Anyone into exotics?

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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david594

david594

The-OSU CVM c/o 2013
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It seems most people are either large or small animal. Just wondering who else out there is into exotics and wildlife? I have a friend with a pet skunk and it was meeting him(the skunk) that sold me on veterinary medicine. My goal for vet school is going to be to pursue medicine for the more non-traditional mammals. I am still trying to figure out if what I want to pursue is more under the title of "wildlife" or "exotics" which seems to be more limited to small mammals, reptiles and avain.

I have a southern flying squirrel named "Stanley"
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Anyone else have any intersting or unique pets?
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I have a hedgehog named Pheobe!
 
YEY!! Another squirrel owner! I have a 3-legged eatsern grey squirrel, Rocky:

http://www.synhoff.com/rocky.htm


I thought hard about exotics, as I have always had strange animals around me my whole life: chamelons, squirrles, bearded dragons.... It's still in the back of my mind, but I just love the big farm animals !:D
 
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I had a hedgehog named Chloe. Sadly I had to have her pts a year and a half ago because she had Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS). The months of caring for her as she became paralyzed have a lot to do with my interest in veterinary medicine.

I am also very interested in skunks and hope someday to have a pet skunk :)
 
::waves hands:: me! I love exotics!

I always thought exotic veterinary medicine would be neat, and working just one year as a tech at an avian & exotic vet was one of the best experiences of my life. My school doesn't have a huge program for those of us interested in exotics, and I'm still not sure if I only want to practice 100% exotics, zoo animals, or do small animal and exotics, but I know I want to include exotics in my education as much as possible so I plan on taking all the "special species" electives, participating in the club and doing most of my externship/elective clinical experience in that field.

I have had gerbils and hamsters all my life, as well as a cockatiel. I am a big fan of small mammals (non-dog/cat) and pocket pets because the medicine is so cool (like ferrets... they seriously are walking furballs of disease pathology!)

We saw some crazy stuff at the exotic practice, like people with serval cats and primates, and I'm really interested in the laws and legislation regarding who can own what, as personal pets (I mean, how many people should really own a monkey at home?!)
 
I'm getting more into it now that I volunteer at a zoo - their behavior and diet preparation fascinates me, not to mention the similarities and differences between zoo animals and domesticated ones! (Most of my experience has been small animals, including rabbits and rodents.)
 
I am very into exotics, which is part of the reason I go to UTK! (We have a great exotics program, in addition to other great programs here!) Anyway, I got to intubate and perform an exam on a parrot the other day and I'm only a first year! (Excuse all the exclamation points but I am very excited about this.) Working with wildlife first piqued my interest in exotic then I got to work with exotic pets through a private practice than that's part of what I want to do...in addition to working with anesthesia and pain management for the little critters.
 
I'm glad more study is being done on pain meds for smaller critters. The vet I used to amputate my squirrel's leg did quite a bit of research on pre-meds and pain management. It made a HUGE difference in his recovery.
 
I love reptiles. :love: I have a Rainbow boa.
 
I've always wanted to work with exotic animals. I'm currently looking into programs that have more than 1 exotic elective. If anyone can recommend schools with good exotic programs it would be appreciated! I've had everything from bearded dragons to giant milipedes. Currently we have 2 cats and 3 snakes. The red tail boa and ball python are mine and the yellow rat snake is my son's. We recently lost our Rottie. :( I'm still dealing with that.

Right now I'm working with about 120 African House Snakes for my Masters. We also have numerous other species at the school. My son was the only one in his class that got to go back to school and talk about how he got to see snakes ranging from various species of rattlesnakes to Indian Cobras, spitting cobras and Gaboon vipers. He also got to check out some Gila Monsters and a blue-ringed octopus. He has such a cool mom!!!;)
 
I'm an exotics and small animal vet. At the moment I am seeing 20% or more exotics. My area of special interest is avian medicine/surgery and I have a good amount of experience in that area.

I have two new pets - spiderling tarantulas! I'm so excited, got them yesterday.
 
Hi all, I've only posted once or twice before ... I'll be posting a lot more often in a few months, though, as I'm applying next year :)

And in reply... an enthusiastic yes! I have more experience with wildlife (shorebirds, coyotes, and now chipmunks) than companion exotics, but I really enjoy both.
 
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me too! I have worked with exotics and wildlife for many years and it is also one of the main reasons that I wanted to pursue a career in Vet med. It is so nice to see that there are other exotic and wildlife lovers out there! These creatures are all too often misunderstood.
What other exotic species does UTK work with?
 
Yay Snakegal!

