The Dog Days of Summer are Here

Arty loves to spend time in his outdoor aviary

Although, it’s more like “prairie dog days” here at AEAC. With high heat and humidity warnings across the state, now is a great time to review hot weather protocols and risks for your exotic pets! If you have cats and dogs, similar rules may apply, but regardless of your pet’s species you should be sure to look at specific guides for that animal.

Here are some important points to consider when dealing with exotics in the heat:

At-home tips for hot weather:

• Remember that most of our exotic mammals (like rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, etc.) are obligate-nasal breathers. This means that they cannot breathe through their mouths under normal circumstances. Therefore, they are more susceptible to heat stress as they are unable to pant through their mouths.

• Chinchillas are fairly cold-tolerant animals, but are very highly susceptible to heat stress due to their dense fur. Guinea pigs are also more sensitive to heat, along with fur-bearing breeds of rabbit like Angoras.

• Ensure your reptiles also have access to cool temperatures. In hot weather, your normally-well-regulated reptile enclosure can overheat. Make sure you are closely monitoring the temperatures in your reptile’s cage, and provide cooler areas to seek out if needed.

• If your pet spends time any outdoors, ensure that you are closely monitoring them for signs of stress, and that they have plenty of shade, water, and cooler areas to seek out. Bring pets inside that are not accustomed to such temperatures.

• While it may be tempting to bathe your pet to cool them off, you should not bathe any of your common mammal species, as this can be very stressful or even dangerous. Birds, however, may greatly enjoy a shower or bath to keep cool, and most reptiles also benefit from soaking. Feel free to reach out to us to ask if bathing your specific pet would be okay.

• If you don’t have air conditioning inside, or the system fails, your pets may be at higher risk for heat-related injury.

• Regardless of your at-home setup, ensure your pets always have access to fresh, cool water. Remember that a hot animal will drink more water than normal. Fans and frozen treats (e.g. a frozen blueberry) can also help keep your pet cool.

Car ride tips for hot weather:

• Take extra precautions when transporting exotics in a vehicle. Oftentimes, car rides are very stressful on their own. Add a poorly-ventilated carrier, highly-susceptible species, and a hot car to the mix and we can see disaster strike. Simply including an ice pack under the carrier (insulated by a towel) can help keep your pet cool. Use extra caution if your pet is ill, however, as sick pets may be hypothermic on their own.

• Never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle during the summer. It takes only a few minutes for an uncomfortably-hot car to become a dangerous one.

• As we are still doing curbside care, if you are waiting in your vehicle with your pet and become concerned about overheating, please don’t wait to reach out to us! We can bring your pet inside for safety even if it is before your scheduled appointment time.

Signs of heat stress to watch out for include:

• Mammals:

  • Rapid, shallow breathing, flaring the nostrils widely with breaths

  • Lethargy

  • Bright red nose/ears/paws

• Birds:

  • Open-mouth panting

  • Squinted eyes, lethargy

  • Frequent rousing (ruffling feathers to try to expel the hot air close to their bodies)

• Reptiles/amphibians:

  • May be difficult to determine

  • Holding mouth open to dissipate heat

  • Lethargy

  • Excess soaking

If you suspect that your pet may be suffering from heat stress, please call us right away at 317-879-8633. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be a medical emergency!

Keep cool this summer, AEAC

RHDV2 Vaccine

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV2) is a highly contagious and usually fatal disease in rabbits. At the time of writing (October 2021), RHDV had not recently been identified in Indiana, but many states have seen cases, both in wild cottontail rabbits, and in pet rabbits. In many cases of the disease in pet rabbits, the source of the virus is not determined. The virus is extremely contagious, and can be transmitted not only from rabbit to rabbit, but on food, in water, or other contaminated materials.

A vaccination for the virus has existed for many years in Europe and other parts of the world, but not in the US. In October 2021, a vaccine manufacturing company in the US (MedGene) received emergency authorization from the USDA to offer a vaccine. 

The vaccine has been found 100% effective, and safe during trials in healthy young experimental rabbits. Side effects included some cases of slight fever, lethargy, and swelling at the site of the injection. It should be kept in mind that more serious side effects may be identified as larger numbers of pet rabbits of various ages and health status receive the vaccine.  

The vaccine can be used in rabbits as young as 4 weeks of age, and requires a single dose, followed by a booster in 21 days. According to the manufacturer, rabbits should be fully protected two weeks after the booster vaccine.

