Sawadee ka!

This is the traditional Thai greeting, and we heard it many times during our trip to visit and teach veterinary courses in Bangkok, Thailand in May. Dr. Lennox taught an intubation and rabbit dentistry lab at the Mahidol Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Bangkok, and then a half day of lectures at the conference for the Veterinary Practitioner Association of Thailand (VPAT) (see http://www.vrvc2013.com for more information on the conference).

So what's different about exotic animal ownership and veterinary medicine in Thailand?  Not as much as you would think, except due to hot weather conditions, heat stroke is very common, much more common that at our practice.

Our host Dr. Chaowaphan kindly showed us some incredible sites, including an elephant camp and many beautiful temples, and then gave us tours of two veterinary clinics, his Vet4Animal Hospital, and Kwankum Animal Hospital.  In Thailand, ownership of exotic pets is increasing, and there are now 20 veterinarians who practice only exotic animal medicine and surgery.

The most common exotic mammal is the rabbit (same as in the US), and the most common parrot is the sun conure.  The most common reptile pet is the ball python (again similar to our practice).

He listed the more common diseases he treats in exotic pets, and it turns out the list is very similar to what we see at Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic.

We really enjoyed our visit, and were impressed with the level of knowledge and enthusiasm of our Thai colleagues.  It's great to share experiences.  As it turns out, Dr. Chaowaphan and his colleague Dr. Bee may be returning the visit this fall! 

Welcome, Dr. Lee

Our staff would like to welcome another doctor! Dr. Amber Lee is here to complete a two year ABVP Avian Residency.Dr Amber Lee has had a passion for all things exotic ever since she was a child and has kept and bred cockatiels for over 15 years. After graduating from The University of Melbourne, Australia, she spent some time in a small animal practice before completing an specialty internship at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center, here in Indianapolis. Dr Lee is very excited to start her residency in Avian Medicine and Surgery with Dr Lennox as her supervisor.

We Are Under Construction!

We've broken ground for our new expansion at the clinic! Construction crews have been hard at work and we already have the foundations in for our new waiting room complete. The storm last night turned the big hole into a swimming pool, but hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can continue with the project! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more photos and updates!

Welcome, Dr. Goldstein!

Our staff would like to welcome  new exotic animal veterinary intern Dr. Heather Goldstein! Dr. Goldstein is a 2013 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  She spent the majority of her clinical year at various zoos around the country and is excited to continue working with exotic animals.  She grew up in St. Louis, MO and is happy to be spending this year in the Midwest.  Heather enjoys reading, traveling, and snuggling with her two cats, Lando and Wedge.  She also just got married in June and loves spending time with her husband, David.

Goodbye, Dr. Woods

At the end of this week, Dr. Woods will successfully complete her year long internship in exotic animal medicine at Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic. She will go on to a second internship at Oklahoma State University.

We will miss her enthusiasm and dedication, and wish her good luck!

From Dr. Woods:

Here I am at the end of what I can definitely call the best year of my career! Even though I have not been practicing medicine for very long, I know that I could not have asked for a better mentor to learn from, staff to work with, and city to live in. I never imagined how much I would learn at this amazing clinic, and I can honestly say that I wouldn't change a single part of this experience! Thanks so much to my clients, my dear friends at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic, and especially to Dr. Lennox for taking the time and energy to teach me so many valuable lessons throughout the past year. You have all been a major part of the person and the doctor I have become, and I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Sincerely,

Lindsey M. Woods, DVM

Adventures in Birmingham

The following story was written by Hannah, an American currently living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Hannah’s family hosted the Lennox family during their stay in the UK while Dr. Lennox was teaching. Hannah wants to be a veterinarian:  

From as far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a veterinarian. Dr. Lennox gave me my first glimpse into a working clinic when I was11 (I absolutely loved it), and now at 16 she allowed me to accompany her to the BSAVA conference in Birmingham. I truly did not know what to expect. The congregation of thousands of vets and nurses from around the world came as a huge surprise. I had always just assumed that once you were out of college, that was it. Done. No more learning. Well, I was wrong. Everyone is eager to listen to the experts, take advice, try out new methods of treatment, and grab any new piece of data available. Even I was able to take away some useful advice despite my appalling lack of technical vocabulary.

The exhibition hall was something else. Just imagine a kids carnival, but filled with veterinary products instead of candy stalls and rides. Oh, and adults instead of children. Marketers had gone all out. There were colorful banners and posters to advertise their top quality products, attracting the vets with the help of candy bribes and toys (our favorite was the chameleon stress ball). And games! Who knew that adults would run around an exhibition trying to get as many stamps on their cards as possible in order to win an iPad? So kids, don’t think that adulthood is all work, they have their fun too.

