The Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine

10/01/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Alicia McLaughlin, DVM, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal), CertAqV!

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Alicia McLaughlin has been named the 2026 Exotic365 Speaker of the Year for the AAFV Track! 🏆

This recognition is based on attendee feedback and celebrates a speaker who made a meaningful impact through their knowledge, expertise, and ability to engage our Exotic365 community.

Thank you, Alicia, for sharing your expertise and helping make Exotic365 2026 such a fantastic educational experience. We’re grateful to have you as part of the Exotic365 community!

👏 Please join us in congratulating Alicia on this well-deserved recognition!

09/23/2026

The CBEAM Team is leading the future of exotic medicine! Congrats to Dr. Porter-Blackwell!

09/01/2026

What a fantastic showing from the CBEAM team at the ARAV/AEMV/AAFV conference this year! We were incredibly proud to see so many members of our team, past and present, contributing to the conference through hands-on workshops, lectures, research, and collaborative projects.

A special shoutout to Anneliese Strunk, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Avian), who serves as the Hands-on Workshop coordinator for the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV). She prepared and facilitated 8 workshops, which helps train veterinarians, technicians, and veterinary students on a variety of surgical procedures, management techniques, and clinical pathology skills.

Our clinicians contributed to 10 different presentations and/or research projects for the conference content, including:

Put on Your Spectacles: Reptile and Amphibian Ophthalmic Conditions Masterclass
Elizabeth Hyde, DVM, CVA

Advanced Reptile Clinical Skills Hands-On Workshop
Meera Music, BVM&S, MRCVS; Anneliese Strunk, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Avian); and Kassie Lenninger, LVT

Making Bettas Better: Husbandry and Medicine of Betta splendens
Alicia McLaughlin, DVM, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal), CertAqV

It Just Comes Natural: Bioactive Vivariums and Aquariums
Alicia McLaughlin, DVM, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal), CertAqV

Exotic Companion Mammal Mammary Neoplasia: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis
Alicia McLaughlin, DVM, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal), CertAqV

Reptile CPR — What Do We Know?
Miranda Thomas, DVM, and Meera Music, BVM&S, MRCVS

How to Scan Your Dragon: A Practical Approach to Bearded Dragon Ultrasound
Miranda Thomas, DVM

Options for Surgical Elective Altering in Exotic Companion Mammals Workshop
Co-authored and presented by Rae Porter-Blackwell, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal)

Poster: Small Pilot Study Evaluating the Palatability of Fortetropin, an Egg Yolk-Derived Dietary Supplement, in Adult Rabbits
CBEAM contributed to this pilot study, which was presented by Wendy Banda-Long, DVM, a graduate of CBEAM’s 2025 intern class who is now completing a residency at Arizona Exotic Pet Vets.

A Retrospective Review of Vascular Neoplasia in Domestic Rabbits: 21 Cases Over 30 Years
Presented by veterinary pathologist Marley Iredale. CBEAM resident Divya Krishnan, DVM, assisted with case compilation for the study.

It was wonderful to see so much of the CBEAM community represented at ARAV/AEMV/AAFV conference. Every year, CBEAM takes an “Impact Photo” of all past and present team members. This year there were a total of 19 doctors, technicians, residents, interns, and alumni in attendance, all of whom are working to advance reptile, amphibian, aquatic, and exotic companion mammal medicine. We are so proud of their contributions!

08/29/2026

Meet the CBEAM intern class of 2026-2027! We are so happy to have Dr. Elizabeth Park, Dr. Kaylee Swann, and Dr. Rachael Feeney on our team.

08/26/2026

🦎New publication from CBEAM! ❤️

We are excited to announce that a new case report has been published by Drs. Music, Coyne, and Hayden in the peer-reviewed Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery!

Our team described a successful colonic resection and anastomosis in a uromastyx. This is a complicated surgical procedure that has not been reported previously in this species.

The information presented in this publication may serve as a valuable resource for reptile veterinarians in informing treatment decisions and developing prognostic recommendations.

We’re excited to help move exotic animal medicine forward! 🦎💉💊🔬😷

08/12/2026

08/12/2026

Exotic pets are often neophobic, meaning scared of new things in their environment. However, they are not always scared of things that could be dangerous to them.

08/10/2026

Cyclosporiasis is a primate parasite and is unlikely to infect any other exotic pets. However, good biosecurity and safe food prep practices are always important.

08/09/2026

🐰 New research from CBEAM! ❤️
We’re proud to share our latest research on heart disease in rabbits and its impact on the future of rabbit health.

Our team just published a peer-reviewed paper describing three young, giant-breed male rabbits with dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious condition that causes the heart to become enlarged and less able to pump blood. Two of the rabbits were littermates, raising the possibility that genetics may play a role.

Heart disease has long been discussed as a concern in giant rabbits, but very little has been reported about heart disease in young rabbits. We currently don’t know which genetic factors might contribute to it.

So, why does this matter? 🧬

Our hope is that this paper will encourage more studies into the potential genetic causes of heart disease in rabbits. In the future, this could potentially help breeders identify rabbits carrying disease-associated genes and make informed breeding decisions, as is already commonly done in dogs.

There’s still a lot to learn, but every study brings us one step closer to healthier rabbits. We’re excited to help move exotic animal medicine forward! 🐇🔬

Link to the paper below:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1nZyf5Y8ipI-D%7E

08/07/2026

Are you interested in training but have questions about what techniques are used? We use positive reinforcement techniques that will help build the bond with your bird, all while addressing your training goals and having heaps of fun! Call us to schedule your in-room training session today.