The American Veterinary Medical Association has published some very interesting pet statistics: follow this link to find out how much money Americans spend on their PETS for Halloween!
Don't forget that the advice about keeping dogs and cats away from the candy bowl applies to exotic pets, too. Unfortunately, some rabbits, ferrets, rats and other exotic pets will go for the chocolate. With luck, we won't see a sudden surge in GI problems on November 1rst. Have a fun and safe holiday.
Case Report: Chewy
**WARNING** There are some surgical photos in this post! Chewy is a 6 year old neutered male rabbit whose owners brought him in because he just wasn’t acting normally. He seemed to be eating less and losing some weight. On exam, the doctor noticed that his bladder seemed to be very painful so she recommended having some x-rays taken. As you can see, something very unusual popped up!
The doctor recommended surgery to try to remove the firm object which appears to be in his bladder.
Chewy is now anesthetized and the technician is administered a local block along the incision site to help minimize discomfort. It's marked in purple so the surgeon knows what area was blocked.
This is Chewy's bladder which is thicker than normal, and definitely contains some kind of hard object.
There's only one way to get this mysterious object out! An incision is made into the bladder, but it's too small to get the object out. The object appears to be "stuck" to the wall of the bladder.
After extending the incision a bit, the object finally comes into view-and it looks just like the object on the radiograph.
After removing the oddly-shaped urolith (bladder stone), the bladder was flushed carefully and sutured after taking samples for testing, and the abdominal wall closed. Chewy went home feeling much better that evening. Here is the urolith all cleaned up. Parts were sent off for testing to see what kind of material it’s composed of. The rest went home with the owner as a souvenir!
A Visitor's Report
This week we say goodbye to Dr. Filomena Mazzone from Italy who spend a few weeks with us getting to know the clinic, our clients, and clinic mascot Abba. We asked her to give us a report on her experiences and this is what she said: 
"During two weeks of my internship I saw a lot of different exotic species, reptiles, parrots, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and full sized pigs. Two interesting surgeries were in two parrots, one for the reproductive tract and another for a cloacal mass. The preparation of these surgeries was interesting for all of the details: monitoring the temperature, heart rate, breathing, and other things. I saw neutering of rats and guinea pigs for the first time. Finally I followed the very interesting case of a ferret with urethral obstruction with stones. After placing a catheter, the ferret had a urethrostomy. This has been a very important experience for my future work with exotic animals. All of the doctors and staff have been very kind, and thank you very much!"
A Chicken Put Back Together Again
This is Little B, a young chicken who took a bad step and broke her leg running around the yard. This radiograph shows two interesting things. Little B has a broken femur, which is circled in red. It also appears that she is about to lay an egg! She promptly laid it later that night.
This fracture is not likely to heal well on it's own, so the doctors put a pin through the broken fragments to line them up again, and connected it all together on the outside of the body with an "external fixator". In this picture Little B is sporting her fancy external fixator.
The next day she was able to bear a little weight on that leg. We will be seeing her again to check the fixator and make sure the bone is healing well. Eventually, we will remove the pin and the fixtor. With luck, it should all heal in a few weeks and she will be back out with her flock!
Braces for Rabbits??
Did you know rabbits get dental disease? It's very unique and different from the kinds of dental disease that other animals, such as dogs and cats, can get.
Unlike dogs/cats (and us), the teeth of rabbits continue to grow throughout the life of the rabbit. They are kept at the proper length and shape by the action of the teeth wearing against each other. When anything interferes with the ability of the teeth to wear normally, teeth actually overgrow, and can cause a host of problems, such as inability to eat, and pain due to laceration of soft tissues. Some rabbits are unlucky enough to be born with congenital jaw malformations that prevent the incisors from wearing against each other normally.
While these teeth can be trimmed back to a more reasonable length, they will only continue to regrow.
Fortunately, rabbits do not absolutely have to have incisors to eat. They need the incisors to cut large food items into smaller pieces, or to cut growing good such as grass or weeds. But they aren't required to eat hay, pellets, and smaller bits of greens, which are crushed with the sharp premolars and molars (also called cheek teeth).. For this reason, incisor extraction is a great option that will prevent the need for frequent re-trimming. Extraction is done under general anesthesia with several kinds of medication to control any discomfort.
