Animals we treat
- Small mammals: rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, hedgehogs, sugar gliders
- Birds: parrots, budgies, cockatiels, finches and other cage birds
- Reptiles: tortoises, turtles, snakes, geckos, bearded dragons and other lizards
- Fish: ornamental fish (send a video and water details on WhatsApp first)
Emergency signs by species
| Animal | Come in now if |
|---|---|
| Rabbit, guinea pig, chinchilla | No hay eaten or droppings for 8 to 12 hours, bloated belly, head tilt, laboured breathing, hunched and grinding teeth |
| Hamster | Wet tail (watery diarrhoea), unable to stand, cold to the touch |
| Hedgehog | Will not unroll, cold and attempting to hibernate, wobbly gait, heavy quill loss |
| Bird | Fluffed up on the cage floor, tail bobbing with each breath, straining to lay, sudden breathing difficulty |
| Reptile | Egg binding, mouth rot, unable to move, prolapse, severe dehydration |
| Fish | Gasping at the surface, lying on the bottom, raised scales (test the water first) |
There is no "wait and see" with small animals. Come the same day and keep them warm on the way.
Before you come
- Warmth: for small mammals, birds and reptiles, put a towel-wrapped warm water bottle against the outside of the carrier and cover it in an air-conditioned car.
- Bring samples: fresh droppings, the usual food and hay, photos of the enclosure (for reptiles, the lamp model and thermometer readings).
- Do not fast rabbits or guinea pigs; bring hay.
- Birds travel best in a small cage or covered box, not an open carrier.
- Fish: WhatsApp a video and tank photo first; if a visit is needed, bring the fish in its own tank water plus a separate jar of water.
Common conditions
- Rabbits: gut stasis, overgrown teeth, uterine cancer in unspayed females, flystrike, E. cuniculi head tilt
- Guinea pigs: vitamin C deficiency, gut stasis, respiratory infection, foot sores
- Chinchillas: heat stress above 24°C, dental disease, fur ring
- Hamsters: wet tail, tumours, cheek-pouch impaction
- Hedgehogs: mites, ringworm, wobbly hedgehog syndrome, oral tumours
- Birds: feather plucking, seed-diet liver disease, egg binding, heavy-metal poisoning, air-sac mites
- Reptiles: metabolic bone disease from poor UVB and calcium, shell rot, mouth rot, parasites, egg binding, retained shed
Our facilities
Species-specific anaesthesia protocols, X-ray and ultrasound suited to small patients, in-house blood tests, incubators and oxygen cages, and a ward away from cats and dogs.
Booking
Please book routine visits so an exotic-experienced vet is on duty; emergencies can come straight in at any hour, ideally with a call to 2126 7440 on the way.