Dr. Wright Endoscoping A Turtle

Drs. Johnson and Wright provide a wide variety of surgical services for exotic pets.  We provide high quality pre-anesthetic screening, anesthesia, and post-operative pain management.

Spay and Neuters -- Many exotic pets benefit from preventive spays and neuters.  It is very important to spay female rabbits at an early age to prevent dangerous uterine tumors that develop in middle-aged and elderly rabbits.  A female guinea pig that has never had offspring may die if she gets pregnant after about a year of age because her pelvis becomes fused so it is important to spay her lest accidents happen.  A rat that is spayed when young is far less likely to develop mammary tumors.  Bearded dragons and green iguanas often develop a life-threatening condition called prefollicular stasis that may be prevented by a spay.  Many male pets, especially rabbits, become better pets once they have been neutered.  We work closely with various rescue groups to spay and neuter pets prior to adoption--we spayed and neutered over 90 rescue rabbits between March and August 2008 and continue to perform two to four spays and neuters for rescue groups every week.

Cheek Teeth Filing, Extraction, and Management of Mandibular Abscesses -- Rabbits and rodents have very different teeth than dogs and cats and require veterinarians who understand their unique needs.  We are skilled in managing malocclusion of the teeth as well as mandibular abscesses, tooth root problems, and even extractions.

Ferret Adrenalectomy -- Ferrets with adrenal disease often have a surgically-responsive condition.  Even ferrets with very large adrenal tumors typically do well following this procedure, regrowing their hair and regaining their weight and energy.

Ferret Insulinoma Surgery -- Hypoglycemia ferrets often have an insulinoma.  In many cases, this tumor that may be surgically removed.

Tortoise Bladder Stone Surgery -- We have performed this surgery on many different species of tortoises.  We've even taught courses on this surgery at major veterinary conferences!

Tortoise Shell Repair -- Unfortunately, dog bites and auto accidents are frequent causes of serious shell damage to turtles and tortoises.  We're experienced in a variety of techniques to heal tortoises with open coelomic cavities and multiple shell fractures.

Exploratory Endoscopy -- There are many times when an exotic pet is sick and an exploratory surgery is needed to diagnose and treat the condition.  With endoscopy, we are able to make a small incision in your pet and insert a telescope with a camera attached and film what is going on inside.  This helps us diagnose many conditions that would otherwise remain enigmas.  We'll burn a CD of the images and movies made during the endoscopy and give that to you after the procedure.

Other Surgeries  -- We have experience with performing a wide variety of surgeries on exotic pets and we are confident we will provide excellent care for your special pet that needs surgery.

Radiosurgery -- This is a valuable tool that is less destructive than laser surgery and allows more rapid healing time with less inflammation associated with the incision.  While not useful in all situations, this has a wide variety of applications in exotic pet surgery.