Q&A with Our Newest Addition

Meet Dr. Lindsey Woods, our newest addition! Dr. Woods started her year long internship on July 2nd and has already been a huge help. After her first week here with us, she agreed to sit down for a moment and answer some questions. Check it out! How did you come to have an interest in exotic animal medicine?

It all started at about age 5 when people would ask what I wanted to be when I grow up. I always replied that I wanted to become a tiger! As I grew older, I guess I finally came to the realization that I had to choose a different career path, and decided to be an exotic animal veterinarian instead. Slightly more attainable than becoming a tiger!

What are the biggest changes coming from Arkansas and Oklahoma to Indiana!

I expected the climate to be drastically cooler here in Indy, however that has not proven to be the case so far! Indianapolis is a very friendly place, and I really have enjoyed meeting people here. I guess the biggest change for me has been moving from a small town where I have 8 years worth of friends, to a huge city where I knew only one person at first. I’ve been here for about a week now, and I have already gotten to know so many new people! I’m very excited about the new friendships I will make here!

What do you like best about Indianapolis so far?

I have been fishing one time with a new friend of mine, and I was so impressed with how quickly and easily I can get away from the cars and the daily hustle, and almost instantly feel like I’m out in the wilderness. It’s less than ten minutes from my house to the great outdoors, and I absolutely love being able to go fishing right in the middle of this huge metropolitan area!

What are your first thoughts on your first week at the clinic (besides very busy!)

I absolutely love the atmosphere! It’s friendly, comfortable, professional, and VERY efficient! My biggest goal for myself in the next week or so is to get more familiar with where everything is, and how everything works so I can start to keep up with the fast pace and be more productive with our time!

What has been your most unusual or favorite case so far?

My very first day, I worked with my very first primate in private practice! I’ve cared for them multiple times in zoo settings, but a pet monkey is very different than a zoo monkey. I really enjoyed learning the dynamics of the pet/owner relationship from our client, and I’m excited to meet and interact with all the other unique pets I will see here!

Come One, Come All!!

The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic will close shop on Saturday, June 2nd to attend the First Annual Ferret 500 Show! This American Ferret Association (AFA) Ferret sactioned show will benefit The Five Points Ferret Refuge here in Indianapolis. The show will be this Saturday from 10am to 6pm at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children under 12. Come and visit us at the show, where we will join the fun and promote ferret wellness and health. There will also be three rings of ferres being judged in different catagories, as well as vendors, a raffle, and contests! There will also be a screening of "Return of the Prairie Bandit", a documentary about the reintroduction of the nearly extinct blackfooted ferret. See the ferret show website for more details. http://www.theferret500.com/ Come by and say hello at our booth and pick up a souvenir. See you June 2nd!

The Heat is ON!!

With the hot weather comes increased risk to some of our exotic pets. All pets can have trouble when the weather becomes warm suddenly, and they have not had time to adapt to the change. However, a few of our exotic pets are more susceptible to heat related illness than others, in particular our guinea pigs and chinchillas.Already this year our clinic has seen two fatalities in exotic pets due to hot weather. One occurred when a sick pet was transported in a vehicle without air conditioning on an unusually hot day. Tip for prevention of heat-related illness:        -Keep guinea pigs and chinchillas at temperature 75 degrees and below at all times. If air conditioning is not available, use fans and ice packs to help keep the pet cool.        - Allow all pets to adapt gradually to hot weather. If pets are to spend times outdoors, start with 15-20 minute sessions, gradually increasing the time outdoors.        -Watch for signs of heat-related illness, including increased rate of breathing, and lethargy    Any overheated pet should be cooled by placing cool wet towels around the body, and calling the clinic immediately for further instructions. See the "Emergency Care" link here (http://www.exoticvetclinic.com/pet-owner/emergency-carefirst-aid-for-mammals/) for more instructions.

It Pays to Spay: Why spay my healthy pet rabbit or guinea pig?

