*NEW* Vet Directory PLEASE HELP!

[RattiesSix]

8015 North Main Street
Dayton, OH 45415-2250
(937) 890-4744

AND

6313 Brookville Salem Road
Clayton, OH 45315-8782
(937) 836-6969

Dr. Beth Weisberger treats my exotics. She's absolutely wonderful and extremely knowledgeable. Prices are awesome ($90 for a nueter, check ups $33, tumor removals under $150. I never spend more than $65 for a visit + meds for URI/ear infection/etc.). The staff is nice for the most part, and helpful. Everyone adores the rats and loves to love on them when they come in. They also see rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, reptiles, cats, dogs, birds.

http://northmainvet.com/about/beth_weisberger.php

[brittanyotalora]

For anyone in the North or Central NJ area....

Dr. Kim Somjen at Belle Mead Animal Hospital in Hillsborough, NJ. AMAZING to say the least! She was so friendly, and knowledgable. She told us her history with rats which included MANY rats as pets. She knew exactly what I was talking about when I said Martin's-695, and she also asked questions most vets don't ask, like what cages they're in, what bedding I use, what I feed them everyday, etc. She finally diagnosed my one rat which another vet said was "perfectly healthy" (PS she has myco). She was SO good with my rats, and they responded so well to her. The rest of the staff was also amazing.

*She was also familiar with GooseMoose and said she used to be on here!

If it's not too far for you to travel, you HAVE to try her- I will never go anywhere else.

[rodentsrevenge]

for anybody in boise, idaho!

kimber zahller, dvm
1985 vista ave., boise, idaho 83795
(208) 343-3711
www.myvistavet.com


we recently had to take our rats in for some sneezing and kimber was really awesome. she's young, but definitely knowledgeable and really gentle with the animals. when explaining what was wrong with our rats and the treatment, she explained it well and in terms that we could understand. andshe actually listened to what we had to say as well, so i would definitely recommend her!

[kerri.howard]

Is this still current? I just posted two more vets to KY. =)

[Becca]

For Northern California (Chico):

Dr. Susan Evers
Evers Veterinary Clinic
1150 El Monte Avenue
Chico, CA 95928
(530) 343-0713
http://www.eversvet.vetsuite.com/

Dr. Evers took care of my rats and turtles when I was growing up. She is friendly, knowledgeable and caring. Her practice mainly sees dogs and cats, but she is very good with rodents and rabbits.

For the North Bay Area (Marin County):

Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital
4144-A Redwood Highway
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 479-CATS
http://www.catsandexotics.com/

They are a bit pricey ($60 for an office visit - ouch!) but well worth the money. I have used them for illnesses, injuries, lump removals and spayings and have had very good results.
They (especially Dr. Lankes) were also incredibly supportive and understanding when I had to make the Big Decision to put Sniffles to sleep  .
They see just about everything except dogs: cats, birds, rodents, rabbits, ferrets, turtles, lizards, snakes, fish and wild animals.

[Bananana]

I just posted two - one in Bend, Oregon and one in Missoula, Montana.   

I've been abnormally lucky regarding finding totally awesome vets, so I thought I'd share their information. 

[Crickett]

Gretchen Meyers DVM
2 years experience with rats.
1717  route 228,cranberry PA
724-779-1070
she comes to the banfield there in Petsmart(yea i know banfield ick) but she is really great and even called after the girls checkup to see how they were doing.very personal with us and the girls
35.95 a office visit

[SurrieLou]

I just posted Bloomington Veterinary Hospital for Bloomington, In. 

[Momofsweetie]

For anyone in the state of Massachusetts looking for a specialty vet. There is one in Topsfield MA.They specialize in exotics and pocket pets.  Putnam Vet Clinic. 374 Boston Street Topsfield MA. Dr. Wendy Emerson is the owner and Dr. Rachel Illingworth is also a vet there. They are very good with rats, ferrets, lizards, birds, etc. They are not the cheapest around but they have alot of knowledge and a wonderful concern for the pets.
The # is 978-887-3836. Hope this helps..

