I need a good vet in St. Louis, MO

[Dave 56]

Looking for a good gerbil vet in STL...preferably one in the city as I reside on the South side but would travel to county if necessary. Just a much needed teeth trimming for now.

Thanks!
Dave

[Stacey]

Hi Dave!! I'm from St. Louis, MO. I'm not sure of any GOOD vets on the South side so you'll have to travel to the county for this one!

A GOOD gerbil vet and the only vet I'll take my gerbils to is....

Concord Animal Hospital. Look it up online. It's on Baptist Church Rd. $26 office visit but meds are only $2 or so...your visit shouldn't be any more than $35 or so. Dr. Lenczowski (spelling?) is the small animal/exotic animal vet. She performed a SGT removal on one of my gerbils and is overall an excellent vet.

If you only need a tooth trimming, I think it's about $10...not bad!

Look up the directions on google or something since I don't know if I can post the address on here?

[Dave 56]

Thanks much! South county is OK with me and stepfather lives in Concord Village so I'm no stranger to the area.

Was wondering though, are they pretty good with appointments? Say like earliest in the morning, get in, and get out quickly. I have health issues and making matters worse is our car has no working A/C...so I can't be messing around as you know it's been hotter than heck around here lately and I don't want to cook the gerbil or myself.

And and, I have a portable type of cage that I mostly use to take gerbs on little adventures or in the pic below quarantine purposes too (as well as tank cleanings, etc.). I threw out the plastic junk it came with and bent the floor up so i could fit in a real wheel. Could use a wood or cardboard house. Anyways,,, it's about the size of a 10 gallon aquarium. SOooooo would this be suitable at the vets?



ALSO, does the vets hold the gerbil and do the trimming or would it be that hard for me to hold her (black Roxy)? Now I've held gerbils but never in a forceful manner as I imagine you would have to for a teeth trimming. Guess it couldn't be too bad as I've held rattlesnakes in my younger years LOL.


Roxy (going on 2 1/2 years old) with her latest and youngest friend, Goldie. They have a nice big house but they are snuggling here for now :-)



Here is one of my favorite pictures of a young Roxy back in 5-9-07.

wtv-zone.com/DaveCam1/gerbils/Roxy_3.jpg

She came from Frandeka's little shop in Soulard.


Sorry for all the questions and Thanks again!

[Lauryn]

Hi Dave,

I'm afraid I can't answer any questions about the vet service, but will nudge Groovy towards it when I talk to her next.

The cage looks fine for a journey of that type. I use something much smaller. I don't see the need to worry about how big it is as it's such a quick process. You might want to take something to cover the tank incase they get stressed.

In terms of holding them, I bet if you see Groovy's vet she'll do all the hard work. She sounds very good and I wish I had one like that here in the UK. I dug out this old thread of Groovy's for you, althought I'm not sure she was using the same vet back then (were you, Stacey?) gerbilsuk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photos&action=display&thread=7448&page=1

I adore that last picture of Roxy. They're both very sweet.

[Stacey]

I apologize that I haven't seen this any sooner!! Thanks Lauryn for letting me know!

Anyway, Roxy is a cutie! So is her friend Goldie!

Anything you bring them in should be alright...I usually take them in the smaller critter keepers but I've had to bring a 10 gallon aquarium in there before and they were okay with it. That was when Kramer had his scent gland operation and I just took him in the tank he was in since he was not able to be handled at the time.

The vet will take the gerbil to the back and they have both a trimmer and a dremel tool. You can ask which one they plan on using and usually they do a pretty good job. Only once did I have a crooked tooth but the gerbil fixed that himself. I think the price for that, like I said, was $10 or something...it's rather cheap!!

They are good about appointments. Say you want to make an appointment for Friday or something...call them no later than Wednesday to secure a spot at around 8am if that's what would work for you.

I hope I answered every question for you...you can always contact me here and ask any question you'd like...you're the first person that has lived in STL much less MO that I've talked to on here and I'd be glad to help!

Also, you got Roxy from Frandeka's? What was your opinion on that place? They keep kittens in bird cages with dog bowls as litter boxes...the woman who owns the store is really nice but she's way in over her head and sells inbred puppies and kittens

Back on topic...she is a very good vet and very kind. She has a lot of understanding of gerbil health and temperament and I'd recommend her to anyone

[Dave 56]

Jun 23, 2009 1:58:40 GMT Stacey said:

...Also, you got Roxy from Frandeka's? What was your opinion on that place? They keep kittens in bird cages with dog bowls as litter boxes...the woman who owns the store is really nice but she's way in over her head and sells inbred puppies and kittens ...

Seems that I first discovered that hole in the wall pet store back in the '80s when I was rewiring a big freezer after a fire in a nearby stand. Or the fire could have been in the Southern wing of Soulard...I can't remember except that somehow I happened across Frendeka'a LOL.

It was a few years later I would be employed nearby at Hub Furniture and work there for several years in which we had an entire hour for lunch hehe...SOoooooo, Soulard was a few short walking blocks away from Hub and we would go there often enough usually on Friday and/or Saturdays. And of course us being boys, besides eating, would find a beer or few to consume while there, too.

