Exotic Pets

At BCAH we have huge hearts for pocket pets!  Our doctors keep an extensive reference library, consult specialists and take Continuing Education classes to keep up with the latest exotic information.  In veterinary medicine, "exotic" animals conventionally include birds, reptiles and small mammals such as rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and ferrets.  These animals can be wonderful pets, in some cases excellent for small children, and don't require room to run.  However, they have specific husbandry and dietary needs, can carry zoonotic diseases, and when sick can be harder to diagnose and treat than cats and dogs.

Exotic species are masters at hiding their illness from their owners!  Most are prey species, and an important survival trick is to hide their injury or illness to prevent predators from targeting them.  Therefore, regular veterinary visits are important to help detect early indications of illness.  During a normal wellness visit, the staff will go over many aspects of pet care, discuss ways to detect early disease and minimize preventable illness, and share any new advances in exotic pet care that might benefit your individual pet's needs.

It is very important to understand that these animals are domesticated pet animals.  True exotic wildlife and native wildlife such as tigers, other wild cats, monkeys and wolves are not suitable as pets, and many are endangered species.  Venomous reptiles are also unsuitable as a family pet.

We see many furry and scaly creatures including rabbits, ferrets, turtles, lizards, sugar gliders, etc.  However, we do refer birds and wildlife to UT Veterinary Hospital.

Here are more cute exotic pets who have visited our clinic: