Vet questions

[BoundNoFtWaL]

When I took Stitch to the vet last time she looked at his teeth by pulling his gum back to see how long his front teeth were. Then she had me hold him and stuck a scope in his mouth to look at his back teeth. He didn't like that one bit. Squirmed and tried to scratch to get a way then wouldn't come to me for a copule days after the vet visit. Do they normally just stick the scope in a chins mouth to look at their back teeth, or do they put them under?

Also, when you're looking for a new, experienced vet is it ok to ask for refferences? As in other chin owners who are seen by the vet, not just their medical credentials. How would you go about doing that tactfully?

 

[Parkerspetchins]

If the vet is doing a routine check, that is what they do. If you brought the chin in specifically for an issue you think the chinchilla may be having with its teeth, then the chin should have dental x-rays done as you cannot see roots when you look in with a scope ). Whether the chin is anesthetized or not depends on the vet, I believe that most do give some anesthesia since chinchillas are very jumpy and hard to keep still.

I would definitely ask if the vet treats chinchillas regularly. My regular exotics vet had a care sheet that I read to make sure there was no wacky info on chinchillas ). Ask whatever you want, just do it politely ).

 

[mishellyshel]

usually my vet will try to check into their mouth, some are way too squirmy....so like JM said if you are going there with a concern about their teeth, they usually give them a little anethesia so they can get a good look. if your chin is exhibiting signs of dental issues it would be at this time you request an xray, since the chin is already under anthesia.
many vets will say they are an exotic specialist, so be specific about chinchillas......also look in the forum under vets in your area, there maybe some specifics.

 

[BoundNoFtWaL]

Ah, thanks for clearing that up for me. I took him in to have his feet looked at for bumble foot. The tooth exam was part of her wellness check. His teeth are nice and orange and he gets plenty to chew on.

When I looked for vets I searched for exotic specialests with experience with chins. I had to call about 20 other vets before I found her though. Recently I posted a wanted ad on Craigs List asking about local sources for quality timothy hay, and if there were any chin owners who wanted to split a bale. I got a response from a gal that has a vet tech frined that works with the vet she takes her chin to. She said her vet has experience with chins also. So now I know of 3 exotic vets in Vegas. The first one I wasnt sure if she really knew what she was talking about, so I found my second vet. I'll check the vet board here and add them to the list. Thanks again.