More information can be found on Medgene’s website: https://medgenelabs.com/rhdv2/

Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic will soon be offering the vaccine as part of a regular wellness visit, or during a special vaccination clinic.   Please watch our Facebook page for a special announcement! Current clients - please check your email for a notice when we are ready to begin scheduling. 

Winter Weather Plan for Pets

We are in the middle of a very snowy Monday! If you don't have one in place, now is the time to be sure your bad weather/power outage plan is ready! Many exotics pets do not tolerate temperature decreases well, especially tropical reptiles and small birds such as finches (especially the Gouldian finch). So, before the next cold snap, be sure you have the following:

• A backup source of heat, such as a generator or wood-burning heat source, with proper ventilation to protect pets from fumes

• An alternative backup location (boarding facility/hotel/friends' homes) that will temporarily house your pets if you have to leave the house

• A labeled, safe and secure carrier for each and every pet for transport

• A travel container with pet foods, bowls and medications

• Portable chemical heaters (for camping, hunting or cold weather sporting events) that can be placed close enough to provide warmth, but protected from chewing and puncturing.

Call us for advice and emergencies, should the need arise.

We wish you a safe and warm winter season!  We will update you with what to do when the weather is too HOT in about 6 months!

Laser Therapy (Photobiomodulation)

Here at AEAC, finding new and innovative ways to treat our exotic patients is important to us. Recently, we have added a Class IV Laser!

What is laser therapy?

The Companion Animal Health Class IV laser uses specific frequencies of light to stimulate the
energy producing components of cells to promote faster healing, increased circulation, and
regulate inflammation.
- For painful conditions, laser therapy has been shown to increase the production of endorphins
and reduce stimulation of pain transmitting nerves.
- Therapeutic Laser treatment has had increasing scientific interest in the veterinary community
and has shown significant improvements in wound healing, pain, and other chronic conditions.

Specific Conditions

Arthritis/Mobility

The treatment of degenerative arthritis in older patient requires multi-modal pain control. Typically, we start with oral medications such as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain modulating medications like meloxicam and gabapentin. However, long term regulation of pain requires treatment beyond oral medications. Movement is very important for arthritic joints health and remaining immobile can worsen disease and pain the long term. Treatment with a Class IV Laser has been shown to improve mobility by regulating inflammation, circulation, and inflammatory mediators within cells.

For noticeable changes in your arthritic pet, we recommend a minimum of 5 or more treatments.For significant changes, treatments may extend to 10 or more.

For more information on incorporating laser therapy into your arthritic pet’s pain management
program, schedule a consultation with one of our doctors

Wound Care

Injuries happen. To quicken the healing time and reduce pain from inflammation, Therapeutic Laser treatment can be used in addition to antibiotics and wound care. In a recent paper published in the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Amazon parrots were shown to have significantly reduced healing times of wounds treated with a Therapeutic Laser when compared to wounds that received no treatment. In addition to wounds, laser therapy can be used for fractures or even post operatively on incision sites!

Other conditions:

Gingivitis
Dental pain
Abscesses
Self-mutilation
And more!

Another Case of Unfortunate Snacking and "The Claw" to the Rescue - Duck Duck's Story

The screw noted on radiographs surrounded by a lot of other bits which were later identified as small pebbles

Duck Duck presented with a little wobble in his step, and some head movements that suggested a serious problem with his balance. A radiograph showed he had pick up and eaten a screw from somewhere in his outdoor environment.

Many types of hardware contain zinc or other metals, which can be very toxic.  Duck Duck began treatment with a drug to help bind the toxic metal being absorbed from the screw.  But eventually the screw needed to come out, not only because Duck Duck was only slightly better on the medication, but because the sharp screw could damage the stomach.

A few days later he was prepared for endoscopic surgery: the endoscope entered his stomach through an incision in the crop, and a special instrument called a basket forcep (we like to call it "The Claw," ) was used to grab the screw and pull it out. 

Duck Duck did well, and is expected to make a full recovery.  In the meantime his family is scouring the enclosure with metal detectors to be sure he doesn't try for seconds!

The endoscopic view of inside Duck Duck's ventriculus (part of the stomach also known as the gizzard). The Claw is seen approaching the screw.

The screw (posed with a pen for size reference)

Duck Duck, a few hours after surgery

Ferret owners can breathe easier!

Early research from the veterinary school at Tufts University has shown that transmission of COVID19 between humans and ferrets doesn't seem to readily occur.  29 ferrets living in household with coronavirus positive people were extensively tested, and none were positive for the virus.  While this does not mean transmission between people and ferrets is impossible, it appears less likely in a normal household setting. 

