Find an exotic vet near you
Most small-animal clinics will tell you honestly that they do not treat reptiles or birds. The ones that do are worth finding before you need them. Here is how we look, and who we use.
Please read this first
Nothing on this page is veterinary advice, and a listing here is not an endorsement or a guarantee. Chaos Creatures is a breeder and rescue, not a veterinary practice. We are not paid by any clinic. Call ahead, ask the questions below, and use your own judgment. If an animal is in distress, call the nearest open clinic now and read this later.
What "exotic vet" actually means
Veterinary school spends most of its time on dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Reptiles and birds are a special interest that a vet takes up afterwards, through residencies, conferences and specialty associations. A clinic that "sees exotics" may have one vet who does, or may mean they will look at a rabbit. You want someone who handles your species every week, keeps the equipment for it (a gram scale, small-gauge needles, a way to run a fecal, ideally in-house X-ray and bloodwork), and knows what normal looks like.
The best signal is membership of a specialty association. Vets join the ARAV (reptiles and amphibians) or the AAV (birds) because they are serious about those animals, and both associations publish a member directory you can search by zip code. Board certification through ABVP in Reptile & Amphibian or Avian practice is the top tier. Those specialists are rare and worth a long drive for a serious case.
Questions to ask on the phone
- Do you see this species?Name it. "A ball python", not "a reptile". Ask how many they see in a typical month.
- Which vet should I book with?Most clinics have one exotics-focused vet. Book with that person, not whoever is free.
- Can you run a fecal and bloodwork in-house?Sending samples out adds days you may not have.
- What happens after hours?Who do they refer to at 11 pm, and will that hospital actually see a reptile or a bird?
- What will the first visit cost?An exam plus a fecal is normal. Be wary of a quote that includes a long list of tests before anyone has looked at the animal.
Search by zip code
- ARAV: reptile & amphibian vets Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. Use the "Find a Vet" search on their site. Covers snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs and salamanders.
- AAV: avian vets Association of Avian Veterinarians. Their "Find a Vet" search lists members by location. For parrots, finches, chickens and all other birds.
- ABVP: board-certified specialists The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners lists diplomates in Reptile & Amphibian and Avian practice. Few and far between, but the gold standard for a complex case or a second opinion.
Bring this to the first visit
- Your weight log, or at least the last few weights with dates. A trend tells a vet more than a single number.
- Husbandry numbers: basking and cool-side temperatures, humidity, UVB brand and age, enclosure size, substrate, diet and supplement schedule.
- A fresh fecal sample in a sealed bag, ideally from the last 24 hours.
- Photos or a short video of the problem. Many signs come and go, and a video of the breathing or the limp beats a description.
- The animal in a secure, warm carrier. A pillowcase inside a tub for snakes, a small ventilated tub with a towel for lizards, the travel cage for birds. Add a hand warmer wrapped in a towel in cold weather, never touching the animal.
Clinics we use in Michigan
These are the exotic-capable practices we use or have had good experiences with, in our corner of Michigan. We are not paid by any of them and cannot guarantee your experience; it is where we would go first. Hours and staff change, so call before you drive.
- Frankenmuth-Birch Run Veterinary HospitalBirch Run, MI · 9339 S Gera Rd
Sees: Birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, plus dogs and cats
A dedicated exotic-pet service: exams, hospitalisation, X-ray, surgery, endoscopy, dentistry and husbandry counselling. Dr. Samantha Gruenwald holds a GPCert in Exotic Animal Practice, and the clinic's exotics page cites an ABVP board-certified avian vet (Dr. Buck); ask who is seeing birds when you book. Mon/Wed/Fri 8–5, Tue/Thu 8–8, closed 12–1 and weekends.
- Cedar Creek Veterinary ClinicWilliamston, MI · 2295 N Williamston Rd
Sees: Birds (incl. chickens and ducks), reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hedgehogs, rats, degus, sugar gliders, hamsters, gerbils
The deepest exotics bench near Lansing: two AAV-member avian vets (Dr. Heather Beasley, who also focuses on reptiles and pocket pets, and Dr. Angela Kosmyna), Dr. Derek Nolan for exotic soft-tissue and orthopaedic surgery, and a reptile-keeping technician on staff. Fear Free certified. Mon–Thu until 7:30 pm, Fri until 5:30 pm.
