Think Ahead!
The best time to find a vet for your tortoise (or any exotic pet) is before you actually need one. Then if your pet becomes ill, you don't waste time trying to find an experienced veterinarian who is familiar with the biology and biochemistry of reptiles (what we call a "reptile-competent veterinarian").
You should be aware that most regular veterinarians ("dog and cat vets") do not have the specialized knowledge of reptile physiology and pharmacology to properly and safely diagnose and treat sick reptiles. Treatment of exotics and reptiles is not part of the standard curriculum at most veterinary schools, so most exotics or reptile vets acquire their knowledge on their own, typically as a result of keeping these types of pets themselves.
Don't automatically trust a vet's or a clinic's advertising. We once made the mistake of looking through the Albuquerque Yellow Pages for a veterinary clinic that mentioned "reptiles" in its advertising. We quickly found one that was centrally located and easy to get to, and took a sick box turtle in to be treated. BIG mistake! The box turtle eventually died because -- despite their advertising -- the clinic's vet had no real knowledge of how to treat reptiles in general and turtles in particular. We hope you will learn from our sad experience and avoid making a similar mistake with your own turtles and tortoises.
You should also understand that good veterinary care of any kind is not cheap. Because they are considered exotic pets, veterinary care for a sick reptile can cost 20 to 60 percent more than the average vet bill for a sick dog or cat. However, this added cost is not a good excuse to avoid taking a sick reptile to the vet. Our point of view, simply put, is that if you cannot afford the vet bills, you should not have the pet. Period.
Finding a Vet
The best way to find a good vet is to communicate! Ask other reptile keepers who they've had good results with. Find your local herpetological or turtle and tortoise club and ask the club officers or members which vet they use. If you need help finding your local herpetological society, or a good reptile vet near you, try the following websites:
- The Association of Amphibian and Reptilian Veterinarians
- Melissa Kaplan's Herp Veterinarians page
- HerpVet Connection
- Herpo.com's Listing of Herp Societies
The Vets_for_Herps Yahoo Group
A good place to get recommendations about reptile vets in your area is the Vets_for_Herps Group at Yahoo Groups. You must join this Group before you can access the recommendations.
This Link will take you to the Group's home page. Click on the blue button labeled "Join This Group!" You will then see a sign-in/registration page.
If you already use Yahoo Mail or Yahoo Groups, type your Yahoo ID and Yahoo password into the appropriate fields and then click the "Sign In" button
If you don't have a Yahoo ID, you can get one by clicking the "Sign Up" link at the bottom of the page. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the registration process.
Once you are added to the Group, you'll be able to view the Group Files, where the vet recommendations are listed by state and location.
Vet certificates for shipping tortoises
By federal law, if you are going to ship or move a sulcata tortoise across state lines within the USA, you must have a vet examine the tortoise BEFORE you cross any state lines! The vet must then sign a certificate that the tortoise is healthy and tick-free. This federal law was passed to prevent the spread of an imported tick that carries an illness called Heartwater Disease. Download the Interstate Shipping Regulations for African Tortoises document for more information on this issue.