Dr Phillips has taken a special interest in the unique.

Regardless of size, each and every one of us make our pet a member of our family. These family members deserve to be healthy and have proper medical attention too. From the largest African Caracal cat to boa constrictor, from the smallest lizard to bird; furry, scaled, feathered, or quilled, we see them all.

While most exotic animals don't require annual vaccines, they do require an annual checkup. Many of what we consider "pocket pets" are also nocturnal, so we don't often get to see them in action. Day, or night however, they are great at hiding illness. In the wild, it would mean getting eaten. Even in your house, they are reluctant to ask for help.

Nail, beak and wing trims can not only make for a happy bird, but they are often easy to hand tame this way. Birds that fly around the house frequently get into trouble by eating things they shouldn't, or injuring themselves when they fly into things.

Rabbit, hamsters, guinea pigs and other small mammals have open rooted teeth, which mean they grow continually. For a young healthy animal, their normal chewing behaviour keeps the teeth neat and trim. However, when some pets do have a problem the teeth can overgrow. At this point we can step in and give them a hand by trimming the teeth and getting to the bottom of the cause. These pets need nail trims as well to eliminate any of the complications associated with long nails.

Many reptiles become vitamin and mineral deficient in our homes. So, to reduce this problem, make sure that you have proper supplements and proper lighting.

Hamsters, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, or ferrets losing hair, or quills can be a sign of health problems and should be seen by a veterinarian right away.