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Exotic Pets

Excelsior Springs Animal Clinic welcomes small mammals and reptiles. Our veterinarians can advise you about proper care, feeding, and maintenance of your pet, as well as treat illnesses and conditions specific to their species.

Many of these pets require a very particular environment to thrive, and it’s important you have a veterinarian experienced in their care to help. We see a wide variety of pets, so if your companion is something smaller—or a little more exotic—than a cat or dog, don’t hesitate to give us a call!

Snakes

Snakes can suffer from a variety of diseases, some of which can cause serious respiratory, gastrointestinal, and liver problems. They also commonly harbor internal and external parasites, including hookworms, roundworms, mites, and ticks.

We recommend that you bring your new snake in for an initial exam so we can make sure it’s healthy. If your snake needs future veterinary attention, we’ll also have a baseline to compare against. Although snakes don’t need vaccinations, they can benefit from routine exams. Annual veterinary visits can even help your snake live longer.

We are happy to share our specialized knowledge of appropriate enclosures, temperature and humidity, lighting, substrates (ground covering), cleaning, and skin shedding. Besides having feeding requirements that are species specific, snakes can become stressed and may not eat. If this happens, please contact us so we can help. We can also determine the sex of your snake.

A healthy snake should flick its tongue and be alert and active, showing interest in its environment; its scales should be smooth and dry. Call us immediately if you notice any of the following signs of illness: vomiting or regurgitation, diarrhea, loss of appetite or weight, weakness or loss of energy, wheezing, mucus or bubbling around the nostrils, changes around the mouth (inflammation, purplish-red spots, dry and diseased tissue), and changes in the skin (reddening, slow-healing sores, swelling, discharge).

Rabbits

Rabbits are susceptible to a variety of diseases and conditions, including overgrown teeth, hairballs, parasites, and cancer. They also tend to hide signs of illness or pain.

Has discharge from the eyes or nose, runny stool, or a gurgling stomach
Has an elevated or low temperature
Begins drooling, scratching at the ears, or sneezing
Starts tilting his or her head
Develops bald patches in his or her fur
Stops eating, appears overly quiet, or shows other abnormal behavior

In addition, your rabbit can benefit from regular dental checkups. We can help make sure problems with your rabbit’s teeth don’t turn into serious, potentially life-threatening conditions.

We also strongly suggest that you have your rabbit spayed or neutered. Not only can rabbits potentially give birth once a month, but they can also have up to 14 babies at a time! Even in households with a single rabbit, spaying or neutering has plenty of benefits: It can protect your rabbit from several types of cancer and reduce or eliminate aggression, as well as other undesirable behavior, such as spraying, mounting, destructive chewing, and biting. Spaying or neutering will not change your rabbit’s personality.

If you have any questions about how to best care for your rabbit, we’d be happy to discuss proper diet, housing, grooming, and even litterbox training.

Iguanas and Other Lizards

Nutrition-related disorders and diseases are common in iguanas and other lizards. We can help you avoid these problems. Call us to set up a nutritional consultation so we can discuss how to help keep your lizard healthy.

We also offer an initial checkup for new lizard owners to help identify current or potential medical problems and, if necessary, begin treatment. In addition, we can provide you with information on appropriate enclosures, environmental requirements, sanitation, and disease prevention.

Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, and Hamsters

Just because they’re small doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from veterinary attention. Teeth, which grow continuously in gerbils, guinea pigs, and hamsters, often require trimming. (We can also recommend appropriate chew toys, which may help keep the teeth worn down.) Parasites such as lice, mites, and fleas can infest your pet. In addition, these companion animals can suffer from other health issues.

Call us if your pet stops eating, loses weight, appears quieter than normal, has discharge from the eyes or nose, or develops a lump on its body. We can provide treatment that fits within your budget.

Ferrets

You can help keep your ferret healthy by bringing him or her in for an exam once a year. That way, we can monitor any changes that occur in your pet and help prevent or catch diseases early, when they’re easier to treat. As ferrets age, they may need additional testing and dental care.

Common problems associated with ferrets include gastrointestinal disease, parasites, and cancer. In addition, ferrets are inquisitive creatures by nature and frequently ingest objects they shouldn’t. Regular blood tests can help determine whether your ferret has any problems with the kidneys, liver, or pancreas.

Ferrets can also benefit from receiving certain vaccinations and monthly preventives, which we’d be happy to discuss with you during your visit. Please bring a stool sample to your ferret’s annual exam so we can test for internal parasites.

Unless you are planning to breed your ferret, we recommend that he or she be spayed or neutered. Female ferrets, or jills, do not need to give birth once to stay healthy. In fact, spaying can save a ferret’s life. Jills that haven’t been spayed will stay in heat until they’re bred. This condition can cause anemia (a decrease in red blood cells), which can be fatal. In male ferrets, neutering can reduce their strong body odor, prevent marking, and reduce aggressive behavior.

Please contact us right away if your ferret develops any unusual symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, lack of appetite, trouble breathing, black ear wax, discharge from the eyes or nose, lumps, swelling, or an increase in aggression or sexual behavior (especially in neutered males).

Other Exotic Animals

Although a lot of information regarding exotic animals is widely available on the Internet, it is often difficult to determine what sources to trust. You can rely on our experienced veterinary team’s knowledge of mice, rats, pot-bellied pigs, hedgehogs, and other exotic pets.

Not only can we provide medical assessments and perform surgical procedures, but we can also help you prevent many diseases related to improper nutrition, which are extremely common in these animals. Please schedule an appointment so we can discuss your exotic pet’s nutritional needs. In addition, we supply a wide range of foods and supplements for these unique animals.