There is a societal belief that exotics are fragile, that they are beginner pets for small children, and that their care is cheaper in comparison to the more traditional pets. These notions are not only heartbreaking for those that work closely with exotics (exotics vets and nurses) but are an animal welfare issue where countless little lives are lost, and often easily replaced. “It’s just a rabbit” and “It’s just a bird” is something we hear all too often.
Exotic pets are not fragile. They are largely non-domesticated, which means they retain the innate behaviours of their wild counterparts. One of these behaviours is the ability to hide illness until the advanced stage. This doesn’t mean they are fragile (quite the opposite). They also possess many anatomic and physiologic features that make them unique and make their medical care different. Not fragile, just different. And some of those features make domestic animals fragile! Try having a staring contest with a rabbit without blinking!
Exotics are not beginner pets. They have very specific environmental, dietary and social needs that must be met for them to thrive and live their best life. Some of these needs are quite complex. Reptiles require a temperature gradient, a humidity gradient, UV lighting, a diet with the correct supplementation and proportion of micronutrients and macronutrients, etc… They are not beginner pets and these responsibilities cannot be placed on children.
Exotic pets are not cheap. Some exotic pets may be cheap to purchase or even free (as are some rescue dogs and cats), but their medical care should be no different from any other. They have a gastrointestinal system, a cardiovascular system, a urinary system, etc… and when they get sick, they are evaluated using evidence-based medicine. When blood tests are performed, the blood machine analyses blood. It doesn’t care which species the blood came from; it still uses kits, slides, reagents, etc. When x-rays are taken, the x-ray machine forms an image for interpretation. It doesn’t care which species it obtained the image from.
Exotic pets are animals, with their own personalities, quirks and desires. They are members of the family and at AVES we love them all, no matter the species, the size or the price.