Here is our rabbit after extraction. He was eating normally within the next few days.
Jill the Lemur
This summer, high school student Sara Lennox completed an interesting school project for the Frankfort Parks Department. With the help of the primate keepers at the Indianapolis Zoo, Sara designed an enrichment program for the park's lemur, Jill. Enrichment is an important part of exotic animal care. Enrichment is provision of 
interesting and stimulating things to do while in captivity, for example foraging for food, instead of just getting it out of a bowl. Thanks to lots of help from the zoo folks and parks department employees and volunteers, Jill now has plenty to do in her enclosure, including searching for food in unusual places. It's fun for Jill, and entertaining for park visitors as well.
To read Sara's report on how to enrich a lemur, click here.
AAV!
This week will be an exciting one for avian veterinarians from all over the world-The Association of Avian Veterinarians Conference in New Orleans. Drs. Lennox and Lee will participate in labs and lectures, with Dr. Lee presenting her first avian lecture at an international conference
Some exciting highlights: Updates on avian bornavirus disease, new drugs for use in birds, treating the elderly bird, and cancer treatment options. We promise we will be too busy learning to enjoy any delicious Cajun cuisine or listening to jazz, or any of that other stuff involving beads (right!)
For more information, click here!
It's Conference Time Again!
Late summer/early fall is always time for the big exotic animal conferences. This year, the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) will meet in New Orleans for lectures, master classes and laboratories all designed to keep avian veterinarians up to date on the latest in avian medicine and surgery. Dr. Lee gives her first presentation at a large exotic conference: "A Review of Cloacal Diseases in Birds". If you see Dr. Lee this month, ask her to practice a part of her presentation for you! Dr. Lennox will teach and present a lab as well, but really looks forward to lots of learning.
In October the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians will meet with the zoo and reptile/amphibian group for a joint conference in Orlando. Again, it will be a great time for us to catch up with colleagues from all over the world, and soak up some great knowledge to take back home.
For more information, go to www.aav.org and www.aemv.org. Hit the conference links!
Welcome, Dr. Swisher!
The staff of the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic would like to introduce Dr. Samantha Swisher! Dr. Swisher graduated from Tufts Cummings University School of Veterinary Medicine, and 
completed two internship before joining our staff. She comes well prepared to begin her two year Exotic Companion Mammal residency, which is the next step to becoming a board-certified specialist. You can learn more about Dr. Swisher on our staff page.
Exotic Animal Care Spotlighted in AVMA
Exotic pet ownership and veterinary care were the focus of a recent AVMA article! Dr. Lennox and many other colleagues were featured in this article from this months Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Be sure to click this link to read the article and see a few pictures from the clinic!
So long, Dr. Goldstein!
Dr. Goldstein will be finishing her one year avian and exotic animal internship with us next week. We will really miss her exuberant personality and positive attitude! Before she leaves, she wanted to share the following:
So long until we meet again, AEAC! It has been an exciting and stimulating intern year. I learned so much from all of the doctors and staff and I can’t wait to take my skills to Pittsburgh. With the support of everyone at the clinic, I have improved my surgical technique and developed the ability to clinically evaluate patients, recommend and perform diagnostic tests and manage multiple cases at our busy exotics practice. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the clientele at AEAC. We have such devoted owners that are 
invested in their pets’ care, which allowed me to grow as a doctor and perform high quality medicine. Before starting this internship, I had never asked a bird to step-up or syringe fed a rabbit. With our patient and kind staff, the guidance of Dr. Lennox and Dr. Lee, 
and our caring owners, I gained invaluable experience in working with exotics that I will utilize for the rest of my career. I could not be more grateful to have met and worked with all of you and I will miss you all very much. Enjoy the summer and give Dr. Swisher, the new exotic mammal resident, a warm welcome to the team in July!
