The Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine

06/09/2025

While we are enjoying the extra Vitamin D available outdoors, not everyone is comfortable with the increases in temperature. All exotic pets can get heat stress or heat stroke, and some are particularly sensitive, including rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and certain species of reptiles and amphibians. It is critically important to have a plan for mitigating higher temperatures. Some general tips include providing shade, increasing air flow with fans, and ensuring the animal has consistent access to water. Some animals benefit from having ice in their enclosure to lick/lay against. You can also make homemade “cooling units” out of a bucket and fan; you fill the bucket with ice and then turn on the fan. These units can be made inexpensively and we have attached a Youtube link at the bottom of this post for the complete tutorial. Although these units will cool down a small room a few degrees and help increase airflow, they are not a substitute for actual air conditioning.

On the plus side, this is a great time to get many species of reptiles outside for some natural sunlight basking time! Be sure they have the ability to maintain their preferred environmental temperatures, and to give them access to shade as well.

https://youtu.be/HxSLbpAwibg

05/24/2025

🐢🐢 Are you turtle-y enough for the turtle club? We all are; it is World Turtle Day, after all! If you're thinking about bringing one of these reptiles into your home, be sure to see our guide for selecting a pet reptile: https://bit.ly/3Ipfutw

05/19/2025

Which species of animals laid these eggs?
Note: two different species are represented here, and pathology is present for some of the eggs.
Answers in photo captions and new picture of leopard tortoise radiograph added!

05/11/2025

Happy Mother’s Day!

I have always known this: my little ones didn't ask to be born, and they are involuntarily in my care. This has been true for all of us, and feels a bit... awkward.

05/10/2025

05/07/2025

It’s hairball season. Bunnies that are shedding heavily swallow some of their own hair in the process of grooming themselves. This predisposes them to formation of hairballs, which can lead to complete gastrointestinal blockages. Since rabbits can’t vomit, this is a life threatening emergency!

🚨 ***Please brush your rabbits several times a week (ideally daily!) during periods of heavy shedding to help reduce the risk of obstructions.***🚨

If your bunny develops a hairball obstruction, we can sometimes resolve the blockage medically with IV fluid support, excellent pain medications, and gastric decompression procedures (passing a tube into the stomach under heavy sedation/anesthesia to help alleviate the buildup of fluid and potentially remove small hairballs). However, some cases require emergency surgery to save the rabbit’s life.

CBEAM’s veterinarians and experienced medical team are available 24/7 to help rabbits in need of emergency care.

05/05/2025

***All pets*** deserve a knowledgeable vet who will treat them with kindness and compassion.
❤️❤️❤️🦜🦜🦜❤️❤️❤️

04/26/2025

Happy Veterinary Receptionist Week!
Veterinary receptionists have a tough job. Their compassionate care for our patients and clients provides a vital role in triage, scheduling, communication, and support. We so appreciate everything that they do! Please tell them thank you next time you see them.

04/22/2025

How would you know if a rabbit was showing pain?

Rabbits are prey species and as such don't exhibit pain in very obvious ways, but there are subtle changes we can track, especially during hospitalisation and peri operatively.

This Easter chocolate bunny shows us some signs well!

The five action units in the Rabbit Grimace Scale are:

• Orbital tightening
• Cheek flattening
• Nostril shape
• Whisker change & position
• Ear shape & position

https://nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resource-library/grimace-scales/grimace-scale-rabbit

04/22/2025

We are delighted to announce that we now have a veterinary acupuncturist at CBEAM! Dr. Hyde has been undergoing advanced training over the past year to achieve her certification as a Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA). We are so proud of her achievement and excited to be able to help our exotic animal patients in a new way. Acupuncture is useful as an adjunct therapy for many different health problems, including pain and stress management, gastrointestinal disorders, and respiratory disorders. ✨✨✨

03/06/2025

We are delighted to have Dr. Porter-Blackwell on our team of highly trained veterinarians!

02/16/2025

🦷✨ February is Pet Dental Health Month! ✨🦷

This month, we’re highlighting the importance of dental health in exotic companion mammals! From guinea pigs and rabbits to ferrets and hedgehogs, proper dental care is essential for their overall wellbeing.

Did you know? Many exotic mammals have continuously growing teeth, making them prone to overgrowth, malocclusion, and painful dental disease. Signs of dental issues can be subtle but may include:
🔹 Difficulty eating or dropping food
🔹 Weight loss
🔹 Excessive drooling
🔹 Swelling around the jaw or face

Throughout February, we’ll be sharing educational posts for veterinary professionals, technicians, and pet owners all about preventing and managing dental disease in exotic mammals. Stay tuned! 🐰🐹🦔🐾

🔍 Have a specific topic or case you’d like us to cover? Let us know in the comments!