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Edited
from the original document and used with permission, by S. Ackerman and
the House Rabbit Society |
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Introduction
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How
do I Start the Search? |
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What
screening questions should I ask? |
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What
shouldn't I do? |
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Introduction
The following may seem like a lot of work to go through to find a veterinarian,
but your guinea pig’s well being depends upon finding the most experienced
veterinary care available. We hope that within another few years, veterinarian
schools will begin to understand guinea pigs well enough so that veterinarians
can be properly trained before they run across a guinea pig in their practice.
The other problem is that veterinarians not trained in guinea pig medicine
should be responsible enough to refer you to another veterinarian. Instead
some just see the green of your money and say to themselves, "sure
I'm a vet, I can see your pet, after all it's only a guinea pig".
When you find a veterinarian who is honest enough to refer you to someone
else, be sure to refer people to him/her and if you have cats or dogs,
give him that business. It's really great to work with an honest vet!
back to top
How do
I Start the Search?
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- Start the search before you have an emergency!
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- Check the Vet Finder Veterinarian
List first to see if there are any recommended guinea pig veterinarians
listed in your area. Next check the yellow pages for veterinarians who
advertise as "exotic" (includes, guinea pigs & rodents).
Then randomly select 5 veterinarians who do NOT advertise as avian or
exotic.
(Editor's Note: A comprehensive online
listing of veterinarians in the USA is now available. This is another
alternative to the yellow pages)
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- Phone these veterinarians and ask who they refer their clients to
if they have a serious guinea pig case. If all 5 veterinarians give
you the name of the same veterinarian, ok. If not, then randomly select
another 5 veterinarians and continue the process until you have a clear
"winner".
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- Phone several (start with 3) veterinarians in cities within 50 miles
of you and ask the same question: who do they refer their clients to
if they have a serious guinea pig case.
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- At this point you should have either a clear "winner" or
several veterinarians to choose from. The next step is to phone the
vet. Let the front office person know that you are concerned with finding
the very best veterinarian to care for your guinea pig and that you
would like to speak directly to the doctor at his/her convenience. Leave
both your work and home phone number and specific times that the veterinarian
can get hold of you (and be there) or ask what would be a good time
for you to call back (when the veterinarian is between appointments).
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back to top |
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What
screening questions should I ask? |
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- Ask if they know which antibiotics are dangerous for guinea pigs (amoxicillin
and most of the "...cillin" drugs like penicillin. Also see
below).
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- Casually ask about minimizing bladderstones. Q: "What's the best
way to minimize the chance of bladderstones developing? A: "Provide
your guinea pig with timothy hay rather than alfalfa. Avoid high-calcium
foods like spinach."
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- Ask if food has to be removed the night before surgery. The answer
should be "no".
Webmaster’s note: this topic is one of debate. While some veterinary
surgeons prefer not to fast the animals prior to surgery, there is still
the possibility that a guinea pig *can* choke and asphyxiate itself under
anesthesia. Do not eliminate a vet from consideration because s/he chooses
to fast the animal prior to surgery. Ask *why* they choose not to fast
the animal, then continue with:
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- Q: What anesthesia does the vet use? A: Halothane or methoxyflurane
gas (sometimes referred to as isoflurane) are preferred; injections
should be with a fentanyl compound or ketamine. Ether and pentobarbitone
are not recommended*
* Source: Diseases of Domestic
Guinea Pigs, V.C.G. Richardson; University of Iowa Press
- Q: About how many surgeries on guinea pigs has the vet done in the
past year that involved general anesthesia, and how many were successful?
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- You might also want to ask which conferences they've attended lately
that had talks about guinea pig medicine and what journals they read.
We want our veterinarians to be up on the latest in guinea pig treatment.
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If you don't get the "right" answers to
the above questions, continue your search. |
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back to top |
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What
shouldn't I do? |
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- Do not make your choice based on how close the veterinarian is to
your home (unless that veterinarian is the clear "winner").
Paying money to a veterinarian who does not know anything (or very little)
about guinea pigs is just throwing your money away and can cost the
life of your companion.
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- Don't assume that just because a veterinarian works with breeders
or local 4-H clubs, that they are experienced with guinea pigs or the
medical needs of older guinea pigs. Unfortunately, such veterinarians
often tend to approach guinea pigs as stock animals rather than as beloved
companions. They may never have done a spay or neuter and "treatment"
of any difficulty may amount to euthanasia (when dealing with stock
or show animals, the financial bottom line may be the primary consideration).
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- Antibiotics that should never be given to guinea pigs. Even one dose
of the following can be deadly: Amoxicillin, lincomycin, clindamycin.
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Primary Author(s): Kathleen
Wilsbach and Sandi Ackerman
Sources: HRH, various articles
from the HRJ, RHN
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Used with the permission of the House
Rabbit Society , a non-profit rescue and education group. Edited for
content. |
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