Avian & Exotic Medicine in Oakdale, MN

Exotic pets bring endless fascination and joy, but they also require highly specialized care. Just like dogs and cats, they often conceal their symptoms until their condition has worsened. That’s why preventive care plays just as vital a role in their health as it does for dogs and cats.

From routine checkups to advanced diagnostics and surgery, our team provides expert medical support tailored to the unique needs of birds, reptiles, small mammals, and aquatic species. With a skilled veterinary team trained in exotic medicine, we work to ensure each pet receives compassionate, knowledgeable care.

Complete a Patient History Form

Avian Patient History Form

Reptile Patient History Form

Small Mammal Patient History form

Fish Husbandry Form

Amphibian Husbandry Form

Paw prints of various species treated by AERC

Small Mammals

Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota (AERC) provides preventive and advanced medical care for a wide range of small mammals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, chinchillas, rats, hamsters, gerbils, mice, and hedgehogs. Care includes:

Wellness exams and husbandry evaluations
Dental care and tooth trimming
Spay/neuter and soft tissue surgery
Gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urinary care
Nutritional counseling and weight management

Learn more about the services we provide for small mammals.

Outpatient management and care
Hospitalization for 24-hour intensive care
Behavioral consultation
Advanced diagnostic testing, including:
- Expert blood panel interpretation
- Ultrasound (thoracic, abdominal, joint, soft tissue)
- Computed tomography (CT)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Fluoroscopy
- Biopsy & histopathology
- Cerebrospinal fluid analysis
- Infectious disease testing, including:
  - E. cuniculi
  - Rabbit syphilis (Treponema paraluiscuniculi)
  - Mycoplasma
  - Salmonella
  - E. coli
  - Helicobacter
  - Lawsonia intracellularis
  - Pastuerella multocida
  - Bordetella bronchiseptica
  - Streptococcus
  - Chlamydia
  - Mycobacterium
  - Toxoplasma
  - Sarcocystis
  - Papillomavirus
  - External parasites, including lice, fleas, fur mites, ear mites, Cheyletiella mites (“walking dandruff”), Trixacarus and other sarcoptic mites, and other
  - Gastrointestinal parasites, including coccidia (including hepatic coccidia), Giardia, Cryptosporidium, pinworms, and many others
Collaboration with other veterinary specialists:
- Anesthesiology
  - Management of patients at increased risk for anesthetic complications
  - Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks
  - Spinal nerve blocks
  - AERC anesthetists have a substantial amount of experience anesthetizing small mammals and managing their particular needs.
- Cardiology:
  - Assessment of heart murmurs or arrhythmias
  - Holter monitor placement for long-term monitoring of arrhythmias
  - Management of excessively low or high heart rates, heart infections, hypertension, and congestive heart failure
- Dentistry
  - Ferret dental cleaning and extractions
  - Root canals in a variety of species
- Dermatology
  - Allergy testing
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases affecting the skin and ears
- Internal medicine
  - Endoscopic retrieval of foreign bodies, gastrointestinal biopsies
  - Bone marrow biopsies
  - I-131 treatment for hyperthyroidism
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases
- Neurology
  - Investigation of seizures, lameness, or paralysis
  - Medical and surgical management of infections, tumors, and trauma to the skull and spine
- Oncology
  - Treatment of cancers and conditions stemming from cancer (paraneoplastic syndromes)
  - Note: our facility does not offer radiation therapy at this time
- Surgery
  - Collaboration in complex orthopedic or soft tissue surgeries, wound management, and splint placement
Surgical procedures
- Nasal surgeries (rhinotomy)
- Ear surgeries (partial ear canal ablation & bulla osteotomy, pinnectomy)
- Lymph node biopsy or removal
- Surgical biopsy
- Abdominal exploratory
- Gastrointestinal foreign body removal
- Fracture repair
- Amputation (leg or tail)
- Mass removal
- Adrenalectomy (adrenal gland mass removal)
- Splenectomy
- Gastrointestinal foreign body surgery
- Ovariohysterectomy (spay)
- Orchiectomy (neuter)
- Ovariectomy (removal of the ovaries)
- Enucleation (removal of the eyeball)
- Recto-anal surgeries (anal gland removal, rectal mass removal)
Dental procedures
- Stomatoscopy (endoscopic examination of the mouth and teeth)
- Odontoplasty (AKA tooth trimming, crown reduction)
- Dental extractions (incisors and cheek teeth)
- Retained tooth fragment extractions
- Dental abscess surgeries
- Bone infections associated with infected teeth
Endoscopic procedures
- Otoscopy (examination of the ears)
- Rhinoscopy (examination of the nasal passages)
- Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
- Colonoscopy & cloacoscopy
- Uroscopy (examination of the urethra and urinary bladder)
- Coelioscopy (examination of the body cavity in birds and reptiles)

Birds

From tiny finches to large parrots, birds require attentive and precise medical care. We see a variety of avian species, including parrots, cockatiels, parakeets, cockatoos, canaries, finches, chickens, ducks, geese, raptors, and pigeons. Care includes:

Wellness and behavior exams
Beak, wing, and nail trims
Infectious disease screening
Nutritional and reproductive counseling
Advanced diagnostics and surgical care

Learn more about the services we provide for avian friends.

