A Greeley, Colorado man had to have three of his toes amputated after being treated by veterinarian Francis Freemyer instead of by a medical doctor, police said on Thursday.

It all started when the animal doctor prescribed topical skin cancer ointment for the man's neighbor's dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Scooter.

After he complained of a foot infection, the neighbor gave the man some left over salve.

The man next visited Freemyer's small animal practice for a follow-up.

"He came and talked to me, I said, 'hell, I don't treat people, but you've already put it on there,'" Freemyer told Denver television station KUSA.

The 78-year-old vet said he only helped the man dress his wound.

Nonetheless, Freemyer accepted payment from the man despite having no license to practice medicine on humans.

"There was an exchange of money in his office for his services," said Greely Police Sergeant Susan West.

Sadly for the poor man, though, the ointment didn't turn out to be the magic bullet he no doubt hoped it'd be.

"Ultimately, the patient required surgery to remove three toes due to a lack of proper medical care," Greeley police said in a statement.

The unidentified patient told medical staff at the North Colorado Medical Center his infection had been treated by a veterinarian. Staff informed local police, which prompted the investigation.

According to Denver's 7NEWS, the patient told investigators Freemyer was "very energetic about his confidence in his ability to fix the foot."

Police ticketed Freemyer, who has practiced veterinary medicine since 1959, for "unauthorized practices", a misdemeanor.

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