I worked for 2 years as a keeper in a venomous animal exhibit. We had gaboons, cobras, mambas, etc, but also venomous fish, amphibs, and insects. It was amazing, especially when our female gaboon pupped a litter! It was so much fun picking all of those little guys up within the exhibit while staying safe :scared:
 
Aren't herps just about the coolest things? Although I must admit, after dealing with my snakes constantly - sometimes I wish I'd never see them again. This thought only strikes me when my data isn't going how I need it to. :D

-Laters...
 
BostonLvr said:
I love reptiles. :love: I have a Rainbow boa.
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ditto! well, minus the rainbow boa part. those are beautiful though... if i ever get a snake, i think it'll be a rainbow boa!

i have two chinese water dragons. they're my pride and joys while i don't have a horse. i'd really like to do some reptile medicine or zoo medicine when i'm not doing equine surgeries, lol. i have to pick a practice near a zoo!
 
bunnygirl said:
me too! I have worked with exotics and wildlife for many years and it is also one of the main reasons that I wanted to pursue a career in Vet med. It is so nice to see that there are other exotic and wildlife lovers out there! These creatures are all too often misunderstood.
What other exotic species does UTK work with?
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UTK has a great zoo/exotics program. We work directly with the zoo for many of their issues. We have a connection with the tiger haven for large cats. We work with all sorts of birds and reptiles, too. As students, you can walk down to the exotics clinics at any time to see what they're working on.
 
That sounds amazing! UTK is one of the schools I am applying to so I am so excited to hear they have opportunities like that. Thanks for the info.
 
I love working with wildlife! I'm thinking about becoming a zoo vet but from what I've read, that job just takes over your life. On call 24/7 365 days a year :eek: Then again I'm probably too clumsy to work with those crazy zoo animals anyways. Last week I did something stupid and got taloned by a red tailed hawk. Damn that hurt
 
thereservoirdog said:
I love working with wildlife! I'm thinking about becoming a zoo vet but from what I've read, that job just takes over your life. On call 24/7 365 days a year :eek:
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That to me is a reason I would want to be a zoo vet.
 
I wouldn't mind doing small animals and exotics... but I have very little experience with exotic creatures.

The reason why I wouldn't mind doing exotics, like rats, mice, ect, is because many people see them as disposable. You know, "Oh, my hamster is sick. I only spent $10 on him. Why spend $100 on a vet visit when I can get another hamster for $10 when he dies?"

My friend had a rat with a tumor... she took it to the vet, but it would have cost $300 for it to be removed... which is the same price of having a tumour removed from a cat.

If I were to ever own my own clinic, I'd want to make it so that people can afford to take their small pets to the vet.

That's my crazy reasoning behind it.

I haven't had any animals growing up because we moved around quite a bit... we have a cat now, but we can barely afford her. University won't let me have any animals... I haven't found a clinic around here that will let me come in and do some volunteering/job shadowing... which I did back home. I'm pretty nervous... I want to be a vet... deep down inside, I know it's what I want to do... but I'm scared that they won't consider me because I "don't have the experience".

Anyway!
 
scarcelyheard said:
My friend had a rat with a tumor... she took it to the vet, but it would have cost $300 for it to be removed... which is the same price of having a tumour removed from a cat.

If I were to ever own my own clinic, I'd want to make it so that people can afford to take their small pets to the vet.
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Are you saying that vets are wrong to charge $300 to remove a tumour from a rat? Why is that? A life is a life. Some people pay *nothing* for their cat or dog and still find the money to fork over for the $1000+ visit to the emergency hospital for testing and therapy (or even more if surgery is required). Why should it be any different for a smaller animal? The vets and staff working with exotic pets actually require more training to learn about them than with cats/dogs. The overhead is the same, no matter the species. I think that when anyone gets a pet, no matter what it is, they should be prepared to take responsibility for it. If they don't have the money to pay for the vet bill, they should at least have a credit card or relative to help them. Just like if you had a car wreck (and your car was busted up, needing repair) - you need something to be able to handle those emergencies.

I just got 2 tarantulas. They are small, they are insects, but I would do anything to help them if they were suffering.
 
