Mobile vet

Maz

Maz

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So Raffy needs a vet appointment for more metacam. I can't really get out this week and don't think it's fair to ask someone else to take him (not fair on Raffy or OH if anything didn't go well). It's a long trek to the usual exotic vet. So I called a local vet to see if they did home visits. They do but it's very expensive. But she told me about a mobile vet service in the area. Which is a great idea. Also expensive but not quite so expensive. It's the equivalent of three vet consultation fees. I decided to go with it though as it's easier for me at the moment and will be much nicer for Raffy, who I don't think would like being dragged out to the vets.

I think there should be more mobile vet services for general things - if they could make it more affordable!
 
It is isn’t it? Might be better for some pets as well 😊. I got the impression the regular vet surgeries really weren’t keen on arranging a home visit and also wouldn’t commit to a day or time. In case there was an emergency.
 
That really is a great idea, not many animals like going to a vet, so it might make it easier on them
 
Thats a good innovation, that would make hamster less stressful with a long trip to local vet. Definitely promising
 
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They have a kitted out van 😊. With a vet and vet nurses and carry meds on the van. Assume they don’t do surgery on the van though. Yes it is a pity it’s not less expensive - but still a fair bit cheaper than a home visit by a standard vet. And also our 1 hour trip either way to the previous trip took up a big chunk of a day. For some people time is money too. For us it just saved some petrol money and hassle.

I ummed and ahhed a bit - but thought - Raffy has cost me nothing in vet fees in over two years and probably won’t have another vet visit unless it’s for end of life - so decided it was worth it.

One reason to have a vet fund of course 😊. If it’s been saved up over two years and no visits then the money is there.

What a great job it must be seeing pets in their own homes 😊
 
Of course I still need to find out if the vet is good with hamsters. And Raffy doesn’t like being picked up. He’s not unwell though - but they like to see them before prescribing medication obviously.

Apparently part of the visit involves them teaching you about the five welfare needs (if needed I assume!). Don’t think they’d have any complaints about Raffy’s huge cage 🤣
 
Well that didn’t quite go to plan 🤣. I was expecting them to come in the afternoon and they turned up in the morning and I was a bit groggy (so was Raffy). Some crossed wires somewhere! Anyway Raffy was very good - took me a while to find him but at least when sleepy he was easy enough to lift out.

His weight is still stable. The vet examined him a bit and said one of his testicles is a bit enlarged which is probably pressing on something hence his back legs not working so well. He had a run around on the floor for a bit. So he’s continuing on Metacam. It was Rheumacam I was given this time - so many different brands these days! The current one is Loxicom.
 
It's very intriguing having a mobile vet. I'm glad Raffy wasn't stressed out and the vet knows his stuff. Don't know what Raffy thought of having out of cage time mid morning (?!?). Glad it went well. I hope Raffy finds things easier.
 
I think loxicom is just another type of metacam medication. It's the different brand names I think. Glad Raffy got on well. 😍
 
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Good to hear Raffy got on well
 
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I suspect he really didn’t like it - I had let him run around a bit after the vet handled him. I went in the kitchen to get something and when I came back the vet nurse said she had picked him up and put him in his cage because he was chewing at a bit of wall in a corner of the hamster proofed area (he’s done that before once) so clearly decided to try and escape the hamsterproof area. They were worried I was letting him roam around even though I’d said it’s ok he does it every night and always comes back!

Plus of course I had to disturb his fitch mountain and move it all to find him. I’ll see how he is tonight.
 
Good to hear Raffy was okay with the vet. It's a shame they turned up early - you'd think they'd at least give you some advance warning!

I have 3 different meloxicam brands in my medicine cabinet right now! Metacam, Loxicom and Meloxidyl. All the same drug from different manufacturers, though I don't like Metacam as the dropper bottle makes it harder to measure out. I hadn't heard of Rheumocam before but I guess that's another one.
 
I hadn’t heard of Meloxidyl. I had heard of Rheumacam as I think someone on here was prescribed it before and I checked it out then.

I was going to do a post about it actually as there were a few things I found interesting looking at the brands. Maybe tomorrow.
 
My thoughts on a mobile vet coming are that it has pros on cons. It means the hamster doesn’t have to go on a journey to a vet in a pet carrier and less disturbance for them in that sense.

In the other hand it means his home had been invaded and something “happened” to him in the home/room he considered a safe place. Hence his wall chewing I think. So although a journey to the vets might not be great - at least when they get home they are back in their safe place and left the unpleasant experience behind. If that makes sense.

I was hoping that he might think it was just a bad dream 🤣 Because he would normally be asleep at 11.30am.
 
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