Ever since she was in junior high, Dr. Danielle Walker knew that she wanted to be a veterinarian. Part of that interest spawned from her dog becoming ill; being unable to attend to her pet herself made Walker realize she wanted to help other beloved pets in the future. Another factor was her environment and natural inclination for medical studies: Walker’s father is a retired professor who researched brain trauma, and her mother is a retired pediatrician.
“I really set off of them and developed a lot of passion for medicine and science from them,” Walker said.
Flash forward to the year 2005; Walker graduated from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and immediately secured a position at McAfee Animal Hospital, where she’s remained for the last 13 years. Originally from Farmington Hills, Michigan, Walker said that the hospital called and tied her to the area.
“[When I interviewed] I immediately liked the atmosphere and environment at McAfee,” she said. “I’m glad I had a good intuition!”
Walker fulfils her adolescent goals in attending to dogs and cats practically every day. However, she helps other types of beloved pets, too, among them exotic pets like birds and reptiles. This is where her penchant for research and problem-solving comes in handy.
“Exotics are a particular challenge because there are so many species, and you really have to know each species. They all have completely different needs, even things that look really similar,” Walker explained. “Every case that I get for a sick patient requires a lot of research because there are many things with husbandry that can be wrong and then so many different medical problems for each species.”
Though the work is tasking, Walker enjoys a good challenge.
“I really enjoy solving cases and being able to be that source of help to pets and their owners,” Walker said. “I enjoy cases that are tougher, even though they can be frustrating.”
When it comes to especially frustrating cases, Walker has her team at McAfee to rely on.
“Everyone is really comfortable in their roles here. We all feed off each other and work well together, the staff and the doctors,” Walker said. “[The doctors] all consult each other on different cases, which is great, because it’s always good to have more than one opinion and a different set of eyes. We all take our strengths and bring them to each other.”
Walker doesn’t have much free time outside of her veterinary work, but she is also on the Porter County Wildlife Advisory Board. She loves to have a hand in educating the community as well as protecting wild animals. Walker even treats wildlife at McAfee, performing procedures and stabilizing as needed before sending the critter off to a rehabilitation center.
Outside of tending to animals, Walker enjoys playing piano and dedicating her time to her 8-year-old daughter, Eve, and her boyfriend and his two daughters.
“I wish I had more time for piano, it’s my biggest passion. I’ve played since I was seven. I have this amazing, beautiful, parlor grand piano, it’s glossy black and it’s sitting there, always watching me!” Walker joked. “Whenever I can escape to the piano, I can, though it’s not as much as I wish!”
Another thing Walker would love to devote more time to…
“Escape rooms,” Walker said. “They’re puzzles! I love it. That’s just my thing. Plus, it’s something we love to do as a family. We have so much fun, we all contribute different things, so we have all the different perspectives.”
Next time your pet has a case you can’t crack, enlist the help of Dr. Danielle Walker! Schedule your appointment with McAfee Animal Hospital today.
Photo by Sally Blood