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PODCAST

Exotic Pets™

Tracie Hotchner

The show for people interested in pets that slither, hop, creep, fly or swim: from bunnies to iguanas, parrots to ferrets, snakes to tortoises. Information on the physical requirements of these exotic pets and how to manage the often challenging environment and correct diet essential to their welfare.Co-hosted by Dr. Doug Mader, author of "The Vet at Noah"s Ark: Stories of Survival from an Inner-City Animal Hospital,"who is a world-renowned specialist on exotic animals, author of four major

kids & family pets & animals

All Episodes

13:36

Fighting the Good Fight for Ferrets in California

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/08/11

#321: Pat Wright, CEO of LegalizeFerrets.org has been fighting the California state ban on ferrets for 35 years — but now his group’s petition to the Fish and Wildlife Department might actually result in long overdue legalization.

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21:59

Trying to Find A Fellow Exotic Pet Enthusiast?

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/08/04

#320: Murray Forbes in Zurich developed the Scratches social APP to connect people who embrace non-traditional pets — and want to find romantic or platonic friends to celebrate their unique pets.

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18:36

Parrots Say “Love is Not Enough”

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/07/28

#313: Dr. Madonna Livingstone, author of the veterinary textbook “Exotics Made Easy,” discusses the brilliance of parrots and how they need activities and environmental enrichment. Foraging is so important for them, with homemade foraging toys her favorites: twist a parrot’s food into a toilet paper roll so he has to forage for it. They are "social eaters” so have parrot-friendly foods for him to eat while you are dining. Set up two stands at opposite ends of a room and let him fly between th...

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19:39

Bugs Bunny Had it All Wrong - No More Carrots!

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/07/21

#319: Claire Hamblion in England talks about how her company, Supreme Pet Foods, is devoted to proper nutrition for small mammals — and debunking the image of Bugs Bunny eating a carrot, which has given people the wrong idea about what rabbits need, which is only the green tops of the carrots!

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19:22

Ferret “Deodorant” & Other Ferret Necessaries

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/07/14

#318: Amanda at Marshalls is the first to say that ferrets really are stinky — which is why they created a special odor eliminator just for them, as well as their paper-towel derived bedding pellets, which are important to the health of these little critters who like to chew their bedding.

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16:27

Bad Things Happen to Good Fish

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/07/07

#312: Dr. Greg Lewbart returns to discuss koi ponds and how these ornamental fish (called “living art” by the Japanese) can need medical help from doctors who are members of the American Association of Fish Veterinarians, whether from chlorine toxicity or environmental disasters like the L.A. fires. [The world record price for a Grand Champion koi is $1.6 million, so clearly there is a need for vets specialized in pet/ornamental fish medicine!]

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15:55

Why Does Your Tortoise Need a House of His Own?

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/06/30

#317: Dr. Doug Mader recommends getting your tortoise outdoors as much as possible, but at night they need protection from marauding raccoons who will attack the tortoise’s nose, toes and even legs. Zoo Med’s new tortoise house solves the problem... your tortoise ambles up the ramp and you raise it up like a moat in a castle and it becomes the door you close until the safety of daylight.

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18:03

The Emotional Support Hamster Who Went to College

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/06/23

#307: Ethan Haber started the small mammal company https://happyhabitats.net/ and designed an array of amazing products to let you take your hamster or mouse with you anywhere — for exercise and a chance to see the world. Ethan was that kid who begged his father for a pocket pet, but only got Mookie the hamster when he was 19 — then took him to college as his ESA. Now he’s a hamster entrepreneur making delightful products for gerbils, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, etc.

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19:45

I Am Parrot — I Live to Destroy!

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/06/16

#316: Avian specialist Dr. Julia Shakeri says that toys for parrots should be viewed as essential “medical devices,” because they fulfill vital natural instincts in what are basically wild, non-domesticated animals — so she was very happy to consult with the creators of Beaktivity activity toys to make sure they fulfill a bird’s natural drive and at the same time avoid “toy trauma” from poorly designed interactive toys.

