Nat Geo WILD’s new show, Critter Fixers: Country Vets premieres Saturday ad we have an exclusive sneak preview of the new fun show that features two doctors who right the ailments of every kind of living creature that comes through their doors down in Georgia.
Dr. Hodges is a fish guy, the “black Jacques Cousteau,” in his words. Watch as he helps a sick little Nemo fish get his scale game back on.
Patient fish mom Twyler Johnson is concerned, as these fish are her babies, and she says: “I have had a fish before and they died all the time but these goldfish had about a year they’re so calm and peaceful they actually bring me calmness…but they have spots and their scales are falling off.”
“A fish can die really easy,” Dr. Hodges says.
The diagnosis? A protozoa parasite that is making Nemo itch all over, giving Nemo white spot disease that is nasty. It makes cysts under the fish’s skin. “The white flecks and the loss of the scale? The fish can die really easily and they often do,” says Dr. Hodges.
The cure? Aquarium salt. “Your fish should live happily ever after!” He tells his patient Twyler Johnson.
What is Critter Fixers all about?
Meet Dr. Terrence Ferguson and Dr. Vernard L. Hodges, aka the Critter Fixers: Country Vets for Nat Geo WILD. Critter Fixers: Country Vets is a new series coming from the Deep South where two inspirational vets let us into their lives show us their skills and bare their hearts.
These two vets are united by their dedication to animals, to their communities and to each other. This is storytelling with heart. Dr. Hodges and Dr. Ferguson, who are two lifelong friends who own and operate not just one but two Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospitals.
At the winter tour of the Television Critics’ Association, Monsters & Critics asked the doctors about how they knew each other.
Dr. Hodges sais, ” We met in college. And Terrence was really smart, so I had to piggyback off him. So, I was like, ‘hey I’m gonna hang out with a smart guy.’ We ended up going to veterinary school and then we opened Critter Fixer 1 and then we opened Critter Fixer 2… and we’ve been together for 30 years. So there is nothing like going to work with your best friend.”
Another TV critic asked them what was the wildest, most eccentric house call they ever had to make during the Nat Geo WILD panel.
Dr. Hodges said, “I don’t know if it was eccentric, but I went to somebody’s house and they said they had a small potbelly pig, and this thing was 150 pounds, so we were wrestling WWE [style]. I mean, as a veterinarian, you just take whatever comes. Every animal. I mean if it’s an animal, we try to figure it out, especially down there. We don’t have access to a specialist. I mean, people don’t want to drive two and a half hours away. If it’s sick, Dr. Ferguson and I, we gotta figure it out!”
What our exclusive preview of Critter Fixers here:
Twyler took her sick Nemo to the right doctor as Dr. Hodges helps lift her spirits as he fixes up her “icky” Nemo.
Critter Fixers: Country Vets premieres (and airs) this Saturday, March 7th at 10/9c on Nat Geo WILD.