Message Number: FHL431 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Vicki Montgomery
Date: 2007-04-05 14:12:20 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] My Vet and ADV testing
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com

Cami;

I just want to address one part of what you said.

Several years ago a ferret club of which I was then a member had a discussion thread going about vets, new vets, and to whom should a ferret be taken for exams and treatments. Several people kept saying that they only would go to this or that (well known) vet for ferrets.

I finally said, "where do you think those vets got their experience?". They didn't know anything (well almost nothing) about ferrets until the club started having so many members going to them. The only way a doctor (ANY TYPE OF DOCTOR) can perfect his practice is the very same way ANY PERSON doing ANY TASK learns and perfects their knowledge and techniques - PRACTICE.

Well of course the reply was "well he's not going to practice on my ferrets". That reply really angered me. You see HIS ferrets would not have the expertise of treatment IF NO ONE had allowed HIS vet to learn on their ferrets. These doctors HAVE to learn somewhere. It's just like human med students NEED cadavers (dead people bodies) to learn how to treat/work on people.. Same Thing. IF you want to keep turning out good doctors just like good plumbers etc, they have to get hands on experience and LEARN!

I hope I was clear with that. And the suggestion that I would make to you is - do let her learn on your ferrets. If you get down to a point where you feel your ferret's life will be compromised if she continues to treat him/her then go to another vet for the life-saving treatment/surgery, but keep HER in the loop so that she too learns.

If you explain to her up front. "Listen I know you are learning and I don't mind you learning with my guys, but I want you to know that if I feel they aren't doing well I will go elsewhere else for a second opinion". That way if you have to she should not be surprised or offended. Clear the air up front.

I once let an inexperienced vet spay 2 jills I took in. She looked up the info she needed the night before just to make sure she knew what she thought she knew and when I got those 2 little girls back they had the tiniest incisions on their bellies I have ever seen, and never did we have one problem with them, But she had never done that before. She also treated a severly injured ferret we had and he too recovered well.

So you never know where you will find hidden treasure and to keep it a treasure ya need to polish it (him/her). Please let them learn - if you have any faith in their ability as a doctor it is up to you to groom them and polish them until they shine, shine, shine.. and that brings to mind several well know names who knew almost nothing in the beginning and whose names are touted all over the internet and at symposiums etc as being all that for ferrets... I'm just saying let's make more of them....

Vicki

Cami <iamskfan@yahoo.com> wrote:
And should I contiune to let her learn with my ferrets (and maybe find a back-up dr) or should I run for the hills? I mean, i really like her, and she
seems willing to learn, and advertises to be exotic pets...but like I
said,just hasn't had the opportunity to work with them.


.





He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart. And in our own despair, and against our will, comes Wisdom by the awful Grace of God...Aeschylus



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