October 2026
If you share your home with a rabbit, guinea pig, ferret, chinchilla or pet rat, you already know they aren't small dogs or cats. Their teeth, digestion, anesthesia needs and ways of showing illness are all different. Finding the right exotic vet in Nashville before something goes wrong is one of the kindest things you can do for them.
Many exotic companion mammals are prey animals, and looking weak attracts predators, so they're very good at hiding pain and illness. By the time a rabbit stops eating or a guinea pig starts losing weight, the problem may have been building for a while.
A veterinarian who sees these species every day knows what normal looks like for each one, including that a quiet, still rabbit isn't necessarily a comfortable rabbit. That experience shapes which small changes get taken seriously, which medications and doses are appropriate for each species, and how anesthesia and surgery are planned.
For a prey animal, a veterinary hospital is full of alarming sights, sounds and smells. A rabbit sitting next to a barking dog can be physically stressed before the exam even starts. That matters medically, because stress and pain feed each other. Stress slows the gut, lowers pain tolerance and can make recovery harder.
When you visit a clinic, notice whether there's a separate, quiet space for prey animals away from dogs and cats, and whether staff handle animals gently and use firm restraint only when a procedure truly needs it. Ask how urgent cases are triaged. A rabbit that has stopped eating shouldn't sit in the waiting room until its appointment time. In the hospital, look for hides, non-slip footing, familiar food, and quiet, dim recovery areas.
You can help too. Bring your pet in a solid-sided carrier covered with a towel, along with some familiar hay or bedding.
Start by asking which species the clinic sees regularly, then ask who will examine your pet and book with that doctor directly. It's also fair to ask what diagnostics are available, such as in-house bloodwork, digital X-rays and dental imaging, with access to CT when a case needs it. Ask how anesthesia is handled, including monitoring, warming, pain control and getting small mammals eating again afterward. And know the after-hours plan before you need it.
A board-certified veterinary specialist has completed additional training and passed a rigorous examination in one area of practice. The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) offers certification in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice, covering rabbits, ferrets, rodents and other small mammals.
Dr. Logan Kopp, DVM, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal Practice), is a Diplomate in that specialty and the only veterinarian currently practicing in Tennessee with that title. Dr. Kopp is also a Fellow in Companion Animal Pain Management. That matters a great deal in species where the measure of good care is simple: is the animal eating, grooming, exploring and resting normally again?
Dr. Kopp sees rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils and degus, as well as legally owned companion mammals such as foxes and squirrels. Dr. Kopp does not see birds, reptiles or zoo species.
Families with rabbits can look for rabbit-friendly care. Dr. Kopp is the only Gold-level rabbit-friendly veterinarian certified by the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) in North America. Gold-level care includes a separate rabbit waiting area, prey-species housing away from dogs and cats, and staff trained in rabbit handling.
You don't have to give up a primary veterinarian you trust. Many pets are referred to Dr. Kopp for a second opinion, dental disease, gastrointestinal or urinary problems, pain management or surgery, and then return to their regular clinic for routine care.
Call right away if your small mammal has stopped eating, has few or no droppings, is breathing hard or with an open mouth, or is weak, wobbly or collapsed.
Book a visit soon if your pet seems quieter than usual, is eating a little less, or is losing weight. For these species, "wait and see" can be risky.
Dr. Logan Kopp, Nashville's exotic companion mammal specialist, sees patients at Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital, 2445 Morris Gentry Blvd, Nashville, TN 37013. Call (615) 361-4646 to schedule. After hours, contact Veterinary Emergency Group in Franklin, Murfreesboro or West Nashville.
This article is general information, not medical advice for your pet. Reading it doesn't create a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Please talk with your own veterinarian before making changes to your pet's care.