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Would someone please explain?
Started by MasonAb
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You'd probably just have to find a clinic that dealt with exotics and small animals. There are plenty of those. Not so much wild animals though. The SA clinics that I work at actually are not allowed to see wild animals due to disease control regulations. I'm not sure if most exotics vets have completed a residency of some sort, but I would imagine so. So that's something to think about too. You may have to choose between SA and rehab/wild animals. Unless you want to work at two clinics.
Plenty of people do have exotic pets though, so you should be able to find a SA/exotic clinic to work for if you're willing to look hard enough (and move far enough)! 🙂
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I heard from a veterinarian before that she knew some zoo vets who also worked in emergency on their days off. The zoo in my area has two vets and they rotate every other day. So presumably if you could find an emergency clinic where your schedule would be the opposite of the zoo schedule, you could do it.
Some of the smaller zoos will just use small animal practitioners as part time veterinarians rather than have someone full time on staff. So it is definitely a possibility. But if you had a part time zoo job you could totally work in small animal practice the rest of the time. Definitely feasible.
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People who work with exotics usually complete the zoo medicine internship and residency. We only have one who is certified back home and there's only one at my university. They're pretty rare.
A lot of exotics practitioners actually go straight into private practice or pursue an exotics internship and/or ABVP residency rather than going the zoo med route.
The vet I shadow sees exotic pets. He also takes in wildlife that need veterinary care, then either releases them or gives them to a wildlife rehab. Most of the wildlife he gets are birds-- everything from doves to raptors.
Like someone said, smaller zoos will consult with local small animal or exotic vets. Where I live, the larger zoo has an on staff veterinarian (maybe more than one?), however they also consult a local vet who is board certified in Avian medicine and who runs an exotic/small animal clinic. I beleive he goes up there whenever they have a problem with their birds, but its not a regular thing. This same clinic also consults for a small zoo specializing in birds. They don't have the funds or need for a full time vet, so they have a vet tech on staff and one of the two vets at this clinic visits twice a week, consults, does examinations, and runs/ships off all of their labs. Also, if an animal needs to be observed or needs some emergency treatment, they go and stay at his clinic. Finally, since they are the only ones specializing in birds and one of the best with exotics, they also get a number of animals brought up from the wildlife rehab center about an hour away. They've had a number of interesting things from eagles to beavers.
So it's definitely possible! If your heart is truly set on it, I would recommend getting board certified in either exotics or avian. Zoo residency is a little more challenging and competitive, and if you get it you might as well try for zoo med.
So it's definitely possible! If your heart is truly set on it, I would recommend getting board certified in either exotics or avian. Zoo residency is a little more challenging and competitive, and if you get it you might as well try for zoo med.
