Avian & Exotic Pets Care
Our Johns Creek veterinarians offer exotic vet care for birds, reptiles, and small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
Vet Care for Birds, Reptiles & Mammals in Johns Creek
At Johns Creek Veterinary Clinic, we provide treatment as well as routine wellness and preventive care services for birds and other exotic pets. We are also happy to see your exotic pet for issues such as behavioral concerns.
- Wellness & Preventive Care
Just like cats and dogs, birds and other exotic pets benefit from regular veterinary care to help them live long, happy, and healthy lives. Our vets are trained in the unique care and veterinary treatment of these species.
During the initial wellness visit, our vet will thoroughly review your pet’s housing, nutrition, and care, then a complete physical exam will be performed. Health screening tests and vaccines will be discussed and recommended when indicated. Our veterinarian will discuss any husbandry, health, or behavior issues with you and answer any questions you might have. Recommendations will be tailored to the needs of your pet and your family.
- Sick Pet Appointments & Daytime Emergencies
Birds and other exotic pets with health or behavior concerns can be seen by our vet during regular daytime hours. If possible, please call (770) 623-8387 in advance to determine the availability of our vets. While we do accept walk-in and work-in emergencies for exotic pets, there may be an additional fee if double booking of appointments occurs.
- After Hours Emergencies
If your bird or exotic pet is experiencing a medical emergency after hours please contact our veterinary emergency partners for urgent care.
Exotics Pets That We Treat
At Johns Creek Veterinary Clinic in Johns Creek, we provide dedicated veterinary care for exotic pets including:
- Birds
Our treatment for birds includes parrots, finches, canaries, budgies, and others. Pet birds can have extremely long life spans, and you will need to secure proper veterinary care to ensure your avian companion remains in great health for their entire life spent with you.
There are no routine vaccinations for birds like there are for cats and dogs, but they nonetheless require regular wellness exams to check for the common health problems they can experience just as their feline and canine counterparts do. Birds are often very skilled at hiding signs of illness, so it is important to be proactive with your bird's health so that medical complications are caught earlier rather than later.
We recommend bringing any new bird introduced into your home to see us within three days from when you obtained them for their first annual exam. This is doubly the case if you already have other avian companions in the house. Annual bird exams at Johns Creek Veterinary Clinic include a complete physical examination and any necessary diagnostic services.
Our Johns Creek vets are happy to help answer any questions you have about caring for your pet bird, including how to ensure they receive proper nutrition and grooming.
- Small Exotic Mammals
Small exotic mammals include common pets like ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, gerbils, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, rats and others. These minuscule companions are no more immune to health problems than their larger cat and dog cousins. Infection, dental health complications, and poor nutrition are just as devastating for small mammals as they are for other more traditional pets.
For small mammals our Johns Creek vets recommend a wellness exam every 6-12 months, yearly fecal examinations to check for parasites, and whatever vaccinations are applicable to the needs of the specific species of animal companion in question.
Pet owners new and experienced both often need a little helping hand when it comes to caring for their pet - for those with small exotic mammals they may find fewer resources available than those that cat and dog owners can access. Our veterinary team is committed to helping all exotic pet owners be the best parents to their diminutive animal friends they can be with advice and guidance for all stages of their animal's life. Small mammals have widely varying lifespans, with some living only 2 or 3 years and others that can be expected to live a decade or more. They also have widely different requirements from their owners, while some are largely solitary and need only to have their cage cleaned and food put out, others are much more intelligent social creatures that require lots of space and socialization. We recommend doing the necessary research before adopting a small mammal into your home.
- Reptiles, Amphibians & Fish
Pet reptiles include all manner of lizards, bearded dragons, turtles, tortoises and snakes. Pet amphibians include frogs, toads, salamanders, and axolotls. When it comes to reptiles and amphibians, most health issues are the result of improper husbandry, food, housing, sanitation, temperature, humidity, and/or lighting. It is common for parasites or infections to impact reptiles and amphibians as well. We recommend a regular physical wellness examination every 6-12 months for pet reptiles and amphibians, as well as a yearly fecal examination to check for parasites.
The types of pet fish are too numerous to name, but goldfish, guppies, many varieties of catfish, angelfish, betta fish and oscar fish are among the most common. Fish most commonly fall ill due to one of three factors: poor water quality, infections, or other environmental factors. Fish that separate themselves from other fish in their tank or begin to take on unexplained redness might be demonstrating signs of illness. Should your fish need a trip to the vet we recommend transporting them in a bucket or ice chest that is suitably filled with water. When bringing a fish for examination we ask that you please also bring a water sample from their tank that is separate from the water which was used to transport the fish to our veterinary hospital.
