Articles & Guides
Long-form reference material from the ExoticRx editorial team. Every article links back into the live formulary so you can move straight from the discussion to the species-specific dose ranges.
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD): Diagnosis and Management
A clinical guide to PBFD, the signature circoviral disease of parrots (BFDV). Covers virology and transmission (durable virus, feather dust and faeces, vertical spread, bursal/thymic immunosuppression), the peracute/acute/chronic forms and species differences (beak necrosis in cockatoos), and the diagnostic crux: PCR detects the virus, but a single positive must be confirmed on repeat testing. There is no antiviral cure — management is supportive care, biosecurity, and welfare decisions.
Published September 11, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Guinea Pig Ovarian Cysts: Diagnosis and Treatment
A clinical guide to cystic ovarian disease in guinea pigs — near-ubiquitous in intact sows over roughly 18–24 months. Distinguishes hormonally active from rete ovarii cysts, covers the symmetrical flank alopecia and abdominal-mass presentations, positions abdominal ultrasound as the diagnostic key, and compares ovariohysterectomy (definitive) with GnRH-agonist/hCG hormonal management and drainage (palliative). Emphasises guinea-pig-specific peri-operative care.
Published September 8, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Avian Egg Binding and Dystocia in Psittacine Birds
A clinical guide to egg binding and dystocia in psittacines — especially chronic egg-layers (cockatiels, budgerigars, lovebirds). Distinguishes functional egg binding from mechanical dystocia, centres the hypocalcaemia link, and lays out a stabilise-first ladder: warmth, fluids, and calcium BEFORE any ecbolic; oxytocin only for a shelled egg with a patent oviduct; ovocentesis and surgery when needed — and never forcing an egg. Ends with prevention of chronic laying.
Published September 4, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Rabbit Acquired Dental Disease: Recognition and Management
A clinical guide to acquired dental disease in rabbits — the progressive, diet-driven malocclusion syndrome behind so many anorexia, drooling, epiphora, and GI-stasis presentations. Covers why apical changes precede coronal ones, sedated oral exam and skull imaging (CT beats radiographs for apices and abscesses), coronal reduction with a burr (never clippers), abscess management, and the analgesia, assisted feeding, and dietary correction that make it a managed — not cured — disease.
Published September 1, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Avian Chlamydiosis (Psittacosis): Diagnosis and Treatment in Psittacine Birds
Clinical reference on Chlamydia psittaci infection in psittacine birds for exotic-animal clinicians. Covers pathogen biology, the nonspecific clinical picture (conjunctivitis, sinusitis, lime-green urates, hepatomegaly, subclinical carriage, sudden death), PCR-based diagnosis and its shedding-intermittency caveats, the canonical 45-day doxycycline course with route and formulation considerations, and the reportable zoonotic dimension: human psittacosis, PPE, client counselling, public-health rep
Published August 28, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Guinea Pig Hypovitaminosis C (Scurvy): Recognition and Treatment
Guinea pigs cannot synthesise vitamin C and depend entirely on dietary intake, so hypovitaminosis C (scurvy) is one of the most common husbandry-driven diseases in the species. This clinical reference for exotic-animal veterinarians covers the pathophysiology of obligate dietary-C dependence, clinical signs, diagnosis by history and radiographs, canonical maintenance and treatment dosing of vitamin C, monitoring, and prevention through diet.
Published August 25, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Sugar Glider Drug Dosing: A Vet Reference
A link-out dosing reference for sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps). Covers why marsupial physiology — small body size, high metabolic rate, torpor, and a gum-feeding digestive tract — changes drug choice, plus per-class notes on antibiotics, antiparasitics, analgesia and anaesthesia, and supportive care for common presentations (NSHP/metabolic bone disease, self-mutilation, hind-limb paresis, dental disease, obesity, stress). Specific mg/kg values live on the cited drug pages.
Published August 21, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Tortoise Upper Respiratory Tract Disease: Workup and Treatment
Mycoplasma agassizii / testudineum, herpesvirus, and the rest of the URTD differential — plus the diagnostics that change management and the antibiotic regimens that actually work in chelonians.
Published August 18, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Compounding for Exotic Patients: A Practical Workflow
When to compound, what bases work for which species, the stability and palatability tradeoffs, and the legal framework — written for the practitioner who has to fit a 5 mg dog tablet into a 30 g gecko.
