LafeberVet Schedules Webinar on Feather Destructive BehaviorJune 11, 2015Feather destructive behavior can be one of the most common and frustrating behavioral problems seen in captive psittacine birds. To learn more about this, attend LafeberVet's free, interactive, RACE-approved webinar “Feather Destructive Behavior in Psittacine Birds” on Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. ET. The presentation is worth 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that accept American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) RACE approval. Lynne Seibert, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, will review feather picking, feather chewing and self-inflicted trauma to soft tissue in parrots and their case management. Registration opens in early September. For more information, go to LafeberVet.com.
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What You Need to Know About RatsJune 5, 2015Originally published in the June 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Exotics veterinarians who regularly handle rats say there are a few common ailments that general practitioners should be on the lookout for. Skin ectoparasites (mites and lice), mammary tumors, pneumonia and upper respiratory infections are the four most common issues that Matthew S. Johnston, VMD, Dipl. ABVP (Avian), has come across in his rat patients. Specialists like Dr. Johnston, an associate professor of avian, exotic, and zoological medicine at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, say general practitioners who have rat patients should get used to seeing and dealing with these common problems. La'Toya Latney, DVM, head of exotics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital, warned that aggressive diseases seem to be commonplace among rats of all ages. “It’s pretty common for us to see respiratory diseases in them across all ages,” Dr. Latney said, adding that the bacteria Mycoplasma pulmonis is often the cause of serious secondary respiratory infections in rats. Latney, a consultant at the Brandywine Zoo in Delaware, also said rat owners tend to complain of ocular discharge, nasal discharge and sneezing. Often these pet owners indicate that their rat’s eyes or nose are bleeding. …
The Latest on Proventricular Dilatation DiseaseFebruary 6, 2015Researchers are making progress in the fight to track and treat one of the most common illnesses affecting exotic birds. Proventricular Dilatation Disease, or PDD, is the result of an avian bornavirus infection and is characterized by intestinal paralysis, which results in food becoming stuck in the bird’s proventriculus. The intestine swells, causing discomfort, and when the gut cannot absorb nutrients from the stalled food, the bird dies. Interestingly, not all birds with PDD show these symptoms, and some can live years after exposure to the virus—as many as six or seven—before developing the illness. PDD was once called Macaw Wasting Disease, as it was originally thought just to impact macaws, but we now know it can be found in parrots, finches, lovebirds, quaker parakeets, and cockatiels, as well as wild water fowl such as geese and mute swans. Scientists have made some headway in their quest to better understand the disease in the past three years. Dr. Ian Tizard, DVM, Ph.D, and director of the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center at Texas A&M University, has made PDD a career-long focus. Recent progress has provided something of a good news/bad news situation, according to Tizard. Recent projects have revolved around …
Accreditation Panel Says Oregon Zoo UnderstaffedOctober 17, 2014The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is urging the Oregon Zoo to beef up its veterinary staffing to better serve the park’s 2,000 animals. An AZA team surveyed the Portland, Ore., zoo in July in advance of an accreditation inspection scheduled for the summer of 2015. Besides looking at the zoo’s veterinary operations, AZA examined the park’s emergency response protocols, organizational structure and relationship with Metro Regional Government, the owner and operator. The Oregon Zoo employs two veterinarians, two veterinary technicians and a part-time hospital keeper—numbers that AZA called too low. “Four days per week there is only one veterinarian and one veterinary technician onsite,” AZA noted. “Vet techs also serve as part-time keepers for hospitalized animals after the animal keeper leaves for the day.” Another issue, AZA reported, is that “people are ‘stretched thin,’ which can lead to reactive versus proactive responses to procedures, preventative health and communications.” The 64-acre zoo opened a new hospital, the Veterinary Medical Center, in early 2012 and is building or planning the construction of elephant, polar bear and primate exhibits and an African savanna. The zoo is close to hiring a hospital administrator, spokesman Hova Najarian said. AZA stated that …
Veterinarian Wins High Praise for Saving GoldfishSeptember 16, 2014 George the goldfish is back in his home pond after an Australian veterinarian successfully removed a brain tumor. The 45-minute operation on an uncommon veterinary patient cost the owners a couple of hundred dollars, according to Lort Smith Animal Hospital, and brought admiration from around the world as news and photographs of the surgery went viral. “Thanks for treating fish with the respect they deserve,” one Facebook user wrote on the clinic’s page. “That might be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” another wrote. “And to those that question the use of financial resources for a goldfish, some varieties can fetch amazingly high prices. Some are treasured pets. Who are we to judge?” The International Brain Tumor Alliance weighed in as well, stating, “We have heard of dogs and cats having brain tumors removed, but this is the first time we have heard of a fish undergoing brain surgery. Way to go, George!” The doctor was Tristan Rich, BVSc, who heads exotics and wildlife medicine at the Melbourne hospital. “The fish was having trouble eating, getting around and he was getting bullied by other fish,” Dr. Rich told The Telegraph newspaper. …
Avian Vet Specialist Part IFebruary 23, 2014Take a virtual tour of vet offices, and find out how vets run their offices, ORs and more. brightcove.createExperiences(); Watch Part 2 here.
