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Dogtor Bob, Dublin (2026)

17/04/2026

𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨. 𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨. 🦜🩺

These two small conures (60-70g) presented for dystocia/retained egg complications, but each had already undergone attempted medical or minimally invasive management elsewhere. Unfortunately for these parrots their eggs collapsed. Once an egg collapses, it often becomes significantly more difficult to remove safely, and surgery usually becomes the best option.

Both birds underwent stabilisation first, including repeated radiographs, vascular access (IV or IO catheter placement), IV fluids, analgesia, and butorphanol CRIs.

For anaesthesia, both patients were intubated, ventilated, and fully monitored using capnography, ECG, and Doppler cardiovascular monitoring.

𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡
A 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙮 was performed in both birds. This approach offers excellent exposure of the gastrointestinal and reproductive tract while helping avoid unnecessary entry into the caudal abdominal air sacs. Fortunately, neither bird had salpinx perforation or egg yolk coelomitis.

That meant a 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙮 could be performed! Opening the oviduct, removing the retained egg material, and preserving the reproductive tract. If the salpinx is ruptured or severely damaged, resection may be required. However, complete ovariectomy in birds is considered highly advanced (“heroic”) surgery due to the substantial risk of catastrophic haemorrhage.

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Following removal, the coelom was lavaged and suctioned, routine closure performed, and a 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩 placed in each bird. This helps suppress reproductive drive and reduce further egg-laying behaviour while allowing the tract time to heal.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲
Egg binding is not always “simple.” In small parrots, retained or collapsed eggs can rapidly become life-threatening and require advanced imaging, anaesthesia, surgery, and intensive aftercare.

Both of these tiny patients recovered beautifully. 💚

12/02/2026

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡🦷
…. but in exotic pets, dental health looks very different.

🐰 𝐑𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚 𝐏𝐢𝐠𝐬, 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 & 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 (Elodont teeth)
Their teeth grow continuously throughout life. If diet, skull shape, or tooth alignment isn’t ideal, the teeth don’t wear properly. This can lead to sharp enamel spurs, painful tongue in cheek ulceration, root elongation, abscesses, and even eye or jaw problems. Subtle signs like smaller droppings, slower eating, or selective feeding can be early warnings.

🦦 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 (Anelodont teeth)
Unlike small herbivores, ferret teeth do not continuously grow. They are more similar to dogs and cats, meaning they can develop tartar buildup, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and fractured canines. Dental pain in ferrets is often under-recognised because they hide discomfort very well.

🦎 𝐋𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬
Many lizard species have teeth and can develop periodontal infections, abscesses, and jaw disease. Insectivorous and omnivorous species may develop plaque and calculus, while trauma or nutritional imbalances can contribute to oral pathology.

🐢 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬
Tortoises don’t have teeth, they have a keratinised beak (rhamphotheca). Overgrowth is usually secondary to diet, inappropriate substrate, or lack of natural wear. Beak trims should never be cosmetic; the underlying husbandry or medical cause must always be addressed.

🦜 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬
Healthy birds should not routinely need beak trims. Overgrowth often signals liver disease, nutritional imbalance, trauma, or chronic illness. If trimming is required, it should be done carefully and under veterinary guidance after appropriate diagnostics.

Dental disease in exotic pets is often subtle, progressive, and painful. Early veterinary exams, correct nutrition, and appropriate husbandry make a profound difference in long-term welfare.

𝑫𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.

$Santa Paws has definitely entered the chat 🎅🐾This is Muffin, who took the festive chaos a bit too seriously and fracture...$

24/12/2025

Santa Paws has definitely entered the chat 🎅🐾
This is Muffin, who took the festive chaos a bit too seriously and fractured multiple toes… because rabbits have absolutely no respect for Christmas!!

After surgery (including placing three tiny intramedullary dowel pins 🦴), she’s now on the mend and proudly rocking a splint that’s been upgraded with essential Christmas decorations.

She’s feeling good, healing well, and reminding us all that if you’re going to need orthopaedic surgery, you may as well do it in style.

