Exotic Animal Species
We’re a little different, too!
Your pet isn’t a cat or a dog - so what? We love your scaly, slinky, and shelled friends just as much. Here at Lewis and Clark Veterinary Clinic, we are able to serve clients with rabbits, turtles, snakes, ferrets and more! Have questions? Call our office.
Wellness and Preventative Care
Since it’s common for exotic pets to hide their illness, it’s important to routinely evaluate their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, and skin. We also feel the abdomen for any lumps, palpate lymph nodes and limbs, and listen to their heart and lungs. One of the most important parts of a wellness exam for your exotic pets is a thorough review of their husbandry. Providing the proper diet, habitat, enrichment, lighting, temperature, and humidity goes a long way in preventing many common illnesses. Some exotics pets, such as ferrets and miniature pigs, require vaccinations. Fecal examinations to check for intestinal parasites also play in an important part in your exotic pet’s health.
Dental Care
Exotic pets have their share of dental disease, just like cats and dogs! Carnivores, such as ferrets, can develop gingivitis, infection, and tooth loss from a buildup of plaque and calculus on their teeth. Certain reptiles, such as a bearded dragons, can also have dental disease. For rabbits and rodents, dental problems are common, as they have teeth that continuously grow throughout their life. We can treat these conditions under anesthesia when needed.
Radiology
Radiographs, or X-rays, are one of the most common and useful diagnostic tools because of their ability to penetrate tissues and form an image of your pet’s bones and organs. We use X-rays to examine your pet’s bones, heart and lungs, abdomen, and oral cavity and for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical conditions. If we suspect your pet has a fractured bone, has swallowed a foreign object, or is suffering from a heart problem, X-rays will help tells us what we need to know.
Soft Tissue Surgery
Many of our exotic species such as rabbits, hedgehogs, and guinea pigs should be spayed or neutered to reduce the risk of reproductive organ neoplasia later in life. Some of our exotic friends such as rabbits and ferrets have also been known to chew on things they shouldn’t and end up with gastrointestinal foreign bodies. We are happy to provide the soft tissue services needed to keep your pet healthy.
Acupuncture Therapy
Acupuncture is a great modality to reduce pain and inflammation associated with several health conditions such as arthritis/joint pain, various inflammatory conditions, cancer, and many more. Acupuncture uses a small needle to stimulate areas of the body that have high concentration of free nerve endings, lymph vessels, small blood vessels and immune cells. Stimulation of these areas, called points, results in a release of chemicals that affect the function of the brain and nervous system, to reduce pain and inflammation.
Photobiomodulation (Laser) Therapy
Therapeutic lasers emit a single wavelength of light in the near infrared spectrum which penetrates the skin, muscle, tendons, and ligaments to promote healing. Laser light stimulates healing by increasing circulation, reducing inflammation and pain, and promoting cell growth. Laser therapy can be used in variety of conditions such as ear infections, back pain, bladder inflammation, arthritis and many other conditions.
Chiropractic Therapy
Just like in humans, chiropractic therapy helps to maintain the optimal motion of all joints in the body, especially the spine. Reduced range of motion in the spine can lead to back pain, lameness, lack of performance, or a decrease in overall health. The treatment to restore normal joint motion is when a professional trained in animal chiropractic delivers a thrust to a specific joint. This is called an adjustment. Routine adjustments may help to restore the normal movement of joints, reduce pain, and improve nerve communication throughout the body.