Outpatient management and care
Hospitalization for 24-hour intensive care
Behavioral consultation
Advanced diagnostic testing, including:
- Expert blood panel interpretation
- Ultrasound (coelomic, joint, soft tissue)
- Computed tomography (CT)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Fluoroscopy
- Biopsy & histopathology
- Infraorbital sinus flushing
- Infectious disease testing, including:
  - Mycoplasma
  - Avian bornavirus
  - Avian polyomavirus
  - Avian influenza
  - Poxvirus
  - Pacheco’s disease (avian herpesvirus)
  - Salmonella
  - E. coli
  - Chlamydia psittaci
  - Mycobacterium
  - Sarcocystis
  - Atoxoplasma
  - Feather mites
  - Gastrointestinal parasites, including Hexamita, strongyles, gapeworm, Cryptosporidium, and many others
Collaboration with other veterinary specialists:
- Anesthesiology
  - Management of patients at increased risk for anesthetic complications
  - Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks
  - Spinal nerve blocks
  - AERC anesthetists have a substantial amount of experience anesthetizing birds and managing their particular needs.
- Cardiology
  - Assessment of heart murmurs or arrhythmias
  - Holter monitor placement for long-term monitoring of arrhythmias
  - Management of excessively low or high heart rates, heart infections, hypertension, and congestive heart failure
- Dentistry
  - Collaboration in the management of beak fractures
- Dermatology
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases affecting the skin and ears
- Internal medicine
  - Endoscopic retrieval of foreign bodies, gastrointestinal biopsies
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases
- Neurology
  - Investigation of seizures, lameness, or paralysis
  - Medical and surgical management of infections, tumors, and trauma to the skull and spine
- Oncology
  - Treatment of cancers and conditions stemming from cancer (paraneoplastic syndromes)
  - Note: our facility does not offer radiation therapy at this time
- Surgery
  - Collaboration in complex orthopedic or soft tissue surgeries, wound management, and splint placement
Surgical procedures
- Surgical biopsy (pancreatic, gastrointestinal, liver, spleen)
- Coelomic exploratory
- Cloacal and vent surgeries (cloacopexy, ventplasty)
- Gastrointestinal foreign body removal
- Fracture repair
- Amputation (leg or wing)
- Mass removal
- Gastrointestinal foreign body surgery
- Egg binding and prolapse-related surgeries
- Exenteration (removal of the contents of the eyeball)
Endoscopic procedures
- Coelioscopy (endoscopy of the body cavity) for minimally invasive biopsy of internal organs (liver, spleen, kidneys, air sacs, lungs, etc).
- Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
- Cloacoscopy (endoscopic examination of the cloaca)
- Tracheoscopy (endoscopic examination of the trachea)

Reptiles

Reptile health is tied closely to their environment, nutrition, and handling. We provide care for snakes, lizards, turtles, and tortoises, including species such as iguanas, bearded dragons, geckos, and chameleons. Care includes:

Wellness exams and habitat assessments
Nutritional guidance
Treatment for parasites, respiratory disease, and shell conditions
Surgery and advanced diagnostics

Learn more about the services we provide for reptiles.