[Raquel]

I updated information on Dr. Anthony A. Pilny, DVM, DABVP, and Dr. Cyndi Brown, DVM, DABVP, both in New York NY USA.
Thank you,
raquel.cintron@gmail.com

[liljunie]

I have used: for tumor removal from rats.  She is also an awesome dog vet!
643 Fall River Avenue
Elizabeth Murdock
East Bay Animal Hospital

Seekonk, MA 02771
508-336-3434

[loveforrats16]

Town & Country Veterinary Hospital
8000 East Market Street, Warren, OH. 44484
(330) 856-1862 ‎
http://www.tc-vet.com/
My vet is Dr. Same Costello.
He is very knowledgeable about rats and does very well with surgeries. I've never had a problem with him. The vet visit its self is $42 for rats to be seen.

[killybutt]

Tried to go to the vet directory but got 404'd!

Anyway, I have had an AMAZING experience with Dr. De La Torre and others at All Creatures Care Cottage in Costa Mesa, California. They treated my boys when they got myco infections and were very knowledgeable about rat anatomy and health.

All Creatures Care Cottage
1912 Harbor Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 642-7151

[Bananana]

Oregon:

Dr. Scott Kramer
Deschutes Veterinary Clinic
25 NW Olney Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-2481
dvc@bendbroadband.com
Office visit: $45

Montana:

Dr. Shoni Card
Pruyn Veterinary Hospital
2501 S Russell St
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 829-8150
Office visit: $36

Both of these vets are amazing. 

Dr. Card performed at least nine surgeries on my rats (one of which was exceedingly difficult). This woman has some impressively steady hands, I'll tell you that much.  I would trust her with anything. She even has pet rats of her own! She is a great problem-solver and really explores every option with you. Another thing I appreciated about Dr. Card was that when she didn't know something or was unsure about something, she always took the time to research and find the best answer possible. We liked Dr. Card so much that we continued to take our rats to see her even after moving an hour away. I don't know how many (if any) of you live in/near western Montana, but if you do, Dr. Card is a fantastic vet. 

We were sad to say goodbye to Dr. Card when we moved to Oregon, but our new vet, Dr. Kramer, is equally awesome and also a rat lover. Best of all, he has lots of experience treating rats. I'm continually surprised by the vastness of his rat-related knowledge. He has helped our rats through some extremely specific, difficult-to-diagnose and/or treat conditions that many vets would be left scratching their heads over, so I have complete faith in his expertise.  He is also very kind and gentle with our rats.  He even knows their names! And he's always willing to discuss things with us and explain why he's choosing a particular treatment option.  I recommend him 100%.

[Shriek]

Is this directory still in use? I can't seem to find it anywhere. I could just be missing it, but I can't find the resources link at all. I found a link in a post, but it took me to an error message.

[Umber t. Kid]

I can't find it either. has it been taken down to be fiddled with?

[dinoboirex]

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AREA
Central Hospital for Animals
695 Giant City Road Ste 3
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
618-549-4738

They have an exotics specialist that treats rats. They have 3 locations, but I have only been to the Carbondale one. The vet and techs are nice and they listen. I take all of my animals there. 3 dogs, 2 cats and my 3 little ratties. They also have a fantastic doggie stylist.

[KatnRat]

I would NOT recommend the following vet:

Dr. Darlene Osgood
Delafield Small Animal Hospital
20 Crossroads Court
Delafield, Wisconsin 53018-2035
http://www.delafieldsmallanimalhospital.com/

I have been her client for 6 years now. I just called for a quote to neuter my new rat:

$437.63!!!!!!! And she claims to be a small exotics specialist!

This after I wasn’t too pleased with the results I had working through my cat’s recent UT issues with her.

A few years back I also brought one of my rats to her with a prolapsed uterus. Both times I came into her office, I was pretty much just given a salve and sent home. The rat didn’t live love enough to make it to the next appointment (which I believe was the pre-surgery appointment).

I also at one point had a colony of 50 mice (all of whom I interacted with daily and knew by name and personality). I had a URI in my largest girl mouse colony at one point, and she charged me a separate office fee for every single mouse I brought to her (all at once, so it hardly spent more of her time than it would have to see one mouse).   

