Dr. Karen Hilling is originally from England and moved with her family to the U.S. when she was young. She has lived in 4 different states and the Caribbean before settling in Colorado. After graduating from Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, she completed a one-year rotating internship at Florida Veterinary Specialists & Cancer Treatment Center in Tampa, Florida. Afterwards, she moved to Massachusetts, for a three-year residency, specializing in small animal internal medicine at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, earning board certification in 2009.
For the past 10 years, Dr. Hilling has lived in Colorado and created successful internal medicine services in south Denver and another in northern Colorado. Karen is passionate about providing excellent medical care and has extensive experience with all endoscopic procedures. Karen has a broad range of disease interests including gastrointestinal, endocrinopathies, pancreatic and liver diseases, all kidney and urinary system diseases, pulmonary diseases, blood disorders (hematology) and immune-mediated diseases. Her own dog, Miss Bailey, was a long-time survivor with immune mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) and anemia (IMHA). She also has special interest in minimally-invasive advanced procedures such as tracheal / urethral stenting and chronic management of patients with Subcutaneous Ureteral Bypass devices. With this experience also comes an understanding of the balance between medical options and achieving the best quality of life for her patients. Guinness, Miss Bailey’s canine partner in crime, developed lymphoma, a common form of cancer. Guinness maintained an excellent spirit and energy level throughout his treatment plan, hiking the Colorado trails every day of each weekend. Therefore, understanding the difficult choices pet owners make for their beloved companions is very near and dear to her heart. “I will always take time to discuss all options so that pet parents have all the information to make comfortable decisions for their loved ones.”
Dr. Hilling is also passionate about cultivating a supportive workplace with a cohesive team environment. It is very important that all medical team members feel appreciated and respected, thus creating a compassionate atmosphere. Supporting technicians to develop their skills and be an integral part of the team is essential. Extending this camaraderie to the family veterinarian is an extremely important part of the cohesive team for clients and their pets. Karen believes these core values are important in creating a comprehensive medical team, all focused on patient well-being. When people love what they do, it is no longer be considered work!
During her downtime, Karen explores beautiful Colorado with her husband and their two dogs, Hazel and Daisy. Karen also has two horses, an American quarter horse, buckskin called Dutton and a rescued Rocky Mountain mare called Phoenix. Her personal interests include hiking, photography, horseback riding, painting, cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
