One of my chinchillas developed a strange growth near his arm. These were actually my son's chinchillas, whose care I inherited when he went to college. I had never taken them to a vet, and quickly learned that few vets treat chinchillas. I asked a friend who has guinea pigs and she highly recommended Northview.\r
Even though it was a long distance from my home (I live in Washington County, it's north of Pittsburgh) I decided to try it.\r
First, they agreed to see Simon (the chinchilla) right away. They had evening hours that made it possible. It was easy to get to, so the trip didn't take me long. It's just off McKnight Road, which is a major thoroughfare. \r
The veterinarian was very compassionate, and good with Simon. She explained that another vet was their top chinchilla expert, but wasn't there. So she called that vet for a consult. This is sort of embarrassing, but they agreed that what Simon had was a huge fat deposit because I had been overindulging him in dried fruit. Simon got put on a diet and he's doing just fine.\r
I can't remember exactly what the bill was, but I remember taht it was a lot less than I expected. It might have been $40, but don't hold me to that. I'm bad with numbers. If I had another problem with a chinchilla or any other rodent, I would absolutely take him back there. (They obviously see lots of dogs, too, because the waiting room was full of them). If you've got chinchillas, its absolutely worth a drive.
Pros: They treat ""exotic"" animals that other vets won't.
Cons: It's a long way from my house.
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