Templetons Health Part 2.

Question
You are very right about her selecting her favorite pieces, and the rest goes to the waste bin. I will use your recommendations on food in the future. Thanks for catching that :) Also I am located in Palm Springs, California. Sorry for not making that clear in my posting. Thank you again for getting back to me so fast, it means so much to me.

Answer
Hi Chelsea


I had a feeling it was California so I did some research last night. I may get some flack on this and dont mind standing corrected, but I thought....hmmm...your 19, you probably dont live in Palm Springs Florida, which is a predominantly senior citizen area. Yikes, I bet I get slammed for that statement! :=)

Here is what I have for you as far as Vets for Templeton go (I have a Templeton, too. He is a 2 pound 3 year old black grumpy old man that I love so much!!)

I admit I was disappointed that in a state with 41 registered exotic vets that everyone was so FAR from you! GAH!  
Right now, the Westminster group is the best place for Templeton
and if you go to their website and read up and compare them to my website and what I expect out of our rats Vets they match, hands down. From having the proper equipment to care for small mammals and most importantly, to be able to provide them the most current treatments available to small mammals and not having to make exceptions, forcing them to have to take nasty medicines not meant for rodents but instead, meant with the dog or cat in mind. So many people will sit and crush up a bitter pill and mix it in yogurt expecting the rodent, who, by the way, has a natural ability to search out foreign material in their foods, making it harder and harder for the big bad exterminators to poison them) so often the rats wont take the meds either.  However, a vet that is well suited for your girl will have yummy flavorings around to mix up a nice yummy elixir to give her rather than have you crush up a horse pill meant for a great dane!

Just read my website about vets and you will better understand what I mean since you have never been through this before.

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/therightvetforyourrat.htm

I do want to go over real fast about the difference between exotic vets and vets that see exotics. It can be confusing. People think if they see an ad in the phone book and the ad reads SMALL ANIMAL SPECIALIST, they assume they mean that they are specialists for small pets like rats etc... which is NOT so. Vets fall into categories:
Small animal which means simply dogs/cats.
Large animal and equine which is more or less for farm animals; horses, cows, pigs etc...
Exotics- rodents, rabbits, ferrets and sometimes it will specify exotics/reptiles.
Avian- birds.
Usually exotics simply says Avian/exotics but again, do not become confused when the vet says they see small animals. It simply means they dont see cows and horses.  LOL

ALso if you do love this vet that is listed below, this would be great except for the fact if there was a serious emergency, they are too far out. You may need to find an ER near you (I can do that too) for animals and find out if they would see your rat if there was an emergency but take instruction over the phone by your rats exotic Vet. Usually they work it this way.  
Last but not least, and this may be something you will want to discuss with the new vet:  Spaying Templeton and getting her a buddy. Rather than go into a detail you can read up on my site about tumors, but just to let you know that an intact female rat has more than a 75% chance of growing mammary tumors after the age of 18 months. This is one reason I do not own female rats unless they are spayed and to prevent them from developing both mammary tumors and fatal pituitary tumors, spaying should be done between 3 and 5 months of age by a skilled Vet. Also, rats should live in pairs or more. Did you ever think of getting her a friend?  To save on another spay, you can spay her and wait for her to recover fully and go out and buy a little boy to be her roomie!  Male rats are SO CUDDLY as they get older and in fact, I prefer a males personality over a female mainly because the males are really chill as they age. Little girls are always busy busy busy their entire lives...but I love them both so I cant really say what is better.  Just some stuff to kick around. Here is the URL about tumors.  Please check it out.  I can tell you from experience that out of all of my girls over the years, at least 7 out of 10 had tumors and those girls lives were cut shorter than the other females that did NOT have mammary tumor growth.

That said, your probably spinning in circles saying HUH??!  So, here ya go...I will shut up now and let you check out the Vets I have for you.  Check out the first vets website to be really impressed and again, compare them to my list of what to expect from your rats vet and you will see they are above and beyond all expectations!
*****

This is my first choice for your rat.
1 hr 40 mins. from Palm Springs

Westminster Veterinary Group     
6621 Westminster Blvd.
Westminster CA 92683
Phone:    714-899-1100
Website: www.westminsterveterinarygroup.com

******


2 hrs 19 mins from Palm Springs

Dr. Armando Burgos
Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital    
2317 Hotel Circle South Suite C
San Diego CA 92108
Phone:    617-413-5054
www.drexotic.com

*******

2 hrs 25 mins.

Avian/Exotic Service- Pet Emergency & Specialty Center-Avian/Exotic    5232 Jackson Drive Suite 105
La Mesa CA 91941
Phone:    619 462-4800
Website: www.pescsandiego.com


*********