Welcome to Compendium’s new series of educational articles focusing on companion exotic animal medicine and surgery, “Excellence in Exotics.” These articles will update veterinarians on common medical problems associated with companion exotic species as well as recommended therapeutic protocols, diagnostic testing, nutrition, and surgical procedures. As the acceptance of seeing exotic animals in veterinary hospitals increases, it is beneficial to have the latest information regarding the care of these patients in a concise, easy-to-access format. Veterinary students and recent veterinary graduates are interested in treating companion exotic animals and are more knowledgeable regarding their medical care than ever before. This series is envisioned as a resource to supplement and add to any veterinarian’s knowledge base when confronted with a medical and/or husbandry issue. For veterinarians who are interested in treating companion exotic animals, it is our hope that this series will demonstrate how basic medical knowledge can be applied to any species as a foundation for examination, diagnosis, and treatment. This series will also highlight the differences between the animals covered and what is necessary to achieve a successful case outcome.

The topics of “Excellence in Exotics” will focus on common presentations and the latest recommendations for care. The authors of the articles in this series have treated the species that they write about and will make every effort to provide readers with state-of-the-art information established, through use, in the “trenches” of veterinary clinics. We hope that this easy-to-access information, supplemented with applicable images, will prompt you to place Vetlearn on your favorites list as a quick reference. We also encourage readers to give us feedback on the articles and suggest other topics that would be beneficial to veterinarians who treat companion exotic species.

Exotic animal patients require veterinarians to practice high-quality medicine to obtain a definitive diagnosis so that the proper treatment can be initiated to resolve the disease problem. This approach is rewarding for the entire companion animal practice. Moreover, veterinarians who are informed in exotic animal medicine and confident about communicating disease conditions and treatment options gain credibility with owners of these species. It is our hope that “Excellence in Exotics” will lead not only to treatment successes but also to an increase in caseload diversity, a variety in medical presentations, and more office visits as a whole.

Thomas N. Tully, Jr., DVM, MS, DABVP (Avian), DECZM (Avian)
Series Editor