Avian and Exotics

Rex, a 5-year-old male bearded dragon, was brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital following a period of inappetence, lethargy, and dehydration. His mouth appeared very unhealthy, and his owners were concerned that it was the primary cause of his lack of desire to eat and drink. They hoped that the veterinarians in the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service could help.

Have you ever been eye to eye with a peregrine falcon? Enjoy a rare close-up experience with Phoenix, our resident peregrine at the California Raptor Center’s (CRC) Open House on Saturday, Oct. 19th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Mohave, a 61-year-old desert tortoise, was recently brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital for a recurrence of bladder stones. Thanks to a minimally invasive procedure that saved his shell, and a UC Davis alumna connecting with her alma mater, Mohave is on the mend.

Dr. Jackie Gai ’01 serves as the director of veterinary services for the Performing Animal Welfare Society and works with elephants, lions, tigers and bears. But she still has a soft spot for ducks.

The 2019 edition of the Silicon Valley Tour de Coop has been scratched due to Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND), a highly contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of birds – including poultry.

As one of only 215 board-certified zoological veterinarians in the world, Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema is rarer than some of the endangered animals she treats at the Sacramento Zoo.

Dr. Joanne Paul-Murphy has been named the recipient of the 2019 Animal Welfare Award by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Ginger, an 8-year-old female eclectus parrot, was not feeling like herself a few months ago. Over the course of several days, her decreased appetite caused her to skip a meal of kiwi—her favorite fruit—and she no longer danced around her cage like normal. Her owners thought she was having trouble with egg binding, a condition she suffered from previously. As regular clients of the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, they brought Ginger in for an examination.

Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) is a poultry disease that has not been seen in California since 2002. It has recently re-emerged and represents a serious threat to backyard and commercial flocks.

Hedgehog owners should refrain from kissing their small, spiky friends, health officials warn. Since October, 11 people across eight states have been infected with a particular strain of salmonella, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, and all but one of those infected said they had contact with a hedgehog.

Coconut, the snow leopard cub born at the Sacramento Zoo earlier this year, underwent a rare eyelid surgery on Wednesday, October 24. UC Davis veterinary specialists and the Sacramento Zoo veterinary team collaborated to correct a congenital eyelid defect known as colombas. This ocular deformity is sometimes documented in snow leopards under human care.

When Madonna’s abdomen recently became distended, she was examined by the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Aquatic Animal Health Unit of the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service.

UC Davis veterinary specialists are helping a baby snow leopard, born in May at the Sacramento Zoo, with a condition known as “swimmer’s syndrome,” a developmental deformity that forces animals to paddle their legs like turtles when they try to walk.

The zoo’s snow leopard cub is one lucky cat. Despite being born with several birth defects affecting his eyes and abnormal development of his rear legs and chest, the cub is receiving the very best care and world-class veterinary treatment to help him overcome these challenges.