Exotic Vet Support

09/08/2024

miDOGtest are hosting this exciting free webinar presented by the brilliant Dr Joerg Mayer. Exotic Vet Support has been kindly asked to Co-host.

Join us on August 21 at 1:30 PM PST (August 22nd at 6:30am for us located in Sydney) for an eye-opening lecture on "NGS in the Beehive: How a New Technology Opens the Doors to Old Problems."

Dr. Jörg Mayer (DVM, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM, MS) will explore the groundbreaking applications of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) in veterinary diagnostics, providing invaluable insights into how this technology can transform your practice.

Key Topics Covered:
- Advanced Veterinary Diagnostics
- Revolutionary Applications of NGS
- Enhancing Veterinary Knowledge

Why Attend?
- Stay ahead in the field of veterinary medicine
- Gain cutting-edge knowledge from an expert
- Network with professionals in the industry

Hosted By:
- MiDOG Animal Diagnostics
- Southern California Veterinary Medical Association
- Exotic Vet Support
- University of Georgia

As always I promote self learning and development in this constantly developing industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your expertise and stay at the forefront of veterinary diagnostics!

Ensure your place in this essential lecture to advance your veterinary practice with the latest NGS technology!

18/07/2024

This month’s webinar in the Exotic Vet Support: LIVE program is:

Reproductive Disease in Reptilians

* Common reproductive conditions
* Diagnostic investigation options
* Supportive care
* Medical management
* Surgical cases

This webinar is suitable for veterinarians, nurses and students.

As always we are offering 2 dates for this session (Thursday evening and Saturday morning AEST) for flexible viewing and to allow more of you to be involved. Please follow this link and sign up to your preferred date / time.

www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event

I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you to this month’s sponsors for supporting this webinar:
- VSOS (https://vsos.com.au)
- Harrison’s Bird Foods (www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com)

15/07/2024

**CALLING FOR SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS**

After the successful launch of the Exotic Vet Support Asia Pacific Conference last year we are preparing for an even bigger event for 2025. We have two keynote speakers:
Dr Nicola Di Girolamo travelling from Cornell University, New York, and Dr Charly Pignon from Alfort National Veterinary School, Paris.

We have two fantastic guest speakers: Dr Izidora Sladakovic and Dr Alex Rosenwax both from Australia. We also have our very own Dr Dean Felkler to complete the line-up.

We are looking for sponsors to support this growing event and for exhibitors to showcase their services and products at the conference.

If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the EVSAP 2025 conference please contact us at [email protected] for more information.

18/06/2024

I have been kindly invited by Boehringer Ingelheim to perform a Live webinar on pain manageemnt in exotic species.

Follow the below link to register for the highly informative webinar:
animalhealthacademy.com.au/events/register/?evtid=1469

Pain can sometimes be difficult to recognise in exotic species. It can also be difficult to determine which medication and at what dose provides suitable analgesia in the wide number of exotic species that the veterinarian may be presented with. This webinar by Dr Dean Felkler will discuss the challenges veterinarians encounter when treating painful conditions in exotic species and will discuss pain management options for both medical and surgically treated conditions.

06/06/2024

For many years avian nutrition has been understated in veterinary treatment plans. In recent years more pet bird owners and vets alike are understanding the importance of correct nutrition for overall health along with preventing disease and malnutrition. Hypovitaminosis A is frequenly see in seed fed birds and this can predispose them to certain conditions such as bacterial infections of the respiratory system.

Manufacturers such as Harrison’s Bird Foods produce premium food items for our feathered friends. Here we are using crushed HBFs Power Treats mixed with water to encourage our inpatient Sky to start eating again after recovering from a severe respiratory infection. As you can see, she loves it and is moving onto the High Potency Super Fine nuggets at home. Conversion from a seed based diet can take a few weeks, however, as you can see, Sky immediately loved this tasty treat!

We are so happy with Sky’s recovery and she has now been discharged from hospital to her family.

04/06/2024

Following on from last month’s successful webinar, the second in this series hosted by Exotic Vet Support: LIVE is:

Supportive Care for Exotic Mammals

- Patient handling
- Blood collection in different species
- Placing intravenous catheters
- Analgesia
- Fluid therapy
- Supportive feeding
- Nasogastric tube placement

This webinar is suitable for veterinarians, nurses and students.