 

It’s easy to understand why pet owners regularly spay pet dogs and cats. But why spay the pet rabbit, especially if she is a single pet? The reason is preventative health care: the incidence of uterine cancer in unspayed female rabbits is up to 75% in certain breeds. Uterine cancer is usually silent until well advanced. This cancer typically spreads to other body organs, especially to the chest cavity. Signs can include uterine bleeding, lethargy, and difficulty breathing. Early spaying is the key to prevention, and costs much less than trying to treat the sick rabbit later. Prevention is simple: spay your pet rabbit as early as 8-10 weeks of life. Older pets benefit from spaying as well. Our clients also find the spayed female rabbit is calmer, uses the litter box better, and is in general a much better pet. So why spay the pet female guinea pig? Most guinea pigs eventually develop ovarian cysts. These cysts are often benign and cause no apparent harm or distress. However, in a certain percentage of pets, cysts become very large and cause discomfort. Guinea pigs with large painful cysts are often less active, eat less, and lose weight. Pet guinea pigs can be spayed (removal of the entire uterus and ovaries), or in younger animals can have ovariectomy (removal of the ovaries alone), which is a simpler, quicker procedure with an improved recovery time. Questions about spaying your pet rabbit or guinea pig? We would be happy to help. Call the clinic at 317-879-8633.

WATCH OUT! THEY’RE EVERYWHERE!!!

"The Invasion of the Orphaned Baby Birds: Coming Soon to a Backyard Near You!"

Spring is here a bit early this year, and the first of the baby birds have already appeared in our clinic!  Every year, we hear of hundreds of young birds found and rescued outside.  While some of them really are in distress and need help, most are not. Babies can be divided into “nestlings” (still in the nest, downy feathers, not able to fly or walk well) and “fledglings” (all adult feathers, look like miniature adults, walking well, but just learning to fly). Here is a quick guide to help determine when to get involved:  1. Nestlings that have fallen from the nest, but seem healthy otherwise.  These may have fallen out accidentally, been blown out, or rarely, tossed out by parents. Quickly try to locate the nest, which will be nearby, and place the bird gently back into the nest.  Parents will not reject young that have been touched by humans-that’s a myth!   If the bird is found out of the nest multiple times, then it’s time to rescue. Note: if the nest has been blown out, you can attempt to nail a board with a shallow container to a tree branch and replace the nest in it as best as you can. The parents only need it for a short while until the baby birds fledge 2. Nestlings that have fallen from the nest, but seem weak or appear to be injured. These should  be rescued. 3. Fledglings found hopping about in the yard, and appear healthy but can’t quite fly away. These are “teenager” birds that are out on their own, learning how to fly. The parents are nearby watching, and will help the young the best they can. Leave these birds alone.  Interfering will not help the bird learn. 4. Fledglings that appear injured. These should probably be rescued.  So how do you rescue the baby birds that really need help?   Do not try to raise the birds yourself, as it’s tricky, and actually against federal laws that protect our songbirds. All injured or orphaned birds should be taken to one of our local licensed wildlife rehabilitators or dropped off at our clinic during regular business hours. See the “Wildlife” link on this website for more details.

Easter Bunnies

 

Easter means a lot of things to our friends, but to the members of the House Rabbit Society, the time period just after Easter marks the annual rise in the numbers of pet rabbits relinquished to rescue.  The reason is an increase in impulse buying of “Easter Bunnies” by families who aren’t prepared to care for an adult rabbit.

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Our clinic and the House Rabbit Society think rabbits are excellent pets, but all owners should research the ins and outs of caring for a pet that may live 7-8 years or even longer.  If you are thinking about a pet rabbit, and have questions, please give us a call, Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic: 317-879-8633, or contact a member of the Indiana House Rabbit Society at indianahrs.org  We will be glad to guide you through the process, and help welcome your healthy and happy pet rabbit!

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Avian and Exotic Heros: our Blood Donors

Just like in humans, our exotic patients sometimes require a blood transfusion.  Unlike humans, dogs and cats, blood banks do not store blood for pets such as birds, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and rodents. For these special patients, we keep a list of exotic “heros” whose owners are willing to bring them to the clinic on a moment’s notice to donate life saving blood. Donating blood is minimally risky to the donor, and often the difference between life and death for the recipient.The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic would like to thank our exotic heros!

Exotic Animals and the Law: What are Indiana’s laws?

Each state regulates pet ownership of exotic animals.  Indiana’s laws are relatively lenient, considering some states even ban ownership of pets such as the ferret. Indiana has no laws regulating ownership of common exotic animals, such as pet birds, domestic rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and rodents. Current laws require permits for venomous snakes, exotic felines, and wildlife: Summary of Law: All persons who possess certain wild animals must obtain a permit for each animal they possess. A wild animal possession permit is required for Class I animals (eastern cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, southern flying squirrel) Class II animals (beaver, coyote, gray fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, skunk, weasel) and Class III animals: wolves (purebred), bears, wild cats (excluding feral cats), venomous reptiles and crocodilians (at least 5 feet long).