While she isn’t all bad (I once took a rat to her with a fast-growing tumor 1/3 its body weight that was removed with no other problems), I’ve lost patience with her. Needless to say, I’m looking for a new vet.

[betuana]

Not sure if the Vet Directory made the move with the forum yet or not, and can't remember if I had listed either of these there...but since its not findable at the moment anyways I'll list them here too.

Central IL

All Creatures Animal Hospital
2001 Linview Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
217-328-4143
http://www.allcreaturesah.com

My primary vet, they've been very good with all my rats. For my rats I've had surgeries done here (spays, neuters, tumor removals, etc), bloodwork, eye exams, URI treatment, abscess treatments, etc. Have also had rats PTS there (and they did it properly, sedation, etc), necropsies done, and they offer clay paw prints, cremation, ashes back etc if people want those options. They seem quite knowledgable on the care of rats and other exotics, and are equipped to deal with them on a regular basis easily. I have seen zoos bring their animals here before (saw a meerkat from a zoo about an hour away there!) Dr. Sandra Murrell-Ritter is the vet here who sees rats.

University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital
1008 West Hazelwood Drive
Urbana, IL 61802
217-333-5300
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/vth/services/exotic.php

Another good choice - also has emergency care available. Often a bit more expensive than other local vets in the area, but they are a referral hospital and e-clinic as well, with 24/7 staffing and monitoring of animals, and all sorts of specialties (oncology, dermatology, etc). Dr. Ken Welle, one of the founders of All Creatures listed above has recently moved here, and has seen several of my rats in the past. I've also had experience with Dr. Whittington when I was working at the shelter, since she often volunteered her time to do rabbit spays and neuters. (Dr. Sandra and Dr. Ken also helped out the shelter too! With guinea pigs, herps, etc)

[SpoiledRattenRats]

Dr C R Bhatia, DVM
Animal Clinic of Warrington
1352 Easton Road
Warrington, PA 18974
215-343-4223

Dr Bhatia is a GEM! He has gotten  rave reviews on Yahoo: (he didn't even know about it until I gave him a printout of the reviews)...he has long hours, hours on Sat and Sun if you request it, and he works two days a week at a local humane society clinic.

He is very good with rats and has a lot of experience with them. He is reasonable and very, very caring. He is a no frills, WYSIWYG vet....he calls to find out how your pet is doing (he called one dog owner from his vacation in India!), and the humane society clinic he also works for sends sympathy cards when a pet is euthanized.

He spayed two of my rats for $175.00 each; removed tumors from two others, and did a hernia repair for another rat. Office visit: $39.00 ($30.00 if you go to him at the Women's Humane Society Clinic, Richlieu Rd., Bensalem, PA, but its first come first served and it is a mad dash to get there at 6:45 AM to be first in line before they open at 7:30 AM!) I just go to his private clinic in Warrington to avoid that aggravation, even if it means an extra 9 dollars a visit.)

HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended!

[PinkiePie]

I found a good vet who is friendly to rats in Worcester, Massachusetts, which shouldn't be too far a drive for a lot of people in central Massachusetts and even beyond.

Westside Animal Clinic
262 Mill Street, Worcester, MA 01602-3113
(508) 756-4411

Dr. Klingener is Westside's small animal vet. She is pretty knowledgeable about rats though some of her ideas are a little outdated. I wrote about my experience with her here.

I really like this vet. Unfortunately, they only take new patients at certain times of the year from what I have read. While I had no trouble getting an appointment, you might. Also, from what I have experienced at the front desk, they are not likely to allow you to talk to the vet over the phone to get advice.

[LotusWolf]

Lenoir, NC

Caldwell Animal Hospital
230 Nuway Circle  Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 754-4545

And here's their website with info and pics of their facilities and staff.
http://www.caldwellanimalhospital.vetsuite.com/Templates/Clean.aspx

I haven't been to them for my boys yet but they do have a small animal specialist on staff.

