When people think about looking after pets, they often think in terms of a cat or a dog, but veterinary care for other kinds of domestic animals is essential – and it’s the single-minded focus of the team at The Exotics Vet in Redcliffe.
Their aim is to provide exceptional care for extraordinary pets, offering consultations for first opinion and referral cases of birds, including parrots, chickens, ducks and geese, as well as snakes, lizards, frogs, axolotls, fish, guinea pigs, rats and mice.
Doctor Vanessa Harkess, practice owner and principal veterinarian at The Exotics Vet, said she was a Redcliffe local who had always had a passion for animals and “wanted to build a business in our beautiful part of the world” when she first opened the clinic in 2022.
The environment is non-threatening, especially in that it excludes dogs and cats (natural predators responsible for stress-inducing noises and odours) and is equipped with in-house diagnostic options and a hospital for medical, dental and surgical care.
Preventative Care and Enrichment for Exotic Pets
Dr Vanessa and her professional team actively encourage their clients to treat their animals “as valuable members of their family, and by extension, ours.”
“First and foremost, we recommend every new pet visit us for a health check so that we can do a physical examination but also chat about their specific husbandry and diet requirements,” she said.
Dr Vanessa said she would also recommend an annual health check, as “touching base regularly allows her team to pick up any health concerns early and prevent an unfortunate emergency visit.”
This is alongside upholding the principle that every living animal deserves an interesting and stimulating life – demonstrated by the fact that although some large parrots are as long-lived as the average human, they have the intelligence of a five-year-old child (but often throw tantrums like a toddler).
Enrichment for birds could involve providing free flight options, and for other exotic animals, it might look like a maze for rats or a secure outdoor foraging space for bearded dragons and skinks to catch insects.
With Christmas approaching, people are reminded that pets of any kind are always a long-term commitment.
To find out more, visit The Exotics Vet.
Featured image: Dr Brock with Guinea Pig | Image courtesy of Sally Eberhardt
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