Treatment of avian and exotic pets, including reptiles, amphibians, ferrets, rodents, and rabbits

What species do we treat?

In addition to canine and feline medicine, Dr. Weber is specially trained in the treatment of avian and exotic pets, including reptiles, amphibians, ferrets, rodents, and rabbits, among other species. Dr. Weber has also had special training in wildlife medicine (please see our wildlife policy and procedures for bringing in injured wildlife). While he does not see farm or large animals (cows, horses, goats, sheep, pigs [including pot-bellied pigs], llamas, etc.), he will see ratites (ostriches and emus).

	Dr. Weber is the only Board Certified Avian Specialist in California north of Davis and Roseville, and we offer the only avian and exotic animal emergency service in the north valley area. Dr. Weber has been treating birds for 13 years, and passed the examinations to become Board Certified in Avian Practice in 2007. If your exotic pet needs to be seen after normal business hours, please call 530-513-2179 and describe your situation and Dr. Weber will return your call. (For cat and dog after-hour emergencies, please contact North Valley Emergency Clinic).
	What species do we treat? In addition to canine and feline medicine, Dr. Weber is specially trained in the treatment of avian and exotic pets, including reptiles, amphibians, ferrets, rodents, and rabbits, among other species. Dr. Weber has also had special training in wildlife medicine (please see our wildlife policy and procedures for bringing in injured wildlife). While he does not see farm or large animals (cows, horses, goats, sheep, pigs [including pot-bellied pigs], llamas, etc.), he will see ratites (ostriches and emus).
	Whispering Pines houses a range of specialized equipment for treating exotics. Dr. Weber is knowledgeable and experienced in an extensive range of advanced soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery on all species as well as more basic surgical procedures including spaying, neutering and dentistry. Our equipment includes exotic animal delicate instrument kits (including magnification and endoscopic instruments), two complete sets of bone plates, three sets of external fixation pins, circular external fixation kits, and associated instruments, stapling devices and special suture material. We use a full range of modern anesthetic agents and computerized anesthesia monitoring devices to ensure your pet has a pleasant and safe surgery, and require that all of our surgical patients (size permitting) have pre-anesthetic blood testing and intravenous or intraosseous fluid therapy during surgery to minimize any adverse events associated with anesthesia. We also have an automatic ventilator for assisted breathing if needed.
	We do specialized lab work for exotics and will visit your aviary, pet store, or breeding facility for consultation or disease testing. Our diagnostic equipment includes a full in-house laboratory for blood and urine chemistry analysis, complete blood count, fecal examination, microbiology. We can do any of these tests on any species of pet, size permitting, and we have special equipment solely for use in exotic animal medicine. We work with a wide range of outside laboratories to provide an even broader array of tests as needed, such as avian DNA sexing and disease diagnosis, fungal serology and histopathology. We also consult with top specialists in avian and exotic animal veterinary medicine and surgery from around the world to bring you the most up-to-date diagnosis and treatment possible.
	We offer nutritional and behavioral consultations and training. We also offer nutritional and behavioral consultations for any species of pet. Rich Gingery has many years of experience and hours of continuing education in behavior. Rich is especially proficient with problem behavior cases, such as parrot feather picking. He will offer parrot classes in the spring of 2008 with enough interest. Please call our office to schedule a behavioral consultation with him or to sign up for classes.


	Exotics