The difference between us kids and those in a profession is that the adults seem to have a better balance between work and play. The exhibition hall was full of fun stuff, yes. However, I found that people actually managed to make business exchanges, whether it was informing people about the benefits of using a bunny t-shirt to prevent chewing stitches or learning about a new way to apply a drug.

I must admit that I was initially a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people taking part in the conference, but once I had gone to Dr. Lennox’s lectures and had a look around the exhibition hall myself, I was much more at ease. This experience has helped me to see yet another side of what it means to be a veterinarian, showing me that the veterinary community is something that I definitely want to be a part of. I have so much to thank Dr. Lennox for. She has helped me see that this is what I want to be, but now only I can carry myself over the final mile to make this dream a reality.

- Hannah

The weather outside is less frightening. . . It is actually warming up!

This means baby wildlife are not far behind.Please remember what to do when you encounter injured or orphaned wild animals outdoors. Most wild babies such as rabbits and birds are not actually in trouble, and are out learning to survive.

For example, young rabbits found outdoors with eyes open and ears up are actually ready to go and no longer need their mother’s help, regardless of how small they are. Young baby birds hopping about in the grass are actually out learning to fly and should be left alone.

Only intervene when wild animals are obviously sick or injured. See the “wildlife” link on the left side of our website for how to help.

. The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic provides no charge care for injured and orphaned wildlife good Samaritans bring to our clinic. However, donations are welcome and greatly appreciated!

The Ferret 500 Returns!

Ferret Fans, mark your calendar for the return of the Ferret 500 annual ferret fun show in Indianapolis!  This year’s show will be June 1st 2013.  All proceeds will benefit Five Points Ferret Refuge. We had a lot of fun last year watching the shows, buying fun ferret toys and bedding and just being a part of the action.  Plan to join us!

If you are considering showing your pet ferret, don’t forget you need proof of vaccination for canine distemper virus.  We will be happy to help you get those vaccines up to date and provide the records you need.

For more information go to: http://www.theferret500.com

Rabbits: The Number One Exotic Mammal Pet!

Rabbits make wonderful pets, and they currently rank number 3 among pet mammals, right behind dogs and cats, and ahead of ferrets and rodents.  New diet strategies and preventative health (especially spaying of female rabbits) has increased lifespan.  It is now common to see rabbits living to age 10 or beyond.

It’s our hope prospective owners will think about this carefully before purchasing or adopting a pet rabbit, especially at Easter. The House Rabbit Society sees an increase in rabbits surrendered right after Easter, which means families may be acquiring rabbits on impulse without careful planning and forethought.

The Indiana House Rabbit website has a lot of great information on rabbit care, and even a list of terrific adoptable rabbits at http://www.indianahrs.org.

So You Think You Want to Be a Vet?

Hi, my name is Sara. I am high school student from St. Theodore Guerin High School. As I am considering becoming a veterinarian for my career, I have already begun preparing for it. Last summer I started working at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic, and boy, have I learned a lot! There are many things you can do now (though years from vet school) that will be very beneficial to you later. Here are some things I’d like to share with you: There are many things veterinary schools are going to look for when you send in an application. Not only do you need good grades and standardized testing scores, colleges look for the number of experience hours you have in a veterinary clinic. How can you be a vet if you’ve never experienced working in one with real patients? The more hours you can collect, the better. Make sure to mark down every hour you do in a log you know will be safe. Personally, I go with the more old-fashioned route of a simple piece of paper, but do whatever works for you. Also, try to visit different types of clinics so you can get an idea of the different species of animals (ex: cats/dogs vs. exotics).

Look around for animal clinics near you and see if you can get a beginning job of just volunteer work. You will have to work your way up from the bottom of the totem pole, gaining much experience before you can get a job that pays. I sure know what this is like. Only last year I graduated from folding towels and cleaning dirty cages to more important work, such as hand-feeding patients and bringing clients into the exam room. Be willing to help in any way you can, even if it means cleaning some poopy cages. (It is actually a very important job, and the doctors greatly appreciate this being done for them so they can be free to do other medical procedures that you don’t have the training or education to do.)

As you prepare to enter high school, plan what classes you will take accordingly. To prepare yourself for the vigorous medical courses you will take for pre-vet in college, take all the Honors or high-level science classes your school has to offer. Math is also incredibly important, so if you do not have a solid handle on that, you may want to consider getting help from a tutor in that subject. If science is not your “thing”, then you either have to make it your thing or find a new career option. (Harsh as that sounds, you really need to be committed to this because it involves hard work and eight extra years of education.)

