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UPublish story by Diana Ball
POSTED: 11:20 p.m. EST, Aug 05, 2008
There are ducks squawking and trying to escape, quickly padding away and under the operating table as the vet’s hands come close. There is a tortoise being rushed in to the clinic because it’s breathing is labored and wheezing, and throughout everything there are school-aged children looking on through a large glass window sporadically knocking and screaming.It’s all a typical day at work for Kimberly Cook, Associate Veterinarian at the Akron Zoo and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the North Coast Bird and Exotic Specialties in Copley.
A day on the job at the Zoo’s clinic requires Kim to help tend to animals ranging across the board, from large cats to the smallest incubating eggs, primates to skunks. At one point during the day a tortoise is sleeping in the clinic’s office, relaxing under a work desk.
Kim says she loves the variety and wouldn’t have it any other way. “I don’t get bored with this. It would get boring giving the same vaccines day in and day out at a family-based clinic.”
Kim does not only work for the Akron Zoo as an Associate Veterinarian, she spends most days working for North Coast Bird and Exotic Specialties as a member of an avian residency program. She has worked at both places three years.
Kim attended eight years of college to acquire the jobs she works today. She received her undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and her veterinary medicine doctorate degree from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Lansing. She also completed an internship in avian/exotic medicine and surgery at North Coast Bird and Exotic Specialties.
Kim, a Michigan native, found her home in Akron through an internship search engine she coins, “The Match.” This program matches interns with a program that is well-suited to their specialties and needs.
Akron was the closest offer to Michigan so Kim was happy to stay near to home. Although, she says, in the southern United States there is more of an environment of exotic animals than there is here in Ohio. “That’s why the zoo is good for me,” says Kim, because it gives her a chance to work with a wide variety of exotic species.
Working at the Akron Zoo for the past three years has given Kim the opportunity to work with many different types of animals. “We’ve done root canals on the Sun Bears, helped deliver Jaguar babies, I’ve even had to wrestle alligators,” says Kim.
Throughout Kim’s childhood she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. Her first word was not “Mama” or “Dada,” but was “Dizzy,” the name of the family dog.
Although she cares for all animals, Kim’s true love is birds. Her mother had a pet parakeet when Kim was very young and when Kim was 10 years old, her mother gave her a pet cockatoo after feeling guilty about getting into a car accident with Kim in the car. Puffy the cockatoo “started it all,” says Kim, “she was my best buddy.”
Even though she is addicted to birds, “She’s a jack of all trades when it comes to veterinary medicine. She has excellent people and animal skills, but especially with the birds,” says Akron Zoo Associate Veterinarian Candice Adkins, a co-worker of Kim’s.
Today Kim keeps four birds as pets, two dogs, and a panther chameleon with her in her Copley home. Milo, an African Grey parrot and Casey, a Yellow Nape Amazon parrot, can talk. Casey loves to sing show tunes like West Side Story’s “I Feel Pretty,” while Milo likes to mimic sounds from people and from the television.
Kim took in Casey while working at a vet practice in Michigan. “Casey was sick with liver problems and her owner couldn’t take care of her anymore because she was getting older and sick herself,” says Kim.
Kim always wanted an African Grey Parrot, so when she found a local breeder in Lansing, nothing stopped her from getting Milo.
Echo, a Sun Conyer, Kim saw an ad for in a Michigan paper. She went to the house to find that Echo was living in a garage and being fed wild bird feed not suitable for Sun Conyers. “It was kind of sad so he had to come home too,” says Kim.
Tippy, a lovebird, Kim took home when she was not picked up by the owner, so yet another bird was welcomed to the family.
George, a Labrador/Mastiff mix Kim found while sitting in traffic at a Barberton intersection. “He was playing in the intersection,” says Kim, “nobody could go anywhere because he was blocking traffic. So I went into the intersection to get him and he rolled over onto his back for a belly rub.”
Juno, a purebred husky, Kim’s boyfriend Rob found outside his workplace in Akron.
Kim put ads in the paper for both dogs to try to locate their owners, but nobody ever responded.
“I have probably turned down 99% of the animals I could’ve had,” says Kim. Although she has had to turn away many animals, her having all that she does speaks to her caring character.
Kim also helps her friends and family care for their pets. Her visits to Michigan are planned around when her parent’s cats need vaccines, and her brother comes to Ohio to visit when his dog needs veterinary care. On top of this, Kim receives calls constantly from friends of hers, and friends of friends, because they need help or advice, and Kim always lends a hand.
Back at the Zoo, Topanga, a de-scented female skunk, is not eating. “Not eating well is not skunk-like,” says Kim, “Skunks are notoriously overweight in captivity.”
Topanga is knocked out with a general anesthetic. She has blood drawn, gets x-rays and her belly shaved for an ultrasound to find out what is causing her lack of appetite. Without any definite answer until the blood work comes back, Topanga is allowed to slowly awaken in Kim’s arms. The animal shakes from being cold as she is awakening from her Zs.
Next up comes a pygmy slow loris, a tropical climate primate that is relatives with the lemur. She also needs an ultrasound, but this time the staff is looking for babies.
After her, a hedgehog named Pins (his buddy Needles has passed away) is put to sleep so the staff can check through the ultrasound to see if a previous surgery to remove cancer from its bladder was successful. During the ultrasound, Kim listens to Pins’ tiny heart through a stethoscope with one hand and maintains the oxygen flow with the other.
Through every task Kim is upbeat and positive, showing her charismatic attitude with her fellow staff members. Her co-worker at both jobs, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Michael Selig, says, “She’s a very energetic and happy person, she’s always very excited to do good work and always has a good attitude.”
