VN April 2023

Vetnuus | April 2023 4 The month of April is technically the second month of Autumn. I wish the real daytime temperature up in the north wanted to get with the program and not reflect degrees in the 30s anymore. If you are here, then you survived the Ides of march. Now we enter the silly month of April. Not only do we have to survive the 1st, which in South Africa can be a little daunting judging by the evening news. We have wild animals roaming the suburbs; literally, we do not even need April Fool's day to make this up. April is also the season of all the public holidays. Good luck with navigating stormy waters this month. The edition this month is dedicated to the exotic animal as a pet. Judging by the 'Do you know' column of Dr Silvia Alonso, this is not a new trend; as far back as periods before Christ, mentions of this can be found. Why the fascination of having an exotic animal as a pet? Not only in her article but also in the article published by Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment named 'When Pets become pests, ' it is mentioned that having an exotic pet is a status symbol. Whatever the motivation, the vet usually ends up with the problem when things go wrong. Read great advice by Dr Trudie Prinsloo on how to handle these strange patients on the table. It is advisable to familiarise yourself with the local government legislation as it can differ significantly from province to province May April be a good month for you and your loved ones. v Andriette From the Editor Editor’s notes / Redakteurs notas Andriette van der Merwe