Published August 14, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Pain Assessment in Exotic Species: Reading Patients That Hide It
Behavioural pain signs in rabbits, ferrets, rodents, birds, and reptiles — and a practical approach to dosing analgesia when the patient won't tell you what hurts.
Published August 11, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Reptile Force-Feeding: A Bedside Protocol
When to assist-feed an anorexic reptile, what slurry to use, what tube size and route, and the metabolic considerations (refeeding syndrome, fluid status, temperature) that decide whether the patient survives the intervention.
Published August 7, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
African Pygmy Hedgehog Drug Dosing: A Vet Reference
Antibiotic, analgesic, antiparasitic, and anesthesia dosing for Atelerix albiventris. Plus the reasons mask induction is harder than it should be, and what to do about the obligate insectivore-and-mites combination.
Published August 4, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Pet Rat Drug Dosing: A Vet Reference
Antibiotic, analgesic, and respiratory-disease dosing for Rattus norvegicus var. domestica. Mycoplasma pulmonis is the dominant pathogen of pet rat practice — most prescribing decisions trace back to it.
Published July 31, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Pre-Anesthetic Bloodwork in Exotic Patients: What to Run, What It Changes
The minimum useful bloodwork before anesthetising rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, reptiles, and birds — plus the species-specific values that should make you stop or change the protocol.
Published July 28, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Chinchilla Drug Dosing: A Vet Reference
Antibiotic, analgesic, anesthetic, and dental-disease dosing for Chinchilla lanigera. Same dysbiosis warnings as rabbits, plus the chinchilla-specific sensitivities to anesthesia and stress that change post-op care.
Published July 24, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Ferret Drug Dosing: A Vet Reference
Antibiotic, analgesic, antiparasitic, and adrenal/insulinoma dosing for Mustela putorius furo — and the ferret-specific physiology that should change your prescribing.
Published July 21, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome: Differential Diagnosis and Supportive Care
A clinician-focused overview of Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS) in African pygmy hedgehogs, covering the limited evidence base, the differentials that must be excluded antemortem, and a realistic supportive-care framework for a uniformly progressive, ultimately fatal disease.
Published July 17, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Snake Mites (Ophionyssus natricis): Identification, Treatment, and Reinfestation Prevention
A clinician-focused review of Ophionyssus natricis biology, diagnosis, and a stepwise treatment protocol covering ivermectin, selamectin, fluralaner, and environmental decontamination, with explicit contraindications and reinfestation control.
Published July 14, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Reptile Yellow Fungus Disease: Nannizziopsis Diagnosis and Antifungal Protocols
Clinical reference for nannizziomycosis (formerly CANV) in captive lizards, covering current taxonomy, dermatologic and systemic presentations, ITS-based PCR diagnostics, and evidence-graded voriconazole, itraconazole, and terbinafine protocols with husbandry and biosecurity guidance.
Published July 10, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Reptile Metabolic Bone Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Husbandry Correction
A clinical reference for primary-care veterinarians managing nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism in reptiles, covering recognition, ionized calcium-guided stabilization, supplementation protocols, and the husbandry corrections without which medical therapy fails.
Published July 7, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Pet Rat Mycoplasmosis: Long-Term Management of Chronic Respiratory Disease
Clinician-aimed reference for managing Mycoplasma pulmonis-associated chronic respiratory disease in pet rats, covering pathophysiology, antibiotic selection (enrofloxacin, doxycycline, azithromycin, chloramphenicol), adjunctive therapy, husbandry intervention, and prognosis with cited dose ranges and evidence-level labels.
Published July 3, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Hedgehog Oral Neoplasia and Dental Disease: A Diagnostic Approach
Practical clinical reference for the workup and management of oral disease in African pygmy hedgehogs, covering anesthetic oral examination, biopsy, dental disease therapy, surgical and palliative options for oral squamous cell carcinoma, and cited analgesic and antimicrobial dosing with evidence-level labels.
Published June 30, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Ferret Insulinoma: Medical and Surgical Management of Hypoglycemia
Practical clinical reference for diagnosis, acute crisis stabilization, long-term medical control with prednisolone and diazoxide, and surgical debulking of pancreatic beta-cell tumors in domestic ferrets, with cited dose ranges and evidence-level labels.
Published June 26, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Ferret Adrenocortical Disease: Diagnostic Workup and Long-Term Management
Practical clinical reference for diagnosing and managing adrenocortical disease in domestic ferrets, covering the Tennessee sex hormone panel, GnRH-analogue therapy with deslorelin and leuprolide, and the surgical considerations that distinguish left from right adrenalectomy.
