Avian and Exotics Patient Care

Question 1

What birds are commonly seen in clinic?

Answer 1

• Parrots
• Pigeons
• Quails
• Finches
• Poultry
• Waterfowl
• Ratites

Question 2

What reptiles, chelonians and amphibians are commonly seen in clinic?

Answer 2

• Snakes and lizards
• Turtles
• Frogs

Question 3

What small mammals are commonly seen in clinic?

Answer 3

• Rodents
• Guinea pigs
• Rabbits

Question 4

What other animals are seen in clinic?

Answer 4

Any and all native wildlife animals!
Fish - Fresh water and marine

Question 5

What do you need to know for avian and exotics patient care?

Answer 5

• Husbandry: how to house (perches
  vs. hide, temperature requirements etc.)
• Nutrition: what and how to feed (carnivore vs. omnivore vs. herbivore,
  bowl eater vs. water filter feeder vs.
  whole prey item consumption etc.)
• Behaviour: Prey species? Nocturnal?
• Handling: less is more!
• Anatomy and physiology
• Common diseases and drug doses

Question 6

Role of the vet in avian and exotics patient care

Answer 6

• Routine health checks
• Vaccinations, microchipping,
  surgical sexing
• Emergency and critical care
• Surgery and anaesthesia
• Pathology and disease testing
• Dentistry
• Diagnostic imaging
• Oncology
• Neonatal care
• Wildlife care
• Grooming
• Euthanasia
• Education and research

Question 7

What is the goal of the hospital cage for avian and exotic species?

Answer 7

To provide a warm, dark and quiet environment with appropriate environmental enrichment to reduce stress, while still being easy to clean and disinfect

Question 8

Considerations for hospital stay of avian and exotic species:

Answer 8

• Keep predators away from prey!!
• Wood perches
• Cardboard box hides
• Natural forage
• Bedding and substrate options
• Food bowl options
• Provision of heat and light
• Ease of taking patient out for treatments
• Nutritional support – do you need to assisted
  feed?

Question 9

Neonatal care for avian and exotic species includes:

Answer 9

• Strict thermoregulatory
  support
• Hygiene support
• Cage and substrate need to be routinely cleaned
• Nutritional support - frequent assisted feeds. Have everything ready before feeding to minimise time out of brooder. Food must be
  warm!

Question 10

Preventative health programs for avian and exotics include:

Answer 10

• Annual health checks and blood work
• Dental examinations
• Baseline radiographs
• Vaccinations
• Reproductive techniques etc.

Question 11

Elective procedures for avian and exotics:

Answer 11

• Bandage changes and physiotherapy
• Routine dentals
• Desexing
• Microchipping or placement of Suprelorin implants
• Scissor beak correction

Question 12

Equipment used for avian and exotics:

Answer 12

The same as used for dogs and cats
- Dental machine
- Anaesthetic machine
- Monitoring equipment
- Diagnostic imaging (radiography, ultrasound, CT)
- Surgical kits
- Scopes

Question 13

Non elective procedures for avian and exotics:

Answer 13

• Trauma – fractures, soft tissue trauma etc.
• Acute illness
• Significant haemorrhaging
• Reproductive emergencies
• Airway obstruction or collapse
• Gastrointestinal foreign body
• Anything requiring immediate action to prevent collapse or death

Question 14

What is the “masking phenomenon?”

Answer 14

• Instinctual behaviour of hiding signs of illness or injury to avoid being detected by predators
• Where they suppress outward signs of sickness, often appearing outwardly healthy, until their condition is so severe that they can no longer mask their illness.