Exotic Pet Medicine And Surgery

As non-traditional pets are becoming more popular, it's important to realize exotic species require the same quality veterinary care as dogs and cats counterparts. Exotic pets include everything from guinea pigs, rabbits, and ferrets to snakes, frogs, and even fish!

Every animal can benefit from annual exams to discuss husbandry, monitor weight changes, administer vaccines if warranted, and assess the overall health of your family pet, even if it has scales rather than fur. Bellwood Animal Hospital has the capability to spay or neuter your rabbit, ultrasound your ferret, remove a mammary mass from your rat, or perform radiographs on your iguana. We also have medications specifically compounded into dosages that are acceptable for our smallest patients.

Exotic Pet Veterinarians

Bellwood Animal Hospital currently has two veterinarians that treat exotic species: Dr. Ann Gull-Clemons and Dr. Katie Spoo.

Dr. Ann's early education included preceptorships at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Treehouse Wildlife Center. She was also student director of the Iowa State Wildlife Care Clinic. Since graduating veterinary school in 1990, she has continued to expand her education of exotics by attending meetings and wet labs on exotic animal medicine and surgery.

Dr. Spoo spent time volunteering and later working for the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Indiana and completed an internship at the Indianapolis Zoo veterinary hospital prior to beginning veterinary school. Her veterinary education consisted of multiple courses in zoo animal and reptile medicine and surgery and rotations through the Indianapolis Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, and University of Illinois wildlife and exotics service.