Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital, Inc.

Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital, Inc. is a general practice practice in San Diego, CA. Procedures include Bird grooming, Vaccinations (species-specific), Emergency care, and Surgical care for small mammals, birds, and reptiles.

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About

Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital, Inc. is San Diego's exclusive exotics-only veterinary hospital, established in 1987. The hospital provides specialized medical and surgical care for birds and exotic companion animals, including reptiles, amphibians, rabbits, rodents, ferrets, small primates, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders. Founded by Dr. Jeffrey R. Jenkins, a Diplomate in Avian Practice with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, the hospital offers advanced diagnostics, wellness exams, and nutritional guidance.

The clinic is committed to delivering compassionate patient care and exceptional client service for the unique animals it treats. They offer same-day urgent care appointments and emergency care, with instructions provided via phone message. Services include preventative and routine care, various medical and surgical procedures, diagnostic services like digital radiology and in-house laboratory testing, grooming, and boarding for select exotic species.

Surgical team

Jeffery R. Jenkins

DVM

Founded by Dr. Jeffrey R. Jenkins, a Diplomate in Avian Practice with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, our hospital is recognized for its leadership in avian and exotic medicine.
Amandine Gillet

DVM
Rachel Raguin

DVM
Isabelle Campuzano

RVT
Aisha Bishop
Abby LaSogga
Ciera Aguilar
Latisha Zamora
Daisy Zapata

RVT
Shelly Meszaros

RVT

Procedures

Bird grooming
Vaccinations (species-specific)
Emergency care
Surgical care for small mammals, birds, and reptiles
Blood diagnostics
Treatment of egg binding (birds and reptiles)
Same-day urgent care appointments
Spay and neuter (castration) procedures
Minimally invasive procedures
Husbandry and nutritional counseling
Wellness exams and annual physical examinations
Beak and nail trims
Elective and corrective surgery
Medically necessary rabbit grooming
Client education for specialized conditions
Treatment of complex conditions
Beak trims for tortoises and turtles
Post-purchase examinations
Disease diagnosis and treatment
Boarding & Day Care
Pain management and ongoing medical support
Molar trimming
Blood sexing
Behavioral consultations and care guidance
Abscess surgery
Small mammal dental procedures
Hospitalization and supportive care
Post-purchase diagnostic screening
In-house laboratory testing
Preventative care and health monitoring

Equipment

Anesthetic monitoring equipment
Digital radiology (X-rays)
Advanced imaging

Photos

Photos via Google · Johnny McGahee, Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital, Inc.

Frequently asked questions

What types of animals does Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital specialize in treating?: Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital specializes in treating birds of all species, reptiles, amphibians, rabbits, rodents, ferrets, small primates, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders. They are San Diego's exclusive exotics-only veterinary hospital, providing specialized medical and surgical care for these unique companion animals.
What diagnostic services are available at Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital?: The hospital offers a range of diagnostic services, including digital radiology (X-rays), in-house laboratory testing, blood diagnostics, and blood sexing. They also provide post-purchase diagnostic screening to ensure effective treatment plans for exotic patients.
Does Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital provide emergency or urgent care for exotic pets?: Yes, Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital offers same-day urgent care appointments, with availability varying. They also provide emergency care, and for instructions regarding emergencies, clients are advised to call the hospital's main number and listen to the recorded message.
What surgical procedures are performed at Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital?: The hospital provides advanced surgical care for exotic species, including elective and corrective surgery, spay and neuter procedures, and abscess surgery. They also treat egg binding in birds and reptiles, and offer surgical care for small mammals, birds, and reptiles, utilizing anesthetic monitoring equipment designed for exotic animals.
Are there any grooming services offered for exotic animals at this hospital?: Yes, Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital offers grooming services tailored for various exotic species. These include bird grooming, such as beak and nail trims, medically necessary rabbit grooming, and beak trims for tortoises and turtles. All grooming is performed with species-specific handling and safety in mind.

