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Care of Exotic Pets
Exotic pet ownership has grown dramatically in the last decade.
No one keeps good statistics, but it has certainly become apparent
based on the number of clients we see with non-traditional pets
these days. The term exotic pets has come to include a wide variety
of animals; avian (birds), pocket pets (hamsters, gerbils, guinea
pigs), rabbits, reptiles (snakes, lizards, iguanas), amphibians
(turtles), even spiders, mice and rats (yes, rats actually make
very good pets…). As our population grows and many people are
living in urban environments, or people want pets that are just
smaller and take less maintenance, exotic pet ownership has simply
exploded.
Our ability to care for these different types of pets has also
grown dramatically in veterinary medicine. We now have special scopes
to help us diagnose disease, special incubators to regulate temperatures,
and even veterinarians who see only these types of pets on referral
basis. What we can do is only limited by the desires of you, the
pet owner.
Staying current on all that is available for each species has become
difficult, that is why many general practitioners may send you to
someone who has more experience in handling your particular pet.
If you are the owner of an exotic pet, you want to be sure you seek
out a veterinarian who has a special interest in that species and
has the correct equipment to diagnose and treat them. Also, many
of the pet stores that deal with exotics have a tremendous amount
of knowledge in the area of husbandry (feeding, environment, etc.)
that these pets require and they are a great resource.
 I
would like to introduce you to
my colleague, Dr. John Pisciotta, who is one of those veterinarians
with a keen interest in exotics. He is a member of our PetVet team
and will address any issues, concerns or questions you may have
about your non-traditional pets. I refer most of my exotic pets
to Dr. John and they always rave about his abilities with these
critters. So feel free to challenge him with anything you may have.
I always love to put him to the test.
Dr. Larry
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