What information would you like to get to vets?

[menagerie]

Wee Companions has been asked to have a booth at the California Veterinary Conference in November. I am busy putting together informational information to give to vets on chinchillas. Since this is our first year, we're concentrating on guinea pigs, rats and chins and we are working to have all our handouts uniform. While we will not be able to tell vets how to practice, we will be in a position to make suggestions such as "this is how I do it". Most of our handouts will be designed for the vets to give to their patients about animal care, dos and don'ts, etc.

So, what information would you like to see get into the hands of vets?

 

[mishellyshel]

proper nutrition
room temperature
handling
symptoms of pain
adequate housing
safe lists (food, woods, meds, etc...)

 

[CerLynn]

One thing I seem to see fairly often on here regarding uneducated vets is proper chin diet - I realize it is still debated to some degree (and may be for some time to come), but the general consensus is chin (or rabbit) pellets and timothy hay - no fresh veggies or fruits. You could also list some preferred treats.

 

[menagerie]

One thing I seem to see fairly often on here regarding uneducated vets is proper chin diet - I realize it is still debated to some degree (and may be for some time to come), but the general consensus is chin (or rabbit) pellets and timothy hay - no fresh veggies or fruits. You could also list some preferred treats.

This is the philosophy that I follow, so will be what we recommend.

 

[eroomlorac]

Congratulations, Menagerie. That is awesome to be able to provide information on small animals to the vets. Good luck.

 

[saszygirl1]

What a great honor to tell vets what to do.Good luck.

 

[Dustbunnies]

They also don't know what "normal" poo is.

 

[Chinniechantel]

I would almost bring in some normal poo and show it to them? Like a little exhibit...And I would emphasize how important probiotics and Critical care are for sick chins. Also, having the vet teach people how to hand feed and give subq fluids to their sick chins would be good too. So many chins make it out of surgery, teeth filing, sickness etc, just to die from stasis afterwards.

 

[Sesame]

Diet is definitely an ongoing debate...

Perhaps if vets would be able to suggest certain brands of quality pellet would be helpful when new chin owners visit the vet? I know some vets when examining cats and dogs will recommend brands of dry food.

 

[Laurie]

Not all chins are huge! My vet looked at Abigail and thought she was sickly because she was too tiny and wanted me to fatten her up. She is not a quality chinchilla therefore she is not ever going to be huge and fattening her up would have been detrimental to her instead of helpful.
Some pet chins aren't going to have great fur and be very large and vets need to understand this.
She also assumed Abigail should be bigger because she was female. It was assumed all females are larging than males.
My vet also recommended giving Abigail her Baytril in banana baby food and then giving her cherry yogurt right away--I learned on the forum the acidiphilous should be given half way in between Baytril. I also learned on the forum it's better to give a tablet or crushed acidiphilous rather than the yogurt. Although I will say Abby came through her URI just fine on banana baby food and cherry yogurt.