Presented as the keynote for the 2012 Special Species Symposium in Philadelphia, PA, a conference on exotics, zoo and wildlife medicine open to veterinary students all over the world.

1. You remain responsible,
forever, for what you
have tamed...
The Future of Exotic & Zoo Animal Medicine
Jeleen Briscoe, VMD’02, DABVP (Avian)
Veterinary Medical Officer
USDA/APHIS Animal Care Program

2. "Men have forgotten this truth,"
said the fox. "But you must not
forget it. You become responsible,
forever, for what you have
tamed.
-- Antoine de Saint Exupèry
The Little Prince

3. Penn Intern
Penn Dermatology Resident
Cornell Comparative Gastroenterology
PennVet Faculty
First staff vet at Philly Zoo
Executive Director, AAZV & ARAV
& AAVN
Editor, JZWM
President & Chairman, WAWV
Animal Policy Committee, NAIB
Board of Directors, ECI
Nicest guy in the WORLD
Dr. Amand

4. •Jane Goodall
•National Zoo
•Dr. Don Stremme
• Drs. Latney and Wyre Kareoke
• Dr. McDermott Ribbon Dance
• Just pretend there never was a Keynote
• Jeleen Briscoe
Alternatives to Dr. Amand

5. Top 10 Ways You Know
You are Hopelessly
Destined to Become an
Exotics Veterinarian

6. 10. Over 60% of your Facebook
pics are of you and some
strange animal

7. 9. You pick a bottle of wine based
on whether or not there are non-
domestic animals on the label

8. 8. You can doodle your
favorite exotic animal in
under 30 seconds

9. 7. Your hands and arms are
covered with scars, each of
which has a really cool
story that your friends make
you repeat at parties

10. 6. You think baby beardies are
WAY more heart-melting than
kittens

11. 5.When someone asks you
what kind of pet(s)you have,
you say“Do you want the
Latinor commonnames?”
Psittacula krameri
Oryctolagus cuniculiMustela putorius furo
Carrasius auratus
Pogona vitticepsPython regius

12. 4.You come close totearsofjoy
and belonging when you FINALLY
have thatfirstvet school lectureon
exoticsorwildlife

13. 3.When theexamquestionsfrom
said exotics lecture wereconfusingor
unfair,your classmates blame you

14. 2.You have convinced yourself that
ramennoodlesactually make a
nutritionallysoundfood staple
since you survivedon them to
afford that little stint at Aquavet/Sea
World/Bronx Zoo/Baltimore
Aquarium

15. And the Number 1 Way
That You Know You
are Hopelessly
Destined to Become an
Exotics Veterinarian
is...

16. 1.Somewhere, deep within the
confinesof your parents’
house,there is the perfectly
preserved carcassof at least
one species of reptile

17. So you wanna be a zoo vet?
Dr. Scott Larsen
Dr. Ray W
ack

18. What is different about
seeing exotics?
18

19. The Veterinary Triangle
...and Exotics
19
Veterinarian
ClientPatient
Society The Law
The Internet
The Pet Store
The Wild Counterpart

20. Bird Talk Magazine
wildernessclassroom.com
CITES I
CITES II
<3,000
????

21. Which rabbit is critical?

22. Which patient is a risk for an immuno-compromised owner?
Psittacosis
Salmonella
Grant S et al. EID 1999

23. What isfun about seeing
exotics?
23

24. 24

25. 25

26. 26

27. 27

28. 28

29. 29

30. 30
What isDIFFICULT about seeing
exotics?