Dr. Lennox is awarded European College of Zoological Medicine Specialty in Small Mammals
This month Dr. Lennox was awarded another exotic animal specialty title, from the European College of Zoological Medicine, in the category Small Mammals. This is Dr. Lennox's third exotic animal medicine specialty degree. Similar to the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP), this specialty focuses on improving the quality of exotic animal medicine and surgery:
"The European College of Zoological Medicine was established to make further progress in research and practice to benefit health and well-being of free-ranging and captive non-domesticated animals. The ECZM invests efforts to establish and maintain high standards of training that will lead to recognition as European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine. Certification increases prestige of the profession and results in more competent zoological veterinary medicine service to associated institutions and public parties/entities. "
For more information, see: http://www.eczm.eu/public/introduction.asp and www.abvp.com
If you'd like to read more about exotic animal medicine specialties, go here
The Story of Arrow the Rabbit
Every once in a while me meet our patients in unusual ways. This male rabbit was found outside, with no history, and no idea who his owner might be.
He had the great misfortune of being caught in a live trap, and then shot by someone with an arrow. Fortunately the arrow did not kill him, but the impact fractured his rear leg beyond repair.
Indiana House Rabbit rescued him and volunteers brought him in to the clinic right away. Intern Dr. Heather Goldstein examined him, and provided antibiotics and pain relief. A few hours later, he was in surgery for leg amputation (and neuter) by resident Dr. Amber Lee.
He's now recovering very well, and adjusting to life on three legs. Indiana House Rabbit volunteers will now be taking over his care and are asking for donations towards his medical bills. Eventually, IHRS is hoping to place him with a family that will be sure he doesn't go roaming outside again! After all, he doesn't have any more extra body parts he can spare!
If you would like to contribute towards Arrow’s medical bills, you can contact the Indiana House Rabbit Society or you can contact us directly at 317-879-8633.
So You Want Some Backyard Chickens?
Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic will host our first ever Backyard Chicken Seminar on Saturday, May 24th, from 1-4 PM.
Join us for an informative afternoon of talks and discussions on the ins and outs of pet and backyard poultry. We will chat about housing and enrichment, biosecurity, basic medical care and much more. Invited guests include Dr. Pat Wackenell and Dr. Yuko Sato from Purdue University, and Drs. Lennox and Lee from the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic.
Sponsored by Kern Kirtley and Herr Feed, and Central Indiana Organics http://www.centralindianaorganics.com
To register, or for more information, contact us at exoticvetclinic@gmail.com. Hurry, as spaces are limited!
Hospital Pet Bird Abba Earns Right to Practice Veterinary Medicine
Outside experts at Purdue University have concluded that Abba the Caique has actually absorbed enough exotic animal medicine during her time at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic that she is actually qualified to practice exotic animal medicine.
"This was actually a complete shock to us," says Angela Lennox, DVM, owner of the Avian and Exotic Animal Practice. "Considering I had to attend 4 years of undergraduate studies, 4 years of actually veterinary school, and on top of that spend many years completing two exotic animal boards specialties, it's amazing she could pick it up so quickly. She is really one bright bird."
Office manager Corina Lennox added, "Yeah that was a surprise. We didn't even know she had applied. Now I have to order her new business cards."
The staff looks forward to working with Dr. Abba over the next few months.
"Obviously there are some size limitations," explained Mandy Maddamma, RVT, "she's obviously not going to be able to work on pot belly pigs as they would likely completely squish her. She is going to start out on little geckos and things like that."
Dr. Abba is understandably excited about her new role, and expressed this by imitating the microwave, the doorbell, and one of the blood analyzer machines.
Outdoors We Go!
We strongly recommend most exotic pets get some outdoor time and exposure to UV light. We already know how good UV light is for reptiles, but some studies are suggesting UV light is great for birds and mammals, too. While UV lights can be useful, nothing beats the real sun, not to mention the benefits of fresh air and novel surroundings (remember, novel surroundings may be too stressful for some especially nervous pets).
Other benefits of outdoor time for rabbits and other grazers is the ability to pull up and eat real grass and weeds (untreated of course).
