If your pet is experiencing an emergency, please call ahead to alert a member of our team at (704) 949-1100
Avian & Exotic Pets in Huntersville
Care for Birds, Reptiles & Mammals in Huntersville
At Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Huntersville, our board-certified specialist treats exotic pets including birds, reptiles and small mammals such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs.
Call For More Information Species-Specific New Patient Forms
NOTICE: Medgene's Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Vaccine now Available
We are now offering the RHDV2 vaccine for rabbits as protection against a new strain of the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) virus that is spreading across the United States. Click below to book an appointment for your rabbit and to learn more about the vaccine and the new RHDV2 virus.
Our Avian & Exotic Pet Services
At Carolina Veterinary Specialists, we provide routine wellness and preventive care services for your bird or other exotic pet without a referral. Exotic pets can also be seen for medical or behavioral concerns, with or without a referral.
Referred cases are transferred back to your regular veterinarian as soon as possible. After-hour emergency services are also available with or without a referral.
- Wellness & Preventive Care
Much like cats and dogs, birds and other exotic pets benefit from regular veterinary care to help live a long, happy, and healthy life. Our specialist is trained in the unique care and husbandry needs and veterinary treatment of these species.
During the initial wellness visit, our specialist will thoroughly review your pet’s housing, nutrition, and care. A complete and thorough physical exam will be performed. Health screening tests and vaccines will be discussed and recommended when indicated. Our specialist will discuss any husbandry, health, or behavior concerns with you and answer any questions you might have. Recommendations will be tailored to the needs of your pet and their family.
- Sick Pet Appointments & Daytime Emergencies
Birds and other exotic pets with health or behavior concerns can be seen by our specialist, with or without a referral, when the Service is regularly scheduled to see appointments.
If possible, please call in advance to determine the availability of our specialist. While we do accept walk-in and work-in emergencies for exotic pets, there may be an additional fee if double booking of appointments occurs.
- Exotic Pet Emergencies
If you have a life-threatening emergency with your exotic pet, please call (704) 949-1100 . We strongly recommend calling in advance.
WEEKDAY EMERGENCIES Our Exotics Service veterinarians, including our exotics specialist, are generally at work in our Huntersville hospital on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The Exotics Service may be able to evaluate your pet during this time. There will be an additional fee if we have to prioritize your pet over regularly scheduled appointments and procedures.
AFTER-HOURS EMERGENCIES Our Exotics Service is on-call in-person until 10 pm, when available, FOR CURRENT PATIENTS ONLY (seen within the last 3 years).
WHEN YOU CALL Please be sure our staff is aware if you are a current client of our Exotics Service.
IF YOU ARE A CURRENT CLIENT Our staff will inform you whether or not a veterinarian from the Exotics Service is available. If so, you will be directed on what to do next.
There will be an exam fee and an additional after-hours emergency fee, in addition to fees for diagnostics and treatments. You will receive an estimate for all anticipated fees.
IF YOU ARE NOT A CURRENT CLIENT OR IF OUR EXOTICS SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE Our staff will let you know if there is an emergency department veterinarian in the hospital that is able to evaluate your pet. If so, you will be directed on what to next.
At times there may not be an emergency doctor in the hospital that is able to see your exotic pet. If that is the case, our staff can help you locate another hospital that may be able to evaluate your pet. At the present time, there is a regional shortage on veterinary emergency hospitals that are able to see exotic pets after hours. You may be directed to other emergency hospitals or university hospitals that are some distance away in order to best help your pet. If it a weekend or in the middle of the night when most daytime hospitals that see exotic pets are closed, we suggest that you contact Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) in Charlotte at 980-880-6062. While they do NOT have exotics specialists on staff, they can provide basic care to help you get through the night or weekend.
NEW PATIENT FORM Please consider completing our online form for exotics here.
Our Board-Certified Specialist
Dr. Lauren Powers is a Diplomate ABVP (Avian Practice) and Diplomate ABVP (Exotic Companion Practice). She has extensive training and expertise in the physiology and unique care requirements for a broad range of pets.
Exotics We Treat
At Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Huntersville we provide dedicated, advanced veterinary care for exotic pets including:
Birds
Parrots, finches, canaries, backyard poultry, and others.
Exotic Mammals
Ferrets, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, gerbils, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, and others.
Reptiles & Amphibians
Lizards, turtles and tortoises, snakes, and others.
Avian & Exotic Links & Resources
Pet Bird Health Handbook • New Patient Forms & Questionnaires