This study describes the diversity of the species received for medical evaluation at the Exotic Pet and Wildlife Teaching Hospital in Mexico; identifying the most common non-traditional companion animals owned, the frequency of the species received along the years, and which of those correspond to native Mexican wildlife. This retrospective descriptive study comprised 8 619 patient records from 2009 to 2019. During the period analyzed, 129 species were identified, 60 of these being native Mexican wildlife. Most of the patients received were mammals (56.36 %) followed by reptiles (38.73 %), and 4.91 % remaining were composed by birds, amphibian, fish and invertebrate species. Eight species contributed to the highest percentage of the records (79.88 %), being the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) the most common (18.71 %). The number of annual records varied through the period with a trend for increased demand recently. It was possible to identify changes in the frequency of visits of different species over the study period, which allowed us to determine that the preference for the maintenance of some species in captivity has decreased. Commonly received species identification allows veterinary medicine students to specialize and develop the required species-specific medical competencies.

Ocular diseases are sub-diagnosed in bird species, partly because of limited diagnostic methods and lack of reference data. Placement of Schirmer tear test strips in the bottom of the conjunctival sac of birds for tear flow measurement can prove to be difficult, whereas paper tips commonly used for dental procedures may be easier to use, due to a more adequate size and shape. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess and compare tear flow values, using ABC Dental® # 30 color paper tips and TearFloTM Test strips in Red-lored Parrots (Amazona autumnalis) (n = 26). Captive birds of undetermined sex were housed in groups under similar environmental conditions and fed the same diet. All animals were deemed healthy through remote and physical examinations. Average tear flow values of 0.6365 ± 0.032 cm/min and 0.5942 ± 0.032 cm/min were obtained with the Schirmer strips test and the endodontic tips respectively. Lack of difference in observed values between measurement techniques (p = 0.3629) indicates that endodontic tips may be a good alternative for tear flow assessment in Red-lored parrots. In addition, endodontic tips are more cost effective and may be less invasive. This study stresses the need to establish species specific ophthalmic reference values for clinical practice in birds, since differences have been reported even in specimens within the same genus.Figure 1. Measurement of tear flow in Red-lored parrots using TearFloTM Test Strips