Preparing your hospital for exotic pets

This chapter discusses how a veterinarian can prepare his/her hospital for exotic pets. When considering whether to incorporate exotic species into a veterinary practice, veterinarians should first identify the potential advantages and disadvantages associated with such a change. Incorporating exotic pets into a veterinary practice can have multiple advantages as well as disadvantages. Working with exotic pets requires more "client time" than working with domestic pets. Often, it is important to spend additional time with the client, covering husbandry and nutrition issues that would be unnecessary with a dog or a cat client. Because of the additional time required to work with these animals, veterinarians should institute fees commensurate with the time allocated to the examination and consultation. Veterinarians interested in the ultimate pursuit of specialization in exotic pet medicine should consider advanced specialty training. The reception staff should be provided all the resources that they can use to promptly and accurately answer questions. The waiting room in the hospital may be set up to educate clients about different species. The veterinarians may also need additional equipment depending on the species they accept and the extent to which they plan to practice on exotic pets.