Meet Our Exotic Pet Veterinarian
Dr. Vandenbruggen built her career around exotic patients from the start. After growing up with many exotic pets, she focused her veterinary training on exotic animal medicine, completed international externships with a wide range of species, and then pursued a zoological medicine internship in Belgium followed by a specialty internship and a three-year residency in exotic companion animal medicine and surgery at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. She stayed on with the Zoo, Exotics and Wildlife Service for an additional year as a clinical supervisor, providing advanced medical and surgical care while training students and interns.
She is board-eligible and in the final stages of specialization in exotic companion animal medicine and surgery. Her work centers on preventive care, advanced diagnostics, internal medicine, dentistry, and soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery for exotic species. At home she lives with Artemis, a Rex rabbit who also serves as the clinic’s blood donor, Athena the cockatoo, and Rainbow the fennec fox, an experience that shapes her understanding of the unique bond owners share with these animals and her commitment to individualized, compassionate care.