Unusual Pet & Avian
The Unusual and Avian Veterinarians group was formed in 2003, and was initially known as the Unusual and Exotic Pet (UEP) group. The name was changed in 2013 to Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians (UPAV), merging UEP and the AVA Avian groups.
The group promotes discussion about the medicine and surgery of pet species other than dogs and cats such as lizards, avian, turtles, frogs, native Australian mammals, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and mice, ferrets and even tarantulas.
With changes in licensing laws and people’s lifestyles, the choice of family pet might not be a dog or cat, but one of another dozen species. The increase in ownership of unusual pets has resulted in a corresponding need for veterinarians to feel competent with the treatment of pets not traditionally covered in the undergraduate curriculum.