Laboratory ferrets were found to be susceptible to the COVID19 virus and can become sick.  The difference is that laboratory ferrets are given relatively large amounts of virus directly into the nasal cavity.  This large "dose" of virus is enough to allow the infection to establish.

What does this mean for ferret owners?   Since we already know ferrets are also susceptible to influenza A virus, any people with respiratory symptoms should simply not handle their pet ferrets until they are well.  Use masks and gloves, or have other well friends or family members take over their care.

A link to a news report of the Tufts University story can be found here:https://www.millburysutton.com/news/20200518/covid-19-from-humans-to-animals-highly-unlikely-study-at-tufts-finding

Pets and COVID-19

Masks for bunnies????  Is that necessary?

No, masks are not necessary for any of our exotic pets.

While there are a lot of different coronaviruses, and many of them infect animals, the current virus circulating in the US and affecting humans is not predicted to be a source of disease for our typical pets, even common exotic ones.  The source may have been an unusual animal in China; other recent coronaviruses like SARS and MERS likely came from bats.  See what the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says about COVID-19 here. Here are some of the most important parts: “While this virus seems to have emerged from an animal source, it is now spreading from person-to-person in China. There is no reason to think that any animals including pets in the United States might be a source of infection with this new coronavirus. To date, CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19. At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19. However, since animals can spread other diseases to people, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after being around animals. For more information on the many benefits of pet ownership, as well as staying safe and healthy around animals including pets, livestock, and wildlife, visit CDC’s Healthy Pets, Healthy People website.”

So what if you become sick yourself?  Here is what CDC says about the safety of your pets if you become sick: “You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.” We are watching the situation carefully, and will report any new information we hear about the risk of COVID-19 to exotic pets.

A Tale of Incisor Woe-What to Do with Incisor Malocclusion?

Incisors with malocclusion do not meet properly, and cannot keep each other worn down to proper length. The results can be bizarre, and in some cases even painful if the overgrowing tooth curls back into soft tissues.

As mentioned earlier, some of these rabbits have genetic malocclusion, and the cheek teeth (the rest of the teeth in the back) may be normal.  However, others are abnormal due to elongation and malocclusion of the cheek teeth.  These conditions need to be carefully distinguished, as one will require additional attention to the abnormal cheek teeth.

Regardless of cause, abnormal incisors need regular treatment to restore the length and shape to as close to normal as possible.

Incisors should be treated with a high speed dental burr while the pet is under very deep sedation or anesthesia.  Clipping the teeth of a wide awake rabbit may lead to the following: 

1) Shattering of the tooth and creation of fractures below the gumline-this can lead to infection and abscess

2) Injuries to lips or tongue during clipping

If malocclusion is confined to the incisors only, or if cheek teeth are bad as well and incisors are severely abnormal so that the pet needs continual, frequent treatment, then there may be a better solution: extraction!

While this may seem a drastic option, it is routinely performed, and rabbits learn very quickly to manipulation pellets, smaller veggies and even hay into the mouth with their tongue and lips.  The only thing rabbits without incisors can’t eat are larger chunks of food, grass and weeds growing outdoors….and electrical wires and the furniture.

Why do some rabbits get dental disease?

Radiographs of a rabbit. The first image is normal, and the rest show progressively worsening dental disease.

We don’t actually know all of the factors involved in causing dental disease in pet rabbits.  While trauma (such as fractures) can cause dental disease, there are multiple likely causes.  The leading theories are:

1)    Dietary imbalance. There is some evidence that problems with amounts or ratios of calcium, phosphorus and/or vitamin D can cause abnormalities of teeth or bony supporting structures.  The imbalances may have even happened sometime early in the pet’s life.

2)    Insufficient wear. The normal length of teeth is maintained by the action of teeth grinding on teeth when the rabbit eats. Eating softer foods may reduce tooth wear, which is one of many reasons why good quality hay should be the most important part of a rabbit’s diet

3)    Genetic.  We have seen “families” of rabbits with similar unusual patterns of dental disease, for example, severe disease of just one group of teeth while the rest of the teeth appear normal.  

4)    Poor breeding practices.  This can also be considered genetic, but is a bit different. Some lines of rabbits consistently produce young with incisor malocclusion (or incisors that don’t line up correctly).  Parents producing these rabbits should no longer be bred.

Prevention of dental disease is difficult, as we don’t understand all of the causes.  Feed your rabbit as directed by your exotic animal veterinarian, consider some outdoor sunshine if you can do so safely, and don’t skip the yearly check-ups.  Early detection allows earlier treatment and a better chance of avoiding severe complications of dental disease, including painful tooth spur, tooth fractures, and dental abscesses

Whose Skull Is This? (And why do we have skulls?)

