The Exotic Pet Vet Blog
You plan an exotic, or perhaps not so exotic, getaway for you and your family. Tickets are booked, hotel plans are made, then you are stuck with the question – what do I do with my beloved exotic pet? Some owners bring in a pet sitter who will come twice a day to visit, feed and clean their pet in their home. While there are benefits to having someone come to your house when you’re away, a lot can happen to your pet during the hours the sitter is not there. Another option is to bring your pet to the…
A Pig as a Pet? You bet!
Gone are the days when the word “pig” would conjure up a vision of a huge sloppy sow on a farm, rolling in mud. Today, pigs are commonly kept as…
Why birds and exotic pets need to see the veterinarian
“He’s never been sick before, so I’ve never had to bring him to a vet.” This is the answer I commonly hear from bird and exotic pet owners when I…
How do I get my bird to talk?
A bird can generally learn to speak by repeating what it hears, but it can be hard to get some birds to talk. While certain birds (African gray parrots, Amazon…
The Great Pellet Exhange for Birds
Do you own a bird that eats a lot of seed? Did you know that studies have shown that unless a bird is eating nearly 2/3 of its diet as…
Parrots, Problems, and the Power of the Positive
It happens every year. Birds scream. People scream back. As the days get longer and temperatures start to climb, the screaming gets worse. Some pet parrots scream all year long,…
Do birds make good pets?
Almost every week, I am asked whether birds make good pets, and my answer is never a simple yes or no. My answer depends on who you are, where you…
What are our birds really trying to tell us?
As a veterinarian who works only with birds and other exotic pets, I see birds for specific behavior problems, such as biting, chewing on inappropriate items, feather picking, and most…