The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has published a paper revealing that between 2004 and 2010, human injuries from 'exotic pets' resulted in hospitalisation for an average of 300 days per year... from a total of 760 medical consultations, 708 hospital admissions and 2121 hospital bed days.
It says that 376 of these hospital admissions were due to being 'bitten or crushed by other reptiles'. Bitten or crushed? By other reptiles? How big are these guys? And what precisely is an OTHER reptile?
I'm begining to wonder if these people up to something we weren't aware of when we set our exotic animal clinic?
Some of you will be aware that we have recently taken on vet Tim Hopkins who, apart from his work with cats and dogs, has a Masters Degree in Wild Animal Health and has a special interest in small, furry, scaly, fishy and feathered creatures. He came in on Friday, for goodness' sake, with a silly T-shirt tan from having spent the previous day down in Worthing taking swab samples from the indigenous population of sand lizards, looking for myxoviruses.
Nothing if not obscure.
You will be pleased to know that he has now been fully kitted out with protective equipment against possible crush injuries from
OTHER reptiles at the clinic, not wishing to add to the already alarming national total of 1340 hospitalisation days racked up due to this particular type of injury.
He would just like me to point out that this is the Hyde Park, not the Jurassic Park, Veterinary Centre, and he is really quite good with hamsters, snakes and fish.
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