Sad snakes and geckos with bone disease we vets see the dark side of the UKs exotic pet boom | Justine Shotton

Thinking of purchasing a non-traditional pet? Don’t – unless you’re truly prepared to meet all its complex needs

The UK’s pet population is booming, driven largely by a significant rise in “pandemic puppies” and “Covid kittens”. But less traditional, or so-called “exotic”, pets are also increasing in popularity: the latest UK Pet Food survey estimates that in the UK alone, we own a staggering 1.3 million indoor birds, 900,000 tortoises and turtles, 800,000 lizards and 700,000 snakes. That’s 3.7 million animals, and the number is increasing rapidly, the research suggests the number of these pets may have jumped by 19% in the past 12 months alone.

These are fascinating animals with a huge range of unique adaptations, behaviours and personalities, so it’s understandable that many people are keen to keep them as pets. However, a word of caution: exotic pets require complex, specific and often expensive care to ensure they are healthy and can live good, happy lives, but these requirements are not always clear when they’re bought, and the onus is on the owners to do research before taking them home.

Dr Justine Shotton is senior vice president, BVA

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/LRB0XTM