We are offering 2 dates for this session (Thursday evening and Saturday morning AEST) for flexible viewing and to allow more of you to be involved. Please follow this link and sign up to your preferred date / time.

www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event

I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you to this month’s sponsors for supporting this webinar:
- VSOS (https://vsos.com.au)
- Harrison’s Bird Foods (www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com)
- Veterinary Nutrition Solutions (www.vetnutritionsolutions.com.au)

29/05/2024

Necrotic stomatitis can be detected on a clinical exam by observing inflammation and/or oral lesions / infection in reptile species.

Inappropriate husbandry, immunosuppression and trauma can predispose to the formation of stomatitis. Early or mild cases can be superficial while more advanced disease can lead to oesteomyelitis and spread to secondary infections to the lower airways.

Although bacterial infection is the most frequent cause, mycotic and parasitic pathogens have been identified as primary causes. Certain viral pathogens (e.g. Herpesvirus, Ranavirus, Nidovirus) have also been shown to be primary infectious agents.

Treatment should consist of analgesia and supportive care measures along with appropriate debridement and culture/sensitivity-guided antibiotic therapy. Topical flushing and cleaning with antiseptic solutions can also help manage infections.

Diagnostic investigations (blood work and imaging) should also be performed to determine the extent of the disease and the overall health of the patient.

10/05/2024

Exotic Vet Support: LIVE is finally here!

We are kicking off the series with:

Getting Comfortable with Basic Reptile Procedures

* Patient handling
* Injection site locations
* Blood collection in different species
* Radiographic positioning
* Trans-tracheal / lung washes
* Placing intravenous and intraosseous catheters
* Fluid therapy
* Oesophagostomy tube placement

We are offering 2 dates for this session (Thursday evening and Saturday morning AEST) for flexible viewing and to allow more of you to be involved. Please follow this link and sign up to your preferred date / time.

www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event

I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you VSOS and Harrison’s Bird Foods for supporting another of our events!

06/05/2024

Great care should be taken when crop feeding birds. They have a large tracheal diameter which the gavage tube can easily accidently enter causing a fatal outcome. This cockatoo in the cover photo with facial trauma nicely displays the large opening to the glottis located at the base of the tongue. Ensure you pass the gavage tube over the top of this to avoid accidental placement of critical care feed into the lungs.

Other factors that need to be taken into consideration is ensuring the critical care formula is not too hot as this can cause crop burns. This 2nd cockatoo is an example of a crop burn which needed surgical debridement of the necrotic tissue and sutures to close.

The EVS Academy has demonstration videos of clinical techniques which can be accessed from the Mentoring Service or the Education Package. To see how to safely perform crop feeding in a variety of different size birds sign up for one of these subscription services at: www.exoticvetsupport.com

24/04/2024

COMING SOON:

For those who are looking to get involved in online exotic animal learning, Exotic Vet Support is soon to be launching EVS: LIVE for a convenient way to improve your knowledge and topical discussions.

We are offering 2 dates per session (weekday evening and weekend morning) for flexible viewing and to allow more of you to be involved.

Upcoming live webinars include:
- Reptile Infectious Diseases Seen in Clinical Practice
- The Benefits of Appropriate Nutrition and UV Lighting in Psittacines
- Supportive Care for Exotic Mammals
- The Exotic Friendly Hospital

Looking forward to seeing many of you there.

22/04/2024

Rabbits frequently develop facial abscesses. These require diagnostic investigations to determine the extent, severity and nature of the disease. They will require surgical intervention to clear out the pus and debride necrotic tissue. This is used in combination with antibiosis, analgesia and supportive care. Following surgery, flushing of the surgical site is often utilised with antiseptic solutions or saline. Care must be taken to not soak the patients fur.

We use rabbit bibs to prevent fluids and debris from being flushed onto the patient.

Try this next time a rabbit patient needs post-surgical abscess flushing.

17/04/2024

I’m excited to be promoting reptile medicine and surgery on another stage. Attending international conferences is a great way to improve your knowledge and network with other veterinarians in your field of work. The Joint ARAV / AEMV Conference in New Orleans is coming up. I encourage those who can attend to go and make use of these great events.

