Exotic Animal Hospital of Orlando

03/10/2025

If you've been following our rescue, or any rabbit rescue in the State of Florida, you've likely become aware of the increasing number of dumped and abandonned domestic rabbits over the recent years. Domestic rabbits do not have the same survival instincts a wild rabbit does, making this a welfare issue. Some key concerns include:

🐰 Increased pet abandonment
🐰 Community impact
🐰 Strained rescues
🐰 Disease risk

Unfortunately, many officials who make and enforce our laws are not aware of the needs of rabbits -- so let's help to educate them!

Click here to learn how you can help! ➡ https://orlandorabbit.org/how-to-help/speaking-up-for-rabbits

We have included an easy to use tool to find YOUR representatives, as well as information on how to reach out to them, and key pieces of education about rabbits. You can even access our Master List to document your own outreach!

Please help us not only spread the word, but also to continue reaching out to our representatives. Always be an advocate for rabbits! Whenever you get a chance, speak up on their behalf!

02/27/2025

https://orlandovoyager.com/interview/inspiring-conversations-with-santiago-diaz-of-exotic-animal-hospital-of-orlando

Today we’d like to introduce you to Santiago Diaz Hi Santiago, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.I am originally from Colombia but came to the United States in 2004 to pursue my dream of becoming an exotic animal veterinarian. Graduated from the University of Florida in 2011 and...

02/25/2025

What is Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease?

The RHD virus can be transmitted from direct contact, insects, fomites/objects, other pets in the household and the environment. Symptoms include lack of appetite, difficulty breathing, sudden weight loss, and sudden death.
Rabbits make up more than half of our patients at our facility and because of the serious nature of the disease we require all rabbits we see to be fully vaccinated against Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus-2. This vaccine needs to be administered yearly to maintain effectiveness.

1st time getting vaccinated:
Rabbits need two doses of the vaccine to ensure effectiveness. The 2nd dose (a.k.a the booster) needs to be given 21 days (3 weeks) after the first dose is given. We follow the recommendations of Medgene who manufactures the vaccine; if the booster is done any later than 21 days after the first dose then patients will need to restart the vaccination process. There are no sufficient studies to show protection of the vaccine if the booster is given late.

Annual Vaccine:
Rabbits will only need one dose of the vaccine annually as long as they receive it within one year of the booster from the previous year. There is a two-month grace period after the one year mark before rabbits will need to get both doses again. Anything later than one year and two months requires the rabbit to restart the vaccine. (Example: A rabbit gets the first dose 03/23/24 and the booster on 4/13/24. The yearly dose is due on 4/13/25. If the rabbit does not receive the annual vaccine by 6/13/25 they will need to restart the vaccination process which includes two doses.)

If you have any questions, please contact our office at 407-286-3484.

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10/31/2024

Happy Halloween!! 👻🎃🐰🐸🦜

10/21/2024

We would like to clarify to all of our rabbit clients that there has been no label change on the RHDV-2 vaccine that we offer our patients.

The study that was published, chose a duration of 6 months to expedite full approval of the vaccine. However, this vaccine has shown to provide lasting immunity over 6 months post-vaccination.

At this time, we are not changing our protocol and still recommend this vaccine to be given once yearly.

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Amendment to Our Recent Post on RHD Vaccination Recommendations 🐰💉

We’d like to provide clarification on our recent post regarding the US Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) vaccine by Medgene.

In our original post, we mentioned that Medgene updated the label to recommend vaccination every 6 months. This statement is not entirely accurate and has caused some confusion among veterinarians and rabbit owners. Here's what you need to know:
- Medgene’s label: The current label does not require a booster every 6 months. Instead, the label states that the vaccine has been shown to be effective for at least 6 months based on data from a duration of immunity (DOI) study.
- Booster schedule: Veterinarians are encouraged to use both Medgene's efficacy data and additional data, such as the serology response study conducted by Colorado State University, to make informed decisions about when to booster the vaccine. This study suggests that immunity lasts beyond 6 months, with sufficient levels seen up to a year post-vaccination.
- Clarification on label: There has not been an official label change on the vaccine. The label does not currently specify when booster vaccinations must occur after the initial series (two vaccines, 21 days apart), allowing veterinarians to use their discretion.

We sincerely apologize for any confusion caused and recommend rabbit owners consult with their veterinarians to determine the most appropriate vaccination schedule for their pets. 🐇

You can read more about the serology study here: https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040538

Thank you for your understanding!

10/17/2024

Exotic Animal Hospital of Orlando is happy to honor our technicians during vet tech appreciation week! We have a team of dedicated technicians who show up every day with a smile and willing attitude to work. They love all the different animals we see and make sure they get the best treatment possible by working hand in hand with our doctors. Our technicians care for all of our boarded patients and hospitalized patients around the clock and are quick to notify our doctors with any concerns. They are vital to our day to day operations and help keep things running smoothly.

To our technicians: Thank you for all your hard work. We appreciate your willingness to care for each and every animal we see, we know this job isn't always easy but you continue to show up and give it your all. Thank you for all the long hours, pushing through the emotional days, and caring for our patients as if they were your own. We wouldn't be here without you guys, your work is incredible, please know you are appreciated by us all. You guys are the best! ❤️

10/08/2024

Hurricane Milton update: Tomorrow Wednesday we will close at 1 pm, will remain closed on Thursday and hope to be able to re-open on Friday at 9 am. We will make any updates through Facebook if anything changes.

Stay safe everyone!! 💨🌀

08/28/2024

Good morning! Two of our doctors are currently at the Exotics Conference in New Orleans. Due to this we will be closing earlier today at 6 pm instead of 8 pm. Please plan accordingly if you need to pick up your beloved pet or medications. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. 🐰🐢🦜

08/19/2024

Our phone system is currently down and Spectrum is working on it. If you need us please email us at [email protected]. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

05/16/2024

Dr. McLeod saw a very special patient; a Cuban land snail named Margo! Her shell has been getting more white recently, so she came to us for an exam and some X-rays. Shell whitening in snails can be a sign of calcium deficiency or an acidic environment, so Margo’s owner will make some changes to her husbandry. Margo was very cooperative for her exam and X-ray, and everyone was so excited to see this cute little mollusk!

03/25/2024

Hey everyone! Our clinic is in need of newspapers and towels. With the increase of doctors came an increase in demand for supplies. If you want to contribute, you can drop off these supplies with our reception team during our regular business hours. Any donation will be greatly appreciated by the staff and all the animals here!

03/23/2024

TODAY'S THE DAY! Hop on over to Windermere Brewing Company for a cold drink, and to support TWO awesome causes!

We have teamed up with Windermere Brewing Company and The Very Gary Foundation for Hops For All! Hops For All will be at Windermere Brewing Co. 3/23 from 12-5 pm. There will be food trucks (and not just carrots!), a vendors market, and Bunnies (to adopt or just for pets!).

Donations are requested for toys (for a human or bunny!) to be donated to toys for tots and ORCA respectively.
Recommended donations for ORCA are:

-hay
-treats
-pellets
-Oxbow or Small Pet Select brand toys

For 2024, our donation focus will be books! Our goal is to donate as many books as possible from any age group!
As always the toys for tots donations must be:

-new, unused and unwrapped toys
-nothing resembling a weapon
-packaging should be in good condition

03/20/2024

You can help rabbits this Easter! Here’s another way you can make a difference in the lives of rabbits—in your local community and around the globe! We’ve created this Easter resources page where you can find educational graphics, handouts, and posters to download and share. Help spread the me...