Yep, that was my experience as well. I’m sadly certain that any of us who have worked in a veterinary office have seen this too many times. My current exotics vet and her staff lament that this is so often what happens with the reptiles they see. I don’t know if it’s due to ignorance, stubbornness, or fear of financial outlay, but it’s just tragic.
This. A normal visit and basic treatments does cost more than lunch at Waffle House, but it’s not really that expensive. It’s certainly something that can be budgeted for by putting in a few dollars every week. Put the cost of a fancy coffee or a movie ticket into the animal emergency fund once a week or so. Odds are good that you’ll have enough saved to cover the more common medical problems before you know it.
Telemed visits are a good option, though in a number of states, vets aren’t legally permitted to prescribe medications via this route (like where I live). Check this before you pay for a tele-appointment.
Hands-on direct experience is definitely a key part in what we all say.
I’ve been working with reptiles, cats, dogs, horses, cattle, poultry, and goats for a very long time… essentially my whole life. I also used to do rescues/adoptions for animals in my area (largely stray dogs and cats). I am not a licensed veterinarian but I have had veterinarian medical application classes, vet tech classes and equine vet classes and know a lot of how to administer proper care and treatments. I’ve seen a lot of the the ins and outs, the ugly and sweet, all of the tragic and good things that are involved with animals. I’ve been in the reptile hobby for 16 years and I’ll be turning 23 this year so I get what it was like to be younger and still go through the troubles of learning about the hobby.
I’m sorry that what I said was harsh, but my best interest is in the animals and their health. Even if that means I need to firmly correct information that could be harmful.