I am lecturing on “Fundamentals of Peri-Surgical Care in Reptiles” at 2:30pm on Sunday 24th August. I hope to see many of you there.

02/04/2024

Rabbits display pain in various ways including a hunched posture, closed eyes and head down appearance as well as the usual anorexia, poor faecal production and lethargy.

This rabbit was presented for severe myiasis (flystrike). Owners should be warned about myiasis, especially in the hotter months of the year. Twice daily bottom checks should be performed to ensure good hygiene and no signs of flies, fly eggs on the fur or the presence of maggots. Urine scalding, diarrhoea, obesity and arthritis are all contributors to myiasis. Outdoor rabbits are also at higher risk due to them being more accessible to flies. Outdoor rabbits are also at higher risk of fatal viruses (Myxomatosis, RHDV) and should be vaccinated where possible.

You can see the severity of the maggot infestation in this patient. These rabbits should be provided analgesia and other supportive care measures. Clipping the fur allows more thorough cleaning and removal of maggots.

This rabbit responded very well to treatment and went home in a much more comfortable condition.

He was very lucky that the owner brought him in for medical attention as unfortunately, myiasis can be a fatal condition.

21/03/2024

Dental extractions in rabbits can sometimes be challenging. They have long reserve crowns (dental roots) embedded into fragile jaws bones, all within a small oral cavity. Care must be taken to ensure the entire crown and reserve crown are extracted. Tooth fracture or incomplete removal can cause persistent pain and potential crown regrowth.

That dreaded “click” sound when performing a dental extraction happens to us all at times. If a dental fracture is caused during an extraction don’t panic it isn't game over. There are ways to still retrieve the entire reserve crown. Here I use a 2.7mm 30 degree rigid endoscope to visualise the remaining reserve crown in a rabbit maxilla premolar extraction. This can be loosened up (as shown) and extracted still using an intraoral approach.

Leo seems much more comfortable post-dental. He prefers to eat voluntarily rather than being support fed (as shown by his syringe food beard). Well done Leo - always a pleasure seeing you.

07/03/2024

Placing an intraosseous (IO) catheter is a simple and fast method to supply effective fluid therapy to small or collapsed exotic animal patients. Appropriate analgesia and sedation should be given to these patients to maintain our high level of care. Correct placement should be confirmed using orthogonal radiographic views. As long bones are highly vascularised, bone marrow or blood may be aspirated to also indicate correct placement as shown in this image with a rankin’s dragon (Pogona henrylawsoni) showing off her tibial IO catheter.

Let me know what other methods can be used to indicate correct IO catheter placement?

03/03/2024

We had an absolute blast at the 1st EVSAP Conference in Sydney! Meeting so many passionate veterinarians, nurses, and students who share our love for animals was fantastic. We had a great time sharing our knowledge and experiences and learning from others, too. The energy in the room was fantastic, and we left feeling inspired and motivated to continue improving the veterinary care of exotic animals. We can’t wait for the EVSAP Conference 2025 and all the exciting things it has in store. Hope to see you there!
Thank you to Harrison's Bird Foods, Veterinary Specialists of Sydney and VetCT for sponsoring the event!

18/02/2024

Last 24 hours until ticket sales close for the Exotic Vet Support Asia Pacific 2024 Conference!

This is your final chance to grab last minute tickets for this rare opportunity to join Dr Zoltan and Dr Dean for this unique learning experience in exotic animal medicine and surgery. There will be detailed lectures in highly requested areas, practically relevant case studies and the chance to network with international veterinary professionals. We highly encourage discussion to create the best learning environment for all attendees.

Tickets can be purchased at www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event .

The event is proudly sponsored and supported by Harrisons Bird Food’s, VetCT and Veterinary Specialists of Sydney.

We look forward to seeing you there!

16/02/2024

Diagnostic imaging should be included in an investigation for a complete evaluation of the exotic animal patient. The physical examination, although essential, has its limitations. Imaging modalities and other diagnostic testing (such as haematology and biochemistry) should be used as an extension of this physical exam to fully assess the health of the patient, and determine if disease processes are present and to what extent.

