Vet’s Practice Is Just What the Doctor Ordered

Dr. Bruce Levine’s mother always wanted him to be a doctor, but the type of patients he has treated during the last 20 years is not exactly what she had in mind.

An average working day for the 45-year-old Placentia veterinarian can bring anything from snakes and iguanas to parrots and ferrets to his examination table, along with the occasional dog or cat.

“My mom wanted me to be an M.D., but I just couldn’t see it. This is much more fun,” said Levine, manager of the Bird & Exotic Animal Practice in Placentia and lover of animals both large and small. “One medical friend of mine said, ‘An M.D. is nothing but a veterinarian with a limited practice.’ ”

The Huntington Beach resident is one of only about four Orange County veterinarians who specialize in both birds and exotic animals. Levine also makes house calls for those patients a bit too large and unruly for the office waiting room.

For about eight years, one of his regular house calls was in a quiet neighborhood in the city of Orange, where a lion tamer lived. Between shows, the circus performer kept several lions and tigers in a remodeled garage at his home.

“He took very good care of the animals. He had a very large garage specially fitted out with cages. He was a pro. He’d work with them every day. We’d go out there to vaccinate them or treat them if they were sick. They were circus performers, very obedient animals. He’d just have them sit on a stool and we’d vaccinate them.”

Levine, who grew up wanting “one of everything,” has come close to fulfilling his childhood pet fantasy through his medical practice. He also works as a wildlife rehabilitation specialist and as a consultant for aviaries and zoos.

“We had this fellow who was raising ostriches. After a while, they got too big for the front yard and he had to move to Silverado Canyon. Ostriches require lots and lots of care, because they are essentially nature’s dumbest bird. People used to think all birds were dumb, but that’s not true. There has been some work done with African gray parrots that makes them seem like porpoises in feathers.

“But an ostrich is the dumbest animal I’ve ever come across. I think there’s one synapse in that whole brain. They’ll eat anything that doesn’t eat them first, if they can swallow it. That’s a serious problem. And when they get to a certain age, the males get very, very aggressive, which makes it dangerous for veterinarians.”

Among the more unconventional pets that Levine treats, the ferret is becoming increasingly popular, despite its illegal status. California is one of only three states that ban the 1- to 5-pound, hyperactive creatures, which have catlike teeth, bristly hair and tiny claws. Even so, California has the largest population of pet ferrets in the United States, about 750,000, according to the California Domestic Ferret Assn.

“Ferrets are getting more popular and rightly so. They’re really very good pets. But they’re not going to behave like dogs or cats, and as long as you realize that, it’s a great pet,” said Levine, who is listed in the veterinarian directory of the pro-legalization group Ferrets Anonymous.

“According to the American Medical Assn., the ferret is a pugnacious, nasty creature that mauls children continuously. It’s not true. They basically have the personality of a pet cat. I see an occasionally nasty ferret about as often as I see a nasty cat.”

Ferrets are easier to keep than dogs, Levine said--no obligatory walks around the neighborhood. But ferret owners must take certain protective measures.

“You do have to ferret-proof your house. They can do damage. You shouldn’t leave little things around they can swallow. And they love to get underneath a couch or a chair and eat themselves a little tunnel up into the stuffing. Just nail a little bit of chicken wire on the bottom of your furniture and it stops that right away.”

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Levine warns against the purchase of a ferret--or any other exotic pet--without first learning how rigorous care and feeding can be. And there are some exotic animals, such as monkeys, that are totally unsuitable as pets, regardless of the dedication of the pet owner.

“Monkeys are just not appropriate pets. Medically, they share a lot of diseases with us, such as tuberculosis and something called Herpes B, a dreadful little virus we see in macaques. The Herpes B virus is just a cold sore to the monkey, but if you catch it, it’s pretty much fatal.

“And in addition to all that, owning a monkey is like having a perpetual 3-year-old around the house, except that it’s a lot stronger and a lot more vicious than a human 3-year-old. If it wants something, you’re going to have a hard time stopping it, unless it’s in a cage. Monkeys are dangerous.”

For parents whose children want something other than a cat or dog, Levine often recommends the much-maligned but highly intelligent rat.

“People will ask for my advice about what kind of rodent pet they should buy for their kids. Hamsters are fairly pugnacious creatures and guinea pigs are relatively standoffish. I keep telling them, ‘Buy a rat. It’s like a small dog.’ I see them come in here on their owner’s shoulder, licking his neck. It’s the one animal they’ll probably be happy with.”

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Profile: Dr. Bruce Levine

Age: 45

Hometown: Hillside, N.J.

Residence: Huntington Beach

Family: Wife, Joan; one dog; one cat

Education: Bachelor’s and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees, University of Illinois; postgraduate veterinary studies, Overton Park Zoo in Memphis, Tenn., and Main Street Small Animal Hospital in San Diego; board certification in companion animal practice from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners

Background: Veterinarian for North County Wildlife Center (Poway), 1977-78; worked at several veterinary clinics in Northern and Southern California, 1979-81; wildlife rehabilitation specialist and instructor since 1980; chief veterinarian for North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, 1981-85; past president, Avian and Exotic Wingdivision of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Assn.; manager, Bird and Exotic Animal Practice of Orange County since 1984; consultant for aviaries and exotic animal facilities; publisher of “Wings & Things,” bird and exotic animal newsletter for pet owners, and “Exotica,” for veterinarians; regional membership liaison for nationalAssn. of Avian Veterinarians

On exotic pet trends: “So far they haven’t hit California, but in the Midwest we’re seeing a lot of hedgehogs as pets. Basically, they’re the snake of the rodent world. They’re interesting looking creatures, but they have very little personality.”

Source: Dr. Bruce Levine; Researched