Finally, if other good veterinary opportunities come up, take them! The Purdue University Veterinary School offers an open house for their school every year in April. You can take a tour, watch demonstrations, and receive a lot of valuable information on careers in veterinary medicine. (If you are interested, look here.) It is also a great idea to shadow as many veterinarians as you can so you can be exposed to all the facets of veterinary work. If you are serious about this career choice, take the opportunity to start now learning now and take the first step. My best of luck to you!

Welcome Baby Agnes!

Last week we went to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine to teach a course on basic avian handling and medicine to the second year students.  After dinner, we went with Purdue Exotics Club members to the home of one of the veterinary school professors, where we examined her outstanding collection of prehensile tailed skinks. The colony lives together in several family groups with parents and

young.  We were told female "AJ" was probably pregnant. The very next morning, her owner found this huge fully formed baby, who was named "Agnes".  It's interesting how enormous these youngsters are  at birth (we were told it's equivalent to a human mother delivering a 4-year-old child! Welcome "baby" Agnes!

Cats vs. Exotic Pets: Not An Even Match!

Did you know that the bacteria in the mouths and on the claws of pet cats can be particularly dangerous to anyone unlucky enough to be bitten or clawed?  Note: this includes humans as well as pets.

Even if the exotic pet wins the battle and the wounds are small, he may lose the war to a deadly bacterial infection in just a matter of days. There are even reports of pets without obvious wounds dying of bacterial infections, perhaps from bacteria entering tiny tears in the skin or mucus membranes.

Here's what to do if your exotic pet encounters the pet cat:

If your pet is in shock, bleeding or lethargic, call us immediately (see emergency care)

If your pet is stable, look for wounds and cleanse them carefully and thoroughly with antibacterial soap

Call us right away to schedule an appointment to start antibiotic therapy as quickly as possible.

A Fond Farewell

Every once in a while we spend so much time with a particular patient we get to know them very well. Often that’s not a good sign for the patient, and spending lots of time in and out of the hospital is not a lot of fun. We wanted to bid farewell to Indiana House Rabbit Society foster rabbit “Juju”, who passed away after a long battle with cancer and chronic rhinitis.  Juju successfully completed a full course of radiation therapy, and at the time of death, there was no sign of cancer.  She was comfortable, thanks to early detection and the heroic efforts of her foster mom Dawn, who nursed her and even took her for acupuncture treatments –which really seemed to help!

We were honored to be a part of her care.

Want more information on the Indiana House Rabbit Society? Click here

It’s Flu Season!

Question: which common exotic species is susceptible to influenza, and can even get the flu from sick humans?

Answer: The ferret! Ferrets are extremely susceptible to influenza, and there are many cases of ferrets catching flu from their sick owners. (Ferrets are not susceptible to the common cold, which is caused by another virus entirely).   Symptoms are similar to that in human:  sneezing and runny nose and eyes, lethargy, weakness and fever.  Most ferrets recover from flu. However, older ferrets, or those with existing medical conditions may be much more severely affected.  A few have died from secondary bacterial infections. Prevent flu by keeping suspect people and other ferrets away from ferrets.  If you suspect your ferret has the flu, call us.  Mildly affected ferrets may be fine at home with rest and plenty of oral fluids, but older or sicker ferrets may need a visit.  Call us at 317-879-8633

Congratulations to Dr. Lennox on her Second Veterinary Specialty Degree!

ABVP Certifies Veterinarian in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice NASHVILLE, TN- Angela Lennox, DVM, of Indianapolis has been certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) specializing in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice.

Dr. Lennox mastered a rigorous and demanding application process and certification examination in order to obtain Diplomate status. To qualify to sit for the extensive, two-day examination, a veterinarian must complete either a residency program or six years of clinical veterinary practice. In addition, two case reports, references, descriptions of practice procedures, and professional education records must be submitted and pass review. This year’s examination was given on November 2-4 in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Lennox is a graduate of Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has practiced at the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic located at 9330 Waldemar Road since 1991. She was board certified in avian medicine 2003/

The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners was established in 1978. It is one of twenty-one veterinary specialty groups accredited by a special committee of the American Board of Veterinary Specialties, a division of the American Veterinary Medical Association, to recognize excellence in clinical practice through the certification of species-oriented specialist. Over 900 veterinarians worldwide are certified in one of ABVP’s ten practice categories: Avian, Beef Cattle, Canine and Feline, Dairy, Equine, Exotic Companion Mammal, Feline, Food Animal, Reptile and Amphibian, and Swine Health Management. For more information about ABVP, please visit www.abvp.com

What's New in Pet Bird Nutrition

While there's still a lot unknown about the exact ideal diet for captive parrots, one thing we know for certain: since we've made the switch from seed based to pellet based diets, the health of our patients has improved dramatically. For this reason, we still believe pellets to be the best choice for parrots. But is is still OK to add other items to the pellet diet, for example table foods, and maybe some seeds?  And how much is OK?  A recent article in the Journal of Avian Medicine and surgery attempted to answer that question. In this study, parrots were offered 3 diets:  1)  25% pellets, 50% produce and 25% seeds;  2) 60% pellets, 22% produce and 18% seeds; and 3) 75% pellets and 25% produce.