In order to comply with Indiana law, owners who would like to bring any of these regulated animals for veterinary care can do so, with the proper up-to-date permit in hand. (One exception: our clinic will not see venomous reptiles). It should be kept in mind that not every animal in the above list makes a good pet.  If you are considering an unusual animal as a pet, please give us a call beforehand. We would be happy to share what we’ve learned from our clients over the years.

Hi ho, it’s off to conferences we go!

How do veterinarians improve skills and learn the newest and latest on pet care after graduating from school?  By accumulating CE, or continuing education hours. Most states require veterinarians to obtain a certain amount of CE. In Indiana, veterinarians are required to obtain 40 hours every two years.How do exotic veterinarians find CE about our special species?  Fortunately, there are now many conferences with lectures on medicine and surgery of birds, reptile, rabbits, ferrets, rodents and much, much more. The largest veterinary conference in the US is the North American Veterinary Conference, in Orlando every January. This conference hosted 6000 veterinarians this year, and provided exotic animal lectures all day for the entire 5-day conference. If you are interested, the entire scientific program can be viewed at: www.navc.com/session. More info on our doctors’ CE schedules can be found under the “news” link.

We want your pet on our Facebook page!

We’re beginning a collection of pictures of our favorite rabbits, ferrets, birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, rats and other friends on our Facebook page.  Please send us yours!  If you have a favorite image of one of our patients, please send it to us at exoticvetclinic@gmail.com.  Don’t forget your pet’s name and a little caption to go with it.

Thus ends the Year of the Rabbit

Did you know that 2011 was the Year of The Rabbit according to the Asian astrological calendar?  In fact, when we arrived in Tokyo for an exotic pet conference, our hosts gave us several gifts featuring rabbits (perfect for exotic animal veterinarians, especially since many of our lectures were about rabbit medicine and surgery!). When we shopped in the markets, there were rabbit figures, paintings and etchings everywhere.

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One of our hosts, Kazuyo Sone explains: “We have eto; it’s like an oriental zodiac, which was originally Chinese.  We use the junishi system, which has twelve animal signs, each indicating a year within a 12-year cycle. The 12 animals in turn are: mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and wild boar.”  Kazu went on to explain the mythology behind the signs: “In the old days, Japanese god told many animals, ‘I will choose 12 animals for junishi in order of arrival.’ An ox is so slow at walking that he left very early. At that a mouse jumped on the head of the ox, jumped off the ox’s head in front of the god. So, mouse became the first animal of junishi. A cat had forgotten the date of god’s selection, so he asked the mouse. The mouse told the cat the wrong date purposely!  The cat was not chosen a member of the 12 animals. The cat still runs after the mouse! At the day of god’s selection, a wild boar arrived at god’s place first, but the boar went past, because he ran full speed and could not stop. He had to turn back. So, the wild boar was the last animal.”

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Kazuyo says that exotic pet ownership tends to increase in the specific exotic’s year. Of course the year of the rabbit means more pet rabbits." In the year of the rooster, people want to keep finches, budgerigars, cockatiels and so on.  In the year of the snake, snake toys sell well, but in Japan, pet snakes are still not very popular."

According to junishi, we now welcome the year of the DRAGON!  We are guessing (hoping) this means an increase in ownership of one of our favorites, the BEARDED dragon!

Who are all these visitors?

When you visit the clinic, more than likely you will meet one or more veterinary visitors, either veterinary students here as part of their education, or veterinarians here to share their experiences and learn a little from us.  Find out more about our visitors on the “Visiting Veterinarians” link.

We have found these kinds of exchanges beneficial for everyone, and it’s fun to learn how our colleagues are practicing exotic animal medicine around the world.  For example, pet rabbits are illegal in parts of Australia, and Sugar gliders are forbidden in Belgium. Some parts of Europe would not even consider a rat as a pet.  But for the most part, the interest in pet birds, rabbits, ferrets, reptiles and lots of other exotic pets is rising dramatically in most parts of the world, and the level of medical care is improving as well.

When you are here, say hello and ask our visitors a bit about their experiences!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the staff of the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic!

We wish you and your exotic creatures health and happiness in the coming year.

Happy Halloween from the staff at AEAC!

It’s Great to Sedate!

