As exotic species are becoming more popular as house pets, knowledge about the species husbandry and nutritional requirement is essential for preventive veterinary care. This will help maintain the general health of exotic patients and lengthen their life span.
Promotion of good health and performance is accomplished by providing an environment appropriate to the species, including a complete balance diet. While feeding companion animals appears simple enough in theory, errors in feeding management and diet formulation still create clinical problems. Even more difficult is meeting nutritional goals for exotic animal species, and a combination of scientific principles and practical experience is needed to accomplish this.