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:
“Walking Dandruff” on Your Bunny?
#305: Dr. Doug Mader talks about mites, which are common on rabbits and sometimes look like dandruff that seems to walk in their fur — or may appear as brown “goo” in their big ears or a crusty nose. All of these mean you need to get to the vet for swift treatment!
"Hedgies" Are the Trendiest Little Pet
#296: Dr Micah Kohles of the Woodland Animal Hospital outside Lincoln, Nebraska, explains how to best care for hedgehogs, who are "charming munchkins who have become an up-and-coming pet."
Is Your Ferret Grinding His Teeth?
#304: Dr. Doug Mader says teeth grinding in ferrets (whether when asleep or awake) is a red flag that could mean he has stomach ulcers from bacteria, just like in humans.
The Insect Jungle in Your House
#292: Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice (author of “Your Pets’ Secret Lives: the Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors”) says there are spiders everywhere and you are never more than four feet from one of them — although none will cause the havoc her own curly-haired tarantula did when it let itself out of his cage.
“Breast Cancer” in Rats — It’s a Thing!
#303: Dr. Doug talks about how rats get mammary gland tumors, a chain of glands that runs from their tail to over their shoulders, but they are benign 80% of the time and the rats often do just fine if operated on by a veterinarian experienced in small mammal surgery.
"Chins" Are Ridiculously Cute But Challenging Pets
#298: Dr. Micah Kohles of Woodland Animal Hospital in Nebraska, cautions that chinchillas are not a good starter pet for a child. They are very active, not cuddlers, a bit jumpy and nervous and require very specific nutrition and a habitat with lots of vertical climbing options.
I Am Mouse, Hear Me Roar
#289: Eleanor Spicer Rice, author of “Your Pets’ Secret Lives: the Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors,” writes about the wondrous conversations mice have that we cannot hear. Mama mice sing to their babies — who sing back! She recommends getting an ultrasonic transducer so you can hear your pet mice communicate.
Do Not Put Your Reptile in the Freezer!
#297: Dr Doug talks about reptile euthanasia which is very tricky, since they can come back to life after being euthanized medically! And people mistakenly think they can euthanize their reptile in the freezer but it is a terrible, painful death.
Sy Montgomery “What the Rooster Knows”
#294: Sy Montgomery talks about her flock of “ladies” in her book “What the Chicken Knows: a New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird” and all the ways that chickens are delightful, intelligent, long-lasting pets (with the added bonus of eggs!)
Turtles Always Fly in a Chiquita Banana Box
#302: Michael Schneider founded Pilots to the Rescue to bring dogs and cats from the South, where they aren't wanted, to shelters in the Northeast that can place them in homes — but he never expected to be filling his Kodiak 100 plane with Chiquita banana boxes, the preferred transport method for endangered sea turtles that are cold stunned in New England, and fly them to the safety of waters in Florida.