I agree with avianvet. Also, people should take the time to research what owning a exotic pet entails, ie) it is VERY common for rats and mice to develop masses as they get older.
The "cost" of an animal should not determine the level of care it should receive. Owning an animal, no matter what the species may be, is a commitment and should be treated as such!
 
birdvet2006 said:
Are you saying that vets are wrong to charge $300 to remove a tumour from a rat? Why is that? A life is a life. Some people pay *nothing* for their cat or dog and still find the money to fork over for the $1000+ visit to the emergency hospital for testing and therapy (or even more if surgery is required). Why should it be any different for a smaller animal? The vets and staff working with exotic pets actually require more training to learn about them than with cats/dogs. The overhead is the same, no matter the species. I think that when anyone gets a pet, no matter what it is, they should be prepared to take responsibility for it. If they don't have the money to pay for the vet bill, they should at least have a credit card or relative to help them. Just like if you had a car wreck (and your car was busted up, needing repair) - you need something to be able to handle those emergencies.

I just got 2 tarantulas. They are small, they are insects, but I would do anything to help them if they were suffering.
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Agreed. Some people forget that Veterinary medicine, like everything else, is a business. Good luck charging someone with a "disposable" 10 pet, a reasonable price for surgery. Youll quickly be out of business with the overhead costs and repaying your student loans.
 
thereservoirdog said:
Last week I did something stupid and got taloned by a red tailed hawk. Damn that hurt
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Well, be careful!! :p Anyways, I know exactly what you mean, and no, it doesn't feel good. But they're still so cool. I love working with wildlife. Someday, I think it would be really cool to do work with the kakapo's in New Zealand. Dr. Kate McInnes gave a presentation Friday at school about all their research and population conservation efforts...it was very exciting.

kakapo2.jpg

​
 
For everyone interested in exotics, I wanted to let you know that the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) is hosting the 6th annual Exotics Symposium this year, January 4th & 5th.

The cool part is that it is geared more towards students, so pre-vets/undergrads can attend as well. The cost is $75 for both vet students and undergrad students, which agreeably is a bit more money than most of us have to throw around, but consider the hundreds of $$$ vets pay to attend these conferences. Plus it's just after the holidays when most people are still off school.

Just wanted to let everyone know in case they wanted to have the opportunity to gain some exotic species knowledge and experience!

website: http://utcvm.pixelmud.com/awesym/
 
:D I love exotics. Birds, reptiles, and all the small critters. You know, my old gineau pig died when I was young because no one would help us. ((This was before our current vet)).

I love parrots. I'm a macaw freak and I am in love with Scarlets. Their high strung cuddly personalities! :D It's so great!
 
Ironic. I am getting a female squirrel this weekend from Knoxville.

....anyone want flying squirrel babys? :D:D
 
I've been across there a few times in my search for squirrels. But I tend to spend most of my squirrel related time over at www.nfsa.us They have their own message boards.
 
I went to this conference last year when it was at Mizzou... very cool wetlabs and a great chance to network with exotics folks.

I highly recommend it! Sign up early, because wetlabs fill fast.
 
So as an undergrad I can't sign up for the wetlabs... but as a vet tech I can pay an extra $10 and then I'm allowed to?

I could totally go for the wetlab in Wildlife Immobilization/Darting. It just sounds like too much fun.
 
I've always loved exotic birds and reptiles. I'll definitely be looking up to working with exotics once I get to school. :)
 
Anyone want any leopard geckos? My eggs are due to hatch in the next two weeks! :D Just kidding. I'm keeping them ALL! :rolleyes:
 
Yay for exotics! I've got an anerythristic boa constrictor imperator, a jungle carpet python, 3 pet rats, a ferret, and a goldfish. I'm thinking about going to the Exotics Symposium at UTK for sure cause I'm thinking that would be neat to go to during free blocks during clinics. The president of our raptor rehab club just got back and said it was really cool. I wanted to be a zoo vet, but I'm thinking the pay isn't going to be enough to easily pay off the bills. :( I still won't mind doing mixed practice with exotics. Variety is the spice of life! :D
 
I've signed up for the exotics symposium. It is going to be great! I can't wait for avian soft tissue surgery!
 
alonepear- thanks so much for the exotics conference info! i'm part of the zoo vet club and i don't even think they are going... so i'm going get a group together and go. we're really excited!

philmycus- :mad: why did you have to tell us about the squirrel forum?... i already have too much to do and spending more time on a forum isn't what i wanted! ;) i do love it though, it has already answered a lot of questions i had! i have 2 squirrels right now i am raising. one of them (less then 24 hrs after i got him) started having ca deficiency tremors. i brought him to AU vet clinic and they treated him (pro bono!). :love:ah squirrels...

and to answer the question in this thread... i love exotics, too! more along the lines of wildlife, but i'm sure i'll end up treating companion exotics too. yesterday i held a wild golden eagle!!! i heart southeastern raptor center :love:
 
Registered and ready to go!!!
 
sofficat said:
philmycus- :mad: why did you have to tell us about the squirrel forum?... i already have too much to do and spending more time on a forum isn't what i wanted! ;) i do love it though, it has already answered a lot of questions i had! i have 2 squirrels right now i am raising. one of them (less then 24 hrs after i got him) started having ca deficiency tremors. i brought him to AU vet clinic and they treated him (pro bono!). :love:ah squirrels...
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I never thought too much special of the tree rats until I started raising them. And then once I had a non-releaseable, I had an "unhealthy infatuation" wth them :D

The squirrel forum board is very informative. I only found it a few months ago! :eek:


BTW- if I close my eyes, you can't see me and steal my nut!
 