Akron is lucky to be called home to such a caring and enthusiastic animal lover like Kim.
There are ducks squawking and trying to escape, quickly padding away and under the operating table as the vet’s hands come close. There is a tortoise being rushed in to the clinic because it’s breathing is labored and wheezing, and throughout everything there are school-aged children looking on through a large glass window sporadically knocking and screaming.
It’s all a typical day at work for Kimberly Cook, Associate Veterinarian at the Akron Zoo and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the North Coast Bird and Exotic Specialties in Copley.
A day on the job at the Zoo’s clinic requires Kim to help tend to animals ranging across the board, from large cats to the smallest incubating eggs, primates to skunks. At one point during the day a tortoise is sleeping in the clinic’s office, relaxing under a work desk.
Kim says she loves the variety and wouldn’t have it any other way. “I don’t get bored with this. It would get boring giving the same vaccines day in and day out at a family-based clinic.”
Kim does not only work for the Akron Zoo as an Associate Veterinarian, she spends most days working for North Coast Bird and Exotic Specialties as a member of an avian residency program. She has worked at both places three years.
Kim attended eight years of college to acquire the jobs she works today. She received her undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and her veterinary medicine doctorate degree from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Lansing. She also completed an internship in avian/exotic medicine and surgery at North Coast Bird and Exotic Specialties.
Kim, a Michigan native, found her home in Akron through an internship search engine she coins, “The Match.” This program matches interns with a program that is well-suited to their specialties and needs.
Akron was the closest offer to Michigan so Kim was happy to stay near to home. Although, she says, in the southern United States there is more of an environment of exotic animals than there is here in Ohio. “That’s why the zoo is good for me,” says Kim, because it gives her a chance to work with a wide variety of exotic species.
Working at the Akron Zoo for the past three years has given Kim the opportunity to work with many different types of animals. “We’ve done root canals on the Sun Bears, helped deliver Jaguar babies, I’ve even had to wrestle alligators,” says Kim.
Throughout Kim’s childhood she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. Her first word was not “Mama” or “Dada,” but was “Dizzy,” the name of the family dog.
Although she cares for all animals, Kim’s true love is birds. Her mother had a pet parakeet when Kim was very young and when Kim was 10 years old, her mother gave her a pet cockatoo after feeling guilty about getting into a car accident with Kim in the car. Puffy the cockatoo “started it all,” says Kim, “she was my best buddy.”
Even though she is addicted to birds, “She’s a jack of all trades when it comes to veterinary medicine. She has excellent people and animal skills, but especially with the birds,” says Akron Zoo Associate Veterinarian Candice Adkins, a co-worker of Kim’s.
Today Kim keeps four birds as pets, two dogs, and a panther chameleon with her in her Copley home. Milo, an African Grey parrot and Casey, a Yellow Nape Amazon parrot, can talk. Casey loves to sing show tunes like West Side Story’s “I Feel Pretty,” while Milo likes to mimic sounds from people and from the television.
Kim took in Casey while working at a vet practice in Michigan. “Casey was sick with liver problems and her owner couldn’t take care of her anymore because she was getting older and sick herself,” says Kim.
Kim always wanted an African Grey Parrot, so when she found a local breeder in Lansing, nothing stopped her from getting Milo.
Echo, a Sun Conyer, Kim saw an ad for in a Michigan paper. She went to the house to find that Echo was living in a garage and being fed wild bird feed not suitable for Sun Conyers. “It was kind of sad so he had to come home too,” says Kim.
Tippy, a lovebird, Kim took home when she was not picked up by the owner, so yet another bird was welcomed to the family.
George, a Labrador/Mastiff mix Kim found while sitting in traffic at a Barberton intersection. “He was playing in the intersection,” says Kim, “nobody could go anywhere because he was blocking traffic. So I went into the intersection to get him and he rolled over onto his back for a belly rub.”
Juno, a purebred husky, Kim’s boyfriend Rob found outside his workplace in Akron.
Kim put ads in the paper for both dogs to try to locate their owners, but nobody ever responded.
“I have probably turned down 99% of the animals I could’ve had,” says Kim. Although she has had to turn away many animals, her having all that she does speaks to her caring character.
Kim also helps her friends and family care for their pets. Her visits to Michigan are planned around when her parent’s cats need vaccines, and her brother comes to Ohio to visit when his dog needs veterinary care. On top of this, Kim receives calls constantly from friends of hers, and friends of friends, because they need help or advice, and Kim always lends a hand.
Back at the Zoo, Topanga, a de-scented female skunk, is not eating. “Not eating well is not skunk-like,” says Kim, “Skunks are notoriously overweight in captivity.”
Topanga is knocked out with a general anesthetic. She has blood drawn, gets x-rays and her belly shaved for an ultrasound to find out what is causing her lack of appetite. Without any definite answer until the blood work comes back, Topanga is allowed to slowly awaken in Kim’s arms. The animal shakes from being cold as she is awakening from her Zs.
Next up comes a pygmy slow loris, a tropical climate primate that is relatives with the lemur. She also needs an ultrasound, but this time the staff is looking for babies.
After her, a hedgehog named Pins (his buddy Needles has passed away) is put to sleep so the staff can check through the ultrasound to see if a previous surgery to remove cancer from its bladder was successful. During the ultrasound, Kim listens to Pins’ tiny heart through a stethoscope with one hand and maintains the oxygen flow with the other.
Through every task Kim is upbeat and positive, showing her charismatic attitude with her fellow staff members. Her co-worker at both jobs, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Michael Selig, says, “She’s a very energetic and happy person, she’s always very excited to do good work and always has a good attitude.”
Akron is lucky to be called home to such a caring and enthusiastic animal lover like Kim.
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