Short Biography of Dr. Daniel Degner

Dr. Daniel Degner was originally a resident of Alberta, Canada where he resided on a dairy farm with his family. After he graduated from veterinary school he practiced veterinary medicine for two years in a general small animal practice in Edmonton, Alberta. This has allowed him to realize the challenges that are associated with being a general practitioner and therefore he has a good sense of what general veterinary medicine is about. Following completion of a small animal internship in medicine and surgery at Colorado State University and a small animal surgical residency at Michigan State University, he was board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and therefore is well qualified in the art and science of soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. He has been on staff with Michigan Veterinary Specialists since July of 1996. His area of special interest is microvascular surgery which allows him to perform specialized cancer surgeries such as vascularized limb sparing for distal radial bone tumors. His abilities in microsurgery also enable him to perform specialized plastic and reconstructive surgeries for wound reconstruction following trauma or ablative cancer surgery and feline renal transplantation.

He has also been licensed to perform tibial plateau leveling osteotomy for cranial cruciate ligament rupture and commonly performs this procedure in all sizes of dogs. He also performs a wide array of orthopedic surgeries including total hip replacement.

With the advent of minimally invasive surgery in dogs, Dr. Degner has been trained to perform advanced procedures such as arthroscopy, laparoscopy, and thorocoscopy.

During his residency he enrolled in additional soft tissue surgery rotations under the direction of Dr. Richard Walshaw which has given him additional training in oncologic, abdominal, and chest surgery.

Dr. Degner continues to be very active in training of interns and veterinary students that enroll in surgical rotations with him at Michigan Veterinary Specialists. He is also active in surgery resident training, and in clinical and bench research. He lectures on an annual basis at national surgical meetings and chairs wet labs to teach microsurgical techniques to veterinary surgeons.

On a personal note Dr. Degner has been married since 1995.  He and his wife, Dr. Lisa Degner have adopted a baby boy born August 13, 2004. His family also includes Benji a rescued Yorkie-poo, Duncan a Toy Poodle, Mia a Devon Rex, Gabby a Torti, Sadie a Calico, and many African Cichlids and guppy fish.  Hobbies include playing piano and saxophone, and fishing.

Please see Curriculum vitae for more information on Dr. Degner.

Board-certification by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons

What does it mean?

• Four years of advanced training in surgery beyond the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree

• Experience in the development of new surgical treatments

• Rigorous examination by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons to ensure competency in advanced surgical techniques

• Certifies that a veterinarian is a surgical specialist