Dr. Kimball has always been an animal lover, and grew up in a family that was heavily involved in human medicine. It was suggested to him early on that veterinary medicine might be an avenue for him to pursue, and, inspired by the veterinarian to whom his family brought their pets, he started down the path to becoming a veterinarian himself.

Dr. Kimball received his BS degree from the University of Massachusetts and his DVM from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He also became a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). His professional interests include dentistry, flexible endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract, soft tissue surgery, geriatric medicine, and end-of-life care. Dr. Kimball attained proficiency in flexible endoscopy since it was introduced here at Old Derby, and he also got to oversee enhancements in the hospital’s dentistry services.

Dr. Kimball is guided by the belief that it is essential to approach pets and their families with caring and patience. “It is amazing how deeply some dogs and cats trust us, even when what we need to do to help them is uncomfortable or scary. I also want people who bring their pets to me to feel listened to and respected, because dogs and cats need a voice.”

Dr. Kimball also has important words of advice for first-time pet owners: “Don’t wait too long to enroll a new puppy in a puppy kindergarten or socialization class. Dogs who don’t develop good social skills early on can struggle later in life and can end up missing out on a lot of fun experiences. Set your pets up for success. Give them large doses of experiences they love, and small, manageable doses of things they might be afraid of. Kittens need variety as well, but in food flavors and textures. Vaccinations are very important, but the most constant threats to a pet’s health where we live are parasitic and bacterial infections transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes.”

There have been many rewarding moments in Dr. Kimball’s career so far. Fixing chronic dental problems, resolving painful infections and seeing pets become more affectionate and playful, and removing a foreign object from a pet with an endoscope are just a few gratifying experiences that stand out for him.