Avian Vet Specialist Part IIFebruary 22, 2014 Take a virtual tour of vet offices, and find out how vets run their offices, ORs and more. brightcove.createExperiences();
Hooked On Bunnies: An Exotics Business PlanJanuary 22, 2014 When it comes to opening a practice, many veterinarians opt either to buy an existing one or start fresh, building from the ground up. Each requires significant funds and each can lead straight to the bank to discuss financing options. Sari Kanfer, DVM, took a different approach. Two years ago she launched Exotic Animal Care Center by renting space in an existing Exotic Animal Care Center is nestled in Animal Emergency Clinic of Pasadena, giving Dr. Kanfer access to two exam rooms, cages, an X-ray machine, washer and dryer, anesthesia and other equipment. The veterinarian who owns the facility had previously rented the space to a veterinary ophthalmologist. Before opening her practice in March 2010, Dr. Kanfer worked at a veterinary hospital that cared for dogs, cats and exotics. She focused most of her time on exotics and when her clientele continued to increase—reaching nearly 90 percent of her work load—she knew it was time to move on. Kanfer’s case load at Exotic Animal Care Center comprises mostly rabbits, but she also treats guinea pigs, chinchillas, lizards, turtles, goats, pot-bellied pigs, raccoons and foxes. Kanfer’s associate, Tiffany Margolin, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, is a bird specialist, …
Teaching Clients About The Birds And The SeedsAugust 26, 2013 "Probably most pet owners still think ‘seeds’ when it comes to food for their parrots," admitted Larry Nemetz, DVM, an avian-only veterinarian in Santa Ana, Calif. "Nationwide, the pet owners who opt for a formulated diet for their birds are still in the minority." But he said the number of pet owners who are switching to a formulated diet is growing each year. Avian veterinarians generally recommend that 70 percent to 90 percent of a parrot’s diet be comprised of an extruded or pelletized formulated diet, and the remaining 30 percent to 10 percent be made up of healthy table foods, fruits and vegetables, and seeds or nuts. As veterinarians continue to get the word out about formulated diets, Dr. Nemetz believes, this type of food will become more popular. He estimates that 70 percent of his clients are feeding their birds a formulated diet. Many veterinarians across the country have made similar observations. "Pet owners are becoming more aware of the formulated diets," said Julie Burge, DVM, of Grandview, Mo. In her area, many breeders are now weaning their baby birds onto pellets and instruct new bird buyers to feed them a …
Round Up Those Pet X-raysApril 3, 2013Entries are now being accepted for the eighth year of Veterinary Practice News' “They Ate What?” x-ray contest, once again sponsored by Sound-Eklin of Carlsbad, Calif. The contest highlights the dietary indiscretions committed by veterinary clients' dogs, cats, birds, snakes, guinea pigs, cows and horses. “We're looking forward to sharing in our readers' varied X-ray experiences again this year,” said Marilyn Iturri, editor of the magazine. Entry deadline is June 30. Winners will be announced in the September 2013 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Two digital single-lens reflex cameras will be awarded as prizes. Over the past seven years, the improvement in quality of radiographs submitted to the contest is readily apparent. “The growth of digital radiography has been obvious in the entries," Iturri said. “The subjects have always been interesting, but the clarity and detail that come with digital technology have made them striking.” Entries don't have to have been made by the newer technology, but they must be submitted by email. So at the very least practitioners will need to take digital photos of their qualifying films. Email radiographs to VPNeditor@luminamedia.com. The submitter must include his or her name, the clinic …