They are great with dogs, though. My mom took Raven when she was little 8 years ago and they did a good job for her. They spayed her for us (she was a shelter rescue) for a pretty decent price. My jack-russell/poodle mix, Bug-a-boo, was sent to get fixed at a low cost clinic done by the local humane society and they sent her back as they discovered she had a heart murmur and didn't have the equipment to monitor her. They sent her to Caldwell and they spayed her at no extra cost to us than what we had paid to the humane society ($35). The most recent thing they did was take care of my grandma's dog, Bo. He had a herniated intestine and they had to go in and try to save him. They almost lost him but they didn't give up and today he's happy and healthy. They also didn't want to put him under again so they cut off $150 from my grandma's bill since she opted to have him fixed at the same time. I'm about to take Dally in to see them this Friday.

[Vallis]

For NW Indiana, there are two main vets:

Dr. Andrea Carlson
Southlake Animal Hospital
3570 E. Lincoln Highway
Merrillville, IN 46410
Phone: (219) 942-0909


Dr. Carlson is my personal vet.

----------------------------------------

Dr. Russell Mejeur
Arbor View Animal Hospital
244 West US Highway 6
Valparaiso, IN 46385-7911
Phone: (219)762-7267


One of the best rat vets north of Indianapolis.

----------------------------------------

Dr. Melissa Dickinson
Cooley Animal Clinic
3021 45th Street
Highland, Indiana 46322
Phone: (219) 924-3877

Dr. Dickinson knows the basics and may be a decent third choice one day... but for now, she lacks surgery and a healthy chunk of basics (you can't neuter male rats?)

[tinymight]

I couldn't figure out where the directory was  So here goes.

I MOST CERTAINLY RECOMMEND:
Broward Avian And Exotic Animal Hospital
1730 University Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33071
United States
http://www.exoticanimalcare.com/

This place is amazing. There are two vets there, I see Dr. Diaz who has rats himself. One of my rats has just had problem after problem, as soon as one thing is solved another pops up. Dr. Diaz explains everything in detail and is very patient with my questions (I always have a lot). He is also very understanding when I start to cry out of nowhere haha. I have only heard good things from multiple people about the other vet, Dr. Kelleher. I actually know the pharmacist who supplies for them and he raves about her. I think the initial visit is $45 and return visits are $30 something. Honestly, my bills stack up but I know I'm not getting screwed. Everyone there is always extremely friendly and helpful, it's an unbeatable environment. One of the women who works at the front desk, I never remember anyone's name since I'm usually a mess when I go there, has rats as well and talking to her is great as she's had issues with hers as well. Also a plus is they carry oxbow products and the only other place I know of that has regal rat down here is a pet store in Boca (but that place is great too, it's called Fins Furs and Feathers). I could go on and on about how grateful I am to have this place.

Now for one I DO NOT RECOMMEND:
Oakland Park Animal Hospital
2200 West Oakland Park Blvd.
Oakland Park, FL 33311

I saw a male doctor here before I discovered Broward Avian and Exotic, but I do not remember his name. I actually went there when I moved into the area just to get a check up, both boys were healthy at the time. I basically wanted to find a vet in the area so I would know where to go if something did go wrong. I remember the place was not very clean, nor was anyone inviting. He did the basic stuff, weighed them etc., then he tried to sell me treatments they didn't show any signs that they needed. He handed me a list of typical preventative procedures that should be done if I wanted to make sure they were completely healthy, things like a de-wormer, chest ultrasound or something, etc. He didn't explain anything in detail, he was just trying to scare me into spending more money like that's what I should be doing if I was a good owner. I felt completely overwhelmed and taken advantage of. Their website says they have 21 likes on facebook, but I have no idea why.

[LOTR_Ratties]

Is this directory still in use? I can't seem to find it anywhere. I could just be missing it, but I can't find the resources link at all. I found a link in a post, but it took me to an error message.

I would really like to know where it is located now as well! I can't find it since the server move, and I'm in pretty desperate need of finding a good vet around here (NE Dallas area) for my girl Lucy, because she has some tumors that need to be removed. Can anybody post the link?