Get to Know Our Team of Exotic Pet Professionals in Philadelphia, PA
When it comes to devoted and enthusiastic care for exotic pets, you won't find a better team than Dr. Susan Tyson and her fellow animal lovers. We're all about guiding you through the complexities of your pet's healthcare needs while offering a comprehensive list of services to cater to those needs at each life phase. Our mission is straightforward: To help you and your unique pet enjoy as many joyful, healthy years as you can together.
We're eager to meet you and your exotic pet. Why not take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with our team? To set up an appointment, just call (215) 995-4049
Susan J Tyson, VMD, MS
Dr. Tyson’s love for veterinary medicine began at a young age while she was growing up with caimans, parrots, dogs, cats, and turtles. She is a Philadelphia local with strong ties to Pennsauken, NJ. Dr. Tyson graduated from Rutgers, then received her master's at Drexel University's School of Medicine. Following graduation from The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary school in 2011, Dr. Tyson continued at Penn Vet as a focused exotics intern.
Currently, Dr. Tyson is a board member for Freedom Center for Wildlife and is the veterinarian for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. She has experience with a wide range of species, and her main interests are avian, reptile, and wildlife medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, and dentistry. She has continued her work with exotics, focusing on managing advanced surgical and medical cases and supporting elderly and aging pets. She has a strong interest in managing arthritic rabbits, birds, and reptiles with multimodal pain management.
At home, Dr. Tyson and her kids have a menagerie of pets including elderly cats, two adorable cockatiels, a green-cheeked amazon called Goblin, an ornate and three-toed Mississippi Box turtle, a ball python, salamanders, tarantulas, isopods, and bearded dragons. In her free time Dr. Tyson enjoys outdoor activities, the Shore, sports, and the arts.
Brad Bates, VMD, MS
Dr. Bates' earliest memory of his love for animals dates to watching Animal Planet as a young boy. He was always fascinated by the diverse beauty and behaviors of wildlife. Learning about them inevitably led to his understanding of their vulnerability to sickness or injury. Even before he learned the term "veterinarian," he expressed to his family his desire to become an animal doctor, to care for injured and sick animals.
As a child, Dr. Bates had gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas, snakes, frogs, budgerigars, cockatiels, and dogs. He learned about their behaviors and husbandry, and his passion for caring for animals persisted into high school, where he began caring for farm animals, including horses, goats, chickens, and ducks.
Dr. Bates pursued his passion at Cornell University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science from the School of Agriculture. He furthered his education with a Master’s in Animal Sciences at Drexel University's School of Medicine, focusing his training on the care and welfare of rodents and rabbits. He received his veterinary degree from The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School in 2010.
Currently residing in Philadelphia with his two dogs and two leopard geckos, Dr. Bates' primary interests lie in reptile and small mammal medicine. He has a passion for providing compassionate care to elderly and aging pets as they approach their hospice years. Multimodal pain management is a key focus of his work with any species.
In his leisure time, Dr. Bates enjoys hiking with his dogs and playing billiards with several teams in Philadelphia. One of his favorite pastimes is visiting the local coffee shop and reading about new veterinary findings.
