Dr. Liz Ezelle, veterinarian and co-owner of Plains Veterinary Hospital on Old Scenic Highway, is a trusted professional in Zachary for all your household pets. Now, what qualifies as a “household pet” is up for discussion. 

“Dogs, cats, rabbits, cows, wallaby, bearded dragon, turtle,” she rattles off. “We do preventative care, general surgery/dental, compre—-”

I interrupt. Back up a second. Wallaby? Isn’t that a…kangaroo?

“Well, they’re both pouched marsupials, but they are different species,” she explains. “But practicing medicine on them is very similar.” Yes, of course, I pretend to know.

“I’m somewhat of the wallaby/kangaroo specialist in the area. They tell me if they can’t come to me, the next closest place is Texas,” she continues, casually.

Sorry–who is they? And how many of them are there?? And is that even legal???

Dr. Liz has four (!) separate clients with a wallaby, a small to medium-sized marsupial, distinguishable from kangaroos mainly by their size (kangaroos can grow to an alarming 8 feet tall!), but also have different teeth and a few other things. 

She says she’s gained experience with a local breeder named Valerie Toney, who specializes in these fascinating marsupials. “When Valerie first contacted me, I wasn’t very confident in treating wallabies or kangaroos,” she recalls. “I explained that I didn’t have a lot of experience with them, but she bought me a textbook on their care and said, ‘Read this, and you’ll be the expert.’ I read the book, consulted with the author a few times, and here we are!”

Toney says that marsupials are some of the most misunderstood animals because of social media. “I know everyone thinks they’re boxers and they’re mean and aggressive, but they’re truly calm, loving and affectionate,” Toney says. Every kangaroo and wallaby has a different personality, and Toney says it’s been one of the greatest adventures of her life to work with these animals.

Dr. Liz now provides a range of care for kangaroos and wallabies, from routine procedures like neutering to addressing serious health concerns. Some of the most common issues she sees are colic in young marsupials and mouth injuries, including abscesses caused by rough forage like hay. One particularly challenging condition is “lumpy jaw,” a bacterial infection of the lower jaw that can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Another deadly threat is toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that wallabies and kangaroos can contract from contaminated environments, particularly cat feces. “Adult humans usually don’t show symptoms of toxoplasmosis, but it can cause severe birth defects in developing fetuses,” Dr. Liz explains. “In marsupials, it can be fatal, sometimes without any warning signs. When symptoms do show, it often looks like pneumonia, and it’s incredibly hard to treat.”

For these animals, even routine visits can require special handling. “It's really cute when they come in, because they are always in a hanging pouch and are so well behaved while in the pouch,” she says. “They are at risk for capture myopathy if they get too stressed or over exercised when capturing or handling them, so we often pre medicate them with some valium squirted in the nose, and then it's easy from there,” she says.    

 Left: young kangaroo at Plains Vet

Neutering is another critical service Dr. Liz provides. Beyond preventing unwanted breeding, it helps curb aggressive behavior and lowers the risk of diseases like testicular cancer.

“I think the most interesting experience I've had is seeing the developing fetuses inside the pouch,” Dr. Liz says. “It's amazing to see something so tiny and fragile growing outside of the mama's body! I've also had the opportunity to sedate and take radiographs of a 200 lb male red kangaroo for a leg injury. Getting to feel the incredible musculature of the tail and hind legs of a kangaroo was a top 10 experience in my career for sure,” she says. 

Despite their growing popularity, Dr. Liz doesn’t recommend wallabies or kangaroos as pets for just anyone. “They require a lot of space, resources, and a proper enclosure to keep them safe and healthy. It’s not something to take lightly.”