Vet Check Ups

[Essentia]

The last time I was at the vet with a chin, I took a 500g white sapphire with a UTI in so I could get some antibiotics for him. The vet kept calling him such a "big guy". I questioned him about it, and he genuinely thought it was a large chin.

When I took my 850g rescue into the vet they believed he was overweight. I explained to them that he is just a larger chin, as he really didn't have many rolls and such, and that when a chin is on a good quality pellet and hay it's difficult to have an overweight chin. I doubt they believed me, but you know how that goes. I think they mainly see the 450g chins that are purchased from pet stores and backyard breeders so when they see one more than that they feel they have to question it. If only they got to see the well bred chinchillas more often. Their minds would be blown.

 

[Sandi]

The last time I was at the vet with a chin, I took a 500g white sapphire with a UTI in so I could get some antibiotics for him. The vet kept calling him such a "big guy". I questioned him about it, and he genuinely thought it was a large chin.

Surprisingly, at a very well known and highly recommended vet hospital that I take my CJ to said the same thing about him. He is currently 450 grams but he has malo and lost alot of weight right after his URI. When I told them about my other chins, especially my pink white and bv who are both over 800 grams, they looked at me like I was exaggerating. Also what ticked me off one time was when I got CJ back after one of his filings, there was a huge piece of fresh romainne lettuce in his carrier with him. I got so tee'd off even though CJ never touched it, but still, I told them never to do that again.

 

[Laurie]

My first experience with the vet was when I crunched Gordon in the recliner. Not a great time for a first time visit as he was put down and I was sobbing in a lobby of virtual strangers. Next visit was when Abigail had a URI--I knew she was pregnant as I could feel movement when I held her. The Doogie Howser vet said she couldn't feel any individual babies and put her on baytril. 3 days after she was off baytril she had triplets--all premature. All died eventually after 10 days. Same Doogie Howser vet wanted me to have Abigails incisors removed as she had knocked on out during a scuffle with Bobo (yep they used to live together before GiGi and Solange lol!). Pretty much after that I was done with vets at least the Doogie Howzer vet! I asked for advice about Abigails teeth issues here on the forum and I trust what I hear here before I would the Doogie Howser vet.

I haven't had any issues since, and hopefully will not as I don't feel the vets in this area know anything at all about chinchillas.

 

[Vixey]

Nope, I do not do check-ups on a pet just because. They only goto the vet if there's a reason, or for my cats/dog for needles. Other then that, why stress them out and pay money for nothing?

 

[Lisa]

The only time I've done a vet check up with no issues on the chin's part was to get teeth checked out while they were under anesthesia. I adopted two rescues and wanted to see where their dental health was at.

I've found wellness checks for chins to be a waste otherwise. I remember one vet who kinda patted Baz, observed him on the table, saw he was pooping and pronounced him healthy. I could have done the same thing and saved myself an hour's drive and $80!

 

[CritterLover86]

As far as chinchillas go, wellness checks seem pointless. I've only taken mine to the vet because of giardia and slow weight loss over time (which turned out to be giardia in the other chin) When I first got them. Otherwise, if the chinchilla is healthy and normal, all the trip does is stress them out and possibly expose them to germs floating around from other animals.

I can understand with older pets (dogs and cats, etc), doing occassional wellness checks because there can be things going on that only a blood panel may show, and you want to make sure everything is being taken care of.

I work for a vet (sadly he doesn't specialize in exotics, and was good enough to be honest about that and they referred me to someone else who does specialize in exotics if I need it in the future) but we usually don't have animals in just for him to look them over unless they're in for vaccinations, tests, etc.

But, as others have said, who really wants to hand over $40-$80 for them to look at them for 5 minutes, see that they're pooping and tell you they're healthy? That money is better saved for when the vet is actually needed!