VCBE News

Come out and meet Dr. Hess, Dr. Ritchie and the rest of the VCBE staff at the New York Metro Reptile Expo at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on Sunday, September 12 from 10am till 4pm. The show is one of the largest in the Northeast with over 200 vendors and lots of scaly skinned creatures. We’ll be there, as always, to answer any questions you may have about these unique exotic pets. Visit www.reptileexpo.com for details and directions.

Going away on vacation? Who's watching your exotic pet while you're away? Please be careful about who you entrust your beloved pet to when you go out of town! Exotic pets are more difficult to take care of than dogs or cats. This past week, alone, we've had 1 bird, 1 guinea pig, and 1 gecko brought in very ill because their caretakers did not care for them properly when their owners were away. So please, if you're not confident that your pet sitter really understands exotic pet care, board your animal with us at the Center, where we truly understand the art of exotic animal care. Call the Center to reserve a boarding spot today!

Do you have a job? Well, your bird wants one, too. Wild birds spend a large portion of their time foraging for food, mates, and nesting material. This act of searching and digging stimulates them both mentally and physically by reducing boredom and increasing exercise. Captive birds rarely get the opportunity to forage as food is put right in front of them, and they often live alone in cages, bonding to their owners as “mates.” This lack of foraging may lead to boredom, feather picking, and other destructive behaviors. So how does your bird start foraging? The Veterinary Center now carries homemade foraging kits for small, medium, and large sized birds. Come into the Center today to learn more about foraging and to pick up a kit for your bird so he can start off his new foraging career!

We have a new vet! The Veterinary Center welcomes Dr. Midge Ritchie to our staff. Dr. Ritchie graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed her clinical training at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. Midge developed great technical skills with exotic pets when she worked as a veterinary technician while completing her veterinary school prerequisites at Columbia University and Hunter College. During this time, she discovered her love for birds and other exotic pets. She currently shares her home with one bird - a Triton cockatoo named Dylan - and an Eastern Box turtle named Sid, along with 3 dogs and a cat. Dr. Ritchie hopes to become a board-certified avian veterinarian and is very excited to be mentored by Dr. Hess.

Preventing medical problems before they happen - that's what we strive for in our own health care, and that's what we at the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics aim to do by educating you about how to best take care of your extraordinary exotic pets so that they can live longer, healthier, happier lives. Preventative medicine means coming to the Center at least once a year to have Dr. Hess thoroughly examine your special pet to detect any signs of illness you might miss at home. It means having your pet's stool checked annually for parasites that are potentially transmittable to you and your family. It also means learning about the latest and greatest advances in exotic pet care - from nutrition, to housing, to disease prevention - that the Center's staff strives tirelessly to keep up with every day. And for new pets and senior patients, this means performing a simple blood test that might detect an infection or life threatening illness that, if caught early, before signs of disease begin, could actually save your pet's life. Animals can carry diseases without showing any symptoms. Remember, preventative medicine is smart medicine both medically and financially. It is often less expensive to prevent a medical problem from developing than to treat that problem once it has begun. Call the Veterinary Center at (914) 864-1414 to schedule your pet's complete wellness check up today!

Did you know that reptiles need UV light to make vitamin D? UV light enables them to metabolize calcium properly to maintain healthy bones and skin. Reptiles also have specific heat and humidity requirements to maintain their body temperature and to help shedding. Additionally, reptiles should be dewormed and have a fecal test done every year to check for parasites. You can learn more about how to care for your special reptile by visiting the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics. We will show you exactly how to feed, house, and care for your pet so he stays happy and healthy.

Hay is not just for horses! It's for guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, and many other herbivores. It reduces the likelihood of dental disease by helping wear down teeth as they grow. Vitamin C is also an important part of a guinea pig's diet. Like people, guinea pigs don't make their own vitamin C, so it is important that your guinea pig is getting enough of it in their daily diet. While feeding vitamin C rich vegetables can help, vegetables cannot provide enough vitamin C alone. Guinea pigs should have supplemental vitamin C in their daily diet. To learn more about guinea pig's vitamin C and other dietary requirements, visit the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics. Proper care will help ensure a long, healthy life for your special pet.

Can you imagine what your teeth would look like if you never brushed them and never went to the dentist? Ferrets need dental care, too. Not only should you brush your ferret's teeth daily, but also you should have them checked and professionally cleaned at least once a year. Call the Veterinary Center today to schedule your ferret's dental check-up and to learn more about exotic pet care.

Let’s face it: accidents happen. Even though your bird or exotic pet may never leave your yard, it only takes one split second for him to get away. If this happens, and he has a microchip, he is much more likely to be identified and returned safely and quickly to you.

At the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics, we can place a small implant safely and relatively painlessly beneath your pet’s skin, so that if he gets away, any veterinary hospital or animal shelter can identify him with the help of a special scanner wand. When the wand is waved over your pet, the scanner reveals a number unique to your pet that will help to identify him in a computer database that also identifies you as his owner. So don’t wait – call the Center today – so that you, too, can have the peace of mind that even if your beloved pet escapes, you can get him back home where he belongs.

Pellets - what should be the staple food in all birds' diets. Studies have shown that birds eating pelleted food have more nutritionally complete diets than birds eating other foods - even combinations of table foods. While fruits and vegetables can complement a pelleted diet, they do not provide the complete nutrition that pellets do. Too often, bird owners tell us that they can't get their birds to eat pellets. Here's the solution: board your bird with us for 5 days, and we will safely get him/her converted to a pelleted diet. By weighing him/her daily and monitoring his food consumption, we will switch his/her diet over to pellets slowly so that you can maintain him/her on this improved diet at home. Call the Veterinary Center to book your bird's pellet conversion trip today.