Exotic pet veterinarian clinics, like Long Island Bird & Exotics Veterinary Clinic, can diagnose and treat a wide variety of animals. It’s a very rewarding population to treat, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for all businesses.
Keep reading to learn more about the work of exotic pet vets, and how to determine whether your practice is ready to see exotic patients.
What is an exotic pet?
Exotic pets can denote everything from rabbits to lizards. It is generally defined as any animal that isn’t a dog, cat, or farm animal. This includes birds, small mammals, reptiles, and fish.
What do exotic pet vets do?
In our practice, we diagnose and treat animals, help owners learn about the best ways to take care of their exotic pets, stay educated on the latest exotic pet research, and much, much more.
Questions to ask before adding exotic pets to your practice?
Adding exotic pets to your practice is a massive undertaking for the veterinarians, vet techs, and the rest of your staff.
You’ll need a team that’s willing to learn an entirely new way of practicing veterinary medicine and willing to engage in regular continuing education to stay up to date on the latest practices. You should also be willing to invest in the equipment and resources necessary to treat exotic animals.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself to determine whether you’re ready to expand to include exotic pets:
- What changes will I need to make to my existing office? (i.e. a separate waiting room) Am I willing to make the financial investment to do so?
- Is there a demand in my area for exotic pet care?
- Does my staff have the bandwidth to take on treating an entirely new animal population?
- Can I afford the education that will be necessary for my staff to treat exotic animals?
- Which services should I include? Will I include boarding? Emergency medicine?
- Which animals will I treat? Have I done my due diligence into the costs and effort associated with each type of exotic animal?
Pros and cons of adding exotic pets to your practice
Pros of adding exotic pets:
- Increased revenue — You could expand your revenue, assuming there’s demand for exotic vets in your area and owners willing to pay for your services.
- More patients — Clients who would come see you for exotic pet needs may also bring their non-exotic pets too.
- Rewarding challenges — If you and your staff are looking for a new challenge, this is it. Since exotic animals often try hiding their illnesses and vulnerabilities from predators, it can sometimes be very difficult (and rewarding!) to treat them.
Cons of adding exotic pets:
- Additional costs — Treating exotic pets can be costly.
- Layout challenges — You might have to rearrange your entire clinic. (i.e. many exotic animals are prey animals and being around cats or dogs will give them added stress.
- Longer appointments — Exotic pet appointments can take longer than other animal appointments. Be aware that you may not be able to fit as many appointments in as you would with non-exotic pets.
You should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of treating exotic patients before deciding if you should expand your practice to include them. It is an incredibly rewarding field.
Best of luck if you decide to add this wonderful population of animals to your business.
