9.1 Intro to Terminology for Exotics
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to
- Identify common pocket pets, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians seen in the clinic
- Describe husbandry and nutritional needs of exotics
- Describe vaccination and parasite-prevention needs of exotics
- Describe common species-specific pathologies of exotics
- Define common terms associated with exotics
Chapter Overview
The term exotics refers to a variety of species. This general term covers most of the species we haven’t discussed in previous chapters. The presence of exotics is growing in many veterinary clinics, and thus it is important to become familiar with exotic terminology. Many companion animal hospitals examine and treat exotic patients, and some clinics focus solely on exotic medicine.
For the purpose of this book, we will give an introduction to the basics of pocket pets, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. A brief description, terminology, and some interesting facts to describe them will be given. Husbandry and nutritional needs of exotics are the most discussed topic at new patient visits, and providing the client the right resources for care will be introduced. Vaccination, parasite prevention, and common pathologies will be discussed briefly.