What’s the buzz about sedation? Sedation is a terrific alternative to general anesthesia for procedures that aren’t safe to do in some wide awake patients. Examples include radiographs, sample collection and minor wound care.  Some pets struggle and experience stress when restrained for procedures. General anesthesia has been used occasionally for this purpose; however, sedation may be a much better alternative. What’s the difference between sedation and general anesthesia?

With general anesthesia, a combination of drugs is used at high enough levels to produce complete unconsciousness. This is absolutely required for a potentially painful surgical procedure. The types of drugs and dosages used to produce complete unconsciousness have more potential side effects than drugs used for sedation. An animal under general anesthesia must be monitored by an experienced veterinary anesthetist continuously until recovery.

With sedation, the pet is not completely asleep, and drugs used for sedation are generally safer. Typically, sedation provides relaxation, any reduction of anxiety and any discomfort. Also, much lower dosages can be used. A sedated animal does not require the same kind of continuous monitoring.

How is the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic using sedation for exotic pets? General anesthesia is still needed for surgeries such as spays, neuters and other more extensive surgeries, but for simply taking radiographs or other minor procedures, it’s just not necessary.

Our clinic has been using sedation in birds and exotic animals for several years, and we’re convinced it is a safe and effective alternative.  In some very special cases, we have offered sedation for pet birds that experience extreme stress during handling for routine physical examination and grooming, and we are very pleased with the results.  For more information, see Dr. Lennox’s lecture notes from the Conference of the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

Contact us if you have any questions on why we say: “It’s Great to Sedate!”

Thinking about getting a new pet?

There are several things to consider before taking a new animal into your home. Each species has very specific requirements and some may not get along well in the same house. Check out our care handouts on each species for more information. We also recommend asking someone who has owned one before!  Keep in mind what kind of cage and dietary requirements, common medical conditions, as well as average life spans. Some species, like large parrots and tortoises can outlive their owners! We always recommend checking out rescues before purchasing animals from pet stores. Most are full of wonderful, perfectly adoptable pets just looking for a second chance. Many are already spayed or neutered and have received yearly exams as well! Here’s a list of some of great, local exotic pet rescues:

EARPS: (rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice): http://www.earps.org/EARPS,_Inc/Home.html

House Rabbit Society: (rabbits): http://www.indianahrs.org/

Healthi Pet Network: (parrots): http://healthipet.webs.com/

Critter’s Chance: (rabbits, ferrets, farm animals) http://www.acritterschance.com/

Five Point’s Ferret Refuge: (ferrets) http://fivepointsferretrefuge.webs.com/

(All pets pictured on this page are currently available for adoption through EARPs.)

AEAC Welcomes Dr. Bricker!

The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic is pleased to welcome Dr. Nelson Bricker to our staff. Nelson graduated from Purdue University in May and is completing a one-year shared internship with us and the Circle City Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Hospital. While a student, Dr. Bricker  spent time here developing an already active interest in exotic animals, in particular reptiles and amphibians. You can read more information about Dr. Bricker on our staff page.

It's Finally Summer!

With the warm weather comes both opportunity and caution for our exotic pets.  For bird and reptile owners, we can take advantage of the benefits of natural exposure to UV light. Consider some time outdoors with access to direct sunlight (not filtered through glass or plastic). Studies show benefits can be gained from just a few hours of exposure.  Use caution to prevent overheating by providing an area with shade, and provide plenty of fresh water.  Other dangers come from predators, for example dogs, cats and even hawks.  All enclosures should be secure on all sides.  Exotic mammals may enjoy a supervised trip outdoors, but be cautious with those pets not naturally acclimated to warm weather, for example guinea pigs and chinchillas.  All mammals should adjust to the warm weather by gradually increasing the amount of time outdoors. Watch for signs of overheating, including increased respiratory rate and panting.

A Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year

Start the new year right with a wellness check up for your special exotic friend. Wellness checks include a complete physical examination, measurement of weight, grooming and review of diet and behavior.  We will share any new insights into exotic pet medicine we've learned over the last year.

Dr. Lennox teaches in Tokyo

Japan 2010.  We traveled to Japan to teach lectures and laboratories in exotic companion medicine. The highlight was a wet lab where participants learned techniques in rabbit and rodent dentistry. We spent our free time negotiating the Tokyo subway and trying out some interesting food. We also learned the Handbook of Rabbit and Rodent Dentistry will be translated into Japanese.