SCAEP is excited to announce that the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease vaccine is now available for use during regularly scheduled appointments. Please contact our office to schedule an appointment and discuss details. Please review Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease info below:
https://medgenelabs.com/rhdv2/
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pub...
Proudly Serving the Exotic Pets of the Erie, PA Community
On the shores of Lake Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania lies the city of Erie. Erie is also known as “The Lake City,” “The Gem City,” and “The Flagship City” after the naval flagship Niagara. It is located approximately 100 miles from both Buffalo, NY and Cleveland, OH, but unlike these other major cities, its population has slightly dwindled in recent years as more people movie into its suburbs. Nonetheless, Erie remains a solid place to live, even earning itself the All-American City award once. It offers one of the nation’s lowest costs of living, minimal traffic, several family-owned restaurants, tax-free food, clothing, and essential items, and a beautiful state park for outdoor activities.
Specialized Care For Avian & Exotic Pets is proud to serve the Erie, PA community, providing a unique skillset that cannot be found anywhere else in the region. If you are the owner of a bird, small mammal, reptile, or other exotic pet, you will want to become familiar with our exotic animal clinic.
Trust Our Avian & Exotic Companion Specialists to Care for Your Pet
Most vet clinics cater to cats and dogs, and while they may be able to treat rarer types of pets, few if any specialize solely in the care of exotic animals. We, on the other hand, make it our goal to provide comprehensive healthcare services to these pets. The expertise of our avian and exotic companion specialists draws pet owners from not only Erie, PA, but the entire Western New York area as well. Trust our bird and exotic animal hospital for everything from general checkups to after-hours emergency treatments. We also provide reptile veterinarian services for care of your beloved reptiles and amphibians. We can help you keep an amphibian or reptile healthy and answer all your questions about the best ways to feed and care for your exotic pet. If your pet is scaly or slimy, they will be cared for at Specialized Care For Avian & Exotic Pets. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment with our exotic animal clinic serving Erie, PA!
Update on Avian Influenza for the Backyard Poultry Flock (March 2023)
Background and Risk:
Since February 2022, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or the “bird flu” has been identified in a number of wild birds and backyard flocks in New York State. Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and is carried by free-flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. Only a small percentage of wild birds will show signs of disease when infected with avian influenza. Monitor your area for unusual illnesses or deaths of waterfowl (ducks, geese), gulls, raptors(hawks, owls), shorebirds, or crows, particularly where multiple birds are involved or showing neurologic signs. For a good overview, see Cornell’s Avian Influenza Fact Sheet (https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/disease/avian-influenza). Avian Influenza is a zoonotic disease and humans can develop illness. However, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. At present no human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses. Anyone involved with poultry production including small backyard flocks should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aph... . An excellent fact sheet is available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ani...
Recommendations for poultry owners:
1. Prevent contact between pet birds and wild birds and keep birds inside the coop when waterfowl are migrating.
2. Observe flocks for signs of illness. HPAI causes many birds to die at the same time and those remaining in the flock will appear sick. An individual bird coughing or sneezing is not a cause for worry. Sick birds will be inactive, act sleepy and stop eating.
3. If a sudden death occurs in a flock (2-3 dead birds out of a flock of 10), multiple birds paralyzed at the same time or with twisted necks, contact your veterinarian, the State Veterinarian or the USDA (866.536.7593).
4. Always practice good biosecurity which means keeping disease away from the flock. AI is spread in feces, oral/nasal/respiratory secretions, on dead animals, shoes, clothing, equipment, and contaminated feed, water and feathers. It survives a long time in feces and aquatic environments and resists refrigeration and freezing.
5. Have dedicated clothing and footwear to wear only when taking care of birds. At a minimum, change shoes before entering the coop. This is especially important if you work with wildlife or have companion parrots (use separate shoes for the yard/coop and do not bring them inside the house). Wash hands after working with poultry.
6. If owners hunt migratory waterfowl or golf, have someone else take care of the flock for a period of 72 hours after potential exposure to wild birds.
For more information: For the latest cases, see the USDA website at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aph...
This fact sheet was compiled by Dr. Laura Wade for clients of Specialized Care for Avian & Exotic Pets in conjunction with the following contributors: the NYS Wildlife Health Program and the NYSDEC Wildlife Health Unit, the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the University of Minnesota Raptor Center (April 2022).
WHAT ARE AVIAN & EXOTIC PETS? Our patients include but are not limited to:
Birds - canaries/finches, budgerigars/parakeets, parrots of all species (including parrotlets, lovebirds, conures, quaker parrots, african grey parrots, cockatiels, cockatoos, macaws, etc), chickens and turkeys, ducks and geese, doves and pigeons, and many more...
Small mammals - rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, sugar gliders, flying squirrels, hedgehogs, chinchillas, degus, rats, gerbils, mice, hamsters, prairie dogs, and more!
Reptiles/Amphibians - bearded dragons, chinese water dragons, iguanas, chameleons, geckos, monitors, skinks, non-venomous snake species, aquatic turtles, box turtles, tortoises, frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, axolotls, all species of fish, tarantulas, hermit/other crabs, scorpions, and more!