Outpatient management and care
Hospitalization for 24-hour intensive care
Telemetry monitoring
Behavioral consultation
Advanced diagnostic testing, including
- Expert blood panel interpretation
- Ultrasound (coelomic, joint, soft tissue)
- Computed tomography (CT)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Fluoroscopy
- Biopsy & histopathology
- Infectious disease testing, including:
  - Agamid adenovirus
  - Mycoplasma
  - Boid nidovirus (serpentovirus)
  - Inclusion body disease (reptarenavirus)
  - Reptilian paramyxoviruses
  - Salmonella
  - Mycobacterium
  - Nannizziopsis (yellow fungus disease)
  - Ophidiomyces (snake fungal disease)
  - Gastrointestinal parasites, including Hexamita, strongyles, Cryptosporidium, pinworms, and many others
Collaboration with other veterinary specialists:
- Anesthesiology
  - Management of patients at increased risk for anesthetic complications
  - Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks
  - Spinal nerve blocks
  - ERC anesthetists have a substantial amount of experience anesthetizing reptiles and managing their particular needs.
- Cardiology:
  - Assessment of heart murmurs or arrhythmias
  - Holter monitor placement for long-term monitoring of arrhythmias
  - Management of excessively low or high heart rates, heart infections, aneurysms, and congestive heart failure
- Dentistry
  - Collaboration in the management of jaw fractures
- Dermatology
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases affecting the skin and ears
- Internal medicine
  - Endoscopic retrieval of foreign bodies, gastrointestinal biopsies
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases
- Neurology
  - Investigation of seizures, lameness, or paralysis
  - Medical and surgical management of infections, tumors, and trauma to the skull and spine
- Oncology
  - Treatment of cancers and conditions stemming from cancer (paraneoplastic syndromes)
  - Note: our facility does not offer radiation therapy at this time
- Surgery
  - Collaboration in complex orthopedic or soft tissue surgeries, wound management, and splint placement
Surgical procedures
- Esophageal feeding tube placement
- Nasal surgeries (rhinotomy)
- Ear surgeries (otogenic or aural abscess removal)
- Surgical biopsy (gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, etc.)
- Coelomic exploratory
- Gastrointestinal foreign body removal
- Fracture repair
- Amputation (leg or tail)
- Mass removal
- Gastrointestinal foreign body surgery
- Ovariosalpingectomy (spay)
- Orchiectomy (neuter)
- Ovariectomy (removal of the ovaries)
- Egg binding and prolapse-related surgeries
- Cloacal and vent surgeries (cloacopexy, ventplasty)
- Enucleation (removal of the eyeball)
Dental procedures
- Dental cleaning
- Jaw infection (ie, mouth rot) surgeries
- Jaw fracture
Endoscopic procedures
- Coelioscopy (endoscopy of the body cavity) for minimally invasive biopsy of internal organs (liver, spleen, kidneys, air sacs, lungs, etc).
- Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
- Cloacoscopy & colonoscopy (endoscopic examination of the cloaca and colon)

Aquatics (Amphibians & Fish)

Even the smallest and most delicate aquatic pets benefit greatly from veterinary expertise. We see frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and ornamental fish. Care includes:

Wellness and environmental evaluations
Water quality and nutrition consultations
Parasite and infectious disease treatment
Surgical and diagnostic care when appropriate

Learn more about the services we provide for aquatics.

Outpatient management and care
Hospitalization for 24-hour intensive care
Advanced diagnostic testing, including
- Expert blood panel interpretation
- Ultrasound (coelomic, joint, soft tissue)
- Computed tomography (CT)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Fluoroscopy
- Biopsy & histopathology
- Infectious disease testing, including:
  - Batrachocytrium dendrobatidis (“Bd”)
  - Batrachocytrium salamandovoris (“Bsal”)
  - Ichthyophthiris multifiliis (“ich”)
  - Ranavirus
  - Aeromonas hydrophila
  - Chlamydia
  - E. coli
  - Salmonella
  - Mycobacterium
  - Parasites, including Hexamita, strongyles, Cryptosporidium, trematodes (flukes), and many others
Collaboration with other veterinary specialists:
- Anesthesiology
  - Management of patients at increased risk for anesthetic complications
  - Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks
- Cardiology:
  - Assessment of heart murmurs or arrhythmias
  - Management of excessively low or high heart rates, heart infections, and congestive heart failure
- Dentistry
  - Collaboration in the management of jaw fractures
- Dermatology
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases affecting the skin and ears
- Internal medicine
  - Endoscopic retrieval of foreign bodies, gastrointestinal biopsies
  - Collaboration in the management of complex infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases
- Neurology
  - Investigation of seizures, lameness, or paralysis
  - Medical and surgical management of infections, tumors, and trauma to the skull and spine
- Oncology
  - Treatment of cancers and conditions stemming from cancer (paraneoplastic syndromes)
  - Note: our facility does not offer radiation therapy at this time
- Surgery
  - Collaboration in complex orthopedic or soft tissue surgeries, wound management, and splint placement
Surgical procedures
- Surgical biopsy (gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, etc.)
- Coelomic exploratory
- Gastrointestinal foreign body removal
- Fracture repair
- Amputation
- Mass removal
- Gastrointestinal foreign body surgery
- Egg binding and prolapse-related surgeries
- Cloacal and vent surgeries (cloacopexy, ventplasty)
- Enucleation (removal of the eyeball)
Dental procedures
- Jaw infection (ie, mouth rot) surgeries
- Jaw fracture
Endoscopic procedures
- Coelioscopy (endoscopy of the body cavity) for minimally invasive biopsy of internal organs (liver, spleen, kidneys, air sacs, lungs, etc).
- Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
- Cloacoscopy & colonoscopy (endoscopic examination of the cloaca and colon)

Species We Do Not Treat

For the safety of both pets and staff, AERC does not provide care for venomous reptiles, primates, or large cats.

How to Make an Appointment

Avian and Exotic appointments are available at our Oakdale location.

Pet Owner Appointments
Call or email to schedule. Our team will coordinate with your family veterinarian to gather medical records.
Veterinarian Referrals
Referrals can be submitted through our online form, by email, or by calling.

Request an Appointment