- Clio Animal HospitalClio, MI · 3474 W Vienna Rd
Sees: Reptiles (snakes and lizards), rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters and gerbils, plus dogs and cats
Exotic pet medicine and surgery is a listed service. Dr. Kendra Reynolds (MSU 1992, practice owner) has continuing education in pocket-pet and ferret care, and the technician team includes reptile keepers. Birds are not listed, so ask before booking a parrot. Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9–12 and 2–6, Wed 9–12, closed weekends; after-hours cases are referred out.
- Dunckel Veterinary HospitalDavison, MI · 1490 Cal Dr
Sees: Dogs and cats; call to ask which vet will see a reptile or bird
Seven veterinarians including a board-certified surgeon (Dr. Jacqueline Mair, DACVS), long hours and urgent care during opening times: Mon–Fri 8 am–8 pm, Sat 8–5, closed Sunday. After hours they refer to a 24-hour hospital. Their website does not advertise exotic services, so phone first and ask who will see your species.
- Emergency Veterinary Hospital (EVH)Ann Arbor, MI · 5245 Jackson Rd, Suite E24-hour emergency
Sees: Birds (parrots, chickens, ducks), reptiles except venomous, rabbits and all small mammals, 24 hours a day
The only 24-hour emergency hospital in the Ann Arbor area that treats exotics, with a dedicated glass-walled exotics ward away from the ER noise, in-house X-ray, ultrasound and cone-beam CT. Dr. Ivana Levy, a residency-trained avian and exotic specialist, sees scheduled cases Mon–Thu 8–5 and consults with the emergency team on urgent exotic cases around the clock.
- Paw Paw Veterinary ClinicPaw Paw, MI · 31690 Red Arrow Hwy
Sees: Reptiles and amphibians (any non-venomous species), birds, small mammals and pocket pets, plus dogs and cats
Two ARAV-member reptile vets: Dr. Kim Cook, who completed an exotics internship and residency and spent years at the Akron Zoo, and Dr. Stefan Baker, whose focus is reptile and amphibian medicine. Their reptile page names bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, ball pythons, corn snakes and boas specifically. Urgent and emergency care in opening hours: Mon–Thu 8–7, Fri 8–5, Sat 8–1, Sunday urgent care 9–11.
- Parkway Small Animal & Exotic HospitalClinton Township, MI · 39321 Garfield Rd
Sees: Birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, rabbits and pocket pets, plus dogs and cats
Exotics are in the name and across the team: Dr. Alex Kriak lists avian and exotic medicine, Dr. Emily Hamilton focused on exotics through vet school and a wildlife hospital, Dr. Johanna Hopkins keeps small mammals, Dr. Timmantha Micelli did zoo rotations and Dr. Ty Owens trained here before vet school. Open seven days 8 am–10 pm, with weekend emergency hours Fri–Sun 10 pm–8 am and partner ERs in Novi and Bloomfield Hills otherwise.
- Roadside Veterinary ClinicHighland, MI · 1500 S Milford Rd
Sees: Reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, fish and invertebrates, plus dogs and cats; ask about birds
AAHA-accredited since 2024, three doctors, and an exotic-pet service covering exams, bloodwork, X-ray, surgery and dentistry for reptiles and small mammals. Dr. Jennifer Burns lists a special interest in exotic pet care; Dr. Sydney Farley also sees exotics. Urgent care during opening hours, Mon/Wed/Thu to 8 pm, Tue to 6, Fri to 5, Sat 8–4; after hours they refer to the Animal Emergency Center in Novi.
This page is general information from a hobbyist breeder and rescue. A listing is not an endorsement, nothing here is a diagnosis or a substitute for a consultation with a licensed veterinarian, and we accept no liability for decisions made on the basis of it. If you run an exotic practice in Michigan and would like to be listed, or spot something out of date, message us.