Here are 4 skulls of three common and one less common exotic companion mammals.

Read the hints below, and see if you can guess.

• The cheek teeth (back teeth) of the guinea pig are not flat, but rather are angled.

• The rabbit actually has 4 maxillary (top) incisors while rodents only have two.

• The guinea pig has 16 cheek teeth (these are harder to count than you think!)

• The chinchilla has the biggest middle ear cavity of all the common rodents!  It’s huge!

• Sugar gliders have a peculiar “underbite”

Why do we have skulls at the clinic?

Our skull collection is used frequently to help plan difficult surgeries, such as complicated abscesses involving diseased bone, and surgery of the middle ear or nasal cavity.  These are visual references to help us find landmarks. Sometimes we might even do a practice surgery on the skull itself!

Answer key, from top to bottom

1. Rabbit

2. Guinea Pig

3. Sugar Glider

4. Chinchilla

Happy 2020 and Happy Chinese New Year!

According to the Chinese calendar, it is the year of the Rat. (鼠年; pinyin: shǔ​nián)

In many Chinese legends, the Rat manages to outsmart the rest of the animals in the zodiac, in any race or competition. Rats are considered to be clever, quick thinkers, and successful, but content with having a quiet and peaceful life.

Recent years of the Rat are: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, and 2008.

To celebrate the Year of the Rat, we invite you to sit back, relax, and watch this fabulous video featuring nothing but cute rats in action!

A sad wildlife story with a happy ending!

This gorgeous red shouldered hawk was brought in by a good samaritan after it was found “down” and unable to fly. A physical examination revealed no major concerns other than bruising of the right wing. Radiographs were taken, and sure enough we have our answer! This beautiful bird was injured by someone with a shotgun. The amazing part is that the pellets lodged into soft tissue, but not a single bone was broken. This injury is unfortunate, but should not be life threatening, and we are hopeful for a successful recovery.

The hawk was likely injured days to weeks prior, and is still in need of some extra TLC. Luckily, the hawk will be cared for by one of our raptor rehabilitators until it is ready to be released.

Shooting protected birds of prey is illegal, but unfortunately still happens.

At the AEAC, we hope we can share our admiration for these wonderful creatures and help protect them from these completely preventable injuries.

SOAR Grant for Avian Research - You Can Help!

If you are a pet parrot lover, you may already know about several important and devastating conditions that can affect them: feather destructive disease, avian Bornavirus, and cardiovascular disease/atherosclerosis. The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) has pledged to raise $40,000 to fund research to help us understand how to help birds suffering from these conditions. The Lafeber company will match donations from AAV members and the public up to $10,000.  Read more on the SOAR Fund, and how you can help! Visit www.aav.org/page/soar.

AEAC Christmas Party 2019- Classic Hollywood Monsters

This year’s murder mystery theme was Classic Hollywood Monsters! The event was hosted by Count Dracula himself, and his wife Draculina (Dr. Lennox).  Other visitors included Dr. Jekyll, Frankenstein and his bride, a cat, witches, wizards, werewolves, ghosts, and mummies. Our “murderer” this year was the innocent looking bat in the front row, Dr. Moy!

AEAC Wildlife Committee's Stance on Feeding Wild Ducks

Observing wildlife in public parks and ponds can be a wonderful pastime for all members of the family; however, interacting with wildlife can have a negative effect on the health of the animal, and the environment. When people feed wildlife, wild animals can quickly become reliant on the new, abundant food source. When this dependency occurs, animals are less likely to rely on their instinctual foraging and scavenging techniques to find the food that makes up their natural diet in their environment. Over time, human interaction with wildlife can wear down their instinctual distrust of predators, and cause a series of other issues, including wildlife overpopulation that leads to increase in competition for space and natural resources.

If you still wish to offer food to wildlife, please keep in mind that wildlife thrive on a varied diet. Instead of bread and/or other processed foods, consider offering waterfowl small amounts (snack size) of healthy options such as dark/leafy greens (kale, collard greens, dandelions that have not been treated with chemicals), small amounts of whole grains, dried insects (mealworms, crickets), or waterfowl-specific pelleted diets that are readily available at most farm-supply stores.

Avoid offering foods that may attract other animals, such as raccoons, opossums, and rats. Additionally, try to offer foods to wildlife during colder seasons, as natural food sources are scarcer than during the abundance of spring and summer. 

