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!

Meet our newest “Doctor”!

Meet Dr. Xavier, our newest clinic addition. He’s a young rabbit, brought in by a Good Samaritan who found him abandoned outside. Besides being covered in fleas and in need of a bath, Xavier has a severe vertebral fracture and damaged spinal cord. His hind limbs are completely paralyzed.  

Our head technician, Mandy, has decided to take this special needs guy on and give him a second chance. At this point, he requires a lot of care. He can feed himself and is able to move around a little, but he needs help emptying his bladder several times a day. After a lot of trial and error, Mandy has rigged up a cart for him, and he is currently learning how to use it! Keep an eye on our page for future updates, and perhaps, when he gets used to his cart, you’ll be able to see him scooting around the clinic!

We need a home!

These two Peking Ducks were confiscated by Indianapolis Animal Care and Control as part of a cruelty case. It seems that they were confined in crate so small they were unable to stand up and now their legs are deformed. They have no trouble getting around and are quite happy to have a swim in a baby pool! They’re still fairly young, but it looks like they are a male and a female.

Because of their legs, they would need a home that can handle their special needs. Protection from all types of predators would essential because they can’t run away from danger. If you have room and would like to have some special-needs critters, please give us a call!

Welcome back, Dr. Lennox!

We are back from the Association of Avian Veterinarians annual conference in Louisville, KY.  Hundreds of avian and exotic veterinarians from all over the world were there to learn more about medicine and surgery of our special pets. (Hello to our friends from Taiwan, France and Germany, among others!) We learned a lot at the conference, and Dr. Lennox was presented an award for Speaker of the Year for the 2011 conference last year.

The most exciting part of the 2012 conference for us was a lecture and laboratory we taught on sedation for pet birds. Dr Lennox, our technician Mandy and members from the Healthipet network joined together to teach a class on how to safely sedate parrots for examination and minor procedures. While sedation is not usually required for these procedures, for some very stressed and excitable birds it's a great alternative to general anesthesia.  Tim, Robert, Tami and crew from Healthipet in Anderson brought some birds that were just relinquished to the rescue, and our lab participants conducted physical exams, collected diagnostic samples and groomed all  29 of the birds, while learning how sedation is administered and how it works.  It was a win-win for everyone.

The lab would not have been possible without Healthipet's collaboration. Please visit their website at http://www.healthipet.webs.com and learn more about the organization, and the many lovely (and recently groomed!) birds available for adoption.

A big THANK YOU to all!

Wildlife Report, Summer 2012

This summer has brought the usual number of injured and orphaned wildlife cases to the clinic, ranging from a tiny 2 g baby hummingbird, to a full-grown injured woodchuck.  Our “frequent fliers” appear to be orphaned young rabbits and hungry starlings. We appreciate the efforts of our veterinary extern students who are given primary responsibility for their intake and care while at the clinic (in July special thanks to Kelly and John!).  We are also grateful our wildlife rehabilitators show up like clockwork nearly everyday to take over care when we’ve done our part (see the wildlife section of our website for more info http://www.exoticvetclinic.com/pet-owner/wildlife/).

The summer brought an unusually high number of hawks and owls with fractures. This barred owl presented with an open, but relatively simple fracture of his humerus. We were ready to walk out for the day, but the fracture was fresh, the owl seemed strong, and team members were willing to stay. Thanks to the simplicity of the fracture and the fact it had not started to heal, we have our all time clinic record of an 11-minute orthopedic repair!  (For orthopedic enthusiasts, this consisted of a single IM retrograde pin with tie-in, two additional external fixator pins and an external fixation rod made of plumber’s putty). Watch this space for an update as he (or she) comes back for weekly rechecks.

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.