Mountain West Veterinary Specialists - Exotics Department

We’d been bringing our male senior ferret, Hogger here on a frequent schedule since September. That first visit was an emergency visit and at the time it was the first one we had ever had with him. It was a prolapse that turned out to not have been that bad of a case! But it was so scary because he was so little. Since it was an emergency visit we’d gone across the street for the emergency services and gotten Dr. Bowersox, who was patient, caring, and while she didn’t have a ton of experience with exotics made every effort to make sure he got the care he needed! As it turned out she was getting assistance from Dr. Lofgren. From there we pretty much returned with all of our senior ferret needs to Dr. Lofgren. She’s incredibly caring, so knowledgeable and experienced with ferrets and we never felt he wasn’t in good hands. She always gave us any and all information and answered any question we had. I appreciate that she not only spoke from a place of experience but also someone who continuously did the research. And not just her but all the staff in the exotics building had so much compassion and love for the animals that would show up. Our sweet Hogger passed away a couple of days ago and it was kind of sudden but I’m glad that it happened in the presence of Dr. Lofgren and staff. I know he was loved, I know he was cared for and comforted in those last moments, and I know they were humane. Thank you to everyone at Mountain West Veterinary Exotics. (Hogger pics included 💕)

posted: 02/07/2026

Update: This team is awesome. They got my little buddy back up and running. Its been so scary. 1st time pet owner of a green cheek conure, and i wouldnt want another pet other than her. I am forever grateful to this team helping my friend and giving her a chance to fight!

posted: 02/17/2026

Mountain West Exotics is LITERALLY the best. Lofgren and Santangelo know their stuff. I simply will not take my exotics anywhere else. They have treated my piggies who both had/have require knowledgeable and specialized care. I can't say enough about them! Also, Aliana, vet tech, light in the dark, gorgeous human being, my favorite. I can't say enough about this office. Absolutely bring your babies here. You will get the best care for you babies here

posted: 01/09/2026

This review is really 5 stars. If you are looking at this, this is done because if you are like me, you are very suspicious of all either 1 star or 5 star reviews. However, I had an incredible experience and I wish to share. My bird was very sick on Friday and it continued into Saturday. I could feel she had an egg in her but feared it was stuck. I had previously a very traumatic experience with another exotic avian vet in the Salt Lake area and was reluctant to go to another vet that my kill my little baby bird. Nevertheless, my wife urged me to take our bird up to this office in Layton. Despite it being a Saturday, this clinic felt well staffed, attended, clean and neat. After getting checked in, they took my bird for X-Ray and evaluation. After a bit, a veterinarian came and spoke to me. She showed me the X-Ray and how my bird's egg was indeed in the wrong position to come out. She also very expertly was able to show and explain simply how she could tell that my bird was calcium deficient in her bones and also muscles, hence her weakness and lethargy. I asked if my bird would require surgery to extract the egg. The vet explained that it is far better to try and let the bird lay the egg herself. The vet, Doctor Nicolle Logfren, told me that they recommended that I leave my bird with them for two days, while they give her calcium supplements, medicine, bird birth control, and keep close observation of her. She told me that it was about a 90% chance that they could get her to lay the egg on her own in two days but if not they could progress to surgery. They have two options for surgery. One was $400 but very fraught with complications: they drain the yolk from the egg and then take out the egg shard fragments. If they miss a single shard, then they have to do the more expensive surgery that costs $3000. Both surgeries mean that a bird can never lay anymore eggs and should their bodies try, it can create complications. I felt very put at ease by the veterinarian's bedside manner and how she explained everything out. I asked her the statistics on the $3000 dollar surgery. She answered that she could not give me official statistics but told me that she only lost one bird to the surgery but that bird was 40 years old and it was the bird's first egg, so she suspects some underlying condition. But then she affirmed that the natural birth is the first option. I felt that that also seemed logical. Two days of medical observation, supplements, medicine, blood tests, X-Rays, and other assistance would come out to about $1400. I agreed to it, got to see my bird to give a little love and tell her to be strong and gave her to them. The vets, Doctors Nicole Logfren and Stephen Santangelo, would call every morning and night to give updates. After just the first night, my bird laid her egg! She stayed to continue under observation and to keep being given more medicine and calcium supplementation. The second day, they called me and informed me that my little bird was better and that I could come get her. How she was when I dropped her off and how she was when I got her were night and day. She seemed like her old self again. Further, when I went to check out, they added everything up and refunded about $165. (Doctor Logfren had also shared that they had payment plans if we could not afford the price all up front.) The staff were all so kind, patient, understanding and helpful. I was also so impressed how they cared more about the long term health of the animals rather than simply making money. They also gave me lots of charts and papers on how to better care for my bird, what foods to give her, and medicines to take home with me to give to my little bird. They were comprehensive. This review might seem long to some but I feel like so many reviews are scant on the details of the experience. These people saved my little bird and each step was met with kindness, goodness and diligence. Thank you all!

posted: 01/05/2026

If I could give zero stars, I would. I’m very disappointed in the care my chicken received at this veterinary hospital. When I brought her in, I made it clear that her tendon was out of place and needed to be repositioned and wrapped properly. Instead, the veterinarian insisted on performing an X-ray, which I was charged for but never shown any proof of. The vet suggested that my chicken might have a birth defect, even though I explained she had been walking normally prior and only began limping suddenly. Unfortunately, the way her leg was wrapped caused further damage. My chicken was still able to walk with a limp before the visit, but within a week she could no longer walk at all. I reached out to the hospital to discuss my concerns and request a refund, but they refused to take any accountability. I expected professional care and compassion, but sadly, my experience was the opposite. I hope they take this feedback seriously and improve the level of care provided to future patients

posted: 11/04/2025