Exotic Pets™

#232: You can litter box train a bunny [but whatever you do, don't move that litter box!] Bunny proof your home, especially electric cords and cables. Rabbits can have delicate health, so find a "bunny veterinarian" and have a wellness exam twice a year to prevent possibly serious medical issues.

#231: Saskia Chiesa of the Los Angeles Guinea Pig rescue talks about how children lose interest in their first pet — a guinea pig — and the parents don't have a plan for what to do with them, so the piggies wind up neglected and discarded.

#230: Ace Tilton wrote the charming "Little Book of Dog Care" but it turns out they also love snakes and rescue ball pythons (5 at the moment) from people who "collect and neglect" them, then put them on Craigslist. Ace also has a Kenyan sand boa named Confetti, who has what they call "a kitten face."

#229: Dr. Doug talks about the circumstances that determine whether or not to clip a bird's wings. Should you do it yourself or have a professional handle it? And why you should do a "test flight."

 #227: Martha Rivera, curator of the Everglades Outpost, talks about the joys and challenges of running a refuge facility where people dump unwanted exotic pets. They also rehabilitate and release wildlife, often with Dr. Doug’s veterinary expertise. 

 #226: Musician Alex Rybek lists the advantages of having a snake as a pet --- Petula is quiet, hypoallergenic, undemanding and an object of beauty. [However, Petula’s weekly meal does require dangling a defrosted mouse with a forceps.] 

#228: Protect your vulnerable exotics from mercury-busting temperatures. Parrots, Jackson's chameleons, bunnies, small birds and mammals can all die in un-air-conditioned indoor spaces or outdoors, too. Dr. Doug suggests ways to keep them cool. 

 #225: Dr. Doug extols the virtues of friendly, easy to keep and affectionate guinea pigs as his favorite “starter pet” for kids. But he cautions to house them correctly or they can get bumblefoot! 

 #224: Dr. Doug Mader extols the wondrous sophistication and utility of a snake's forked tongue and explains “tongue flicking.”