Wishing everyone a Christmas with fewer fractures, more hay, and patients who don’t try to redecorate themselves 🎄🐰🐾

06/12/2025

It might look unusual, but in Chelonians (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins), feeding tubes can actually be life-saving! They allow us to provide vital nutrition and medications when these patients are too weak, anorexic, or recovering from illness or surgery.

I’ve been a proud member of VETAHEAD for years and was recently access to the new subscription along with the opportunity to share my experience and how it’s directly impacted the way I practice zoological companion medicine. The updated courses, medication calculators, and step-by-step guides from Dr. Laila Proença, DACZM, have genuinely refined my approach to reptile and amphibian medicine and improved the quality of care I can offer every day.
VETAHEAD is a one-stop platform for everything you need to treat ZooMed (exotic) pets, for veterinary professionals (vets, techs, nurses, students).

There’s always something new to learn and VETAHEAD continues to be one of my favourite tools for staying at the cutting edge of exotic animal care. 💚

Check the link in my bio to learn how to sign up for VetAHead or comment ZooMed below 👇

06/11/2025

💚 This tortoise lost a leg… but gained some serious wheels! 🐢✨ Wait till you see how he moves now…

🐢⚙️ Borris the Bionic Tortoise!
Meet Borris one of the toughest little tortoise you’ll ever see. 💪 He came to us after a fox attack left him missing the part his right front limb. After a few days of TLC and stabilisation with emERge service , it was time for surgery.

For his anaesthetic, we placed a jugular catheter and used a propofol CRI instead of gas anaesthetics which can drop blood pressure and make recovery very slow (he was still intubated but only to provide positive pressure ventilation with oxygen). After a quick amputation and within minutes of stopping the infusion, Borris was wide awake and ready for snacks! 🐢🍃

While he recovered, we started brainstorming how to get him moving again. Borris lives outdoors with seven other rescued tortoises, so whatever we built had to handle grass, soil, stones, and everything in between. After a deep dive into 3D designs (and a lot of coffee ☕), we found a massage roller design that could be customised and printed to the perfect height for him. A bit of epoxy later, and voilà — Borris had his brand-new wheel! 🛞

And the best part? Immediately after fitting it, he was cruising around like he owned the place. And because we like to make sure our patients are truly ready for action, we put Borris on our gait analysis pressure mat to see how he was moving before discharge…
Let’s just say, he passed with flying colours. ✅😂

Oh, and keep watching till the end you’ll see Borris’s hospital roommate, a very speedy rabbit 💚🐇, making a quick exit while Borris… takes a slightly more tortoise-paced approach to life. 😂

18/09/2025

✨🦎 Follicular Stasis in a Veiled Chameleon 🦎✨

This lovely 2-year-old female veiled chameleon came in with follicular stasis, acommon but serious condition in reptiles where ovarian follicles develop but fail to ovulate or regress. Instead, they just keep building up… and up… and up!

🔬 What’s happening inside?
• In reptiles, follicles form on the ovaries. Normally, they either ovulate into the oviduct or regress if conditions aren’t right for breeding.
• With follicular stasis, they get “stuck” – the follicles don’t progress and can cause huge health problems.
• These follicles continue to secrete hormones, leading to lethargy, anorexia, swelling, and eventually life-threatening complications like yolk coelomitis if they rupture.

📸 Diagnostics
• X-rays showed enlarged soft tissue densities in the coelom.
• Ultrasound confirmed the presence of numerous ovarian follicles – nearly 100 in total!

🔪 Treatment & Anaesthesia
She was given intramuscular sedation and pain relief, then an intraosseous catheter was placed to allow fluids and medications, and she was intubated to provide a secure airway and complete anaesthetic monitoring throughout the procedure.
We then performed a surgical ovariectomy using haemoclips and electrocautery, safely removing the ovaries and all those follicles, preventing recurrence and giving her a fresh start.

✅ Outcome
She recovered brilliantly from surgery and is already back to climbing, hunting, and showing off her colors.

💡Follicular stasis is common in female reptiles, especially chameleons and bearded dragons. Husbandry, nutrition, environment, and breeding status all play a role. Early recognition, imaging, and surgical management can be lifesaving.

