happen, but like Chris said, as a professional, they should at least try and help you figure out what went wrong.

It's sad but I think the majority of vets care more about emptying your pockets than about acting like the professionals they should be, or even about the well-being of your pets.

[ConcinusMan]

It's quite likely that the snake would have died anyway if he didn't try something so what do you do? Try something that might work, or do nothing and let it die? Sounds to me like the vet did exactly what he should have done, and that is, try to get the blockage dislodged. I think all that happened here is that trying that aggravated an internal injury/condition that was already there. You say you think he broke his spine but I doubt it.

Calling the vet incompetent because it didn't work (and even may have caused her to die sooner) isn't fair. Doctors lose patients. Doesn't mean it was due to incompetence. I think the vet did what any vet would do, and quite often, it works.

[scott5017]

It's quite likely that the snake would have died anyway if he didn't try something so what do you do? Try something that might work, or do nothing and let it die? Sounds to me like the vet did exactly what he should have done, and that is, try to get the blockage dislodged. I think all that happened here is that trying that aggravated an internal injury/condition that was already there. You say you think he broke his spine but I doubt it.

Calling the vet incompetent because it didn't work (and even may have caused her to die sooner) isn't fair. Doctors lose patients. Doesn't mean it was due to incompetence. I think the vet did what any vet would do, and quite often, it works.

Im not sure if you could be more wrong.

I massaged the snake just fine and was very careful and caused no injury, the snake was healthy and moving before the exam, afterwards immobile and limp from her lower third body then died THAT night.She was not in immediate danger, she wasnt losing weight and we hadnt even tried mineral oil yet.

While i cannot 100% confirm exactly what happend, from the evidence i have and from my vast experience i know what happened here.Im not stupid, i know the vet didnt do it on purpose but she did make a mistake and she did kill my snake and i have a right to be frustrated about it especially as i have no way of recouping my losses here.

[d_virginiana]

I refuse to take my reptiles to vets that don't specialize in herps unless it's a life or death situation for exactly this reason... Luckily, my hometown vet is a very honest man who actually told me up front that he would do what he could but that he had virtually no reptile-specific knowledge before prescribing anything. Didn't even charge me for the office visit, only meds, since the animal I brought in was a w/c rescue at the time.

If the vet indeed broke the spine then that is incompetence. If not, they should still know about what happened, but I agree with the previous posts that something less obvious (like a cyst rupturing) could have caused the death as well. I really am sorry for your loss, but you have to expect less than expert care when you take a reptile to a general vet. It's a bit like me going to a vet rather than a doctor. There are similarities, and they might be able to help, but that's not what they studied.

[scott5017]

Oh also forgot to mention, this wasnt just a random vet this was the only vet i know of in my area that deals with reptiles.

There is no such thing as a reptile vet, just vets with more experience than others.

[d_virginiana]

There is no such thing as a reptile vet, just vets with more experience than others.

Um... There are definitely vets who specialize in reptiles and other exotics. It's a different area of study and not the same thing as a general vet who will agree to see exotics and has seen them before. Just because you don't have a reptile specialist in your area doesn't mean there is no such thing. If the vet doesn't advertise as an exotics specialist, then they are still just a general vet with no specific training.

This is an example of a vet where I currently live that is SOLELY an exotics vet.
Inverts | Avian and Exotic Animal Care, Raleigh, NC

[scott5017]

I dont disagree, there are vets who specialize in reptiles, but only through experience there is no schooling for it.

[d_virginiana]

I dont disagree, there are vets who specialize in reptiles, but only through experience there is no schooling for it.

Once again; not common, but it exists.

I actually go to a university that offers national courses and seminars in exotic animal behavior and medicine from its veterinary campus. I believe that a lot of this may be fairly recent, but it is an educational specialty that a vet can be professionally trained in.
Do you think that reptile/amphibian-specialized endoscopy, anasthetic, and MRI machines and procedures were really developed solely from hands on experience?

Sorry, it's just that I actually go to a place that offers schooling for exotics. Granted, it is one of very few.

[scott5017]

One of very few? That is an understatement, it might even be the only place to offer such a thing. And it most certainly is recent, general vet training for reptiles and exotics is a few weeks at best, hopefully though in years to come as the hobby expands there will be better training and better facilities to cater for our pets, but right now it stinks.

[d_virginiana]

One of very few? That is an understatement, it might even be the only place to offer such a thing. And it most certainly is recent, general vet training for reptiles and exotics is a few weeks at best, hopefully though in years to come as the hobby expands there will be better training and better facilities to cater for our pets, but right now it stinks.

I know there aren't many, but never thought about it being the only one since I grew up nearby. Haven't done a lot of research on where others are though. I live five minutes from the state's only reptile-specialty clinic, as well as a reptile-equipped vet school, so I don't have to do a lot of looking around
The guy that heads up the exotics-only practice that I posted a link to earlier is one of the educators at the vet school here. I believe that he personally got a lot of those classes started on the veterinary campus.
They also work very closely with reptile rescues in the area, so we actually have several more reptile-knowledgeable facilities that can get access to specialized treatment, and many of the volunteers are reptile owners and vet or pre-vet students at the university.


About general vets though... I think the worst thing is when they aren't willing to admit they don't know what they're doing with herps. They can be really helpful if the owner goes in pretty much knowing what's wrong, or if the owner doesn't feel pressured into accepting treatment for the animal, but they can do a lot of damage if they aren't up front about their experience working with reptiles.