Exotic Pets
Check with your vet to find out what vaccinations your exotic pet needs. Most common exotic animal bites come from:
- Skunks and raccoons. Wild (endemic) populations of skunks and raccoons have the greatest risk for having rabies.
- Ferrets. These animals can transmit rabies.
- Rodents, such as rats, mice, gerbils, and hamsters. This group of animals does not transmit rabies but can spread other diseases through biting.
- Rabbits or hares (lagomorphs). This group of animals does not transmit rabies but can spread other diseases through biting.
- Monkeys. This group of animals does not transmit rabies but can spread other diseases through biting.
If you have questions about local rabies issues, contact your local health department. If you will be traveling with your pet, check with your vet about the protection your animal needs and the risk your animal has for getting rabies.
Taking Your Dog on a Road Trip
It wouldn't be a family car trip without Fido, but if you want everyone who's along for the ride -- two-legged and four-legged -- to have fun, you need to do some prep work. "People just jump in the car and think they are prepared," says animal behaviorist Kristen Collins, MS, CPDT, with the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center. "But preparation needs to start as far in advance as you know you are going on a trip."
Read the Taking Your Dog on a Road Trip article > >
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