It was another busy end to the week at VSOS, with a packed day of diagnostic investigations and treatments. Here we show a coelomic ultrasound scan of a Children's Python, 6-months after a liver tumour resection surgery. We were happy to confirm no local regrowth of the hepatic carcinomas had occurred.

Also, 2 back-to-back CT scans (and blood testing) of a Green Cheek Conure and a beautiful Sun Conure to accurately evaluate subtle lesions in both. Magnification loupes with a light source make injecting IV contrast (off the needle) or blood sampling from small veins in these low light conditions much easier.

13/02/2024

Only 7 more days until ticket sales close for the Exotic Vet Support Asia Pacific 2024 Conference!

This is your final chance to grab last minute tickets for this rare opportunity to join Dr Zoltan and Dr Dean for this unique learning experience in exotic animal medicine and surgery. There will be detailed lectures in highly requested areas, practically relevant case studies and the chance to network with international veterinary professionals. We highly encourage discussion to create the best learning environment for all attendees.

Tickets can be purchased at www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event .

The event is proudly sponsored and supported by Harrisons Bird Food’s, VetCT and Veterinary Specialists of Sydney.

We look forward to seeing you there!

24/01/2024

The Exotic Vet Support Asia Pacific 2024 Conference countdown is upon us. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to join Dr Zoltan and Dr Dean for this unique learning experience in exotic animal medicine and surgery. There will be detailed lectures in highly requested areas, practically relevant case studies and the chance to network with international veterinary professionals. We highly encourage discussion to create the best learning environment for all attendees.

Tickets can be purchased at www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event .

The event is proudly sponsored and supported by Harrisons Bird Food’s, VetCT and Veterinary Specialists of Sydney.

We look forward to seeing you there!

27/12/2023

Start the New Year off by treating yourself to some self-development. CPD is not only a requirement for veterinary practitioners but also expanding your knowledge and improving your skills contribute towards your job satisfaction and can be reflected in your patient care.

The Early Bird offer for the Exotic Vet Support Asia Pacific 2024 conference runs out in 4 days

This will be a great learning experience as well as a wonderful opportunity to connect with international exotic animal vets, nurses and students. The aim is to provide knowledge and discussion in a variety of practically applicable topics that have been highly requested including critical care, imaging, anaesthesia and surgery.

Tickets can be purchased at www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event .

The event is proudly sponsored and supported by Harrisons Bird Food’s, VetCT and Veterinary Specialists of Sydney.

We look forward to seeing you there!

15/12/2023

Quick - Don’t miss out on the Early Bird Special offer! Only 2 weeks remain! 🏃🏻‍♂️💨

For exotic animal veterinarians, nurses and students. The EVSAP Conference on 1st-2nd March is fast approaching.

Here is a preview of the avian topics to be covered. There was overwhelming feedback for these lectures so I hope you find them exceptionally useful and informative.

For more information and to register for the conference please visit: www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event

We look forward to seeing you there!

11/12/2023

Exotic Vet Support sponsors the exotics stream for the Webinar Vet. We enjoy working together to help promote education in the exotic animal field and to get the very best content out. I am presenting a webinar that discusses 3 common conditions we see in clinical practice with rabbits this week. Don’t worry this will not be another gut stasis lecture.

I enjoy open discussion so welcome any questions you may have after the webinar. I look forward to seeing you there!

This webinar will be presented live at 8pm Weds 13th for those in the UK but 7am Thursday 14th for us in Sydney! I hope you enjoy it.

Tune in on 13th December 2023 from 8pm GMT for this exciting free CPD/CE webinar with Dr. Dean Felkler! 🐰

Dr Dean will discuss three conditions in rabbit medicine and surgery that are commonly seen in exotic animal practice.

He will give an overview of the physical examination of a rabbit, and what to pay specific attention to. With the three conditions, there will be a discussion about the disease, clinical signs, diagnostic investigations, treatment options and how to prevent the recurrence of the disease. 🐇

Save your seat now via our website! 🔗 https://ow.ly/V1VP50Qh2jc

Brought to you by Exotic Vet Support.

