Big Cat Vets

Some Doctors still make house calls.  Dr. Stacie Wadsworth DVM,owner of Carrollwood Cats, and Dr. Elizabeth Wynn DVM, of Ehrlich Animal Hospital, are always on call for their big cat clientele.

Dr. Wadsworth doesn’t discriminate the 8-pound tabby tiger on your couch from the 800-pound tiger, Shere Khan. Cats are cats, and that’s what she does best.  Dr. Wadsworth has long been the on-call professional Big Cat Rescue has entrusted with the veterinary care of our sanctuary’s residents.   She never knows what to expect when the Big Cat Rescue van pulls up to her office. Yet she always drops whatever she is doing to come to the rescue of our cats in need.  How fortunate we are to have a veterinarian with this expertise only a few minutes away!

Our cats have not one, but two excellent veterinarians to rely on. Dr. Wynn has joined our volunteer team and devotes almost every minute of her free time to the care of our cats.  To have a veterinarian on staff would cost the sanctuary over $100,000 year, something we just can’t afford.  Dr. Wynn is a tremendous asset to us. She truly understands each of our animals’ personalities - their likes and dislikes as well as their idiosyncrasies.  Since she spends so much time at the sanctuary, the animals trust and know her, too. She handles most veterinary services that our animals require on-site as well as their flea and heartworm control, medications, etc.  On her days off, you will find her cleaning cages, feeding cats, guiding guests or handing out enrichment treats, just like every other senior keeper here.  Some days she may be found doing landscaping work or manning booths for us at special events or even soliciting specialized medical equipment from suppliers.  We have been incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful addition to our Big Cat Rescue family.

As an accredited rescue facility, we are faced with daunting issues everyday. When a cougar is rescued, starving, covered in mange and on the brink of death, where do you turn?  When you don’t want to add to the overpopulation of captive lions and tigers, who are you going to call?  When you are begged to rescue a bobcat that has just been struck by a car and you only have minutes to respond, who can handle this emergency? Luckily, with the help of both of these talented veterinarians, we always know who to call and that our animals are in the safest hands possible.

The cat in the following two photos is Bagheera, a black leopard, often referred to as a black panther.  She had a hematoma (huge swelling) on her ear caused from a yeast infection in the ear canal.  Tumors were discovered, removed and analyzed and fortunately found to be benign.   Bagheera was too large and too wild to transport without possible injury, so Dr. Stacie Wadsworth (referred to those who know her as Dr. Stacie) came out and did the operation in the comfort of the cat’s own home.  She has recovered nicely, although Dr. Stacie warns that the condition is chronic and will have to be monitored closely.

In the following photo, Dr. Stacie is repairing a declaw job on a cougar that arrived here in January 2000. The previous veterinarian did not sufficiently remove the bone. The cat was having recurrences of limping and an open oozing wound on the top of her paw. This cat was five years old and had apparently suffered this agony for the five years of her life prior to arriving at Big Cat Rescue. She has healed well and should have no further occurrence.

PLEASE VISIT EITHER OF OUR WONDERFUL VETERINARIANS FOR YOUR PET’S NEEDS, TOO!

DR. STACIE WADSWORTH
CARROLLWOOD CATS
13305 Orange Grove Drive
Tampa, FL 33618
(813) 963-6612

DR. ELIZABETH WYNN
EHRLICH ANIMAL HOSPITAL
8009 Gunn Highway
Tampa, FL 33626
(813) 920-0566

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