Tips for Finding a Rat Vet

It's happening more and more, I hear people say I can't find a veterinarian that can treat a rat. Most likely you can if you look hard enough, after all rats are simply another mammal. Treating them is not really all that different from treating a cat or a dog. Give a vet some information on the idiosyncrasies of rats as compared to other animals and with his or her educational background, that vet can easily learn to treat a rat as well as any cat or dog. Laboratory research has produced mountains of reliable information on rat diseases that is available to all veterinarians, treatments are well established. You just have to make sure the vet you choose is willing to access that information.

What can you do to ensure that you get that needed treatment when the time comes? Here are a few tips to help you.

First of all, call all the vets in your town to ask if he or she is interested in treating a rodent. Do this before you need one so you can have your pet set up as a patient before an emergency happens. If you are in a small town, try the surrounding area.

Many vets are capable of treating any animal but they are people too and may have no interest in certain species. They have their preferences and some prefer not to treat rodents, or reptiles, or farm animals, it all depends on what he or she is most interested in. They can't possibly learn all there is to know about every animal on Earth while in college. If that were the case they'd never make it out of college.

Educate yourself and take some responsibility in the health care of your pets by doing more than just giving them proper care at home. Cultivate a working relationship with the vet you choose by doing a few things yourself. Ask if he or she has any experience treating a rodent, ask if he or she owns any rodent textbooks, and ask if he or she has attended any continuing education conferences on the topic of rodents. Be interactive, the vet cannot read your mind. The vet you choose does want your confidence in his or her abilities, so make sure you do what it takes to have that confidence.

Don't irritate the veterinarian with a poor attitude.

Be careful not to walk in with the attitude of " I know more about rats than vets do." You don't know more; not medically speaking and you'll irritate the veterinarian with that attitude. He or she may think, "If you know it all then why are you here wasting my time?" It's true, you may know a whole lot more than the vet does about rat behavior, breeding, rat care such as feeding, bedding, caging, but you don't necessarily know more about medicine than this skilled surgeon you are taking your rat to see.

Don't make the vet think that all you want is the cheapest way out. If the vet gets the idea that you don't really care about quality medical care, but only want the easy way out he or she may feel as if you are wasting his or her time.

Don't ask the vet what medications you can buy in the pet or feed store so that you end up giving the vet the idea that you don't want to have to waste your time and money coming to see him or her.

Learn all that you can about the illnesses of rats so that you as the pet owner can walk into that vet's office armed with ideas that will help the vet choose proper treatments for your rats.

Write down all the symptoms that you see take your notes with you so that you don't forget anything. Make certain the vet understands you.

One complaint I hear is "The vet had no idea what he/she was talking about."

Are you sure he or she didn't? If you feel the vet is wrong ask questions; don't stand by in silence allowing the vet to do all the talking. Make the vet understand that you are serious about proper medical care that this is your goal and you aim to reach that goal.

The veterinarian doesn't want you to leave feeling dissatisfied any more than you want to leave feeling that way. These are highly educated doctors who may not always have the people skills that it takes to build confidence, so you need to help that along yourself. If your veterinarian seems a little behind the times on current care information such as what types of bedding to use, what foods to feed, etc. then print out information for him or her. Give it to the vet who may be inspired by the realization he or she was mistaken about something. This may cause the vet to go on a search of his/her own and get updated.

They are human too and yes they can make mistakes but don't just stand there giving the vet none of your cooperation. Most vets are not in practice simply to rip you off. They want your business and they do want to treat your pets with top quality medicine.

Once you've cultivated a great relationship your vet will probably give you breaks on prices here and there. They don't want to take all your money but keep in mind that quality medicine is not cheap; cheap medicine generally is not good medicine. When a vet understands that you mean business and you want the best that you can provide for your pet rat, the vet will work doubly hard to make sure he or she doesn't fail.

Sometimes it will happen that a pet has a problem that cannot be treated. Don't automatically blame your vet for that, sometimes maybe it is the vet's fault, maybe it's your fault, maybe it's nobody's fault. These things do happen but don't leave angry, talk it out with the vet.

If a vet treats one rodent species or "pocket pet" he or she is likely to treat rats. Here are some great links to help you locate a good veterinarian: