COVID-19 Update: The NC State Veterinary Hospital is expanding services, but still only seeing a limited number of cases at this time. Click to learn more about appointments.

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Exotic Animal Services 

We provide state-of-the-art care for your feathery, finned or scaly friends. Our exotic animal experts offer primary care and see referral cases.

State-of-the-Art Care for Exotic Animals 

Exotic Animal Medicine has access to all diagnostic laboratories and specialty services available at the Veterinary Hospital including: Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Radiology/imaging, Ophthalmology, and Critical care. Our specialists are experts in a wide range of exotic animals. The patients we see include:

  • A variety of caged birds,(parrots and finches), as well as raptors used for Falconry, pigeons and backyard poultry
  • Small mammals like gerbils, ferrets, hedgehogs, rabbits and sugar gliders
  • Nonvenomous reptiles and amphibians such as turtles, snakes, lizards, toads, and frogs
  • Fishes
  • Invertebrates ranging from coral to tarantulas

 

 

Please note that the service does not see wildlife, venomous reptiles, primates, or large carnivores.

After-hours emergency services are available for all veterinary hospital clients. Weekday emergencies will be accommodated for existing clients and efforts will be made to accommodate new clients whenever possible.

 

Specialty Clinics

Backyard Chicken

Avian Patients

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Small Mammal

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Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, Invertebrates

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Appointments, Referrals and Resources

Appointments & Referrals

Appointment Guidelines

The Exotic Animal Medicine Service is available to the general public and welcomes referral cases.

We strive to provide a safe and caring environment for your pet bird, small mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish, or invertebrate. We ask that you arrive with your pet in a carrier; this will help keep them safe from other animals that may be in the lobby, and will help reduce stress. We also ask that you bring a sample of your pet’s diet to your appointment. Upon check-in, you and your pet will be escorted into an exam room where someone will talk with you about your animal’s lifestyle, diet, and current and previous medical concerns.

Resources

The Exotic Animal Medicine Service at NC State University does not accept wildlife of any kind. The NCSU Turtle Rescue Team can be contacted regarding the rescue and rehabilitation of wild reptiles and amphibians. If you have found a wild animal that you believe is injured or orphaned, please contact a wildlife rehabilitator for instructions about safe capture and transport from the organizations listed here:

  • CLAWS, Inc., located just outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 919-544-3330, CLAWS, Inc.
  • Wildlife Welfare, Inc. (triangle-based group of independent wildlife rehabilitators), 919-619-0776, Wildlife Welfare (website and phone line have useful information)
  • Carolina Raptor Center, Huntersville, NC, 704-875-6521, www.carolinaraptorcenter.org
  • Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina, www.ncwildliferehab.org (look up NC rehabilitators by county and species they work with).
  • NCSU Turtle Rescue Team (wild turtles, snakes, lizards and amphibians only), 919-982-5923, www.turtlerescueteam.com

Additional resources may also be found at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s website.

Caring for Your Exotic Pet

Exotics in the News

North Carolina Snakes: What You Need to Know on World Snake Day

The CVM's resident snake guy, professor Greg Lewbart, talks snake activity during the summer, the biggest misconceptions about the species and more.

NC State CVM-Led Cancer Database Changes the Game for Exotic Pets and Wildlife

The CVM's Tara Harrison is the only veterinarian on a team that traveled to Kenya to investigate cancer in wild animals, an extension of her exotic species and wildlife oncology research.

Alumni Voice: What Zoological Medicine at the CVM Meant to Me

As chief veterinarian at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, S.C., Shane Boylan (DVM, ’05) treats some of the world’s most amazing marine animals, including sea turtles impacted by oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and loggerheads in need of rehabilitation at the aquarium’s Sea Turtle Care Center. As a student at the NC

Wild Things: 30 Years of Zoological Medicine at the CVM

30 years ago, the CVM changed the way zoological medicine was practiced and taught. Today, it remains an unmatched force in the field.

NC State Veterinary Hospital Helps Lost Seal Pup Find His Way

The young gray seal needed to go North, and the NC State Veterinary Hospital was a vital stop on the way there.    The seal’s path to NC State began in late February. As reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the seal was spotted in Virginia Beach, Va., and reported as lethargic and

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