Author Archives: Dr. Dan
Wolves and Wolf/Dog Hybrids
Why do people want to own wolves or wolfdogs? For the same reasons that people have other unusual pets: to have a connection with nature, admiration for the species, “wow” factor, rescued the animal from someone else, etc. Do wolves and wolfdogs … Continue reading
Posted in Hard To Believe
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The Bird Cage
Not long ago, an elderly client asked me to come out to his place in the country and do a multi-bird checkup. He wanted to know if I thought his birds looked alright, because they lived loose in his house … Continue reading
Posted in Hard To Believe
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It’s a Coyote, for Real!
This week we had somebody show up at our front door and ask if we could help with a coyote they found limping along the side of the road. I told the guy, “Yes, go ahead and bring him right … Continue reading
Posted in Stranger than fiction
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Primates as Pets
by Dan Johnson, DVM, DABVP/ECM People frequently ask me, since I treat primates in my practice, if I think monkeys and other primates make good pets. I always tell them, “No”. Primates are hard to properly care for and difficult to handle once they get … Continue reading
Posted in Interesting Cases
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Setting The Standard
We were very proud to get this letter a few days ago: “Dr. Dan Johnson, I had the pleasure of meeting your staff yesterday when I brought my canary in for amputation of his leg. I was impressed with the … Continue reading
Posted in Happy Customer
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“Thank You” From A Happy Rat Owner
Dr Eckermann, I just wanted to say thanks for seeing my girls today. It was such a comfort knowing that they are all doing so well. I really appreciate the time you took and how thorough you were. You were … Continue reading
Posted in Happy Customer
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Itching in a Miniature Pig
We recently saw a 7-week-old miniature pig for itching and hair loss. This little piggy had been purchased only a couple of weeks earlier, and had recently been weaned from milk to normal mini-pig chow. A “skin scrape” was performed … Continue reading
Posted in Interesting Cases
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“Zoonosis”: That’s a Mouthful!
I got a very strange call last week. It was an M.D., a pediatrician, calling for my advice on a case. She was treating a patient, 1-year-old child, who was running a temperature of 105°F. Several days earlier, the infant … Continue reading
Posted in Stranger than fiction
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“Thanks” From a Happy Client
One of our clients recently had surgery on her 16 year-old Amazon parrot, “Wicket”. The procedure to remove a tumor took almost an hour, and we kept the bird overnight after surgery. After “Wicket” had been home for a day, … Continue reading
Posted in Happy Customer
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Box Turtle Brush With The Law
Just the other day my daughter and I had a misadventure that involved a well-meaning veterinarian, a box turtle, and a brush with the law. About a month ago we had a regular client present us with a box turtle … Continue reading
Posted in Hard To Believe
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