07/12/2023

For exotic animal veterinarians, nurses and students. The EVSAP Conference on 1st-2nd March is fast approaching. Don’t miss out on the Early Bird offer that runs to the end of December.

Here is a preview of the exotic mammal topics to be covered. There was overwhelming feedback for these lectures so I hope you find them exceptionally useful and informative.

For more information and to register for the conference please visit: www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event

We look forward to seeing you there!

06/12/2023

Introducing Batman (on the Left) a 1.5yr male caique that was presented with bilateral periocular swelling with associated clear discharge (see last photo). His dedicated owners allowed us to perform a thorough diagnostic investigation that included CBC / biochemistry, CT scan, nasal flush for cultures and cytology.

His diet consisted of a seed based diet along with fresh fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, seed based diets can lead to some nutritional deficiencies including Vitaminosis A which can increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.

A bacterial sinusitis was confirmed on the diagnostic tests. The CT scan shows in the dorsal and transverse views there is bilateral increased soft tissue attenuating material (green arrows) within the infraorbital sinus (right>left) as reported by VetCT.

After medical management (antibiosis, NSAIDs, vitamin supplementation) and the owners converting him from the seed onto a pelleted-based diet (Harrisons Bird Foods) Batman showed a great improvement. The swelling is already vastly reduced and he is more active and happy in himself.

Batman has a wonderful personality and was a total pleasure to treat. I am very happy he is doing so well.

01/12/2023

Pinot is a 10 week old African Grey Parrot that came in for a routine health check. It is generally recommended to provide a health check in new birds. This allows the detection of congenital abnormalities and to check for other signs of disease. These health checks also provide the opportunity to have a conversation with owners to ensure husbandry is to a high standard - Important topics to cover are diet, UV-B, enrichment and training. If suitable, this consult also provides and allows for viral, psittacosis and faecal testing.

I couldn’t resist a photo with such a cute bird (ignore the hair - it was the end of a long week!)

30/11/2023

For exotic animal veterinarians, nurses and students I hope you are looking forward to the EVSAP Conference on 1st-2nd March. Here is a preview of the reptile topics to be covered. There was overwhelming feedback for these lectures so I hope you find them exceptionally useful and informative.

For more information and to register for the conference please visit: www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event

We look forward to seeing you there!

29/11/2023

Here is a brilliant opportunity to learn about the use of CT in exotic animal medicine. I have been invited to host this webinar with Dr David Reese, a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and Managing Director of VetCT (Asia Pacific). This will be a great webinar with some very interesting points of discussion.

This webinar is open to veterinarians, nurses and students. Attendees will also receive an exclusive discount for the up-and-coming Exotic Vet Support Asia-Pacific (EVSAP) Conference 1st-2nd March 2024 in Sydney.

To read more about the webinar on VetClick News see the following link:
www.vetclick.com/news/webinar-to-highlight-the-clinical-relevance-of-x-ray-versus-ct-imaging-for-exotics-p10368.php

To register for the webinar:
https://vetct.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_i_8KgMbPSeGZ-i7AbxaDqw #/registration

To register for the EVSAP conference follow this link:
www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event/exotic-vet-support-asia-pacific-conference-evsap

28/11/2023

I’m sure you have seen that tortoises can bulldoze their way through most things. This is even more apparent in the larger species such as Sulcata and Aldabra tortoises. They can also withdraw their legs and trap objects that can cause self trauma and stress especially when they do not let go.

Here we have a Sulcata tortoise that has managed to get hold of a cooking pan. The owner unscrewed the handle from the rest of the pan and brought in to see me.

I am curious to see how you would approach this situation. Feel free to comment or DM me to let me know your thoughts!

24/11/2023

The Exotic Vet Support Asia Pacific Conference will be held in the spectacular Swissôtel on 1st - 2nd March 2024. For more details see the conference page:

www.exoticvetsupport.com/en/event/exotic-vet-support-asia-pacific-conference-evsap

For exclusive discounts for your stay at the Swissôtel for the EVSAP Conference 2024 copy the following URL link:

https://businesstravel.accor.com/booking/advanced-search/index.en.shtml?identification.reserverType=SC&identification.reserverId=SCP4280645&identification.reserverContract=EX757AU125