We hope that everyone can find joy in observing these animals in their natural habitat without human influence, and keeping wildlife WILD!

For further reading: 

https://www.wildlifecenter.org/problem-feeding-ducks  

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/5492.htm  

Written by Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic Wildlife Committee,

Sadah Robinson, Veterinary Assistant & Hayli Faust, RVT

Dr. Lennox in Poland

Dr. Lennox recently returned from the last big teaching trip of the year, to Warsaw Poland.

No trip to Poland is complete without a bit of church tourism; here is the outside of the Jasna Gora monastery in Częstochowa. In Warsaw we saw the Polish Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there to honor the many soldiers lost after World War I. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones, and sample some great Polish cuisine!

At the conference, Dr. Lennox performed a demonstration procedure which was filmed at the vet school and broadcast to the conference attendees 30 minutes away-all with the help of a Polish translator!

Report from ExoticsCon 2019

Sarah talks about how the five senses can affect a patient’s recovery.

This week, several AEAC team members and friends attended ExoticsCon in St. Louis. Exoticscon is an amazing gathering of mammal, bird, reptile and zoo practitioners from all over the world.

-Dr. Lennox gave several lectures and taught 8 hours of labs on all the alternatives for spaying and neutering exotic companion mammals.

-Technician Amanda and veterinary student Sara Lennox assisted in the lab.

-Technician Sarah assisted in the intubation lab, and taught technician sessions on safe post surgery recovery and stress free handling.

Katie with her medical reference poster

-Technicians Sarah, Amanda and Hayli attended sessions.

- Dr. Lewis attended DVM sessions.

-Videographer Katie worked in the exhibit hall selling our clinic's first medical reference poster (see this poster here!)

-Special friend Dawn Sailer from Indiana House Rabbit Society was there representing the national House Rabbit Society as their president!

Dawn Sailer and Joy Gioia sit at the House Rabbit Society booth

-Many, many of the clinic's visiting students, current students, visiting veterinarians and colleagues were there as well, enjoying an outstanding week of learning, networking, and reconnecting with friends.

We look forward to next year’s ExoticsCon in Denver, Colorado!

Halloween Costume Contest 2019!

Time for Terror, Exotic Pet Style! Halloween doesn't have to be scary-it can be cute adorable and just plain creative, too! Time to dress you exotic pet Halloween style and compete for a bag of species-appropriate prizes!

Submit your photos on Facebook by October 30th at noon; we will be voting at our staff meeting and announcing the winners the next day!

What's the Story on Grain Free and other Novel Diets.......for Exotics?

The quest for healthier foods for pets has taken some interesting turns with the introducing of raw foods, grain free diets, and diets made with all sorts of unusual ingredients, including sweet potato, rosemary, blueberries, pea protein, and much more. We already know some of these diets are producing a few cases of pet and human illnesses. The most obvious is bacterial infections in pets who eat and owners who handle some raw diets. New to the mix are reports that some diets made with novel ingredients may be linked to heart disease in dogs. (See "Unusual pet diets may be linked to heart disease in dogs" here, and an updated information post here.)

Some of these trends are trickling down to exotic pets, starting with "grain free" diets for ferrets, and more. How are pet owners and veterinarians supposed to know which diets are healthy, and which may eventually cause harm over time?

This becomes difficult when our owners ask advice about diets they found on the internet or were recommended by breeders-it is impossible for anyone to completely understand everything that needs to be known about a diet by simply reading the ingredients label. True analysis requires much more information than is on the label, and a PhD in nutrition!

Also, even if new diets developed from novel ingredients appear on paper to meet nutritional requirements, they may perform differently when the pet actually eats it. To complicate matters, many problems related to diets don't appear for months or even years. (This is why major manufacturers of canine/feline pet foods tested their products on several generations of dogs and cats over many years.)

Our general recommendations are to stay with manufacturers with years of experience and a track record of healthy pets consuming the diet; our next recommendation for less common pets is to follow recommendations of PhD zoo nutritionists.

This post was written for dog and cat owners, but we think it's excellent advice for owners of any pet.

If you are considering a novel diet, consider contacting the manufacturer and asking the important questions in this article.

Welcome our newest resident veterinarian, Dr. Moy!

Rayna and her parrotlet, Linnie

Dr. Moy joined our staff in July when she began her two-year residency program in Avian medicine. After completing a rotating internship, 2 years of general practice, and an exotics speciality internship, Dr. Moy comes to us with years of experience with birds, mammals, and reptiles.

Learn more about Dr. Moy here.