Treating exotic animals big and small,

It's an animal hospital that has the sounds and looks of a rain forest, showcasing a stuffed leopard, pictures of toucans, panthers, snakes and even a real yellow-headed Amazon parrot resting on a perch behind the check in counter.

Not exotic enough? How about sitting in the waiting room and learning the patient in the carrier next to your pet dog or cat is a... black rat snake?

Doctors Timothy Harris and Amanda Grant say about 75 percent of their patients at the Animal Care and Medical Center in Libertyville are considered 'exotic' and normally wouldn't be see walking with their owners in your neighborhood.

Both veterinarians specialize in treating animals as small as hummingbirds to those as long as 12-foot boa constrictors. They even treat animals as large as circus elephants.

"We've seen professional entertainers with lions, tigers, primates and bears," said Harris, who even goes to Florida once or twice a year to help private pet owners. "We are very fortunate because neighboring animal hospitals refer the animals they don't see to us." The Libertyville animal hospital can get up to 40 patients per day.

Lately, "coy" has been the buzz word floating around the animal hospital.

This summer, Grant has received phone calls from people who are having problems with their coy fish in their outdoor ornamental ponds.

"Usually, I'll make an on-site visit to inspect the fish and take a water samples," Grant said. "I will put a couple of them into smaller bowls full of anesthetic water to inspect them closer." Grant says problems she often finds with coy are ulcers, legions, abrasions and gill parasites. She has even conducted a few coy fish surgeries.

"Surgery involves a table with a tank full of anesthetic water, topped with foam pad cut into a 'V' shape," Grant said. "You set the fish into the 'V', run a tube full of anesthetic water from the tank over the fish's gills so it can breath." Grant also uses an air stone or bubbler in the tank of anesthetic water to maintain proper oxygen levels in the water,

"To wake up the coy you put them in a bowl of clean water." she said. Grant recommends coy owners keep up with pond maintenance, feed the fish a high-quality food, finely chopped citrus fruit for an immune system booster, and most of all to observe them.

"Walking in here you will see a little bit of everything," Harris said. "Patients tell us they don't mind the wait because they are anxious to see what walks through our doors next."