With a passion for exotic animal medicine, Dr. Kristen Turner enjoys the challenge of diagnosing and treating a variety of species. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences in 2009 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2013 from Texas A&M University with honors. She recently achieved board certification in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
During her time at Texas A&M, Kristen focused on exotic and small animal medicine, completing externships at the Houston Zoo and San Antonio Zoo along with several weeks working with wild parrots in the Peruvian rainforest. Her veterinary interests include advancing exotic companion mammal and reptile medicine through excellent diagnostics, therapeutics and client education, as well as small and exotic animal dentistry and pain management.
She practiced at several clinics in Texas over the last 10 years, treating dogs, cats and a variety of avian and exotic animal species. While at White Rock Veterinary Hospital in Pflugerville, she established and conducted a formal externship program for veterinary students, creating an externship manual and hosting over 20 students from 6 different veterinary schools. Through that program, she developed a love for teaching and mentoring veterinary students and recent graduates.
She now lives in the small Central American country of Belize, providing virtual support to exotic animal veterinarians via case consulting and continuing education courses, as well as locum services to small and exotic animal practices. Kristen is currently working on publishing an original research study on the sugar glider microbiome. She provides mentorship to early career veterinarians through Chirp.vet and MentorVet and provides virtual support to pet owners via Just Answer.
Kristen is the founding chair of the Exotic Animal Practice Committee and serves on the Recent Graduate/Student Liaison and Continuing Education Committees for the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. She was awarded a President’s Award from the TVMA in 2023 for her contributions to exotic animal medicine in the state of Texas. She also serves on the Marketing Committee of the Association of Exotic Companion Mammal Veterinarians, for whom she has created multiple disease information sheets, and is a member of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians and the Association of Avian Veterinarians. Kristen married her high school sweetheart, Travis, and their family is made up of a red heeler and 2 miniature dachshunds. Dr. Turner enjoys spending her free time hiking, dabbling in photography, wine-tasting and traveling the world with Travis.