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Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital, PLLC (AEAH)—clinic profile of the month
10137 Main Street; Bothell, WA 98011
Owner: Adolf K. Maas, DVM
As with some of us, veterinary medicine (University of Wisconsin, 2002) was not Dr. Maas’s first career choice, but he discovered this is where his true passion lay. With his M.S. degree in Biostructure, he first worked as a researcher at UW and taught labs at Seattle Pacific University. After leaving academia, he started a construction company (Cascadia Homes Corporation) and worked as a contractor for 7 years in King and Snohomish counties. Using the flexibility afforded him by being self-employed and hiring good managers; he explored options for a more permanent career and set out to embark on the necessary schooling and training. After vet school, he traveled about working in Toronto, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Florida, and Indiana, gathering the experience and training from many specialty/referral practices and zoos. Two years ago, he returned home to the Kenmore area and opened the AEAH. He is married to his work, but his two Dingos (17 and 6 years old), remodeling his house and his diverse hobbies keep him balanced. He has a special interest and research focus in herpetological medicine and preparing to sit for the ABVP specialty certification exam in 2009 when it becomes available.
Bridget Ferguson, DVM (Colorado State University 1997), ABVP (Avian certified), originally from California, joined Dr. Maas in October, 2007. She followed a more traditional path, with an undergraduate degree in avian physiology (UC-Davis) and immediate placement in an exotic animal specialty hospital right after graduation. An accomplished clinician and surgeon, she was a well-matched addition to the AEAH and has rapidly been accepted and welcomed by both the clients and staff of the hospital. Previously, she has been on the board of a major national avian rescue and rehabilitation group, has been an invited lecturer on hamster, guinea pig and rabbit medicine, and keeps many birds, reptiles and small exotic mammals at home as pets in addition to her two cats and a devoted dog. When the Small Exotic Mammals certification (e.g. rabbits, rodents, ferrets, sugar gliders) becomes available, she plans on sitting for this exam. She has two girls (4 and 7 years old) who have become regular fixtures of the evening rounds of the hospital and even love to participate in animal care as they can.
The Bothell hospital was established in the summer of 2006. It is the only “exotics-only” clinic in Washington State that offers 24-hour emergency service. In his practice approach, Dr. Maas considers exotics to be all but domestic canine and feline, equine, and bovine species. Chickens, pot bellied pigs, kangaroos, tropical fish, bobcats, mountain lions and goats all are regular patients in addition to the standard exotic fare of ferrets, psittacine birds and rabbits. The practice offers the best level of medicine available and operates both as a referral center as well as standard-day practice. The range of diagnostics performed include radiology (using a human hand unit that allows for better detail/contrast for the smaller species, switching to digital in six months); flexible and rigid endoscopy; color Doppler ultrasound unit with both soft-tissue and echocardiography; full diagnostic chemistry analyses for all species; complete blood cell counts with differentials; routine and advanced cytology, and using Northwest Zoo Pathology (Mike Garner) for histology and confirmation as required. Cultures (Antech, particularly good at exotics) and ELISA/PCR analyses are performed elsewhere. The Clinic has a full surgical suite, as well as an intensive care ward. Plans are underway for a new 7000+ sf building to be opened within two years. He enjoys teaching as demonstrated by his recent lecture on rabbit dentistry and his upcoming lectures later this year at other conferences.
The Clinic also has a large, dedicated staff. Many advanced training opportunities are available for all staff, as the practice philosophy supports continued advancement of all members’ skills, and believes that only through this can high-quality medicine be offered. In addition to staff training, Drs. Maas and Ferguson are currently accepting applications from new veterinary graduates for an internship beginning the summer of ’08, which will be offering a 13-month focused training program to help promote exotic animal medicine.
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