Exotic Pet Clinic of Santa Cruz

11/13/2024

What do you call a snake that builds things?

A boa constructor!
We would love to hear your good (and bad) snake jokes 🙃

11/05/2024

Thyroid cancers are not uncommon in guinea pigs. They can show up on xrays with mineralization.

11/01/2024

Happy Halloween!

10/07/2024

What happens when animals board here? They get their photo taken! This cutie is silently observing us and all the other creatures coming through.

10/03/2024

We were closed for a week in August so that Dr. Deng and Dr. Stern could attend the annual conference of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians in New Orleans. Continuing education is essential, as our clinic sees hundreds of different species on a regular basis. Plus, they met some larger cousins of the pet lizards that we see!

09/30/2024

Fun photos from the Bay Area Pignic (and costume contest)! We had a great time hanging with all the piggies.

09/28/2024

09/25/2024

Darwin the African grey parrot is lowering his head to get some head scritches! Bird eye irises are controlled by skeletal muscle which means that birds can dilate and constrict their pupils voluntarily!

09/24/2024

Xanthomas are masses composed of cholesterol, fat, and scar tissue. They are commonly seen in cockatiels on a high fat (seed) diet. Small xanthomas can sometimes resolve after the diet is improved, but larger ones like this usually require amputation of the wing tip.

08/11/2024

No, it's not a feather duster!

08/09/2024

Glaucoma occurs when the eye overfills with fluid and becomes enlarged. This in turn leads to a cloudy cornea, blindness, and pain. If you seen any of these symptoms in your pet is it time for a trip to the vet!

08/05/2024

Feeding an injured baby bunny ❤

07/29/2024

Chinchillas can overheat very quickly! Make sure to keep your little one cool this summer.

07/29/2024

Skink snuggling

07/27/2024

Small asymptomatic ovarian cysts are common in guinea pigs. This little piggie however had a HUGE cyst on her left o***y that filled most of her abdomen! It was so big we drained off 200 mL of fluid before removing it. After surgery she was 20% lighter and very hungry! ❤

07/23/2024

Chickens will sometimes eat indigestible materials such as wood shavings, feathers, newspaper, or long pieces of straw. When this happens the material can create a firm ball in the crop that needs to be removed surgically.
This hen had a large ball of goat hair in her crop that we removed today. Why she felt the need to eat so much goat hair is a mystery!

07/18/2024

When tortoises don't feel well they often stop eating, which makes them even sicker. A feeding tube allows the tortoise's caretaker to give him the food and medications he needs to feel better. Once the tortoise starts eating on his own the feeding tube is removed.