[Charisma_Love]

Are there any breeds of snakes that cannot be treated by vets/operated on because they are too small or some reason I'm not thinking of?

I'm trying to save money on vet bills over the next few years by researching pets that don't require vets (like a spider/snail/frog/stick insect etc)

I LOVE animals and wouldn't like to live without them, but I'm not going to buy a pet that I can't fully look after.

 

[spit]

Sorry to burst your bubble but all pets can be treated by a vet.Just because their small doesn't maen they can't be treated.If you look after them right and do your research them hopefully they will be all right,also if you take them to the vet the minute you think something is wrong and not when they are on deaths door then the vets bills shouldn't be too high.But in saying all of that if you can't afford vet bills then don't get the animal.

 

[Charisma_Love]

would you take a snail, beetle, stick insect or newt amoung other animals to a vet? :shock:

 

[spit]

Snail,newt yes the others i take your point,but there is no point in getting an animal just because you don't have to take it to the vet.

 

[zirliz]

I agree all animals need some care and no matter the animal may need to visit the vet at some stage

 

[Charisma_Love]

I think there is a point of getting a suitable pet if you can't afford a vet, or arn't prepared to pay the bills. If more people thought this way then there would be far less cases of animal creulty.

I guess it may have been a stupid question asking if there are any snakes out there that don't require vet bills though....It's just that I wasn't aware of pygmy mice until two years ago, and they're so small and wild that a vet wouldn't be able to do anything for them anyway, let alone operate or administer anesthetics :/

I ask because I tend to spend £100-£200 on each rat I have and I won't be keeping rats after my last one goes (she's getting old) because I need to save to move out after college. I love having animals around though, so I thought I'd see what may be availiable to me and research for any future plans

 

[spit]

Rats do tend to get a lot of health problems but your vet seems to charge far too much money if thats what you spend.I took my tortoise to the vet recently for a check up and she got tests done on a stool sample and it only cost 30 quid.The most i've spent on my rats at one time was 90 quid and that was to have him cremated and i've been keeping them for 14yrs.Don't mean to get on at you but it may be worth shopping around for vets and the prices they charge.

 

[Charisma_Love]

my last rat had 1 x-ray (£60), an abcess removal, regular check-ups for antibiotics and surgery to have a second abcess removed plus more antibiotics at another £60. That's the one that cost me the most at around £200, but I always take them to the vet when they're in their last days and the vets tend to prescribe me antibiotics no matter what the problem is (grrr) so it's at least £20 a visit with the medication. (£16 for the visit alone).

I visit three different vets just to get second opinions on things sometimes, and that's cost me way too much during this past month.

perhaps I could get another snake, but actually get pet insurance so at least I'll be prepared as some things will be covered.

 

[spit]

Thankfully none of mine have needed that much treatment so maybe thats why mines didn't cost so much.Why not set up an account for vets fees and if you don't need the money then you could treat yourself to something nice,thats what i do and it gives you peace of mind that you will always have money there when you need it.

 

[Charisma_Love]

that's what I've been doing so far, but I could really do with that £1000 towards a deposit on a house instead :/ I guess I'd probably have a lot fewer problems if I got my rats from a great breeder though, but I don't know if I should risk it for now.

So far I'm thinking maybe getting a orchid mantis, some fruit beetles or pygmy mice to fill the ratty void during those couple of years of saving, but you know how hard it is trying to make up for the best pet in the world :wink:

 

[DeanThorpe]

Nintendogs.

 

[Charisma_Love]

lol! I did consider it
maybe another Tamigotchi is in order really!

 

[DeanThorpe]

There are options lol.
I have often fancied growing crystals myself.
And sea monkeys kinda intrigue me.

 

[Charisma_Love]

I was going to try Triops, now those grow huge! and plants for a while...but they can get boring as you'd imagine...probably like crystals lol!

 

[Dexter]

Hi Charisma, I think you should get a Tamagotchi, they definitely don't need a vet :lol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagotchi

 

[PendleHog]

I would take a newt to a vet :?
I can see what you mean in terms of not getting something you cant afford.. if you really want something I would suggest inverts - there are some lovely species of phasmid available and most can be fed bramble, which makes them nice and cheap to keep!

Please dont go for anything of a higher order such as an amphibian. They have a more highly evolved nervous system than the likes of phasmids and will suffer if they cannot be treated by a vet.

 

[Charisma_Love]

I would take a newt to a vet :?
I can see what you mean in terms of not getting something you cant afford.. if you really want something I would suggest inverts - there are some lovely species of phasmid available and most can be fed bramble, which makes them nice and cheap to keep!

Please dont go for anything of a higher order such as an amphibian. They have a more highly evolved nervous system than the likes of phasmids and will suffer if they cannot be treated by a vet.

ahh, you see I don't know much about amphibians, which is why I'm doing my research well in advance and asking about these things now before I buy anything. As I don't believe there are any exotic vets too nearby (it's a bit of a drive and I'd have to ask someone to take me) I think I should stay clear of getting anymore reptiles or an amphibian even if the treatment would be cheap come to think of it.

Inverts are the way to go then fruit beetles are looking interesting.

 

[skimpy]

Get Pet insurance. It doesn't cost that much, but it means that your beastie won't suffer because you cant afford to have it treated. I got isurance after my puppy cracked his lower canine catching a stone that some idiot (bf) threw. His tooth cracked right down the middle, and all I could afford to do about it at the time was to have his tooth filed by the vet. we bugger was in agony.

Pet insurance is the only way. Then you can get them treated anytime something goes wrong.

Skimp

 

[skimpy]

Hi Charisma, I think you should get a Tamagotchi, they definitely don't need a vet :lol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagotchi

:lol:

 

[CyberFae]

One of our rats got hurt in a fight and we didn't take him to the vet, as there was nothing a vet could do that we couldn't. We administered aspirin (just under the suggested strength as he was a little old), treated the wound with Betadine, trimmed the fur, washed the wound and applied a bandage ourselves. The cut was too shallow to be able to stitch, and was over a joint; even if he had been stitched they would have ripped open anyway, leading to secondary infection which would be worse than one, clean, quickly treated cut. He had almost completely healed in about 4 days, and was able to be taken out of his isolation box (restricted movement = more chance for cut to heal) and put back in with the others. Doing this at home meant we saved however much in vet's bills, but we also saved the little guy the trauma of being moved around, being prodded by a person he doesn't know, being taken away from his playmates, and of course the physiological strees of anaesthetic which as we all know is so dangerous in small rodents. So sometimes vet treatment just isn't worth it, which I think is in agreement with what Charisma is trying to say.

Sometimes it's in the animals best interest not to go through treatment, but to just send it to pet heaven; it's a hard thing to do but often the cons of an operation outweigh the pros and yes, unfortunately, some of us have to include the cost of the animal in this. As much as I love my little Strawberry she only cost me £30 odd; if she became eggbound in the future and it was going to cost several hundred pounds to save her, I just couldn't afford it. If the same operation was to be perfomed on, say, an investment royal which cost £2000 it's a different kettle of fish. The money put in to save her could be taken out of the babies she had produced previously and so could be justified; plus there is stil a resale value if she had no further use as a breeder... no-one wants an adult amel corn that can't be used for breeding!

Anywhooooo... Millipedes! Yeah millipedes! They're the bestest!! And more handleable than some beetles etc as they're so slooooooooow and can't fly! Yaaaay milipedes!!