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Who is at the exotics symposium today? I meant to try and get everyone together for dinner, but I didn't think of it in time. Maybe tomorrow? Hopefully I'll get some replies. PM me.
 
I've wanted to get an exotic for some time now, but wasn't sure what. I know I'd prefer a mammal over a reptile. I'd like something that has a short life span , say 3-4 yrs, mainly because I'll probably move to Scotland for vet school and don't want to stress my pet out by an overseas move. What would you recommend?
 
annaig said:
I've wanted to get an exotic for some time now, but wasn't sure what. I know I'd prefer a mammal over a reptile. I'd like something that has a short life span , say 3-4 yrs, mainly because I'll probably move to Scotland for vet school and don't want to stress my pet out by an overseas move. What would you recommend?
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I'm not sure what to recommend, but I'd suggest checking out the quarantine rules for bringing an animal over there.

If the quarantine rules are complicated you may be better off just getting the animal when you're already in Scotland.

Good luck : )

---

Ah, maybe I misread your post. I'm not sure if you're going to scotland soon or you're going there in 3-4 years?

Anyhoo, one animal that did come to mind was a mouse. I find them very cute, entertaining, and they do have a short lifespan. I love mice!
 
lailanni, i might be moving to scotland in august for school. if i do, i'll be there at least 4 years. i couldn't go 4 years without a pet, so the plan is to get one when i'm there. but i don't want to have a pet then give it away when i come back states side. i'd rather have one with a short life span. that way i know it had a good life. = )
 
david594 said:
Anyone else have any intersting or unique pets?
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I *heart* exotics and wildlife. I've been volunteering at the Baltimore Zoo for about 10 years now (since I was 12) and I volunteer where they keep all of the animals that go out to schools and on the grounds too educate the public. We have some really interesting animals there: a prehensile-tail porcupine, bunches of snakes, bunches of birds (parrots and raptors), a serval, 3 penguins, a skunk, and lots of others. I love working there, and that's what really made me decide I wanted to go into exotics/wildlife.

I have a box turtle named Michaelangelo that I adopted from the zoo. Someone picked him up from the wild when he was a baby and didn't feed him right, so his shell is underdeveloped and too big for his body. So, every once in a while, his rectum prolapses, but other than that he's doing great for how he started out. :)

P.S.- The squirrel is so cool.
 
annaig said:
lailanni, i might be moving to scotland in august for school. if i do, i'll be there at least 4 years. i couldn't go 4 years without a pet, so the plan is to get one when i'm there. but i don't want to have a pet then give it away when i come back states side. i'd rather have one with a short life span. that way i know it had a good life. = )
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Rats are fabulous pets if you are looking for a companion with a short lifespan. Of the small animals, they are some of the smartest and most interactive. My two boys will be two in march and I just :love:them to pieces!
 
zpinkpanther said:
P.S.- The squirrel is so cool.
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A prehensile-tail porcupine is about the coolest animal I have ever met! Franklin park zoo in Boston has one named Snuffles, and yeah, he is amazing!

My squirrel Stanley is a fun little guy. Around 2 months back I also picked up my girl Pearl(a proven breeder). I won't know for sure for a few weeks, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be expecting a litter of pups in mid February.
 
david594 said:
A prehensile-tail porcupine is about the coolest animal I have ever met! Franklin park zoo in Boston has one named Snuffles, and yeah, he is amazing!

My squirrel Stanley is a fun little guy. Around 2 months back I also picked up my girl Pearl(a proven breeder). I won't know for sure for a few weeks, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be expecting a litter of pups in mid February.
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Our porcupine's name is Marty and he's ridiculously adorable. The thing is, he seems to forget he's a porcupine- he's always trying to hug and cuddle. :) It's fairly easy to steer clear of his quills when he does, though.

Aw, I hope you get to have squirrel babies! Squirrels sound like so much fun, though I haven't really seen many as pets; I just love watching the wild squirrels run around campus.
 
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