⸻

🦎💚 Have you ever seen just how many follicles a chameleon can produce at once? Scroll through the images to see the X-rays, ultrasound, and the surgical steps!

12/08/2025

Welcome to the world, Saoirse.

Emma, you are incredible. Your strength, grace, and love has brought another healthy baby into our family, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Her name, Saoirse (Seer-sha), means ‘freedom’ in Irish. We chose it because we dream of a world where all children grow up free to live, to learn, to play without fear. We celebrate her arrival and hold in our hearts the hope for freedom for all Palestinian children.

May you grow in a world that is gentler, kinder, and truly free.

05/08/2025

⚕️𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞⚕️

I’m very proud to share that I’ve been recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) as an Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine.

There are just 68 vets worldwide with this title, and only 5 of us practicing outside the UK. I’m honoured, and honestly a little overwhelmed, to be the first in Ireland to receive this recognition.

This isn’t something that happened overnight. It’s been years of study, completing the GPCert and PgC in Exotic Animal Studies, attending conferences, taking every CPD course I could, and learning everything I can about exotic and zoological companion animals.

While not board-certified, this does mark a meaningful step forward on my path and brings me closer to the ACZM Experience Residency I’ve been working toward.

I’m deeply grateful to the patients, clients, mentors, and colleagues who’ve supported me along the way. Especially to my wife, daughter, and parents, whose love, patience, and encouragement have made this possible. Thank you for believing in me, even when the road was long and the hours were longer.

Thank you for being part of this journey. 🐍🦜🐰

24/06/2025

Since starting my page I strive to share stories of recovery and hope. But today, I want to acknowledge the other side of my journey as a veterinarian… the moments when we lose a patient. Last week, I lost a patient who held a special place in my heart and was loved so dearly by her family. It was a reminder that while we strive for positive outcomes, we also face heartbreak, often.

To all the pet owners who trust me with your companions, thank you. Your animals are not just patients just as they are not just pets, but family. And while there are times when we can’t change the outcome, we can always strive to ease their suffering and provide comfort in their final moments. 🌈

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey. I hope to honour the memory of those we’ve lost and celebrate the love they brought into our lives. ❤️

13/05/2025

🦉 𝐔𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐰𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 🦉 
This remarkable young Ural owl was referred to us after sustaining a distal, oblique ulnar fracture in his wing. What makes this case extraordinary? He’s the offspring of the only known breeding pair of Ural owls in Ireland making him not only incredibly rare, but also vital to future conservation efforts.

🦉 Did you know? Ural owls are native to the dense forests of Europe and parts of Asia. They’re known for their long tails and silent hunters, gliding through the trees to ambush small mammals and birds. Despite their gentle appearance, they are fiercely protective parents even chasing off humans who approach the nest too closely!

🔍 Swipe through the images and videos to see:
* The initial examination of this rare chick and how gentle he is
* Sedation and radiographs showing the fractured ulna
* Intra-op placement of the IM pin
* Surgical repair using an intramedullary pin ‘tie-in’ fixation with three external skeletal fixation pins
* And his excellent post-operative recovery!

⚠️ Final video contains footage of him eating a deceased mouse during recovery—viewer discretion advised (but we love to see a healthy appetite and steady wings!).

We’re grateful to the team at the dedication to educating the public and protecting Ireland’s native and visiting raptors. Their work makes moments like this possible. From our last updates he made an excellent recovery and has been able to return to flight training!

08/05/2025

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞🐢🫀🐍
Thanks to the innovative work of .animal.doctor we now have a reliable technique for detecting pulse rate, not just heart rate, in a wide range of reptile species.

Using Doppler ultrasound over the temporo-orbital artery, we can assess cardiovascular function more accurately. This technique has demonstrated consistent results in lizards, snakes, and chelonians.

In these 2 videos I’ve tried to demonstrate the same approach on a red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), and a boa constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator).

Veterinary professionals are encouraged to explore this method and share their findings across different species.

Dogtor Bob

17/04/2026

12/02/2026

24/12/2025

06/12/2025

06/11/2025

18/09/2025

12/08/2025

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