Well it was one Saturday I believe somewhere between 1990-1992 that we walked through the pet store and I noticed the gerbils. Now I've kept many kinds of critters in my life (last time were plenty of rats) but never had a pet gerbil. So what the hey, I bought a 10 gallon aquarium with lid, two black gerbil boys, a bag of cedar I believe (yea we all know now) plus a water bottle and 5 pounds of food from their bin (always freeze their food and others from a bin because there are likely bugs in it). Then I carried the aquarium with the critters back to Hub and set them in the back room of the loading dock since we were there most of the time that day likely selling mostly air conditioners. Boss walked back saying something like "Oh no he's got rats back here" LOL

Small miracle that BOTH of those guys past the 5 year mark with the last survivor living to almost 5 years and 4 months. Later had to move and do things within the 4-family flat we own and the accumulated tanks and supplies ended up under the basement steps of the South half. Several years later I was in the basement looking for building materials and saw my tanks and missed the little gerbils. Then soon went to Frendeka's and bought Roxy as I wanted to get females this time but little black Roxy was the only female at the time....... wait

SORRY I GOT SIDETRACKED!!!!

Anyhoo, what the hell was the question....OH!!! Yes I DON'T appreciate Frendeka's taking in all of the neighborhood stray cats and dogs and all of those poor animals that likely trashy people dump on her. It really saddens me to see all of the little kittens staring at me meowing and I want to take them all but can't (my Mother is an ultra cat person!!!) and as of now we have like 7 cats already, plus she (Frendeka) has all of those RABBITS, too!!! Like you mentioned she is way overloaded with them.

Finally, Roxy is still doing OK and just waiting for the heat to let up to make for a vet visit.


Thanks much again, and BTW I currently live with ten gerbils.

[Dave 56]

And thank you too, Lauryn!!! I guess I should get around to signing up here since I can't make any
corrections until after the fact LOL.


Rocky and Spikey :-)




Dave

[Stacey]

Wow Dave! For some reason in my mind I only thought you had 2 gerbils...d'oh, shows me not to assume I reside with 18....

I do like your story, especially the part about "He's got rats back here!" ...ha!

I do venture into Frandeka's from time to time when I visit Soulard...but it always makes me sad and disgusted as you sad and YES she has SO many rabbits!! She's a nice lady (for the most part) but those are unsanitary conditions...I wanted to save two kittens last time I was there because they had eye problems that weren't being fixed but then I realized if I spent the $20 for the kittens, that would free up more space for her to take in MORE kittens and also fund her...I just wish if she was going to do this, she'd have more space and more time...and an air conditioned building!!!

Anyway, good luck with Roxy!! You should really join this forum and then post photos of all of your gerbils! I love them already!

[Lauryn]

Yes, do join. I'm enjoying seeing your gerbils. Plus, you never know when you might need us again!

[Rachel]

Hi Dave,

Yes join the forum, you'll soon become an addict to the forum.

Good luck with Roxy at her vets appointment. let us know how you both get on.

[Stacey]

Be sure to let us know how the vet visit went. When you go, please tell them that Stacey with the gerbil named Kramer referred you. She'll be really happy to know that one of her "frequent" customers appreciates her work.

[captaindeadeye]

I had the appointment earlier today though I wanted Friday but time was going to be too late then so settled on Monday at 11:15 AM. in which I arrived there at 11:17 and with a wait to 11:45 which got me in room #4 for another little 5 minute wait. Then Dr. C.L. Lenczowski, DVM, enters the room and we exchange greetings and I intro her to Roxy. She asks about Roxy's temperament and I say "she never bit me" LOL.

Anyways, Roxy was a good girl the entire time she was held by the Dr. and she takes her to another room for a couple/few short minutes and then comes back with teeth all trimmed. Poor old Roxy does have other problems though as just the other day I noticed the tumor near her backside and the doc told me to keep an eye on it (all that other med talk I done forgot already). All in all it was a much better experience and much shorter wait then when I have my own hospital visits (getting old and decrepit meself). Doc said keep an eye on her teeth for the next three days or so and continue with breaking up and removing the shells, etc. for her food. That's what I've been doing and finding her softer things to eat, too.

And I mentioned your name and your gerbil's as the referral. She's nice and it was really nice that I was only charged a total of $14.40...guess because I was a new customer.

A sneak peek of Roxy back in August of last year



And finally, signed up with this nick which is the one I use at the SBC Yahoos and eBay. Again,,, thanks much!


Dave

[Stacey]

I'm glad to know that all went well! She is a really nice veterinarian! I'm glad you had a pleasant experience with her, too.

Not only were you a new customer, but usually a "beak trim" which is what it said on the receipt I'm sure (obviously not a beak trim lol) is the $14 part and sometimes when they do that, the office visit is free. When Kramer had his SGT operation, they only charged me the fee for the removal. Overall a very nice vet.

Always glad to help