![[reptile - iguana]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/pc-reich-reptile-260x157.jpg)
The right environment, diet for your reptile According to the most recent statistics for pet ownership in the United States, 4.7 million households kept 9.4 million reptiles as pets in 2016. With the interest in reptiles as pets expanding, Dr. Sarah Reich, a veterinarian who sees wildlife and exotic pets at the University of Illinois...
![[Nearly one-third of US dog owners sleep with their pet]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/pc-one-health-johnson-walker-260x157.jpg)
Pet Ownership Benefits People “One Health” is a term used to convey the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health. In their recent book, Beyond One Health: From Recognition to Results, coeditors Drs. Jack Herrmann and Yvette Johnson-Walker, faculty members at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, devote an entire chapter to the...
![[Blanding's turtle]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/pc-turtles-wel-260x157.jpg)
Turtles play a role in environmental health Last summer, two rising second-year veterinary students traded blue lab coats and lecture halls in Urbana for chest-high waders and wetlands in Lake County in northeast Illinois. Working as part of the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Lauren Mumm and John...
![[snake with bite wound]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/pc-keller-snake-260x157.jpg)
Feeding live prey has risks In the wild snakes can’t just order carry-in; they have to hunt for their next meal. So it’s not surprising that owners of pet snakes may believe their pets need the thrill of the chase to satisfy natural instincts. However, Dr. Krista Keller, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois...
![[Kenneth Welle - pain in exotic pets]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/pc-welle-exotic-pain-260x157.jpg)
Learn signs of stress in your exotic pet Got a dog or cat? Chances are you can recognize some of their behaviors around pain and illness for one basic reason: People, dogs, and cats are all predators, and thus share many behavioral patterns. However, when it comes to exotic pets such as birds, small mammals,...
![[Meller’s chameleon after surgery]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/pc-perry-chameleon-260x157.jpg)
Exotic pets have precise diet and climate needs Chameleons are notoriously tricky pets to keep healthy. There are around 200 distinct species, each with its own particular climate needs. They also have extensive nutrient requirements, which inexperienced owners often neglect. That’s why nutrient deficiencies were the first thing investigated by Dr. Sean Perry, a veterinary...