Finding A Good Rat Vet This can be very tricky. Finding vets that have experience with exotic pets, especially rats, is hard to find. What you need to do is grab your trusty phone book and just start calling around to the different clinics in your area and ask them the following questions... You Should Ask The Receptionist These Questions... "Do you treat exotics?" They must say yes. "Have you treated rats?" They must say yes. "Are you AAHA certified?" This is not absolutely necessary, but is a definite plus. "Who is your most experienced doctor with rats?" "Can you have them call me, or are they available to talk with right now?" You Should Ask The Doctor These Questions... "How do you feel about rats as pets?" They should respect them. "How many rats do you see each year?" The more the better. "What kind of surgeries have you preformed on rats?" The more the better. "How many times have you done each surgery?" The more the better. "What was your rate of success?" The higher the better. "What common illness do you see in rats?" Respiratory illness should be high on the list, and they should be familiar with Mycoplasma and how to treat it. "Do you give pain meds after surgery?" The answer should be yes, or they should be willing to do it for you. "Do you keep the rats body warmed somehow during surgery to prevent the rapid loss of their body heat?" The answer should be yes, or they should be willing to do it for you. "Are you aware that you should not withhold food from a rat before a surgery?" The answer should be yes, or if they were not aware of it, they should be open to the information. (Rats do not need to fast before a surgery because they can not vomit. And in fact withholding food from your rat before a surgery will weaken them.) Then you might want to get prices on what various things cost, such as routine exams, tumor removals, spays, and neuters. Just so that you can compare prices and find the most reasonable place. If they answered everything to your satisfaction, give them a try. You could wait until a problem occurs, or if you can, just bring one of your rats in for a simple exam. That way you can get a real feel for the clinic. Watch how they treat you and handle your rat. If your gut is sending you warning signals? Then move on to the next clinic. Otherwise you've found your vet! Congratulations!