Open 24/7/365

Avian & Exotics

Gulf Coast Avian and Exotics is an exclusively bird and exotic animal department staffed by a team of board-certified veterinary specialists, interns, and personnel trained specifically for the care of your non-traditional pets. By collaborating with other specialists in the hospital, we are able to provide the most up-to-date medical and surgical care for your pet, while keeping in mind of the unique needs of your exotic pet. In the case where your pet may need to be hospitalized, our patients receive 24-hour care in a separate ward to minimize stress and in cages specifically designed to suit your pet’s unique needs. Experienced technicians and staff play a key role in providing specialized care for our patients as well as providing husbandry consults to optimize the health of your pet at home.

Our patients encompass a wide variety of species, including birds (parrots, passerines, chickens, waterfowl, other poultry, toucans/toucanet/aracari, and birds of prey), reptiles (lizards, turtles, tortoises, and snakes), amphibians (frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders), and various small mammals (including but not limited to rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, prairie dogs, pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, degus, and sugar gliders and other possums). Additionally, we see zoological companion animals including small carnivores (such as fennec foxes, servals, caracals, ocelots), procyonids (coatimundis, ring-tailed cats, kinkajous), marsupials (wallabies, kangaroos and opossums), fish (case by case), and invertebrates (tarantulas, scorpions, and other invertebrates case-by-case). Please note that we do not see venomous snakes, large pigs, or primates.

In addition to providing basic primary care, such as wellness exams, grooming, spaying and neutering, and nutritional and behavioral counseling, our practice also offers many advanced and emergency services. Advanced techniques such as specialty surgery, endoscopy, dentistry, ultrasonography, CT, MRI, chemotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), and radiation therapy are just a few of the diagnostics and treatments available to your exotic pet. Our exotics doctors are available on-call 24/7 for emergencies for existing avian and exotics clients and available on-call from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. for new clients. The following are some of the many species-specific services available:

Birds
  • Infectious disease testing (mycobacteria, Chlamydophila, PDD (Bornavirus), polyoma, PBFD) and treatment
  • Medical and surgical treatment of egg binding and other reproductive disorders
  • Medical evaluation and behavioral management of feather-destructive behavior
  • DNA sex identification
  • West Nile vaccination (birds of prey)
  • Avian anesthesia and surgery
  • Diagnosis and treatment of heavy metal and other toxicities
  • Workup and treatment of metabolic diseases
Small Herbivorous Mammals (Rabbits/Guinea Pigs/Chinchillas)
  • Management of oral and dental disease
    • Incisor and molar crown reduction, occlusal adjustment
    • Tooth root abscesses
  • Treatment for gastrointestinal stasis and obstruction
  • Surgical management of cystic ovaries (guinea pigs)
  • Medical and radiation therapy for thymomas (rabbits)
  • Radioactive iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism (guinea pigs)
  • E. cuniculi testing and treatment (rabbits)
  • Management of external and internal parasites
  • Management of chronic ear disease, ear abscesses, inner ear disease
  • Management of ophthalmic diseases
  • RHDV2 Vaccination
Ferrets
  • Management of hyperadrenocorticism (adrenal disease)
    • Hormone therapy (Lupron®, Suprelorin®)
    • Surgical resection
    • Emergency intervention
  • Management of insulinomas
  • Chemotherapy
  • Heartworm disease prevention and treatment
  • USDA licensed rabies (IMRAB®3) and distemper (PUREVAX®) vaccinations for ferrets
Reptiles
  • Treatment and counseling for metabolic bone disease and other husbandry related diseases
  • Shell repair in turtles and tortoises
  • Medical and surgical management of reproductive disorders
  • Testing and medical care for infectious diseases
  • Diagnosis and treatment for parasitic infestations
  • Management of oral, ophthalmic, and skin diseases
  • Medical intervention for GI obstructions
  • Feeding and diet conversion for anorexic animals

20201120_GCVS_1262
20170627_GCVS_1616
20201119_GCVS_1934
20201120_GCVS_1087
20201120_GCVS_1177
20201119_GCVS_2111
20201120_GCVS_1119
20201119_GCVS_1961
20201119_GCVS_2028
20201120_GCVS_1136
20201120_GCVS_1223_ED
20201120_GCVS_1193

previous arrow
next arrow

OUR TEAM

FORMS