95 Queens Park Parade
Kingsthorpe
NN2 6LR
Tel: 01604 712070
General advice for caring for reptiles and birds
Reptiles and birds are also very popular household pets but each have their own unique set of
requirements in terms of husbandry and nutrition that owners should consider and research, even
before, they make a purchase or re-home a pet.
Husbandry and nutrition
As this is so varied across the range of species it is important to look into the individual species to
see their requirements. We have some care sheets on specific species if you are interested. If you
have any specific questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the surgery.
Insurance
A very good idea for any new pet owner to consider. This helps cover costs of investigating and
treating any illnesses that may occur and can cost from a few pounds a month. With Veterinary
practices improving their services all the time and as human medicine progresses we are able to
provide a much more advanced level of care for patients and their problems, though this
unfortunately can come at a cost. Insurance means you can concentrate on getting your pet well
again if any problems are to occur.
Exotic Direct is a reputable company that covers; Bird Insurance, including cover for parrots,
cockatoos and budgies; Reptile Insurance, including cover for snakes, terrapins, tortoises, turtles,
lizards and geckos; and Small Mammal Insurance for chinchillas, chipmunks, ferrets, gerbils, guinea
pigs, hamsters, mice, rats, and even hedgehogs.
For more information go to:
www.exoticdirect.co.uk
Identichip
At Rhodes Vets we are strong advocates for identichipping any pet that has the possibility of
escaping or getting lost. If they are not chipped (or have a ring; birds) we often have no way of
knowing where to start looking for their home. We have seen tragic cases where pets are lost and
not microchipped as they never go outside, but the door was left accidently open and they have
escaped. This can be a particular problem with birds and tortoises.
Also remember if you are hoping to sell on or breed with Hermanns (Testudo Hermanni), Spurthighed (Testudo Graeca) or Marginated tortoises (Testudo Marginata) once they reach a plastron
length of 100mm they should also be chipped in line with their CITES paperwork. Microchipping in
reptiles is a relatively straightforward procedure which can be done in a consultation with the animal
awake in most instances. Microchipping in birds often needs a short period of anaesthetic to implant
the chip.
Parasites
Reptiles -Due to the formation of resistance to wormers we do not regularly worm our patients.
Instead we regularly check faecal samples (6-12 monthly) to ensure we do not have a parasite
burden and treat appropriately.
Birds – As there are a number of different species within this group with different lifestyles and
potential parasites, there are many approaches to parasite control in birds. Please contact the
surgery if you have any questions about your pets.
Vaccination
We do not routinely vaccinate our reptile and avian patients. If you have any questions relating to
vaccinations please contact the surgery.