So how do we acclimate out pets to outdoors after a whole winter of steady temperatures?
Start with small outdoor sessions of 10-15 minutes when temperatures are at least in the 60's.
This past Monday and Tuesday (the day before the snow came back again) our bird Abba went into her outdoor cage for the first time of the year and she loved it! We watched her carefully for signs she was too cold, such as not playing, staying by the door, or fluffing up her feathers. As the temperature goes up and she adjusts, she spend more and more time out there!
As always, be sure pets outdoors are safe from escape, predators such as dogs, cats, and hawks flying overhead, and be sure there is plenty of water and shelter from the sun should it get too hot.
Our First Seminar
This Saturday we will be closed for the first ever continuing education event held right at our clinic: "March Is For The Birds". Local and regional veterinarians will be meeting together to chat and learn more about avian medicine. We will be answering phones from 8 to 1, and are available, as always for emergencies. Stay tuned! We will be holding educational seminars on new developments in the care of exotic pets which will be open to the public in the near future!
How Can It Be? Baby Wildlife Season Already?
We would have thought with the severe cold weather the native Indiana wildlife would have held on for a while before making lots of wild babies, but no such luck! Look at what just came into our clinic this week (with more snow predicted for the weekend)! Can you tell what kind of babies these are?
These young squirrels were accidental dislodged by a tree trimming company and brought in to our clinic by Indianapolis Animal Care and Control. Later that same day, another baby squirrel was brought in by a Good Samaritan! All of the baby squirrels are already safe and warm with one of our licensed wildlife rehabilitators!
With spring apparently around the corner, we'd like to remind everyone about what to do if you encounter injured or orphaned wildlife. Please click the here for more information. In the majority of cases, wildlife you encounter doesn't actually need help. When they do, we are here to help.
As always, we do not charge anything for the care of wild animals, but we are always in need of donations! Check out our wildlife page for a full list of items we could use to help with their care.
Happy Spring!
Our Wonderful Student Externs
We love to teach at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic. There is always a student at the clinic learning about exotic animals and veterinary medicine. Sometimes there are visiting veterinary students, technician students, and we even have high school and middle school students that want a taste of what it’s like to be a veterinarian. Not only do we enjoy having the extra help but one of the best parts of our job is educating all of our visitors.
Veterinary students come to the clinic for their 4th year rotations. These students focus on improving handling and basic techniques while learning the basics of how to practice exotic pet medicine when they graduate school. They help us with treatments, triage wildlife cases, and assist with appointments and surgeries. We also discuss cases and a variety of topics that are relevant to exotic pet medicine to stay up-to-date on the latest research.
The technician students who shadow at AEAC learn how to apply their knowledge from school to an exotic medicine setting. Our experienced technicians teach students about animal husbandry for all the species we see at the clinic. They go over how to take histories for appointments, anesthesia monitoring, and basic handling and technical skills.
So, if you see a new face around the clinic, he or she may be a visitor coming to learn about the pets that you love and how to provide them with the best possible care. We enjoy teaching everyone about exotics because educating people about exotic medicine and exotic pet care makes our patients happy and healthy.
Coming Up This Year
Yes, it’s still winter, but we can look forward to a few bright exotic-related events in the upcoming months. We will post more as details become available.
The 3rd Annual Ferret 500!This combination educational fair, ferret boutique and ferret show will be back at the Marion County Fairgrounds the weekend of June 5th.
Come and watch ferrets compete for prizes, in various color categories, and some fun categories, too, like best costume.
Dr. Lennox will be giving a special lecture on new prevention and treatment strategies for ferrets with adrenal disease.
For more details, go here: http://www.theferret500.com
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Annual Pet Sitters Internation Conference!
Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, is hosting our 2014 Pet Sitter World Educational Conference & Expo in Indianapolis, Sept. 12-15, at The Alexander in downtown Indy.
This year’s conference features our own Dr. Amber Lee and Caity Sickafoose, RVT who will speak on exotic pet-related issues for pet sitters.Complete information on the organization, and the conference is available here: