AMPHIBIANS

At Molesey Vets, we have a range of fee schedules and booking availabilities depending on your amphibian and it’s own situation.

Please call our regular telephone number: 0208 979 1384 during office hours and speak to one of our dedicated receptionists who will be able to book you the most suitable consultation appointment.

As always, please inform our receptionists how many amphibians you will be bringing. Each amphibian will need to be have their own consultation, as this gives the vet time to properly examine each pet and discuss its problems.

Here is a guideline to the different types of consultations we normally provide:

• Regular Consultation. This is our standard 15 minute consultation with the vet for a amphibian with a new health problem, a problem that has recurred from some time ago, or a recheck of an ongoing problem.
• Second Opinion Consultation. If your pet has been to see another vet for this problem (within the last year) and you would like our opinion on the problem, then we need to read the previous medical record, blood results and x-rays etc. This lets us learn what medication may have been used previously, and what the original vet found on examination. This gives us all the information we need to provide an informed second opinion. This takes time to arrange, so the consultation must generally be booked at least one day in advance. As this is a more complex and time consuming procedure, we normally schedule for you and your dog to spend 30 minutes with the veterinary surgeon. This does come with a higher fee.
• Walk in Consultation. If you visit the surgery without a previously booked appointment, we will try our best to fit you in but you may have to wait for an hour or even longer if the the vets are particularly busy. Should your amphibian’s life is in danger we will assess their condition and may admit them into the hospital whilst we make a vet available. Each Walk in Consultation is generally scheduled for 15 minutes with the veterinary surgeon but is charged at a higher fee than the Regular Consultation.
• We strongly advise our clients to try and make an appointment as we are often fully booked or very busy. We do not want either you or your pet to become stressed when having to wait for a longer period of time in an unfamiliar environment.
• Referral Consultation. This is when another vet has asked you to come and consult with us as they feel we have more expertise with amphibians, or with your animal’s specific problem. In these cases the other vet will directly fax us a ‘Referral Letter’ complete with your pets’s medical records. Once the consultation has been completed, we will inform the previous vet of the outcome. The Referral Consultation also requires the extended 30-minute consultation.

Once you have made the appointment please make sure that you, or whoever is bringing in the pet, has all the information as follows:

1. How long your amphibian has been unwell, and what symptoms it’s suffering from.
2. What brand of food it usually eats, including any supplements or snacks you may use.
3. Any medication previously taken by your amphibian. Please bring in any packaging or boxes.
4. Where your pet is originally from, and what other animals it’s been in contact with.
5. What your pet’s urine or faeces previously looks like, and what it looks like now.
6. Whether the animal’s owner or a decision maker will be available on the telephone if they cannot come in.

Please note that to sign a consent form legally it must be someone over the age of 18 years old to sign. This consent form could be for if your amphibian needs an operation, or needs to be admitted into hospital for treatment.

We require payment for the services provided immediately after a consultation. If your pet does unfortunately need to be admitted to hospital or for surgery you will be required to pay a deposit. To try and make it more convenient for you we do accept payments by cash, cheque, debit and credit cards.

And don’t forget to collect your free Molesey Card – our free loyalty card that gives you 1% back on everything you spend with us! You collect points on your card that you can redeem against any of our services or products! Simply ask at reception for more details on how to apply for your free card when you next come in.

Amphibians are a fascinating class of animals, which includes frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. Did you know that there are over 6,000 different species. The species most commonly kept as pets and seen at the clinic include African clawed frogs (Xenopus species), White tree frogs (Litoria caerulea) and Ornate frogs (Ceratophrys species). Many children have kept tadpoles and watched them grow and change into little frogs before setting them free.

An important point to understand about amphibians is that although they are lumped with reptiles as “herptiles”, actually they are not that similar. In general terms, amphibians are unable to cope with husbandry problems compared to their reptilian counterparts. Amphibians are sensitive creatures, so they cannot tolerate temperature changes, water balance problems and environmental poisons due to the permeable and sensitive nature of their skin.

Amphibians are generally not easy pets to keep as they have exceptionally specific needs. They generally do best when housed in a natural vivarium or tank based on the natural environment and history of the species.

Unfortunately, households do keep ornate frogs  in a simple glass bowl, but this is not fair to them as it is a very empty and boring environment.

The water quality of the vivarium or tank is very important, and must be kept and free of toxins. Do not fill up with tap water as this contains chlorine which can lead to skin damage.  Water PH, salinity and water hardness will vary according to the species, as will the temperature and lighting requirements.

Most amphibians are very sensitive to overheating, and they do not like temperatures changing too quickly. In their natural habitats, most live in or near rivers and lakes where the seasons slowly change over the course of the year.

Most species of amphibian are carnivores and insectivores, so it can be particularly hard to source the appropriate live food, especially when they are very small.

Most amphibians are quite greedy and will gulp up food, which has two problems:

• Firstly, they can quickly become overweight.
• Secondly, they can eat the smaller stones in their enclosure

Please remember that the skin of amphibians is extremely sensitive: you can injure them just by touching the. When cleaning their cage, or bringing them into the surgery, you should always wear gloves. With their new home, make sure there are no rough textures or sharp points as this can also lead to injure.

Amphibians can contract skin disease very easily. This is due to their very sensitive skin and the difficulty of keeping the water quality perfect. It can be very hard to medicate a slippery frog so the best way to prevent disease is by making sure the husbandry is correct.

Both amphibians and reptiles can carry the salmonella bacteria in the gut. These animals won’t show the symptoms of the bacteria, but humans, especially children, can become quite sick if they become infected. As we said, it’s important to wear gloves when handling your pet, and teach children “best practice” when it comes to pet hygiene.