Goins Matt, Hanlon Alison J
School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Ir Vet J. 2021 May 4;74(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s13620-021-00191-5.
There has been increasing concern expressed about the welfare of exotic pets worldwide. For the purposes of this article, an exotic pet is considered to be a non-domesticated species, where there are knowledge gaps on good practice (minimum standards of care), veterinary diagnostics and treatments. The categories of exotic pets included in this study were: small mammals (< 20 kg), large mammals (> 20 kg), birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, rats, and ferrets were excluded from the study. An online survey of veterinary professionals conducted between July and August 2020 provides the first empirical data for Ireland. In this pilot study (the second in this thematic series) we aim to characterise the provision of veterinary services to exotic pets from the veterinary professionals' perspective, explore the main concerns of veterinary professionals towards exotic pet ownership, and their recommendations to support responsible exotic pet ownership.
Using an online survey this pilot study gathered evidence from 63 veterinary professionals currently working in private practice in Ireland. The prevalence of veterinary services for exotic pets in Ireland was determined to be 82% of small and mixed animal clinics of respondents' practices ranging from 9.1 to 100% for different categories of exotic pets. The most common issues encountered in practice with exotic pets were related to nutrition, environment, and behaviour followed by clinical diseases such as respiratory, infectious, and gastrointestinal issues. The most common concerns veterinary professionals had with exotic pet ownership related to the lack of owner knowledge as well as the lack of veterinary knowledge and accessible resources. The most common strategic initiatives indicated by veterinary professionals included black or white lists (to prohibit and permit the keeping of exotic pet species respectively), licensing for owners and increased availability of CPD for veterinary professionals.
More than four in every five veterinary professionals in small or mixed animal practices surveyed were willing to treat exotic pets and in many cases they already were. A scaffold for best practice is required to support the health and welfare of exotic pets and responsible ownership. Keystones include veterinary education to support veterinary professionals with daily practice, establishing a white list of exotic species that are suitable as pets, registration at the point of purchase to enable traceability for biosecurity purposes and research to identify care standards to support the health and welfare of exotic pets.
全球范围内，人们对 exotic pets 的福利问题愈发关注。在本文中，exotic pet 被视为非驯化物种，在良好实践（最低护理标准）、兽医诊断和治疗方面存在知识空白。本研究涵盖的 exotic pet 类别包括：小型哺乳动物（<20 千克）、大型哺乳动物（>20 千克）、鸟类、爬行动物、两栖动物、鱼类和无脊椎动物。狗、猫、兔子、仓鼠、沙鼠、豚鼠、小鼠、大鼠和雪貂被排除在研究之外。2020 年 7 月至 8 月对兽医专业人员进行的一项在线调查为爱尔兰提供了首批实证数据。在这项试点研究（该主题系列中的第二项）中，我们旨在从兽医专业人员的角度描述为 exotic pets 提供的兽医服务，探讨兽医专业人员对 exotic pet 饲养的主要担忧，以及他们对支持负责任 exotic pet 饲养的建议。
通过在线调查，这项试点研究收集了来自爱尔兰目前在私人诊所工作的 63 名兽医专业人员的证据。爱尔兰 exotic pets 兽医服务的普及率在受访者诊所的小型和混合动物诊所中为 82%，不同类别的 exotic pets 从 9.1%到 100%不等。在实践中 exotic pets 遇到的最常见问题与营养、环境和行为有关，其次是临床疾病，如呼吸道、传染性和胃肠道问题。兽医专业人员对 exotic pet 饲养最常见的担忧与主人知识的缺乏以及兽医知识和可获取资源的缺乏有关。兽医专业人员指出的最常见战略举措包括黑名单或白名单（分别禁止和允许饲养 exotic pet 物种）、主人许可和兽医专业人员继续职业发展机会的增加。
在接受调查的小型或混合动物诊所中，每五名兽医专业人员中就有超过四人愿意治疗 exotic pets，而且在许多情况下他们已经在治疗了。需要一个最佳实践框架来支持 exotic pets 的健康和福利以及负责任的饲养。关键要素包括兽医教育，以支持兽医专业人员的日常实践；建立适合作为宠物的 exotic 物种白名单；在购买时进行登记，以便出于生物安全目的进行可追溯性；以及开展研究以确定支持 exotic pets 健康和福利的护理标准。
