Can an athropod be treated by a veterinarian?
In other words, if one has a pet tarantula who breaks a leg or some such, can one bring the beast to a specialized veterinarian who can treat it?
I can understand a veterinarian making nutritional and habitat recommendations or giving diet supplements, etc. But specifically in the cases of disease or injury – is there really anything that can be done for a pet arthropod?
It kind of seems like a silly question, but for some reason it’s gnawing at me. I’ve seen vets treat reptiles, birds, fish, but I don’t know anything about invertebrate veterinary care. Same question applies to, e.g, squid. I’m just guessing but it seems that there are some serious physiological differences in the invertebrate phyla that may make specialized veterinary care hard to come by, and a limited knowledge base.
Any invertebrate pet owners out there care to shed a light? What do ya do with a sick squid or a hobbled tarantula?
-mok