The information presented above has been primarily targeted to discuss the treatment of mammals.  However, many pet owners choose birds, reptiles, or fish as their pet of choice.  Following is a brief discussion of some of the more common health care problems that can occur in these families.

Birds
Specific problems that can arise from treating birds is administration.  The oral route is the most commonly employed.  However, formulating the medication to ensure intake is important.  Many birds are either seed eaters or nectar eaters.  A method commonly employed in seed eating birds is to provide the drug in an oil-based vehicle.  This particular formulation is more palatable to the bird and may be coated onto seeds, which are subsequently ingested by the bird.  Alternately, nectar eaters obviously like sweet liquids.  Drugs for these birds are often placed in a fruit-flavoured vehicle which is then drank by the bird.  Some specific health care needs that parrot owners should be aware of include the fact that while the parrot diet may contain fruits and vegetables, they should never be given avocado, which is toxic to parrots.  Parrot owners should also avoid excessively sweet, fatty, or heavily salted foods.  Ethanol can also be extremely toxic to parrots.  Additionally, while grit or gravel is important for many birds, it is not necessary for parrots and may actually cause problems.

Reptiles
In general, since reptiles are cold-blooded, many require heat sources for optimal survival.  The three broad families of reptiles that are most often encountered in veterinary practice include the lizards, turtles, and snakes.  All three families may suffer from "mouth rot", an infectious disease of the oral cavity.  The primary problem with mouth rot is secondary infection.  Most antibiotics may be used to treat mouth rot, although the cephalosporins are currently favoured over other classes.  These are generally administered parenterally (as the easiest route of administration).  One treatment of parenteral vitamin C often is also used in the treatment of mouth rot.  Additionally, topical sulphamerizine (3%) may also be applied to the oral cavity of the reptile.  Skin infections in general are treated with silver sulphadiazine.  The most commonly employed anæsthetics used in reptiles include isoflurane and ketamine.

Iguanas -- Diet in iguanas is age-dependent.  Young iguanas require a higher protein intake and their diet should consist of insects, larvæ, or mouse pups.  Adult iguanas survive well on a diet of fruits and vegetables.  One common problem encountered with iguanas is metabolic bone disease.  This is often due to a diet deficient in calcium and/or insufficient exposure to ultraviolet radiation (Vitamin D deficiency).  The iguana will appear lethargic, anorexic, ataxic, and may become paralysed.  Treatment consists of calcium, vitamin D, and possibly calcitonin.

Turtles -- Turtles are omnivorous and their diet may vary widely.  A curious aspect of turtle diet is the fact that raw chicken may be detrimental.  Although the turtle often carries Salmonella as endogenous GI flora, Salmonella from raw chicken may act as a pathogen in the turtle, causing runny nose and bloody, discoloured stools.  Turtle may also suffer from metabolic bone disease, causing, in addition to the symptoms described for the iguana, a soft shell.  Additionally, vitamin A deficiencies may occur in turtles, compromising vision.  Respiratory tract infections in turtles are most often treated with aminoglycoside antibiotics, GI parasites with fenbendazole (ivermectin is contraindicated in turtles, since it causes severe sloughing).  The most commonly employed anti-inflammatory is dexamethasone and the preferred anæsthetic is ketamine.

Snakes -- Other than mouth rot, snakes are generally resistant to disease.  One infectious disease that is often encountered in the Boidæ family (pythons and boas) is inclusion body disease virus (IBDV).  Boids infected with "stargazing disease" as it is also known, will exhibit anorexia, regurgitation, mouth rot, pneumonia, caudal bloating, loss of righting reflex, corkscrewing of head/neck, and a blank stare.  There is no treatment and the disease is highly contagious.  Animals exhibiting any of the above signs should be isolated.  If the infection spreads, the only alternative is often sacrifice of the entire collection.

Fungal fin rot -- Apply malachite green directly to the fin or, alternatively, place the fish in a methylene blue bath (it should be concentrated so that the fish is just visible in the water) for approximately 20 min.

Bacterial fin rot -- Treatment is usually with an antibiotic that is placed directly in the water of the fish tank.  Commonly used antibiotics prepared especially for use with fish include ampicillin capsules (Fishcillin®), penicillin capsules (FishPen®), tetracycline capsules (Fishcycline®), and erythromycin tablets (Fishmycin®).  These agents are used to treat Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and Mycobacterium (gill disease) infections.

White spot disease - a protozoal infection of fish that is treated by formalin and malachite green, added directly to the water.  Other treatments for white spot disease include increasing the water temperature to 90oF (if the fish can survive in water this warm) and/or the addition of 1 teaspoonful of salt/gallon of tank water.  An additional, effective treatment, is serial transfer to clean water tanks.