Recalling the most memorable cases in exotic animal medicine

Katherine Quesenberry, DVM, MPH, DABVP (Avian), chief medical officer, senior veterinarian, specialist in avian medicine and service head of avian and exotic medicine for Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York, New York, recently offered her insights on exotic pets in a dvm360 interview. She spoke about conditions that commonly affect exotic companion animals, and the types of traumatic injuries veterinarians frequently see with birds, rabbits and reptiles, in a dvm360 interview. In this video, she speaks about some of the most memorable exotic animal medicine cases and patients she has had during her career as a practitioner.

The following is a transcript of the video:

dvm360: When are your most memorable cases in exotic animal medicine?

Katherine Quesenberry, DVM, MPH, DABVP (Avian): I've been in practice for a very long time, so I have dealt with many, many cases over the years. I think probably the ones that stick out to me the most are the ones where I have had a long term relationship with the client. Because, in some cases, these animals, especially birds, can live a very long time. Also some reptiles can live a very long time. So I've had relationships with clients where I've taken care of their bird for 25 years, so those cases stand out to me.

One case in particular I can tell you about was a blue and gold Macaw that I treated for many, many years, and that Macaw ultimately had not 1, but 2 strokes, and lived through those strokes, but ultimately developed heart disease and then died—it was over 50 [years old]. Those long term cases where you really form a bond with your clients, just like any animal, but more so, like I said, with these animals that live for such a long time.

And then, of course, you have the very unusual cases. I can remember being in the back of a limousine holding a baby llama with the owner in the front seat driving…back from his house in Greenwich [Connecticut] to the Animal Medical Center, bringing his llama in for a cardiac ultrasound. So, you know, just strange situations like that stand out in my in my head, as far as some cases that I've seen.