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The Referral process
 What’s special about exotic pets?
Vets in practise now treat a huge variety of patients. Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians all have their own anatomy and physiology. So treating their illnesses requires knowledge of this diversity.
The specialised equipment required and limited training at vet schools makes treating exotic pets challenging for most veterinarians in practise.
What’s different about our clinic?
Our facilities are designed with your exotic pets in mind. We provide
a range of services from simple bird wing-clipping through to advanced
endoscopic surgery.
- Critical care incubators are used to support your pet during their illness.
- Endoscopy allows us to examine your pets internal organs for disease with minimal surgery
- Special x-ray techniques are used to see tiny details in small patients.
- Dentistry in exotic pets requires specific instruments and techniques.
Bringing your pet to see us.
There are several ways to use our services:
- You may choose to routinely bring your exotic pet for all their medical care (non-referral based).
- Your local veterinarian may refer your pet to us for all their care.
- Your veterinarian may refer your pet for a specific procedure that they are unable to perform at their clinic. Further care may then be managed at their clinic.
We encourage you to discuss the care of your exotic pet with your local vet clinic to establish how they, and we, can help you best.
Your veterinarian can use this link to download our referral form which needs to be completed and sent before your appointment.
The Diagnostic Process
Treating exotic pets successfully requires an accurate diagnosis to be made. We achieve this with the following:
- Discussion about the history of your pets illness and their home environment
- A detailed physical examination of your pet
- Assessment of faecal/urine samples
- Additional investigations where necessary:
- Blood tests
- X- rays
- Endoscopy
- DNA sexing
On average, more investigative tests are required for exotic pets than for dogs and cats due their ability to hide symptoms of disease.
 Charges and payment
Our fee structure is similar to that used by your local veterinary clinic when treating dogs and cats. The cost to treat your exotic pet is based on the time and materials used and is not proportional to the size of the patient.
Payment is expected at the time of discharge of your pet.
What to bring to your appointment:
1. Details of current medications and prior medical history.
2. Your pet in a suitable enclosure. Animals may be nervous when transported and should be confined for their safety.
3. Birds should be brought in their normal cage where practical. Avoid cleaning the cage before your appointment so we can assess their droppings and feeding behaviour. Place a clean sheet of “glad-wrap” in the bottom of the cage so fresh droppings may be collected. Avoid bringing your bird in an opaque box as this prevents us assessing them visually before handling.
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Referral Centre