General Care Discussion :: Going to the vet

[pinkcadillac]

Well i do believe that one of my RES has a between minor and intermediate case of shell rot, so i made an appointment with a local herpetologist to have them check it out.

My question is as follows, how should i transport my RES to the vet? It is only 10 minutes away but still, to stess her out the least, whats my best option.

Also anyone know what a visit like this is going to cost me? Not that it really matters because it needs to be done but id like to be prepared.

Thanks in advance

[megcornell]

This link tells all about how to travel safely with a turtle.
Since you're going so short of a distance, I'd think a secure box or crate and a washcloth to burrow under would be prefectly sufficient. As it's winter and the trip is so short term I'd skip the moist towel to avoid chills.
http://redearslider.com/transportation.html

I myself am taking my new rescue turtle to the vets tomorrow for a respiratory infection and that's how I'll be taking him.

As for the prices, I'm not sure how much a shell rot visit will be. You'll probably be paying for an exam and then creams if the turtle is suffering from shell rot. Some vets also have a "new patient" charge so you may have that as well.
Good luck!

[mikee]

Pink Caddy -- That is a very good question. Turtles get cold very quickly and keeping them warm is a problem. You can get one of those blue blocks that hold heat or you can put them in a Tupperware type container in warm water with some air. A two gallon plastic pale is ok, but carrying it in a car is a problem

[DocShay]

Ever see those warm bags? Make one...

Get some rice and put it in a cloth, make sure its wrapp tightly. Nuke it in the microwave until its warm.

Then put that at the bottom of a box, and a towel on top so it doesn't get too hot. Then put your turtle ontop of that. Just double check to make sure its not to hot before you put em in.

Then again this all depends how cold it is where you are, its freezing where I live.

[pinkcadillac]

Thanks very much for all the quick responses. Im more worried about the turtles comfort than the temp. I live in AZ and it is a very quick drive so she should be fine on the trip (outside the temps have only been in the 60s).

Ive never visited a herpetologist before. Anything i should know about to gauge whether or not i should return here?

[megcornell]

One word of caution would be against vitamin A shots. Many times vets like to give these as a "fix all" because a vit a deficiency can lead to a lot of symptoms. HOWEVER there have been quite a few cases on here where the vit a shot proved to be lethal because an overdose can kill a turtle easily especially if that turtle's immune system is already weakened from fighting other ailments. Vit A deficiencies can easily be corrected dietarily so I would avoid the shot at all costs.

By herpetologist do you mean reptile vet? Because if not, I'm not sure how he or she would be able to prescribe creams or antibiotics which would be a concern if your turtle does have a fungal infection or shell rot. Other than that, don't be afraid to ask questions about your turtle and its care, I find the more you ask the better you can judge if they know their stuff.

[pinkcadillac]

Thanks for the cautionary words meg. And yes sorry i did mean reptile vet. She was listed as the herpetologist at a veterinary clinic so I hope that is indeed what i am getting

[pinkcadillac]

Ok so we got back from the vet, and both of the turts are fine. Just a combination of scute shedding and shell pyramiding from too much protien.

The vet we met with was great and helped lay out a diet plan for us and it ended up costing $58 per turtle. I did pass on the bloodwork which would have cost an additional $160 per turtle.

Thanks very much for all the advice.

[Dein211]

wow you guys got a deal, just for one turtle the size of a cheese burger ( 4'') mine cost me $83 dollars for the ointment, the checkup and the antibiotics O_O plus another $12 for a follow up and its going to be probably another $12 for ANOTHER follow up. i swear as soon as her shell starts to get better it starts shedding like mad again!

[steve]

I do not get a discount for short or follow up visits... it's $73 for 5 minutes or 50. Still, it's comforting to have access to a vet you can trust.

[pinkcadillac]

I definitley agree steve, I'll gladly pay a knowledgable vet to put my mind at ease. Likewise if anyone is in AZ (Phoenix metro area) and looking for a great herpetologist vet Ive dealt with a few

[scripta_elegans]

I feel very happy to be in Iowa right now. We've been to the vet for 3 cases of RI, a recheck, and a check up (yearly physical with blood work), and I still haven't spent 200.00. I love my vet too.