Avian and Exotic Clinic of Monterey

06/17/2024

Getting the word out there…

05/26/2024

Good to know…

Rabbit lovers! Let's talk about pet insurance.

As many of you know, Nationwide is the only provider that will cover rabbits. We wanted to tell you about our experience with Nationwide so far in case it helps you.

On May 1st, we noticed Leia in what we thought was an episode of GI stasis and took her to our vet. They took xrays and noticed what appeared to be an enlarged liver. Fearing liver lobe torsion, they recommended we rush to UC Davis.

We did. They did an ultrasound and noticed a large cyst near her liver and bile ducts and recommended emergency exploratory surgery, which we agreed. A 10cm in diameter cyst was removed, Leia recovered well, and it is non-cancerous (it is a rare issue called biliary cystadenoma)!!

As you might imagine, this was not inexpensive. Here were our bills:
Our vet: $839.25
UC Davis: $4525.55
Total: $5364.80

We have Nationwide Whole Pet with Wellness insurance and Leia's premium is $63/month. It was a little cheaper when we had more bunnies enrolled ($25/month per rabbit). The policy will reimburse 90% after you meet a deductible ($100).

We submitted the claims on May 18th. On May 21st, we recieved notice that we would receive the following reimbursements:
$4073.00 for UC Davis
$750.15 for our vet
Total: $4823.15

The money was transferred to my bank account on May 22 (you can opt for direct deposit).

So, in the end, Nationwide reimbursed us 90% of Leia's bills quite quickly.

If you were wondering if insurance is worth it, we can say - from our experience - that it is, especially for rabbits who can rack up high nills very quickly. Even if we had put the $63/month into savings instead of insurance, it would have taken 85 months (7 years!) to save $5300.

Let us know if you have any questions about our experience.

(And we are happy to report that General Leia Organa is doing quite well after her ordeal and that Ben Solo is happy to have her home)

05/17/2024

Sometimes you gotta get it out 😹

05/14/2024

Spring is here and cute little Petal came in not feeling well. She was diagnosed with an egg yolk peritonitis or internal lay. Sometimes we can manage these medically but she was not responding to treatment and surgery was the next step. We will put a video in the comments of the surgery and of her catching a bug to prove she is ready to go home the day after surgery!

05/05/2024

See it every day, our patients are SMART!!

04/20/2024

Have a lovely weekend! 🩵

03/21/2024

Aberdeen reminding you to stay current on your Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus vaccines! We offer both the 2-dose initial vaccine and the yearly booster. Just $35 after annual exam ($65). Have questions or want to schedule? Just give us a call 831-647-1147

03/01/2024

Open wide! Here comes the airplane! ✈️

02/13/2024

Lunch time?

peesha

02/09/2024

Keep an eye out!

Our Wildlife Rescue team is currently rescuing seabirds due to the winter storms. The birds are emaciated, hypothermic, and wet. Some have oil on them due to natural oil seepage that can occur in Monterey Bay. Skilled SPCA wildlife rescue staff are providing fluids, medication, and nutrition to stabilize the birds.

If you see a seabird stranded on the beach, please safely contain the bird using a towel or blanket and a box that the bird can breathe in but not escape from. If you are unable to safely contain the bird, please stay with the bird and call us. Thank you for helping us help these wild birds in need!

01/14/2024

Surprising, I thought macaws were louder…

01/09/2024

12/19/2023

Need a last minute Christmas toy for your bird or rabbit? We’ve got some cute ones so swing in by!

12/19/2023

We received some beautiful Christmas orchids! We will be open from 8am-10am on Saturday the 23rd, closed Sunday the 24th and Christmas Day Monday the 25th. We will be open again on Tuesday the 26th. Happy holidays to all!

12/14/2023

😍

Absolutely stunningly gorgeous 🥰
Best Photo of The Day!🥰🥰❤️❤️😍😍

12/12/2023

Sometimes it seems that ways…

11/21/2023

We will be open in the morning tomorrow but then closed for Thanksgiving Wednesday afternoon and Thursday! We are open our normal hours Friday and Saturday. Have a great holiday!

11/15/2023

Keep hydrated especially when shedding and during warm weather.

Water requirements for rabbits. Stay hydrated!



More information at:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rabbits/nutrition-of-rabbits

11/14/2023

Last appointment cuteness

10/13/2023

When it's Friday the 13th and you have that creepy feeling someone is watching you 👀🦆🦆