Introduction: Clinical Updates on Problematic Diseases in Exotic Pet Medicine

Abstract

Keeping up-to-date on the wide array of disease conditions that relate to avian and exotic pet medicine and surgery can be a daunting task. Not only do exotic animal practitioners have a vast number of species to account for in their “book” of knowledge, but they also have to remain aware of the ever-expanding field of clinical and applied research. Often, the easiest way to stay abreast of the latest information or research is to attend the Association of Avian Veterinarians Annual Conference, the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians Conference, and the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians Annual Conference, as well as to read the quarterly publications of each of the associations. Although this may seem to be the most effective way to catch up or stay current on avian/exotic veterinary medicine, it is not always possible to attend 3 conferences each year. With an understanding of this problem facing many avian/exotic practitioners, I have attempted to select several clinically relevant current topics from across the different exotic species we see in practice for this issue of the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine. Drs. Elliot Jacobson and Li-Wen Chang have written an update on inclusion body disease, a disease reptile veterinarians have been battling for decades. This is one of those diseases where there is some research to support our understanding of it, but there is more left to be done. For those of us working with snakes, in particular boas and pythons, this review will be most helpful. Current information on clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, and client education is included in the discussion. Dr. Cathy Johnson-Delaney will help bring us up-to-date on a variety of diseases affecting pet ferrets. Here, too, there are a number of diseases where new information will be a valuable resource to the exotic animal veterinarian. With help from Drs. Susan Kelleher and Carolyn Cray, I was able to provide an overview of the current methodology used for serological testing of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in rabbits. A review of several