Which questions to ask a vet when looking for one?

[hananas]

Hello,
I am getting two pups by the end of the month and I think I should get them do a vet check in the following weeks.
My problem is I don't know how to look for a good vet, a few around me say they do NAC but I have no idea which questions to ask to be certain to choose the right one.
I have contacted one and asked if they have experience in guinea pig neutering and such, which anesthesia system they use but I'm really lost what to ask next? Is this simply enough?
Also they ask 100€ for a boar neutering, is this about right?

I live in France and haven't found recommendation for a vet around.

 

[Piggies&buns]

The most important question is whether they have experience of dealing with exotic pets such as guinea pigs (not specifically neutering) .

I have just converted the euros to pounds and it is around £85 which is roughly what you would be expecting. My local vet charge £60 for neutering, but I’ve seen other reports of other vets charging more.

Do bear in mind that you only need to neuter if you are planning on pairing a boar with a sow. Neutering two boars who will live together is not necessary (neutering does not change boar behaviour).

 

[PigglePuggle]

When choosing a vet you could consider your first health check as an audition/job interview for the vet to see if you want to see them regularly
Without any prompting from you, they should offer and be able to check the back teeth, and also listen to the gut sounds and give an opinion, feel the piggy's tummy confidently without hurting them, comment on any poops that you show them, as well as checking nose/ears/eyes and bottom and genitals. Ideally only the bum and genitals check should need them to upset piggy by lifting them up, piggies prefer it if the vet goes down to piggy eye level on the table rather than lifting them up.
Also do they talk to the piggy, say reassuring things, as they would to a cat or dog?
These are things I would look for anyway, plus of course as @Piggies&buns has said, previous experience with guinea pigs!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,
I am getting two pups by the end of the month and I think I should get them do a vet check in the following weeks.
My problem is I don't know how to look for a good vet, a few around me say they do NAC but I have no idea which questions to ask to be certain to choose the right one.
I have contacted one and asked if they have experience in guinea pig neutering and such, which anesthesia system they use but I'm really lost what to ask next? Is this simply enough?
Also they ask 100€ for a boar neutering, is this about right?

I live in France and haven't found recommendation for a vet around.

Ask them whether they have experience with operation complications and which are the most common in their experience and whether they have to deal with them often.
Also ask about their post-operation care - can they keep piggies in overnight if they haven't bounced back after an operation or are they a no frills vet? Do they provide free post-op check ups?

Which antibiotics do they consider safe to use for guinea pigs and would they consider using not licensed medication on guinea pigs.
Enquiring about the metacam dosage is also a good test - do they use dog or cat metacam and how do they compute the dosage? Do they prescribe it once a day or twice daily for guinea pigs? (PS: A 1 kilo guinea pig can have up to 0.4 ml of dog metacam /1.2 ml of cat metacam twice daily - not piggy savvy vets will prescribe a much lower dosage working down from cats and not take the much faster metabolism and better tolerance of guinea pigs into account)

Here is our detailed neutering guide so you can helpfully judge the answers from that: Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care
Here is our emergency care guide, which contains links to safe and unsafe medications: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Neutering cost can run in the UK from £30-50 to several hundred pounds, depending on what vet you are using. In the UK, Canada or Australia it is several hundred dollars with a neutering op at an exotics vet with all the trimmings re. post-op care in New York City can be as much as $1500.

This guide here has also some useful tips on how to evaluate a new vet: Guinea Lynx :: Finding a Veterinarian

Personally I would have my piggy vet checked first and see whether I like the vet and am positively impressed by them.

 

[Eriathwen]

I don't have much to add, but asking about pre op procedure is a good idea also, any that advise fasting/withholding food before a surgery should be avoided. It's amazing just how many vets advise that still!

 

[hananas]

Thank you to you all this is really helpful. I'm going to ask send questions and will try at least two different vets (one for each piggy I guess) to see which one I prefer.

 

[PigglePuggle]

This vet is going to get a real interrogation I hope they are ready for it, and good with guinea pigs!

 

[DMS260820]

Problem is, you got to get past the Hitler receptionists first. Some are right cows. I've had to have a verbal battle for critical care before, they thought it was a prescription drug. When you have a dying guinea pig, you're not leaving until you got it

 

[VickiA]

Problem is, you got to get past the Hitler receptionists first. Some are right cows. I've had to have a verbal battle for critical care before, they thought it was a prescription drug. When you have a dying guinea pig, you're not leaving until you got it

I expect that any vet receptionist in France will be very polite and well trained. My own vets have some of the best receptionists I have ever come across. They are knowledgeable, polite, patient, friendly and caring.

I am very lucky that my vets are so good, but for me, the most important thing in a new vet is their experience in dealing with guinea pigs and their little quirky problems. After that, it’s how kindly they treat my piggies and then finally how they deal with me. I’m so lucky that my vets tick all those boxes.

 

[DMS260820]

I expect that any vet receptionist in France will be very polite and well trained. My own vets have some of the best receptionists I have ever come across. They are knowledgeable, polite, patient, friendly and caring.

I am very lucky that my vets are so good, but for me, the most important thing in a new vet is their experience in dealing with guinea pigs and their little quirky problems. After that, it’s how kindly they treat my piggies and then finally how they deal with me. I’m so lucky that my vets tick all those boxes.

I'm talking about past vets that I am still registered with. Some right moody receptionists. Not provoked either, cat and rabbit clinic are great though

 

[PigglePuggle]

Our vet receptionists are lovely, they are always very happy to squeeze in an extra appointment in an emergency, or book in 2 piggies for 1 appointment, and they always ask if we consider something an emergency even if it clearly isn't, and they are happy to go ask the vet or let us speak to the vet at no cost to help decide how urgent something is or if we can give medication we've been prescribed before at home- in fact when Puggle had her acute bloat the receptionist told us to come immediately and 10 minutes later had a nurse waiting at the door for us to arrive with an emergency pain relief injection, before she even had time to consult the vet!

 

[Freela]

I always want to know that they are trained and experience at working with exotics, guinea pigs specifically. I would ask specifically about dentistry and whether they are able to assess and do dentistry, as that's really where I've run into ongoing issues with my rodent pets... I had a guinea pig with chronic dental issues and now a hamster with chronic dental issues, so I want to know that they know how to deal with those. In addition, I would ask about costs (they can vary really widely) and what their emergency coverage is for off-hours (some vets have better after-hours care than others.) Hope this helps a bit!