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19:27

“Ferret Stink” — You Either Love the Musky Smell or...

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/06/09

#315: Dr. Madonna Livingstone in Glasgow talks about “descenting ferrets” which is routine in the U.S. but illegal in the UK and elsewhere. Spoiler alert: it doesn't make them odor free! Their skin emits a natural musky odor, too. Dr. Madonna has EIGHT ferrets of her own at home (recently there were 10 of them) so she knows a thing or two about the fragrance! Ferret tip: they need 8 hours a day of dark sleep to keep them well (and minimize the odor).

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21:20

The Jumping Spider Craze

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/06/02

#314: Dr. Rick LeCouteur is not officially an arachnologist (spider expert) but he has always been fascinated by them and knows a wonderfully amazing amount about them (and it seems nearly every living creature on the planet!) Dr. Rick explains the charm of jumping spiders, which is why Zoo Med's new Jumping Spider Kit is such a success.

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19:06

Are Humans an Invasive Species?

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/05/26

#311: Dr. Gregory Lewbart — Professor of Aquatic, Wildlife & Zoological Medicine at North Carolina State University — talks about his recent (30th!) trip to the Galapagos Islands and the work he has been doing there at the Wildlife Conservation & Research Institute — where they are happy for the controlled tourism but also committed to protecting the flora and fauna from those invading humans!

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22:42

Always Demolish Your Sandcastles (for the Sea Turtles)

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/05/18

#310: Brooks Barrett is the senior aquarist at the Key West Aquarium where, amongst other things, she directs placing a prosthetic flipper on a turtle named Lola, who can live to 100 years old (and gets jellyfish as a treat). Brooks discusses the ways sea creatures can be harmed by human behavior — including building sand castles above the water line, which can keep turtles from getting to that part of the beach to lay their eggs.

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19:40

Parrots Need Proper Playthings!

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/05/12

#309: Sue Thibeault and her husband John — parrot lovers who foster parrots who need new homes — created their company Beaktivity that makes the award-winning “parrot-designed” hanging enrichment toy that safely and creatively meets the environmental needs of parrots — and that parrots cannot destroy.

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20:51

Rabbits Are Lying to Us

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/05/05

#308: Dr. Madonna Livingstone in Scotland, author of the textbook “Exotics Made Easy” explains how rabbits — who are prey animals — could literally be dying but projecting the message “I’m fine.” The subtle little changes in their habits are the tip off to how they really are feeling.

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20:40

Senior Pet Care — Age Itself is Not a Disease!

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/04/28

#306: Dr. Doug talks about geroscience, the study of the effects of aging. When does a pet become geriatric: at 70% of their expected lifespan. A ferret or rat will be geriatric at 7.

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12:59

“Walking Dandruff” on Your Bunny?

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/04/21

#305: Dr. Doug Mader talks about mites, which are common on rabbits and sometimes look like dandruff that seems to walk in their fur — or may appear as brown “goo” in their big ears or a crusty nose. All of these mean you need to get to the vet for swift treatment!

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22:55

"Hedgies" Are the Trendiest Little Pet

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/04/14

#296: Dr Micah Kohles of the Woodland Animal Hospital outside Lincoln, Nebraska, explains how to best care for hedgehogs, who are "charming munchkins who have become an up-and-coming pet."

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15:11

Is Your Ferret Grinding His Teeth?

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/04/07

#304: Dr. Doug Mader says teeth grinding in ferrets (whether when asleep or awake) is a red flag that could mean he has stomach ulcers from bacteria, just like in humans.

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18:39

The Insect Jungle in Your House

Exotic Pets™ ·

2025/03/31

#292: Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice (author of “Your Pets’ Secret Lives: the Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors”) says there are spiders everywhere and you are never more than four feet from one of them — although none will cause the havoc her own curly-haired tarantula did when it let itself out of his cage.

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131 results

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