Diets were analyzed for nutrient content, including fat, calcium, phosphorus and more.

The conclusion was what we would expect:  Birds on the first diet consumed much more fat than recommended, and the diet was deficient in calcium with other imbalances noted as well. Birds on the second diet consumed more fat than was recommended, but other nutrients were in balance.   Birds eating the third diet consumed an acceptable level of fat, with recommended levels of nearly all of the other measured as well.

This matches well with our current recommendation: 75% pellets and 25% low fat, carefully selected table foods, consisting mostly of green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, and a small amount of fruit and grains.

Here is the authors' conclusions:    "owners of psittacine birds should be encouraged to supplement manufactured diets with low energy-density, fresh produce items to provide stimulation and foraging opportunities without fear of causing major nutritional imbalances."

We still think there's room in the diet for a seed or two: mostly for rewarding good behavior, and to hide in foraging toys!

So, What's for Dinner?

Most of our exotic pets do a great job eating what we put in front of them, although sometimes they can be a bit stubborn and picky.  However, there's also a small group of exotic pets who think it's fun and interesting to eat things that aren't good for them, and in fact aren't actually even food. We've had a couple of episodes with that over the last few months.  Scroll down to see what interesting things our patients decided to eat:

Dino the Iguana

Can you tell from this radiograph what Dino ate?

A penny! This penny came out the hard way with surgery. Dino did fine afterwards, and hopefully has found a better place to hide his money in the future.

Orion the Fennec Fox

This little fox ate what appears to be five rubber wrist bands!

These definitely were not going to pass all the way out, so we took these out the hard way, too. Orion is doing just fine now.

Beardy, the Bearded Dragon and his lunch: the rubber lizard

This bearded dragon was much luckier.  We were't even sure the rubber lizard was still inside, as the owner knew it was missing, but weren't 100% sure Beardy had swallowed it.  We tried to find it with X-rays and the endoscope, but could not.  It was so soft we couldn't actually feel it in Beardy's abdomen.  Just when we were trying to decide what to do, it magically reappeared in the morning!  Who knows if it came out the front way or the back way.

Send us photos of your pet Halloween costumes! Either post them on our Facebook wall here or email them to exoticvetclinic@gmail.com and we will post them here on our website!

Teaching in Portugal

This past summer, Dr. Lennox taught a rabbit procedures lab in Portugal to students eager to improve their exotic animal medical and surgical skills. We used rescue rabbits to learn how to place catheters, take blood samples and place an endotracheal tube to increase safety during surgery. At the end, the rabbits returned to their rescue homes safe and sound. 

The course organizer, Dr. Filipe Miguel Reis Martinho sent these pictures from the lab, and we thought we'd share them.  It's great to see the increase in interest in exotic animal medicine not just in the US, but all over the world!

Rabbits were carefully monitored throughout the lab

 

Dr. Xavier Update

We have an unfortunate incident to relate regarding Dr. Xavier, the paralyzed rabbit adopted by our technician Mandy (Meet Our Newest Doctor). Last week he and Mandy were involved in an auto accident while Mandy was driving with him to work. The car was totaled, and Mandy was bruised by the airbag, but Xavier added an additional burden to his health condition-a broken femur! Mandy had him in a carrier and buckled with a seatbelt, but it got us to thinking about pet car safety, and how we can do absolutely everything we can to keep our exotic pets safe in the car. There are plenty of websites on pet car safety for dogs, including seat belt harnesses and carriers that snap into a secured base, similar to a baby car seat.  We found some great tips here: http://Barkbuckleup.com http://www.bigappleherp.com/Safe-Secure-Car-Dog-Carrier However there isn’t much at all on exotic pet car safety.  With this in mind, we offer the following observations, keeping in mind we have no scientific proof of the absolutely best and safest way to transport your exotic pet. It’s obvious that any unrestrained pet involved in a car accident like Mandy’s, for example a parrot riding on the shoulder, would be killed upon impact. Therefore,  a seat-belted carrier seems safest.  Dr. Xavier was seat belted in his carrier, but the carrier was oriented longways in the car. We reasoned that during the accident he had longer to go before hitting the front of the cage than if he had been seat belted in sideways. Also consider the smallest carrier in which your pet can comfortably fit, and pad with large, soft towels.  Always belt your pet into the rear seats to avoid contact with front seat airbags. On a happier note, we expect Dr. Xavier to heal just fine, and we’re glad everyone is OK!