Just wanted to clarify something, because unfortunately what's in the
Guelph Mercury article about OVC
<http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/736719--ovc-to-close-avian-exotic-animal-clinic>
is a bit misleading. I'm the Sinzig he was talking about, but the
reporter didn't get the "my ferrets will be ok" thing from me - I told
him quite the opposite in fact. Yes, the first thing everyone in the
OVC administration says is "we'll still see ferrets". Unfortunately
their Primary Healthcare Centre isn't the same thing at all as seeing
the avian/exotics specialists at the teaching hospital. The PHC will
handle simple things like vaccinations, general wellness exams, etc. -
the kind of things that it's actually pretty easy to find a vet for.
What they won't handle is exactly what we've always been referred to
OVC for in the past, i.e. lymphoma, adrenal, insulinoma, etc.

A couple of years ago my Monkey had a massive pleural effusion in his
chest, really ugly, they removed so much gunk out of his chest they
didn't understand how he was still alive (his only symptom, btw, had
been that he lay down a bit too often while playing - typical ferret!).
He was in ICU for 10 days. The vets at OVC came up with new techniques
for treating him and managed to save him, thanks to them he's still
going strong today! On top of that, they've since told us that those
techniques have been used elsewhere to save at least one other ferret
so far. Before this, apparently, a case like Monkey's was considered a
lost cause. A paper is currently being written on Monkey's case by one
of the vets who was involved. If I hadn't had OVC, if I'd only had my
regular clinic, Monkey would be dead today.

So, yes, OVC will still give vaccinations and general healthcare to
ferrets. But that's not what made them special, and that's not what
we're upset about losing. Incidentally, we found this earlier article
on a change in OVC's hiring practices, which could explain why they're
having trouble attracting another vet:
<http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/672276--veterinary-college-under-investigation-after-faculty-complaints>

As to the budget cutbacks, they could increase their fees substantially
and still be more affordable than many other vet clinics. There's no
shortage of demand, that's for sure, when you see how far the people in
the waiting room have driven to get there. Selina and I have written
letters to the office of the Dean asking them to reconsider:
http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/dean/staff/

It really is very sad.

[Posted in FML 7447]