Joerg Mayer, DVM, DABVP, MSC

Major indications: Radiology is one of the most important diagnostic exam methods in birds. It is extremely well suited due to the poor specificity of disease symptoms a sick bird shows and especially due to the presence of the airsacs in the coelomic cavity. The air in the body and around the organs is a great contrast material.

In order to use antimicrobial drugs in exotic patients effectively, one has to understand both the basic pharmacokinetics of these drugs, as well as certain key physiological features of the species being treated (e.g. a poikilotherm animal vs. a homeotherm). One mayor problem in the use of antimicrobial drugs approved for dogs and cats in exotic species, is the fact that there is little clinical data available on the use of these drugs in exotic patients.

The ventral abdominal vein is located directly on the ventral midline and can be accidentally incised when a midline incision is used.

Treatments based on evidence that they will actually have a significant chance to improve the patients' condition without causing excessive detrimental effects are the gold standard in human medicine. In veterinary medicine we tend to look towards these standards to improve our practice and ultimately to provide the best possible care for our patients.

While the ferret is not considered to be a particularly exotic pet and in general its clinical medicine is very similar to feline clinical medicine, the interpretation of the ferret chemistry profile deserves special attention as there can be several pitfalls if ferret profiles are interpreted by comparing with cat or dog normal values.

While standard radiographic and ultrasound imaging techniques are common diagnostic tools in exotic animal medicine, the use of more advanced imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) currently appear to be underutilized for exotic patients.

The pathophysiology of adrenal gland disease in ferrets is significantly different from that in domesticated animals known as Cushings disease and therefore it should not be called Cushings disease in the ferret. Adrenal gland disease is considered the second most common disease in the ferret after insulioma.

As with any surgical procedure in any species; prior to cutting it is important to familiarize oneself with the relevant anatomical and physiological details of the species. A very detailed discussion of these two topics is beyond the scope of this presentation but the reader is strongly advised to familiarize oneself with these topics by the references listed below.

The procedure is generally very similar to a cat spay.

The goal of this session is to highlight the most significant anatomical and physiological differences between fish patients and the terrestrial and avian patients commonly seen by the exotic veterinarian. Many clinicians fear starting to practice aquatic medicine due to these differences in the anatomy and physiology of fish as compared to terrestrial animals.

Without a doubt, exotic mammals are becoming increasingly popular as pets and owners recognize that these animals are often very good pets, and ask their vet for good advice and treatment.

Emergency situations are a common scenario for the 'fish' practitioner. As with any other species, immediate action should be taken to stabilize the patient before any attempt is made to correct underlying problems. This lecture will describe the steps for providing first aid to the critical patient.

As aquatic medicine becomes more and more popular, diagnostic tools commonly used with traditional pets become part of the diagnostic workup for fish cases. In order to make radiology a successful part of the clinical workup, one needs to have a basic understanding of normal fish anatomy (e.g. one chambered swim bladder vs. bi-lobed swim bladder).

The purpose of this presentation is to describe some basic and advanced clinical techniques that can be used by the practitioner to establish a diagnosis. Basic techniques start from simple observation of behavior and other hands-off procedures, to collection of samples such as fin and gill clips and phlebotomy.

Invertebrates, amphibians and other unusual pets are kept commonly by clients of the exotic animal practice and they are also brought to the office to veterinarians either as an emergency or for a routine checkup. Often the owners of these animals also have dogs and cats or other pets and this is a good opportunity to build new bridges and acquire new clientele.

The origins of common problems encountered in aquatic medicine are discussed, with emphasis on the importance of monitoring water quality. As with other species, the goal of fish medicine should be prevention and not treatment!

For similar reasons as mentioned in the invertebrate lecture, more and more people are now bringing their pet amphibians to the veterinary office either as an emergency or for a husbandry consult. As previously mentioned, the owners of these exotic pets are often friendly and helpful who definitely can play an active role in the consultation.

As amphibians become more and more popular as pet, the owners request good medicine and pay for adequate clinical work up. One of the most useful clinical tools in the daily practice of seeing exotic pets is radiology or other imaging methods such as ultrasound.