vets for hermit crabs

[Brittanybaby22]

Are there any vets that know how to treat hermit crabs if there is I would love to know

[Scarlz]

Not specifically. A lot of vets don't/wont treat crustaceans.

[Brittanybaby22]

I wonder why they are living animals like every other animal I don't get that don't they need health care to for when they are sick

[Scarlz]

You have to think of it this way, The anatomy of a hermit crab makes treatment for certain things difficult. Yes, they are living things and they do deserve the same care and respect as any other. But think of the practicality of treatment on a hermit crab. There isn't much they can do, and honestly, much still isn't known about exactly how they work.

[Brittanybaby22]

I dont know if this is a good idea www.aquavetmed.info/index.cfm the book says to look on here for a vet for your hermit crab

[hermitcrab101]

There's nothing a vet could do to a hermit crab, that we couldn't do our selfs. Hermit crab diseases aren't well known enough to be treated by vets. And hermit crabs aren't studied in vet school so some vets don't even know how to properly care for them.

[Brittanybaby22]

So if dwebble gets sick give a sea salt bath and put him in another tank to see how he does

[wodesorel]

Hermit crabs don't get sick like other pets. They won't get colds, or ear infections, or need to have their teeth cleaned. When a crab acts sick, it's not something that any vet or person can make better. Keeping them in the same environment like they would have in the wild is the most we can do, and that will prevent most from ever getting sick in the first place. If they still get sick even with perfect conditions, it will usually be something that no one understands how to treat and all we can do is keep them comfortable and see what happens.

And the truth of it is - there is nothing a vet can do because of the way hermit crabs are. There is no blood to draw to test to see how healthy the crab is and if it's organs are working correctly. They are so tiny and hidden in shells that there is no way to do a physical exam to check their condition and their organs. The only "treatment" a crab should ever get is telling the owners to keep them at 80 degrees and 80% humidity, offer a wide range of foods, and to give them safe deep substrate to molt in. Taking a crab to a vet is a great way to scammed out of $40 for a useless office visit.

(I will make an exception for shell rot and other obvious bacterial problems, but ONLY when the vet is a good reptile or aquarium specialist who knows what they're looking for. All animals have bacteria, so a simple swap and culture won't prove anything and will lead most normal vets to prescribing deadly antibiotics for no reason! A cat and dog and large animal vet has no business ever touching a hermit crab.)