Avian and exotic
Our UQ VETS avian and exotic service cares for birds, reptiles and small mammals such as rats, mice and guinea pigs. We also treat injured and sick wildlife.
The UQ VETS Small Animal Hospital is one of the only veterinary practices outside greater Brisbane with an onsite avian and exotic specialist.
For pet owners
For a routine consultation, you’ll need to make an appointment with our primary care team. Same-day appointments may not be available.
Specialist appointment waiting times are currently longer than usual.
For referring vets
We currently have limited availability for external avian and exotic specialist referrals. Appointment waiting times may be longer than usual.
Due to resident teaching commitments and study schedules, our focus is to support our internal caseload.
Our services
We offer a range of routine, preventative and behavioural health services.
New animal health examinations
After a detailed physical exam, we will:
- discuss recommended laboratory tests
- provide advice on husbandry and diet
- help identify the sex of your new pet
- provide vaccinations and other preventative treatments, as appropriate.
Annual health examinations
We recommend an annual check-up to monitor your pet’s health and identify any issues that may not be obvious. A thorough physical exam and age-appropriate laboratory tests can help to ensure your pet’s health needs are being met as they mature.
General consultations
Most avian and exotic pets mask signs of illness to protect themselves from predators. If your pet has an injury or looks unwell, make an appointment as soon as possible so we can diagnose the problem and start treatment.
Behaviour consultations
Pet behavioural problems often arise from normal behaviour expressed inappropriately – for example, a cockatoo screaming at dawn when you are trying to sleep.
We can discuss how to address problem behaviours with training, behavioural modification techniques and, occasionally, medication.
Sex identification
It’s important to know your pet bird, reptile or small mammal’s sex because many physical and behavioural issues are linked to gender. We use species-appropriate techniques to identify your pet’s sex, including DNA sexing, cloacal probing and endoscopy.
Wildlife medicine
If you have found a sick or injured small wild animal, we can treat it and work towards its release. We don’t charge a fee but appreciate a donation.
Your gift to our UQ VETS Wildlife and Emergency Care Fund will help us care for sick or injured wildlife.
Animal collections management
We can discuss preventive health and medical management of private and zoo collections of birds, reptiles or small mammals and advise on:
- biosecurity and quarantine
- health and hygiene protocols
- nutrition
- disease screening
- breeding problems
- parasite control.
Medical and hospital care
Our advanced diagnostic testing is onsite and allows us to offer specialised care, including:
- comprehensive clinical pathology and pathology services
- diagnostic imaging (X-ray, CT and ultrasound)
- 24-hour care in our dedicated avian and exotics ward.
Surgery
We provide a range of advanced surgical services for all species that other vets may not be adequately trained to undertake.
These include, but are not limited to:
- soft-tissue surgery and orthopaedics
- bird fracture repairs
- snake caesarean sections
- guinea pig and rat desexing.