Published June 23, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Chinchilla Dental Disease: Recognition, Imaging, and Treatment
A clinical guide to acquired dental disease in chinchillas, covering hypsodont anatomy, intraoral and CT-based diagnosis, anesthesia, coronal reduction, abscess management, and evidence-graded analgesic and antimicrobial dosing.
Published June 19, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Avian Heavy Metal Toxicosis: Diagnosis and Chelation Protocols
A clinician-focused review of zinc and lead toxicosis in companion and exotic birds, covering exposure sources, pathophysiology, diagnostic thresholds, decontamination, and species-appropriate chelation protocols (CaEDTA, DMSA, D-penicillamine) with referenced dosing.
Published June 16, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Cryptosporidium serpentis in Pet Snakes: A Practical Guide
Why C. serpentis is the most prognostically loaded diagnosis in pet snake medicine, how to confirm it, and the realistic outlook for paromomycin therapy.
Published June 12, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Avian Articular Gout: Recognition and Allopurinol Management
How to spot articular gout in psittacines before it disables, and the evidence-base for allopurinol-based long-term management.
Published June 9, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Reptile Dystocia (Egg-Binding): Medical and Surgical Management
How to distinguish obstructive from non-obstructive dystocia in lizards and snakes — and when oxytocin and calcium are appropriate vs when they are dangerous.
Published June 5, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Avian Aspergillosis: Voriconazole vs Itraconazole Protocols
When to reach for voriconazole instead of itraconazole in psittacine aspergillosis — and why the choice matters more in African Greys.
Published June 2, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Encephalitozoon cuniculi in Rabbits: Diagnosis and Treatment
When to test for E. cuniculus, how to interpret antibody titres, and the fenbendazole-based treatment protocol used in pet rabbit practice.
Published May 29, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Antibiotic Selection in Exotic Animals: Principles and Pitfalls
How to choose an antibiotic for rabbits, guinea pigs, parrots, and reptiles — with the species-specific contraindications general practice reaches for first by reflex.
Published May 26, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Anesthesia in Exotic Companion Animals: A Practical Overview
Inhalational and injectable anesthesia choices for rabbits, guinea pigs, parrots, and reptiles — and what species-specific physiology should change in your protocol.
Published May 22, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Ball Python Drug Dosing: A Vet's Reference
Antibiotic, antiparasitic, and supportive-care dosing for Python regius — and the snake-specific physiology that drives the choices.
Published May 19, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Guinea Pig Drug Dosing: A Vet Quick Reference
Antibiotic, analgesic, and antifungal dosing for Cavia porcellus — and why they're not just small rabbits.
Published May 15, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
African Grey Parrot Drug Dosing: A Vet Reference
Antibiotic, antifungal, and supportive-care dosing for Psittacus erithacus — and the avian-specific physiology that should change your prescribing.
Published May 12, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Rabbit Drug Dosing: A Vet's Quick Reference
Antibiotic, analgesic, and antiparasitic dosing for domestic rabbits — and the oral antibiotics you must never reach for.
Published May 8, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Avian Fluid Therapy: Route, Volume, Rate
Why bird fluid plans aren't a scaled-down dog plan. Total body water, maintenance, deficit, and shock-bolus volumes for psittacines and raptors. Choosing between SC, IO, IV, and PO — and why a 90 mL/kg shock bolus will kill the patient.
Published May 4, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Reptile Sedation: Why Temperature Is The Variable, Not The Drug
Most failed reptile inductions, prolonged recoveries, and 'the snake just isn't going under' episodes trace back to one cause: the patient is too cold for the drug to do what it does in a mammal. Practical sedation protocols built around POTZ as the master variable.
Published May 4, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Rabbit GI Stasis: A Bedside Protocol
What to do, in order, in the first 60 minutes when a rabbit presents with anorexia and reduced fecal output. Analgesia, fluids, prokinetics, force-feeding, and the decision tree for when to image and when to refer.
Published May 4, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Bearded Dragon Respiratory Infections: Workup and Treatment
Why a 'simple URTI' in a bearded dragon almost always has a husbandry root cause, and how to structure antibiotic therapy when it doesn't.
Published May 2, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial
Bearded Dragon Drug Dosing: Vet Reference Guide
Antibiotic, antiparasitic, and analgesic dosing notes for Pogona vitticeps — and what reptile physiology means for the drugs you reach for first.
Published April 29, 2026 · ExoticRx Editorial