Ideally you may select a veterinarian before you even bring your pet home, but that is not necessarily a choice. At the very least, select a veterinarian for your hamster before your pet becomes sick. Hamsters don’t need yearly checkups and vaccinations like other pets do (which is one of the advantages of owning a hamster as a pet ) hamsters can die terribly quickly from a sickness, so time will be critical if your pet hamster becomes sick. Choosing a vet before you want one could save your pet’s life.

Even if you already have a vet for your dog or pussy, you may not need to bring your hamster to him or her. Not all veterinarians are qualified to treat tiny mammals, and some basically refuse to treat them.

You may not think about your cute little hamster as an “exotic” pet, but that is the kind of vet you wish to seek – most veterinarians consider anything that isn’t not a dog or pussy an “exotic” animal. Little mammals like hamsters need specialized plant and training, so you do not wish to persuade your dog or cat’s vet to see your small pet just because you like the way he cares cares for your other pets.

You can find your hamster’s vet in a selection of ways. One way is to test your local phone book. Call the vets who advertise that they treat exotic animals and see whether you like what you hear. Scanning the web is another option. Again, if you find a vet whose listing you like, call him or her and raise questions.

Word of mouth is by a large margin the only way to find a vet for your hamster. Ask many sources, for example the local pet shops, local breeders, local hamster club members, and mates who have a vet for their tiny pet. If you hear the same name more than once, that could be a good start.

Once you have narrowed your list down to some names, you want to ask some questions,eg how long they have been treating hamsters ; what sorts of common conditions do they see in hamsters ; do they recommend yearly checkups for little animals ; what are their costs ; how will they handle critical situations, and so on. Find out office hours and on call procedures. Inquire about how payment is handled, both for emergency and non-emergency visits. Learn if there is more than one veterinarian on staff – if not, then you might not be ready to see your vet straight away in an emergency. After all, no one can be on call 24/7, right?

If you aren’t ok with any of their answers, contact the following person on your list. If you like what you hear, pay a trip to the vet’s office. Look for a clean facility with friendly staff and happy patients. ( Well, as cheerful as the pets can be, since they are doubtless sick, but the owners should be happy.)

Pet Insurance Selecting a Veterinarian for Your Hamster

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