Birdhouse Mobile Exotic Vet

11/10/2024

08/10/2024

We are here for you, WNC! We will be seeing urgent appointments in the Asheville area for birds and reptiles this week. You can schedule online via our website. Please leave detailed notes regarding your pet and their condition. We will return to routine care as soon as we are able as our area steadily rebuilds.

We will continue to operate on our usual business days of Wednesday and Friday. If you have an after hours emergency, please refer to these options:

Veterinary Emergency Group, 24hr, (828) 470-7802
📍1856 Hendersonville Rd Suite F, Asheville, NC 28803

Carolina Veterinary Specialists, 24hr, (704) 949-1100
📍12117 Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078

UT Veterinary Medical Center, 24hr, (865) 974-8387
📍2407 River Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996

Note: Please call ahead

02/10/2024

Free ice is currently available at the Home Depot (795 Fairview Road) until supplies run out. Ice is available in 7lb bags. This was an unexpected large donation that the City is unable to store.

30/09/2024

We are truly blessed to be safe and also heartbroken at the damage this hurricane brought to our community. We will resume appointments as soon as possible and for non-urgent needs you are welcome to use our booking link.

FOR URGENT & EMERGENCY AVIAN & EXOTIC NEEDS: please reach out to Carolina Vet Specialists in Huntersville (704) 949-1100, University of Tennessee in Knoxville (865) 974-8387, or Veterinary Emergency Group of Greenville, SC (864) 252-9520. If you are a current client of ours, please send us a text first so that we can send over a referral, if possible!

26/09/2024

Gut loading is often overlooked but so important to providing optimal nutrition for your insectivorous reptiles!

Have you already checked the latest issue of the Journal of H**petological Medicine and Surgery? You can read this article in BioOne (https://bioone.org/) and the access is included in your ARAV membership!

Dubia roaches, commonly fed to captive reptiles, naturally have an inverse calcium-to-phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio, which can lead to nutritional imbalances like secondary hyperparathyroidism. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional content of these roaches and whether a high-calcium gut-loading diet could improve their Ca:P ratio. Roaches were divided into control and experimental groups, gut-loaded with a commercial diet for 12, 24, and 48 hours. Results showed that all experimental groups had a significantly improved Ca:P ratio compared to baseline, confirming that gut-loading dubia roaches with a high-calcium diet can provide a suitable Ca:P ratio for reptiles.

Title: Plasma Dubia Roaches (Blaptica dubia): Food for Insectivores Made Better by Gut Loading with a High Calcium Commercial Diet
Authors: Elise Barras; Kimberly Boykin; Graciela Aguilar; Zoey Lex; Amy Bitter; Mark A. Mitchell

18/09/2024

Happy National Pet Bird Day! 🦜🎉 Today, let's celebrate our pet birds for their beauty, intelligence, and companionship. Whether you're a proud parakeet parent, a cockatiel caregiver, a macaw magician, or a chicken chaperone, we're here to help your winged wonders thrive. Share your favorite bird photos and stories in the comments!

10/09/2024

🧠🦜 Check out this upcoming symposium at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine & Veterinary Hospital on October 5th and 6th. Saturday, October 5th is open to bird owners and will feature Dr. Pepperberg, PhD (of The Alex Foundation) and Dr. Hooimeijer, DVM.

Our assistant, Delilah, is attending and we hope to see you there for a wonderful opportunity to dive into cognition and behavior of our parrot companions!

https://cvm.ncsu.edu/nc-state-cvm-parrot-cognition-and-behavior-symposium/

25/08/2024

Pet loss is a difficult process and is often unseen and misunderstood. It's incredible how such small creatures can take up such a large part of our hearts.

If you've suffered pet loss recently or in the past, University of Tennessee is hosting a Pet Memorial Celebration through their Center for Veterinary Social Work on September 8th from 2-4p. Through the link, there are options to attend in person or to share photos and stories about your pet.

tiny.utk.edu/PetMemorialDay

01/08/2024

Important Update: UVB Lighting Ban featuring Thomas Griffiths.
Please review if you have reptiles (or birds) with UV lights!

Are reptile heat bulbs banned? Can you still buy reptile heat lamps? Why are reptile heat bulbs banned? All of these questions are discussed and answered in ...

28/06/2024

💛 Keep an eye out for Frybread 💛

17/06/2024

Attention those who care about Reptile welfare (AND birds- this will affect some UV lights made for birds!) please read and write your legislators!

(Copied from Reptile Lighting)
Light Bulb Ban
Read more information with contact details at https://usark.org/24doe/.