Contact & hours

Address

1276 Morena Blvd
San Diego

Phone

(619) 260-1412

Website

drexotic.com

4.1 · 168 Google reviews

Recent reviews

5 months ago

Lexi B

I was recommended this place by a friend when my hamster passed away, because I was looking for cremation services. The front desk crew are all extremely empathetic and kind. I was so blessed to be welcomed and sent off by such sweet people. I may have scurried off because I was embarrassed to be crying, but the kindness had quite the impact on my grief and I highly recommend this clinic. If I am to get another pet, I will surely make this my go-to place for check-ups. RIP Meatball, thank you so much to the folks here for making such a heart-wrenching loss feel much more bearable
2 months ago

hayley distefano

the diagnosis’s here are never good. I feel like they are only there for the $$$. I’ve struggled to find genuine exotic vet’s since 2020 i began bringing my guinea pigs ( 4 ) here. My first guinea pig died 6 months ago after SEVERAL and i mean MORE THAN 4 Appointments within the year trying to figure out why my guinea pig wasn’t gaining weight, she just kept getting more and more skinny but all she did was eat. Only thing they ever said was oh just feed her more, and give her more vitamin C. Mind you all she did was eat, all she did was consume plenty of vitamin C. But they continued to charge us over and over again sending us home with nothing until one day she just died. My other guinea pig was put down today due to a massive tumor. But I’ve taken her here multiple times in the past year and they have mentioned nothing of a tumor. I came here because i trusted they would help me to care for my girls for as long as they live. Healthy and long. They can never diagnose anything other than URI’s and even then they just sign off antibiotics like it’s nothing. I’m going to be saving the MONEY and life of my two girls left, and go somewhere else. I urge anyone to find any other exotic vet than this one. Constantly giving them our money but never getting any answers- only death.
4 months ago

James Gregory

I brought my red eared slider Rufus in with an eye infection. Dr. Gillette saw him promptly, evaluated him, and prescribed antibiotic shots. His eye is back to normal now and he is doing great. All the staff were also very kind and helpful. Thank you!

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7 months ago

kaitlyn jensen

Avian and Exotic has saved my elder rabbit’s life on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, as my rabbit has gotten older he is more prone to GI stasis. The very first time he went into GI stasis I took him to an emergency vet in the middle of the night that claimed to care for exotics and charged me a thousand dollars just to tell me he was dying and that they were unable to place an IV (after shaving both front legs). I called Avian and Exotic the moment they opened the next day and they were able to nurse him back to health while keeping me informed of his progress multiple times a day. My rabbit has been treated by all of the doctor’s and I have felt comforted and informed every time. There is no one else I trust with my rabbit. Their boarding has also come in handy and brings peace of mind when I travel. I would recommend them 10 times over!
5 months ago

David Wolfman

I’ve had nothing but great experiences at Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital, and I truly trust them with my birds’ lives. I bring my conures here for regular care, and the level of bird-specific knowledge and attention has consistently been excellent, and often goes above-and-beyond my expectations which I really appreciate. Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital is the only place I fully trust with my birds. I’ve brought my conures here for years for checkups, and the avian expertise is on another level. Recently, a firework scared my male conure and he bit his sister, causing a severe leg injury—muscle torn to the bone, no movement in her leg or foot. I stabilized her at home with styptic and surgical glue, rushed to a nearby ER to further stabilize, and they recommended amputation. I instead waited for morning and called Avian & Exotic for an emergency visit. Dr. Gillet saw us immediately, took her into surgery, and saved the leg and repaired a lot of damage! My bird stayed overnight for fluids, meds, and monitoring. The next day her wound looked clean with perfect internal/external stitches, and within a couple of weeks my bird was walking and moving her toes normally! The amount of damage to my bird's little leg and the fact that it required such intricate and delicate work, and that Dr.Gillet is capable of meeting and exceeding this level of technique required to repair the damage, really left me in awe. Follow-up confirmed that my bird healed great, and my bird is flying and bouncing around and having fun every day again. Dr. Gillet is outstanding!!! Thank you so much once again for ensuring that my bird will live a happy, healthy, and fully-mobile, life ahead. (My bird's brother has his own cage now). Dr. Jenkins has also been fantastic over multiple visits—truly an avian expert and legitimate guru for birds. I’ve learned a ton about proper bird care here. One think I learned is that unlike other clinics that push jugular blood draws for small birds, they can safely get what’s needed for bloodwork by nail clipping when appropriate. I've been to several other 'bird vets' that had clearly relied on old and outdated/unsafe avian-care training. I originally found Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital after some bad experiences that my birds & I had with other vets; and I made it my goal to seek-out the best possible avian veterinary care. I called several nearby parrot and exotic pet stores and they all highly-recommended Dr. Jenkins as the go-to. I researched Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital online and found Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Gillet mentioned very positively in exotic animal forums as well. Long story short, I'm so happy that I found this place, as they have never let me down. Prices are reasonable for San Diego, which matters when emergencies hit. Staff and techs are kind, knowledgeable, and attentive—shoutout to Aisha for always being patient and caring with my birds. You can confidently board your pets here and know they'll be safe, very well fed, and taken care of with love. If you want the best chance and compassionate care for avian or exotic pets, see Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Gillet.

Reviews via Google

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