Dr. Nickel grew up on Virginia's rural Eastern shore, where he observed his father practice small animal veterinary medicine firsthand. In 1998 he graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.S. in Biology. Dr. Nickel went on to graduate from St. George's University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004, and began veterinary work in Upstate New York later that same year. His interests lay in small animal medicine and he particularly enjoys internal medicine and orthopedic surgery. As his experience in vet medicine grew his vision for his own practice took shape. Dr. Nickel is an active outdoorsman who appreciates the variety of activities our four seasons offer, from paddle boarding and kayaking, to ice climbing as well as hiking the Adirondack Mountains year round. Though he has a special fondness for labradors, he has acquired a variety of dogs and cats who happily share his home.
Kim grew up on a small farm where her love for animals was easily nurtured. The benefit of growing up around horses led her to her first animal care jobs in the equestrian world. She worked at breeder farms, and also taught beginner riders and eventually went on to work for Olympian rider Beezie Madden. She entered small animal care at a single doctor practice in Oneida, where she stayed until this hospital closed. Kim then followed her interest in animals to the sanctuary Spring Farm Cares (SFC). There she was a care giver and moved into the manager position of their small animal care center. At SFC she befriended Dr. Leigh Lain, whom she volunteered with at feral cat clinics as her surgical assistant for 14yrs. Deciding to return to veterinary medicine, Kim worked at a veterinary hospital under the guidance of wonderful veterinarians from overseas, who exposed her to good medicine and excellent ethics. After a couple of years, she went on to work at another local veterinary hospital for nearly a decade. Her skill at venipuncture and iv catheter placement, as well as her acumen for laboratory work, shifted her to the pre and post op treatment area of the hospital. She has worked alongside Dr. Nickel his entire career as a veterinarian. They enjoy outdoor activities in each season and share their home with 12 meddlesome cats and 3 gracefully aging dogs.