Looking for vet that has other Brats as patients

[Leticia R.]

I live in the New York City area and have yet to meet one person who has a Basenji. I've taken my little girl, Sasha, she's 2 1/2 to two different vets but I feel like I'm not getting her the best care because they don't really know anything about her breed other than what they've learned in books. Anyone know of any vets in NYC that have treated other Basenji's?

[Janneke]

I sometimes wonder why a vet has to be experienced with Basenjis. They are 'just' a breed of dogs and no vet starts with being experienced with every breed.. You have to give them some time to learn

[Kananga]

@Janneke:

I sometimes wonder why a vet has to be experienced with Basenjis. They are 'just' a breed of dogs and no vet starts with being experienced with every breed.. You have to give them some time to learn

This is true, but I have to say, working with a Vet has has hands-on experience with Basenjis is nice for a change.

[lisastewart]

I had a good one in Newburg, NY, he served all 6 of mine. I will check with some friends in the NYC area.

[Leticia R.]

@Janneke:

I sometimes wonder why a vet has to be experienced with Basenjis. They are 'just' a breed of dogs and no vet starts with being experienced with every breed.. You have to give them some time to learn

Very true but I don't my baby being their guinea pig (no insult to guinea pigs intended) I'm just over-protective first time dog parent.

[Leticia R.]

@lisastewart:

I had a good one in Newburg, NY, he served all 6 of mine. I will check with some friends in the NYC area.

Thank you so very much that would be great.

[Knipper]

I was lucky enough to have found a vet with Basenji experience. She has new vets in her practice, so Blaze became the first basenji patient for one of them a few years ago.
What kept me at that practice was the encouragement to bring in information and that everyone, including the practicum students, wanted to discuss and learn. I would rather have a vet willing to openly ask for information and discuss it with you, than a vet who just had Basenji experience.
I made that mistake with my horse and it cost her her life.

[Janneke]

@Leticia:

Very true but I don't my baby being their guinea pig (no insult to guinea pigs intended) I'm just over-protective first time dog parent.

Guinea pig is a big word.. All dogs have different issues and personalities and owners (:D) and I think that most vets are very capable of dealing with these differences.

[Leticia R.]

@lisastewart:

I had a good one in Newburg, NY, he served all 6 of mine. I will check with some friends in the NYC area.

Thank you so very much that would be great.

[Leticia R.]

@Knipper:

I was lucky enough to have found a vet with Basenji experience. She has new vets in her practice, so Blaze became the first basenji patient for one of them a few years ago.
What kept me at that practice was the encouragement to bring in information and that everyone, including the practicum students, wanted to discuss and learn. I would rather have a vet willing to openly ask for information and discuss it with you, than a vet who just had Basenji experience.
I made that mistake with my horse and it cost her her life.

Good advice thank you.

[lisastewart]

My NY basenji friends go to Vets in Brooklyn and Pine Plains, not sure if either of those is close enough to you. I think I know whippet people in the Bronx who could give recommendations.

[MacPack]

I agree it is great to have a vet who is open to information. When you have a hard-headed one, maybe they won't treat a 'low normal' thyroid or will insist on only running a T4, not a full panel. If Eddie only had a T4, which my previous vet insisted on with Nicky, he would not be taking soloxine and would still have symptoms. His T4 was 'low normal' but other values were very low, and one was very high, so he needs a low dose to balance the results. My vet was open to suggestion, read Dr. Dodds' recommendations, and wrote Ed a perscription.
He isn't a basenji expert, but he open minded and listens to us.

If you can find all that AND some basenji experience, that is a real bonus! Good luck, a great vet is priceless!

[Chealsie508]

I'm a lucky duck…my puppy will be going to the same vet as my breeder since we live that close, I feel better going to a practice with a lot of basenji experience so I understand where you are coming from. Good luck finding someone

[Andrew]

I'll agree with what a couple others have already said; how open a vet is to listening to YOU, working with you, learning the breed, learning with you, etc, is more important than breed specific knowledge. I was fortunate to go to one recommended by a breeder local to me in Georgia, but they always asked me to check with that breeder before they made final decisions on treatments. They figured the breeder might know some breed specific info that would be pertinent. That actually made me feel MORE confident with them, because they were willing to admit they didn't know everything & research before making decisions as opposed to acting like they knew everything & further harming my dog. Good luck in your search though!

[Shaye's Mom]

The first time I brought Shaye to her vet, he had never seen one before - he told me he was delighted to be able to get to know another breed, and has since gone online and has talked with other vets and researched everywhere he could think of so he could find out if there were any special things to be aware of in treating her. Most vets will go out of their way to school themselves if your dog is one he/she has not treated, I think. He is now wonderful with Shaye and with Gemma too, and I'm glad I let her be the "guinea pig."