Reptiles
Lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles, from bearded dragons and leopard geckos to corn snakes. Rooms are heated, and we go through temperatures, lighting and diet with you.
Vets who know a gecko from a guinea pig
Scales and Feathers Exotic Vets sees only reptiles, birds and small mammals. Consulting rooms are kept warm and quiet, every patient is weighed to the gram, and most visits end with a look at how the animal is housed and fed, because that is where many problems begin.
3 groupsreptiles, birds, small mammals
To the gramevery patient, every visit
30 minfor a standard consultation
Emergency? If your pet is bleeding, struggling to breathe, collapsed, fitting, has stopped eating or passing droppings, or has been caught by a cat or dog, phone us now during opening hours. Outside them, call your nearest emergency vet and say which species you have.
Call +44 20 7946 0236Who we see
Three groups of animals with very different needs, and a clinic set up for all three.
Birds
Parrots, cockatiels, budgerigars, canaries, finches and backyard hens. Birds hide illness well, so we see them in a dim room and keep handling short.
Small mammals
Rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, rats, chinchillas, degus and hamsters. Teeth, diet and weight are checked at every visit, and bonded pairs come in together.
We do not see venomous species, primates or fish. If you cannot tell whether we treat your animal, ring before you travel.
Appointments and prices
Tests, X rays and medicines are priced separately, and every cost is explained before anything is done.
New pet health check
40 minutes$55
- Weight and body condition recorded
- Sex checked where it can be
- Your setup photos looked at together
- A written care sheet to take home
Consultation
30 minutes$68
- A full examination
- A plan and its costs explained first
- Same day slots kept back each morning
Husbandry review (example reviews)
30 minutes, pet optional$45
- Heat, light, humidity and space
- Diet and supplements
- A written list of changes, most urgent first
Nails, beak and wing care
15 minutes$28
- Nail trims for every species we see
- Beak shaping only when it is needed
- Wing trims talked through, never routine
Specialist checks
A test is suggested only when its answer would change what we do next.
| Check | What it involves | From |
|---|---|---|
| Faecal parasite check | A fresh dropping looked at under the microscope, usually while you wait | $30 |
| Blood sample | A tiny sample, sized to the animal's weight, sent to a laboratory | $85 |
| X rays | Gentle restraint or a short anaesthetic, depending on the species | $120 |
| Dental check for rabbits and guinea pigs | The back teeth examined properly under anaesthetic, and trimmed if needed | $160 |
| Tortoise check before hibernation | Weight, body condition and a faecal check in late summer | $50 |
| DNA sexing for birds | A few feathers or a drop of blood sent away for testing | $35 |
Every price is confirmed before a sample is taken, and nothing is done without your agreement.
Most problems start in the enclosure
Many of the reptiles, birds and small mammals we see are unwell because something about their home is slightly off: a basking spot a few degrees too cool, an ultraviolet lamp that has quietly stopped working, a diet heavy in seed or light in hay. None of this shows in the animal on the table, so we ask about the setup at every visit.
Bring photos of the enclosure on your phone, the temperatures at the warm and cool ends, the age of any UV lamp and a list of what your pet ate this week. A husbandry review can be booked on its own, with or without the animal, and ends with a short written list of changes.
- Temperatures at the warm and cool ends
- The age of the UV lamp
- A week of food, written down
Bringing your pet in
A calm journey makes for a calmer examination. These habits help every species we see.
- Reptiles in a ventilated tub inside an insulated bag
- Birds in a small covered carrier with a low perch
- Rabbits and guinea pigs with their bonded partner
- Hay in every small mammal carrier
- Ferrets in a carrier that latches
- A fresh dropping in a clean pot
- Photos of the enclosure on your phone
Keep the car warm for reptiles, never hot, and take the shortest route. If the waiting room is busy, wait in the car and we will call you in, so a rabbit never sits beside a ferret or a budgerigar beside a python.
On the consulting table
Patients photographed with their owners' agreement.
Owners of the small and the scaly (example reviews)
Our leopard gecko had stopped eating for weeks. The vet asked about the heat mat before anything else, found it was barely warming the tank, and a fortnight after a new thermostat she was hunting crickets again.
Our grey parrot hates being handled. The visit was short, the room was dim and quiet, and he was weighed standing on a perch rather than wrapped in a towel. He even took a seed on the way out.
Two rabbits, a dental check each, and a clear quote before the anaesthetic. They came home together that afternoon and were eating hay by the evening.
Asked across the consulting table
What counts as an emergency for an exotic pet?
Bleeding, struggling to breathe, collapse, fits, a bird sitting fluffed up on the cage floor, a rabbit or guinea pig that has stopped eating or passing droppings, or any animal caught by a cat or dog. Phone us at once during opening hours; outside them, call your nearest emergency vet. Please never wait for a reply to the online form.
Do you see dogs and cats?
No. Keeping the clinic to exotic species means quiet waiting areas, warm rooms and equipment sized for small patients. We are happy to suggest a nearby practice for your other pets.
Why weigh every patient in grams?
Small animals lose weight before they look ill, and a drop of 3 g matters to a budgerigar that weighs 35 g. Weighing at every visit builds a trend we can compare, and each weight goes on your pet's record.
Can we get advice on a setup before buying a pet?
Yes, a husbandry review works before the animal arrives too. Bring photos or a sketch of the enclosure and a list of the equipment you plan to buy, and we will go through heat, light, space and diet for the species you have in mind.
Do you look after tortoises through hibernation?
We do not keep tortoises over winter, but we check them before and after and talk through the method that suits the species. Some tortoises should not hibernate at all, so the first step is knowing exactly which species you have.
What happens to the cost if tests are needed?
We explain what each test would tell us and what it costs before doing it, and nothing happens without your agreement. Payment is taken at the end of each visit.
Ask for a consulting slot
Use this form for routine visits, checks and husbandry reviews. Tell us the species, the reason and the day that suits, and a nurse will come back to you with a time, another day, or a suggestion of a clinic better placed to help.
- Unwell today? Phone instead of using the form
- A time is only fixed once a nurse confirms it
- Fees are settled at the desk once you are seen
Visiting the clinic
There is a quiet side room for birds and a heated one for reptiles, so tell the front desk what is in your carrier when you arrive.
Contact
West side of the city, two streets from the botanical gardens, with level access from the pavement
Clinic hours
| Monday to Friday | 08:30 to 18:30 |
| Thursday | 08:30 to 20:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 13:00 |
| Outside these hours | Your nearest emergency vet |
Out of hours
Outside our hours, call your nearest emergency vet and name the species before you set off, so they can check someone on duty treats it. Keep the clinic's number saved for the morning follow up.