Rat bite fever is an infectious disease in people caused by the bacteria Streptobacillus moniliformis. People become infected either by being bitten by a rodent carrying the bacteria. While any person who comes into contact with the bacteria is at risk of developing the disease, children under 5 years of age, adults over 65 years of age, and immunocompromised people are at higher risk.

Like all pets, hedgehogs can carry bacteria and viruses that can make people sick. Recently a number of cases of Salmonella Typhimurium in people have been linked to exposure to pet hedgehogs. This is a bacteria that hedgehogs can carry in their intestines without showing any signs of illness. Symptoms in people include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Severe cases require hospitalization and can be fatal. Risks of illness are higher in children under the age of 5, the elderly, and immunocompromised persons. If you feel ill, contact your physician and inform them you have a pet hedgehog.

Native plants of the Sonoran Desert are perfectly adapted to our climate and offer superior nutrition for the captive desert tortoise. For more information click here.

Ringworm is not actually caused by a worm but is a skin infection caused by a fungus. While lesions alone can lead to high suspicion of an infection, definitive diagnosis is made by culturing the fungus or by PCR testing. Because the culture test can take 2-3 weeks to complete, treatment is typically started immediately in suspect cases. The PCR test is more commonly used and results generally take 3 days. If the test is positive, treatment should continue and cultures or PCR testing should be repeated every 3 weeks until two consecutive negative results are obtained for the fungus.

What is it and what causes it?

Atherosclerosis is the accumulation of plaques (fats, cholesterol, and inflammatory cells) within the arteries. The buildup of these plaques can limit the amount of blood flow throughout the body.  Unfortunately, the cause of atherosclerosis is still poorly understood. Suggested risk factors include fatty diet (seed based), increased cholesterol, inactivity, infectious/inflammatory conditions and stress.

What is it?

Mycobacterium marinum, more commonly known as fish tuberculosis or fish tank granuloma in humans, is a chronic progressive fish disease that thrives in closed aquatic systems with high density of fish and warmer waters.

Sugar gliders are best to get around 8-12 weeks after they emerge from the mother’s pouch.  This is the best age to socialize them with humans and get them used to being handled.  The process may take many weeks to fully socialize them to humans.  Sugar gliders live for about 7-10 years in captivity but have been known to live as long as 12-15 in some cases.  They are nocturnal in the wild, however they can adjust to any schedule in captivity.

“Gut loading” refers to the practice of feeding insects a nutritious diet before they are eaten by your pet.  Most commercially-available prey insects are deficient in many nutrients that our insectivorous pets require.  Gut loading enhances our pets’ nutrition in two ways:

Marek’s Disease is a highly contagious viral (Alphaherpesvirinae) disease of poultry and can be found in both commercial and backyard birds. The virus is airborne and spreads through feather dander and feces. The virus is prevented by vaccinating birds while in the egg or shortly after hatching.

A reef aquarium filled with many different species and types of coral can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. Water quality is the most important aspect of keeping a thriving reef environment that is both suitable for the fish and invertebrates while keeping the tank visually pleasing The primary aspects of water quality do not differ much from keeping fish-only aquariums. However, the addition of corals will add a new dimension with more parameters to monitor for healthy, growing, and vibrant corals and fish.  These include calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, phosphate, pH, ammonia, salinity, and temperature.