In 2022, the Department of Energy (“Department”) passed a regulation that banned certain incandescent light bulbs. Basically, light bulbs are deemed inefficient if they do not emit a certain amount of lumens per watt. This was meant to transition from less efficient bulbs to more efficient lighting, like LED bulbs.
Reptile lighting is a specialty item and is not used for general-purpose lighting in homes and businesses. However, certain bulbs were reviewed solely on how many lumens they produced per watt. H**p keepers know that halogen and basking bulbs are not used in household lamps for general lighting.

Reptile (and bird) lighting is a specialty item and is not used for general-purpose lighting in homes and businesses. However, certain bulbs were reviewed solely on how many lumens they produced per watt. H**p keepers know that halogen and basking bulbs are not used in household lamps for general lighting.
At least one lighting manufacturer has been sharing valuable data with the Department, and changes to this ban are being sought. The Department shows promising signs of being reasonable regarding the concerns expressed with its openness to communications from lighting manufacturers and experts such as veterinarians, zookeepers, and professional h**petologists. The Department’s willingness to engage with stakeholders is welcome and appreciated. A review has been requested, and we remain hopeful that reason will prevail.
While most specialty lighting for reptiles and amphibians has not been included in this ban, many commonly used bulbs have been, including the list below. Bulbs similar to those below, no matter the company, fall under this ban and will be pulled from the market if the Department does not change its standing.
An effort to reverse this decision seems to be moving positively with the Department. Currently, we are encouraging legitimate experts and concerned h**p keepers to contact the Department. Experts, please send any data supporting the need for the types of bulbs below for animal welfare and sound husbandry. The Department needs to be provided with information.
Remember to be civil and professional! Acting otherwise will only hurt our cause. You can provide science and input about your animal welfare concerns to this email address: [email protected]
List of bulbs currently subject to the ban by the Department (some, but possibly not all):

basking spot lamps under 125W
daylight bulbs under 125W
halogen lamps under 125W
UVB compact fluorescent lamps
UVA compact fluorescent lamps

Below is a basic sample message.
Please edit it and feel free to expand. Be polite! You can easily edit to include other concerns, such as if you own birds.

email address: [email protected]
Department of Energy,
As a responsible reptile owner, I am very troubled after learning that specialty light bulbs that I use to keep my pets healthy will be banned. The ban on certain basking, heat, and UVA/UVB bulbs will create extreme animal welfare issues. Pet reptiles and birds, animals in zoos and conservation programs, and many others will suffer. Please listen to the experts who have contacted you regarding this issue. These bulbs are not used for general lighting and are needed to keep most reptiles healthy. Several million American homes have pet reptiles.
I support and appreciate the Department’s work to improve our energy efficiency and help the environment. These bulbs for reptiles should not be included in the ban or considered GSLs, as they are used only for specialized applications and not for everyday lighting applications. I ask that you do what is right for the animals and for good American pet owners by exempting these specialty light bulbs. Have a good day.
YOUR NAME
(If you are a professional in an animal-related field, please include your job or professional title. This includes veterinarians, biologists, zookeepers, researchers, professors/teachers, h**petologists, conservationists, etc.)

Here's a link to our Buncombe County house representative, Chuck Edwards. An email can be sent from the link.
https://edwards.house.gov/contact

13/06/2024

VERY important notice for reptile welfare. Copied and pasted:
🥺
CALLING ALL REPTILE KEEPERS IN THE USA: VITALLY IMPORTANT NEWS
– DO NOT MISS THIS!!!
BASKING LAMPS ARE ABOUT TO BE BANNED FROM SALE ACROSS THE WHOLE OF THE USA! This is for real. It’s not a scam, it’s not scaremongering.
PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND READ THIS FILE to find out what’s happening and what YOU can do about it.
THEN SHARE THIS FILE FAR AND WIDE!
Let's make waves.... and we may even be able to turn the tide.

05/05/2024

Are you aware that Western North Carolina holds the distinction of being the global epicenter for salamander diversity?

It’s also interesting that they do bask for periods of time. Are you providing all you should for your h**ptile? Let us help!

22/04/2024

"Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference." - Jane Goodall

Happy Earth Day!! How are you celebrating our planet today?

🌎🌱🦋



🎨 Art by Mother Clucker's Microsanctuary

30/03/2024

🌿🦜 Next weekend in Asheville! Don't miss this awesome opportunity to learn more about your avian companions. Our assistant, Delilah, will be there -- so be sure to say hi 😊

We are a week out from day 1 of our 7th Biennial Wellness Retreat! We officially have our schedule and are so very excited to share it with you too.

It's definitely not too late to register and we'd love to have you come learn with us.

https://www.phoenixlanding.org/retreat.html

02/03/2024

Thank you, Anissa, for your kind words and for being an amazing chicken caregiver ❤️