Not every pet owner has a cat or a dog. For those who have birds, small mammals or reptiles, referred to as “exotics” in the veterinary world, medical care for their animals may be hard to find.
Above: Veterinarian Jennifer Fanders gives a checkup to Basil, a Congo African grey parrot, at the Cream Ridge Pet Care Center on Jan. 13. Fanders specializes in exotic pets. Left: Apple, a guinea pig, gets her teeth checked by the new veterinarian. Below: Fanders checks the mouth of Basil with assistance from veterinarian technician Jennifer Wojcik. Now a veterinarian specializing in exotics has joined the practice of the Cream Ridge Pet Care Center (CRPCC). Dr. Jennifer Fanders works at the CRPCC five days a week, along with the practice’s founder, Dr. Kathy Stryeski. Although exotics are her specialty, Fanders also treats dogs and cats.
Fanders, who lives in Yardville with her husband and two young children, grew up in Langhorne, Pa., and graduated from the University of Minnesota Veterinary School in 1996. “I was always interested in exotics,” she said. “I used to work at the Philadelphia Children’s Zoo when I was a kid.”
PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Before joining CRPCC, she worked at the Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital, where she treated exotics exclusively. Her own menagerie consists of a dog, three cats, an African grey parrot named Basil Rathbird, a peach-front conure named Oscarina, and two guinea pigs, Apple and Peanut Butter.
The exotic companion mammals include rabbits, chinchillas, mice, rats, guinea pigs, sugar gliders and hedgehogs. Fanders treats many birds, including parrots, finches, canaries, and chickens or other fowl if they are kept as pets. Her reptile clients include snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises. Fanders said she does not treat wildlife, any poisonous reptiles, primates or potbellied pigs.
People considering an exotic pet need to do their research beforehand, she said. “Eighty percent of what I do is re-education of misinformed people,” she said.
Fanders added that there are no regulations on products for exotic animals, and no checks for safety or efficacy. She noted that many toys sold for birds are made out of lead in foreign countries. Small mammals should not have cedar or pine bedding, because it can be irritating to them, she said. She recommended using shredded newspaper instead. For reptiles, she advises pet owners about their need for light and heat.
When asked about the best pets for small children, Fanders said that rats are the friendliest rodent and are sturdy in little hands. They are intelligent and diurnal, or awake during the day, and fancy rat breeders have animals in a variety of colors, including Siamese, blue and oreo, she said. Guinea pigs and chinchillas may be suitable for older children, and should be allowed the run of the room with supervision, she said. Fanders does not recommend sugar gliders, because they cannot be neutered they reproduce very fast. Also, they will self-mutilate. They are nocturnal, and should live in a colony, while most people want only a pair, she said.
The best reptile pet, in her view, is the bearded dragon, because they are omnivorous and easier to feed, and most are easy to handle. On the other hand, iguanas need at least 4-by-6-foot enclosures as adults, and males may become aggressive.
As for birds, Fanders said that cockatoos are often not a good pet choice. She explained that people think the birds aren’t getting enough attention if they become aggressive, but they have actually become to attached to their owner.
“They will attack due to overbonding with the owner,” she said. “The worst is the Moluccan.”
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species stopped the importation of fresh breeding stock of many parrots into the U.S., she said. Because the birds could no longer be imported, people began breeding birds that were inappropriate for pets.
Improper diet is a major problem for exotics, Fanders said. Small mammals should have timothy or grass hay available at all times and should be fed fresh salad greens. Birds in the wild have a varied diet, which is not replicated in captivity, she said. They can be fed healthful table food, such as vegetables and grains, according to Fanders.
She warned that if an owner thinks their exotic pet is sick, it has likely been ill much longer than they realize. “They’re prey species. They hide illness,” she said. Fanders encourages wellpet consultations to get the pets started on appropriate foods and prevent future problems.
For more information, contact the CRPCC at 609-758-7777.