Interviews: Dr. Oakley - Yukon Vet + Difference between Lynx and House Cat

Dr. Michelle Oakley is a one of a kind and you can call her a super woman who runs her own weekly clinical sessions 148 miles away in Haines, Alaska, and 96 miles away in Whitehorse, Yukon and is a mother of 3 girls with 2 going off to college. I got the pleasure to talk with Dr. Oakley over the phone to find out how this mother of 3 girls juggles everything and what her passions are.

Dr. Oakley is a Yukon vet that you’re not likely to spot at the watering holes with Hollywood’s cougars. You won’t see her sashaying down the red carpet or signing photos.

Although she is the star of a TV show, Oakley prefers her wildlife on the Yukon she has always loved animals and always wanted to be a vet, but never thought she would be on the National Geo Channel. She hangs out of a helicopter while trying to hit a bison with a dart (of course to treat the bison!), performing a cesarean section on a horse, removing porcupine quills from a Labrador retriever — all of the above might be part of a day’s work for Dr. Oakley.

An interesting video she produced in the past has looked at the differences between a Lynx and our beloved house cats that might proof interesting to you all as well! You can find this here.

And she doesn’t just treat the large felines! She has had difficult cases of house cats as well…

This is unfortunately a prime example of why it is important to help longer hair and especially larger cats with the daily grooming!

One thing Dr. Oakley can say she wouldn’t want to do anything else. She has the love for any animal with 4 legs and has learnt about everyone of them. She is the only all-species veterinarian for hundreds of square miles in the Yukon territory of Northern Canada. I know one thing from speaking with her that she is well rounded and has a sense of humor.

In Haines, Dr. Oakley shares her satellite clinic with the American Bald Eagle Foundation which houses injured birds unable to survive in the wild. In Whitehorse, Dr. Oakley works as an on-call vet for the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, which houses a massive enclosure full of animals native to the Yukon and a large wildlife rehabilitation facility. Yukon Wildlife Preserve also house the Bison that Dr. Oakley is very passionate about.

Michelle has run specialized research programs for First Nation organizations and the Canadian government. She is the first veterinarian to be a regional biologist in Canada’s Yukon Territory.

Fiercely committed to her clients and animals of all species, she also makes house calls, sometimes driving hundreds of miles through the rugged Yukon terrain to check on a patients in need.

On the National Geo Channel you can see Dr. Oakley on her 4th season that just started Oct.1 every Saturday at 8pm central time. If you missed the show Dr. Oakley the Yukon Vet you can catch up online on the National Geo Wild. If you love animals this this show is for you besides Dr. Oakley is a amazing Vet, mother and wife and like I said,” super woman who is full of heart and talent.”

And don’t forget to check out some of the amazing feline themed posts involving her work such as this one about the rare Lynx on the National Geo channel.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Oakley or see her show follow the links below.

Website – http://natgeotv.com/yukonvet

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/droakleyyukonvet/about/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/natgeowild