Why did you choose to pursue this particular experience?

I chose to work in the CUHA Exotics Department because it closely aligns with my career goals and offers invaluable hands-on experience. I knew it would be a place where I could expand both my knowledge and practical skills while working directly with the types of patients I hope to treat in the future.

What was a typical day like?

Honestly, there’s no such thing as a “typical” day — and that’s one of my favorite parts of the job! Exotics is an umbrella term that covers a huge variety of species, each requiring very different approaches to care. The CUHA Exotics Department sees appointments from 9:00am – 4:00pm on weekdays (with Wednesdays reserved for surgeries). On top of that, daily emergencies and hospitalized inpatients require ongoing treatments and monitoring throughout the day as well. That means there are always multiple things happening at once, which makes every day dynamic and unpredictable. As a student tech, my responsibilities range from husbandry tasks, patient treatments, stocking, obtaining histories, setting up for procedures, and really anything else I can do to assist the doctors and technicians. What that looks like changes day to day depending on the cases we’re seeing.

What was your favorite memory?

It’s hard to pick just one, but some of my favorite moments are when I get to take inpatients out of their cages for enrichment and exercise. Sometimes we bring them outside to the grassy, fenced-in area behind the hospital. Or, if going outdoors isn’t an option, we’ll set up a large playpen in the ward so they can roam around indoors. I just get so much second hand happiness from watching them bask in the sun and/or stretch their legs and explore! There is often a visible change in their demeanor which is so satisfying (and usually super cute!) to see.

What species did you enjoy working with the most?

💛Rabbits are hands-down my all-time favorite💛, but I love working with any small mammal species.

What were your biggest learning experiences?

This experience has been eye-opening in so many ways, but one of the biggest takeaways is recognizing how many gaps still exist in exotic pet medicine. I often saw our doctors needing to extrapolate treatment plans from research done on completely different species, or improvise and DIY equipment to accommodate the unique shapes and sizes of our patients. Even something as fundamental as reliable reference ranges for bloodwork can be surprisingly difficult to find for exotic patients. Watching how exotics veterinarians navigate these challenges with such skill, knowledge, and confidence is both humbling and inspiring. While it can feel intimidating at times, it also motivates me, as it highlights how much need there is for more research, data, and clinicians dedicated to this field.

What are your goals in veterinary medicine?

I am still considering the different options/paths to get there, but I would like to work in either an exotics only clinic or in the exotics department of a larger animal hospital. My ultimate dream is to open a practice dedicated exclusively to small mammals. That’s definitely a long-term future goal rather than my first step in the field, but it’s something I keep in mind as motivation 🙂

What advice would you give to students who are interested in the field of exotics?

My biggest piece of advice is to be proactive in seeking out opportunities. Because exotic medicine is a smaller branch of veterinary medicine, experiences won’t simply fall into your lap– you need to go out and find them. I would also remind students (and myself, sometimes!) to be patient with their own learning curve. Exotics encompasses such a broad range of species that you will constantly be faced with new situations and skills you haven’t yet mastered. Even with all my experiences, I still find myself in moments where I am learning something for the first time. That’s just the nature of the game. What matters the most is to maintain a growth mindset and give yourself grace as you learn.

Katriella Hirsch-Hoffman

Katriella was born and raised in the Bronx, NY, and completed her undergraduate studies at Binghamton University. She is now entering her second year at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Inspired to pursue veterinary medicine by her first pet rabbit, Moo– and the many more that followed– she is passionate about caring for small mammals and hopes to build a career in companion exotics.