Description
The rising popularity of exotic pets can be attributed to changing lifestyles and owner needs, social media influence and in some cases advertising and anthropomorphism of endearing animal species. The number of meerkats for example in private ownership in the UK has skyrocketed since the launch of a certain TV advertisement which gave them funny names and Russian accents. The trend for more and more unusual pets looks set to grow and without legislation to control this, the likelihood of weird and wonderful creatures being presented to the veterinary clinic is growing all the time. This webinar aims to equip the practitioner with knowledge of the biology, husbandry and health problems of the some of the most common exotic mammal pets encountered in private practice including ferrets, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, meerkats, raccoons and raccoon dogs, foxes, coatis, kinkajous, primates, squirrels and other exotic rodents. Special attention will be given to diagnosing and treating the most common conditions in each species, but also advising on the most common husbandry issues and misconceptions. The ethics and practicalities of keeping such animals along with invasive species considerations will also be raised, and the speaker hopes that some discussion and debate can happen with question time after the presentation ends. Sean qualified as a vet in 2010 from University College Dublin after studying an undergraduate Bachelor's degree in Animal Science. He started his veterinary career working in a domestic, exotics and zoo practice in Kent where he worked with a wide range of unusual species including birds, primates and big carnivores. After working in a domestic and exotic pet practice in West London, he joined the team at Richmond Vets where he set up a dedicated exotic pets service with a heavy reptile caseload. Having studied Animal Science in Essex before his Veterinary degree, he has a broad base of knowledge in zoology, anatomy and physiology of a wide range of animal species. During Vet school he completed Zoo Medicine elective modules, with placement at Dublin Zoo and over the years has kept and bred a huge variety of reptiles, amphibians and other exotic pets. He is a former member of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS). He currently works in the pet nutrition industry, writes on exotic animal medicine and does regular educational work for vets and vet nurses.”