New Avian Health Complex Opens August 13 at Texas A&MAugust 11, 2015A new avian health complex will be formally opened Thursday, August 13, 2015, at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), which hosts one of the top avian medicine programs in the nation. The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. The new climate-controlled aviary will provide an environment for a variety of birds in various conditions, CVM officials note. Containing approximately 11,000 square feet of floor space, the state-of-the-art complex includes a functional hospital, receiving area with quarantine capabilities, three isolation rooms, a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory for infectious disease research and separate areas for infected and healthy birds, along with teaching, classroom and office space. The center conducts research into all aspects of diseases in wild and captive birds, as well as avian genetics, genomics, nutrition and behavior. The results of research at the center are already being applied to improve the health of birds kept by zoos, aviculturists and individual pet owners, as well as conserving threatened avian species in the wild, according to Texas A&M. Courtesy Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
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Tufts Veterinarians to Equip Chicken with 3D Printed LegAugust 5, 2015A surgery is taking place at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University today. It’s not a spay or neuter surgery, or even one on a dog or cat. This surgery is an amputation of a chicken’s leg. The chicken, named Cecily, is a rescue currently in the care of Andrea Martin, a chicken rescuer out of Clinton, Massachusetts. Martin could see that Cecily’s quality of life was poor, given that the bird had a deformed leg caused by a slipped tendon that never got fixed, CBS Boston reports. Martin and Cecily’s new owner decided that instead of euthanasia, amputation surgery and a prosthetic would be the better option. They are splitting the $2,500 veterinary bill, according to CBS Boston. The surgery today will be performed by avian orthopedic specialist, S. Emi Knafo, DVM. With Cecily under sedation, Dr. Knafo will amputate the chicken’s right leg and do a CT scan of her left leg, Reuters reports. The scan will be used to make a 3D-printed prosthetic leg for Cecily. According …
Ins and Outs of Bunny Rabbit Treatment and CareAugust 3, 2015Originally published in the July 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Love this article? Then subscribe today! If a rabbit hasn’t had something going in one end and out the other in as little as half a day, it’s time to get the patient in for a visit right away, said Nicole Wyre, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (avian). “They should be eating and pooping all the day,” said Dr. Wyre, who specializes in exotics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital. “If it’s been more than six to eight hours, it’s an emergency.” This may be a sign of gastrointestinal stasis and a signal that treatment is urgently needed, Wyre added. She and other veterinarians who specialize in treating rabbits said “eating and pooping” are easy and critical signs that general practitioners can cue in on. Sari Kanfer, DVM, owner of Exotic Animal Care Center in Pasadena, Calif., noted that GI stasis can range from mild cases, in which the GI tract slows down, to severe, when there is an intestinal blockage and the rabbit is hypothermic and in shock. “The cause may be stress, any …
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.
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. …
Why You Should Add Guinea Pigs to Your PracticeMay 1, 2015Tia Greenberg, DVM, chief of medicine at Westminster Veterinary Group in Westminster, Calif., said there are a few must-knows and telltale signs she recommends that practitioners keep in mind. Dr. Greenberg said most people take their guinea pigs to the veterinarian for things like appetite loss, diarrhea, scratching, hair loss or a general wellness exam. “Most veterinarians should be familiar with the basic husbandry of these animals and their common conditions, such as dental disease, skin problems, vitamin-C deficiency, gastrointestinal problems and respiratory problems,” Greenberg said. Many practitioners who specialize in treating guinea pigs keyed in on vitamin C as something to keep an eye on. Guinea pigs cannot produce their own vitamin C and require 10 to 30 mg/kg daily to prevent scurvy, according to Guinea Lynx, an online medical care guide for guinea pigs. Neurologic signs secondary to vitamin-C deficiency are a list-topper for Susan Kelleher, DVM, star of “Dr. K’s Animal ER” on the Nat Geo Wild cable channel. Also on her list: decreased appetite, skin problems and respiratory tract infections. Decreased appetite, or not eating at all, can be due to dental problems or systemic illness, said Kelleher, who owns Broward Avian and Exotic Animal …
Why You Should Bring in FerretsMarch 4, 2015Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News The males are known as hobs, females are jills and a group of them is known as a business. Did you also know they love to perform the “weasel war dance”? These are just a few factoids exotic veterinary practitioners wish general practitioners knew about ferrets. Estimates of the number of ferrets owned in the U.S. vary widely. But as of a 2011 survey, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 748,000 are owned. Only a handful of veterinarians have experience in treating them medically. Exotics experts said that most veterinary students get minimal instruction on ferrets, specifically, but practitioners shouldn’t shy away from taking an interest in accepting these playful, curious creatures as patients. Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal and Feline Practices), in Saco, Maine, has been treating ferrets for 20 years. “I love their ‘can’t get me down’ attitudes. There is nothing in the world that can make me smile faster than a 'war-dancing’ ferret,” she said, referring to the frenzied series of sideways hops they perform when excited and playful. “They are also interesting challenges from a medical perspective, and really make …
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 …
For Kangaroo Health, WesternU Springs Into ActionOctober 17, 2014It’s not every day that a kangaroo shows up at a Southern California veterinary clinic. Western University of Health Sciences admitted two marsupials Oct. 8 upon the request of alumnus Brad Ahrens, DVM, who works part time for an animal talent agency. The two red kangaroos, named Lenny and Captain, required neuter surgery for safety reasons. Male red kangaroos can reach 200 pounds in the wild. “You need to neuter them while they’re still young,” Dr. Ahrens said. “Otherwise they grow up to be really big and can become aggressive.” Lenny and Captain, ages 2 and 3, came from Birds & Animals Unlimited, an Acton, Calif., company that supplies animals for film and television work and for shows at Universal Studios Hollywood. The company lacks a surgery suite, so Ahrens used his connections to get Lenny and Captain into the WesternU Pet Wellness Center in Pomona. The surgeries were conducted by Professor Maria Fahie, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, with help from Ahrens and associate professor David Clark, DVM. Veterinary students used to handling dogs and cats were introduced to a totally different animal. “Getting faculty and students engaged in learning on species they wouldn’t normally see while providing …
