Dr. Hess is owner of Veterinary Center For Birds & Exotics - the first and only all bird and exotic animal hospital in Westchester County and the surrounding areas in New York and Connecticut. We care exclusively for birds and other exotic species - no dogs or cats. Dr. Hess, who is board-certified in bird medicine and who is the President of the Association of Avian (bird) Veterinarians for 2009-2010, specializes not only in birds but also in other exotic species including rabbits, ferrets, reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises), guinea pigs, small rodents (rats, mice, degus, hamsters, gerbils), sugar gliders, chinchillas, hedgehogs, prairie dogs, kinkajous, wallabys, and fennec foxes. The Veterinary Center offers offer complete medical and surgical care, as well full service boarding, for exotic species. All pets must receive a physical examination at the Center before boarding to help ensure that they are healthy to board. Through the special Internet cameras installed in all the areas where pets are caged in the hospital, Dr. Hess is able to see all hospitalized patients and boarders after-hours from outside the hospital. The Centers boarding room also has a TV for boarding pets to watch, music piped in through a ceiling speaker, and sliding partitions that move between cages to enable privacy between boarders. Dr. Hess not only treats sick exotic pets, but also advises exotic pet owners about preventative care/wellness medicine, including proper diets, environment, and behavior. All exotic pets should have annual check-ups, just like dogs and cats, and all new exotic pets should be examined so that their owners can learn the proper ways to care for these unique species to try to ensure that they stay healthy. Dr. Hess is the most experienced residency-trained exotic animal vet and board-certified bird specialist in Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam, and Orange Counties. She is available 24 hours a day by phone to help exotic animal owne