K
karen
Guest
As some of you regular poster know, one of my newts has been a bit "off" lately; not hungry, more land bound than in the water....
Well, yesterday he perched himself out of the water on a rock and this morning, he was exactly in the same position. So I took him out, put him in a separate container with water and went out to get him some fresh worms (hoping that would inspire him to eat)....when I came home he was shedding, but wasn't actively pulling off his shed like he usually does, his loose skin was just hanging there and he was very inactive. Panicked, I tried to call a list of doctors I compiled a few months ago "just in case". These were all doctors who were listed in treating exotics and amphibians.
I has horrified at the treatment I received over the phone. Many of the doctors did NOT treat amphibians at all, and some receptionists acted bothered that I was even calling. They couldn't even give me any referrals. Other doctors were out for the day and couldn't give me an appointment until next FRIDAY! Most of the people I spoke with didn't even KNOW what a newt was!! They thought it was a reptile and when I told them a newt isn't a reptile and has quite different needs, they curtly replied "Well then we can't help you."
Finally I got an appointment with an exotic specialist for Monday afternoon (who does supposedly treat newts)- I'm hoping my newt, Paul, lasts that long. At least that receptionist was very kind and patient and when I called her back because Paul was looking like he was taking a turn for the worse, she suggested a 24 hour hospital I could take him to.
I rushed Paul to the hospital in a teeming rainstorm and I just got back, although not much better off than I was before. A few doctors looked at Paul and said that they don't really know much about newts but that (after giving them a history on feeding, housing etc) I was doing everything right and that he didn't look bad. Paul was alittle more active at the time, but he's still not well. (The good thing is that they didn't charge me for the visit.)
My advice to all you newt lovers out there is to find a doctor or hospital that definitely treats newts NOW before anything happens where you may need to act in a hurry. Even if the doctors are advertised as treating newts, call and find out for sure. Get office hours, phone numbers, directions and anything you may need if you have to bring your newt there on the spot. Unfortunately, I trusted my list as being accurate and then when I needed help in a hurry I was reaching dead ends. Find out everything you need BEFORE an emergency strikes, so if it ever does you're not making wasted phone calls and being given the run-around and wasting precious time.
Hopefully, Paul will make it to Monday afternoon......
Well, yesterday he perched himself out of the water on a rock and this morning, he was exactly in the same position. So I took him out, put him in a separate container with water and went out to get him some fresh worms (hoping that would inspire him to eat)....when I came home he was shedding, but wasn't actively pulling off his shed like he usually does, his loose skin was just hanging there and he was very inactive. Panicked, I tried to call a list of doctors I compiled a few months ago "just in case". These were all doctors who were listed in treating exotics and amphibians.
I has horrified at the treatment I received over the phone. Many of the doctors did NOT treat amphibians at all, and some receptionists acted bothered that I was even calling. They couldn't even give me any referrals. Other doctors were out for the day and couldn't give me an appointment until next FRIDAY! Most of the people I spoke with didn't even KNOW what a newt was!! They thought it was a reptile and when I told them a newt isn't a reptile and has quite different needs, they curtly replied "Well then we can't help you."
Finally I got an appointment with an exotic specialist for Monday afternoon (who does supposedly treat newts)- I'm hoping my newt, Paul, lasts that long. At least that receptionist was very kind and patient and when I called her back because Paul was looking like he was taking a turn for the worse, she suggested a 24 hour hospital I could take him to.
I rushed Paul to the hospital in a teeming rainstorm and I just got back, although not much better off than I was before. A few doctors looked at Paul and said that they don't really know much about newts but that (after giving them a history on feeding, housing etc) I was doing everything right and that he didn't look bad. Paul was alittle more active at the time, but he's still not well. (The good thing is that they didn't charge me for the visit.)
My advice to all you newt lovers out there is to find a doctor or hospital that definitely treats newts NOW before anything happens where you may need to act in a hurry. Even if the doctors are advertised as treating newts, call and find out for sure. Get office hours, phone numbers, directions and anything you may need if you have to bring your newt there on the spot. Unfortunately, I trusted my list as being accurate and then when I needed help in a hurry I was reaching dead ends. Find out everything you need BEFORE an emergency strikes, so if it ever does you're not making wasted phone calls and being given the run-around and wasting precious time.
Hopefully, Paul will make it to Monday afternoon......