Exotic Pets™
sponsored by Zoo Med
The show for people interested in pets that slither, hop, creep, fly or swim: from bunnies to iguanas, parrots to ferrets, snakes to tortoises. Information on the physical requirements of these exotic pets and how to manage the often challenging environment and correct diet essential to their welfare.
Co-hosted by Dr. Doug Mader, author of “The Vet at Noah’s Ark: Stories of Survival from an Inner-City Animal Hospital,”who is a world-renowned specialist on exotic animals, author of four major veterinary textbooks on reptile and amphibians, and a passionate educator.
Sponsored by:
Also Sponsored by Beaktivity.
Also Sponsored by Scratches.
Piggies as Pets
#322: British exotic Pet veterinarian Dr. Madonna Livingstone talks about the joys of living with guinea pigs — and how to keep them happy and healthy.
Fighting the Good Fight for Ferrets in California
#321: Pat Wright, CEO of https://www.legalizeferrets.org/ has been fighting the California state ban on ferrets for 35 years — but now his group’s petition to the Fish and Wildlife Department might actually result in long overdue legalization.
Trying to Find A Fellow Exotic Pet Enthusiast?
#320: Murray Forbes in Zurich developed the Scratches social APP to connect people who embrace non-traditional pets — and want to find romantic or platonic friends to celebrate their unique pets.
Parrots Say “Love is Not Enough”
#313: Dr. Madonna Livingstone, author of the veterinary textbook “Exotics Made Easy,” discusses the brilliance of parrots and how they need activities and environmental enrichment. Foraging is so important for them, with homemade foraging toys her favorites: twist a parrot’s food into a toilet paper roll so he has to forage for it. They are "social eaters” so have parrot-friendly foods for him to eat while you are dining. Set up two stands at opposite ends of a room and let him fly between them.
Bugs Bunny Had it All Wrong - No More Carrots!
#319: Claire Hamblion in England talks about how her company, Supreme Pet Foods, is devoted to proper nutrition for small mammals — and debunking the image of Bugs Bunny eating a carrot, which has given people the wrong idea about what rabbits need, which is only the green tops of the carrots!
Ferret “Deodorant” & Other Ferret Necessaries
#318: Amanda at Marshalls is the first to say that ferrets really are stinky — which is why they created a special odor eliminator just for them, as well as their paper-towel derived bedding pellets, which are important to the health of these little critters who like to chew their bedding.
Bad Things Happen to Good Fish
#312: Dr. Greg Lewbart returns to discuss koi ponds and how these ornamental fish (called “living art” by the Japanese) can need medical help from doctors who are members of the American Association of Fish Veterinarians, whether from chlorine toxicity or environmental disasters like the L.A. fires. [The world record price for a Grand Champion koi is $1.6 million, so clearly there is a need for vets specialized in pet/ornamental fish medicine!]
Why Does Your Tortoise Need a House of His Own?
#317: Dr. Doug Mader recommends getting your tortoise outdoors as much as possible, but at night they need protection from marauding raccoons who will attack the tortoise’s nose, toes and even legs. Zoo Med’s new tortoise house solves the problem... your tortoise ambles up the ramp and you raise it up like a moat in a castle and it becomes the door you close until the safety of daylight.
The Emotional Support Hamster Who Went to College
#307: Ethan Haber started the small mammal company https://happyhabitats.net/ and designed an array of amazing products to let you take your hamster or mouse with you anywhere — for exercise and a chance to see the world. Ethan was that kid who begged his father for a pocket pet, but only got Mookie the hamster when he was 19 — then took him to college as his ESA. Now he’s a hamster entrepreneur making delightful products for gerbils, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, etc.
I Am Parrot — I Live to Destroy!
#316: Avian specialist Dr. Julia Shakeri says that toys for parrots should be viewed as essential “medical devices,” because they fulfill vital natural instincts in what are basically wild, non-domesticated animals — so she was very happy to consult with the creators of Beaktivity activity toys to make sure they fulfill a bird’s natural drive and at the same time avoid “toy trauma” from poorly designed interactive toys.