37. Positive: Everyday isdifferent
Negative: Everyday isdifferent

38. KnowYourLimits

39. The Veterinary Oath
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary
medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific
knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through
the protection of animal health, the relief of animal
suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the
promotion of public health, and the advancement of
medical knowledge. I will practice my profession
conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the
principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a
lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my
professional knowledge and competence.
Reliefofanimalsuffering

40. The Veterinary Oath
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary
medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific
knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through
the protection of animal health, the relief of animal
suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the
promotion of public health, and the advancement of
medical knowledge. I will practice my profession
conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the
principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a
lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my
professional knowledge and competence.
Conservationofanimal
resources

41. The Veterinary Oath
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary
medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific
knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through
the protection of animal health, the relief of animal
suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the
promotion of public health, and the advancement of
medical knowledge. I will practice my profession
conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the
principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a
lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my
professional knowledge and competence.
PrinciplesofVeterinary
MedicalEthics

42. The Veterinary Oath
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary
medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific
knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through
the protection of animal health, the relief of animal
suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the
promotion of public health, and the advancement of
medical knowledge. I will practice my profession
conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the
principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a
lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my
professional knowledge and competence.COntinualimprovement

43. State of the Nation
What Should Be vs. What Is

44. WhiteOAK 2000
Minimal Requirements
Zoological Medicine
Veterinary School Graduates

45. Biological Features
Husbandry Requirements
Common species

46. Practice basic clinical
medicine

47. Hands on
Humane & Safe restraint
Physical Examination

48. Local & Global impact
of Zoonoses

49. Herd management
preventative medicine
epidemiology

50. current environmental issues

51. Ethics
Welfare

52. 11/28=39%
What Is:
Vet Schools with Exotics Faculty

53. 8avian internships
14 exotic/wildlife internships
4avian residencies
7 exotic/wildlife/zoological residencies
What Is:
Post-Gradute Exotics Opportunities
Exotic Interns vs Small Animal
22 v. 134
Exotic residents vs Sx + ER + Med
11 v. 112

54. • Cornell
• Kansas City Zoo
• Lincoln Park
• National Zoo
• NC State
• OKU
• MSU
• St. Louis
Zoo
• The Wilds
• Toronto Zoo
• UC Davis
• UGA
• UF
• Montreal U
• UTN
• Madison-Wisc
• Zurich U
• WCS
• IZAAR
• Cleveland
Metroparks
ZOO Interns:ACZM ResidencY Spots
7:20
What Is:
Post-Gradute Exotics Opportunities

55. AVMA2007
82 million cats and 72 million dogs
11
9
2 1 0.8 0.6 0.5Birds Rabbits Hamsters
Ferrets
Fish Turtles
Guinea
Pigs
What Is:
How many exotic pets are there?
in millions
1991-1996: Exotic Pet Ownership
65%

56. Klaphake EA et al. JAMS 2002Smith EK et al. JAVMA 1998
What Is:
Why do they come to see you?
MeaN Expenditure per Avian Visit:
$9

57. What influencesexoticpet
Ownership?

58. 2 Year Old Male Cockatiel
Closed simple Transverse Fracture of the Tibi0tarsus
Emergency visit + pain meds + anesthesia + tape split placement

60. October 19, 2011

61. “No person shall by any means acquire a dangerous
exotic animal”
“Dangerous exotic animal means...large cat, nonhuman
primate, constricting snake, venomous snake, any other
animal designated by chief in rules…”
October 22, 2011

62. HR 511
Federal Pythonbill

63. HR 4089
SPORTSMANHeritage Act

64. HR 669
Non-NativeWildlife InvasionPrevention Act

65. animalRightsvs animal WElfare

66. Jeleen’s Top 10 Secrets
to Becoming an Exotics
Veterinarian

67. 67
10. OWN the thought that even if you only see
ONE non-domesticated animal in your
lifetime, you are a conservationist

68. 9. Don’t focus too early: your inner
James Herriot will come in handy
someday
“If you can wrestle
a cow, you can
wrestle a hippo”
Dr. Shane Boylan

69. 8. Honesty is the best policy:
don’t be afraid to say “I don’t
know.”

70. 7.Don’t do this in a vacuum: Never
stop reading, learning, and talking
to friends

71. 6. Live a Strategic life

72. 5. Get ahobby and revel in it
and yourfamily. Your job
will be there in the morning.

73. 4. Reassesson a regular basis
How’s that
working for you?

74. 3. Think SATISFACTION not
work-life balance

75. 2. Use social-networking
sites strategically

77. 1. Be nice to everyone. Let
your joy shine through.

78. The future of zoos?

79. The Future of Exotic and Zoo
Medicine?