Elevating Exotic Pet Medicine: What Orange Grove Animal Hospital Brought Back from Exotic365
What is Exotic365?
Our team (including Dr. Walter Merker, Dr. Tallon Hawkins, and Connor Danley CVT) recently attended the Exotic365 conference in Philadelphia. This premier national conference brings together exotic veterinarians and technicians to share the latest advancements in reptile and exotic pet medicine.
Key Medical Enhancements Brought Back to Our Tucson Practice
Attending specialized conference sessions allowed our team to bring home fresh, practical insights that directly elevate our day-to-day quality of care. By staying ahead of emerging veterinary trends and refining our hospital protocols, we are putting the latest industry research straight into practice to better protect and treat Tucson's exotic pets.
Advanced Infection Control: Enhanced daily sanitation protocols using specialized cleanser concentrations (such as higher-concentration hydrogen peroxide) effective against resilient pathogens like Cryptosporidium and serpentoviruses.
Emerging Pathology Insights: Gained direct updates on emerging reptile diseases from University of Florida pathologist Dr. Robert "Oz" Ossiboff to keep Tucson pets ahead of diagnostic trends.
Objective Diagnostic Scales: Developed by Dr. Colin Clarke, we implemented a standardized tortoise beak overgrowth scoring system to improve consistency in tracking and treatment progression.
Specialized Anesthesia & Pain Management: Refined customized sedation, post-procedure pain management, and thermal support protocols during cardiac complications for exotic patients, including guinea pigs, chinchillas, and native Sonoran Desert toads.
Species-Specific Research: Analyzed new insights from Dr. Christopher Brown from Tulane University, into Indigo snake gut biomes and gastrointestinal health.
At Orange Grove Animal Hospital, attending events like Exotic365 is all about continuing our education so we can offer your pets the highest standard of medicine possible. Whether it's implementing cleaner hospital protocols, utilizing brand-new diagnostic tools, or providing gentler anesthesia, our team is thrilled to put these new techniques into practice. The next time you bring your exotic companion in for a checkup, you can rest easy knowing they are receiving care backed by the latest insights in veterinary science.
Dr. Walter Merker is one of Tucson, Arizona’s leading exotic animal veterinarians and is co-owner of Orange Grove Animal Hospital which was voted “Best Animal Hospital” in Tucson in 2025. Passionate about advancing reptile, amphibian, and small mammal medicine, Dr. Merker graduated from UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and has been with Orange Grove since 2012. When he’s not in the clinic caring for Tucson's unique pets , he enjoys exploring the surrounding Sonoran Desert landscape.
