About Us
About Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital
Chicago Exotics has been in business since
2000. We've been quickly establishing ourselves as the region's
premier exotic animal hospital. Our mission is to be the best
care facility in the Chicago land area for avian and exotic
animals.
We do offer 24 hour critical care services in
association with our emergency partners, Animal 911, located in
the same building.
Take a tour of the
facility.
Meet our Staff
Susan Horton, DVM, pictured with Misty the Black
Palm Cockatoo
Dr. Susan Horton is a University of Illinois
graduate. Her interest in birds and exotic animals followed her
into veterinary school where she worked for four years with the
Director of Exotic Animal Medicine at the veterinary college, Dr.
Kenneth Welle ABVP avian. With Dr. Welle, Dr. Horton gained valuable
experience and knowledge in the care of reptiles, birds, sugar
gliders, hedgehogs and other small mammals, as well as ostriches,
emus, and fish. Also while at the University of Illinois, Dr.
Horton took an elective course in reptile and aquatic medicine
through Texas A&M University (Aquamed) and the aquatic
rotation and University of Florida CVM, Gainesville. She
attends several of the yearly veterinary conferences on avian,
reptilian, and exotic animal medicine. Through these venues
she has continued her education in medicine, surgery, cytology,
radiology, and all other aspects of avian, reptilian, and exotic
animal medicine.
Dr. Horton has not confined her knowledge and expertise to the
walls of a veterinary hospital. Both Brookfield Zoo and the Shedd
Aquarium have used her services. She has also worked with
the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources in censusing the zoonotic
diseases (contractible by people) of the local and statewide
population of raccoons. She has lectured to the Northern Illinois
Parrot Society, the University of Illinois, and has been published
in the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, Journal of
Herpetologic Medicine and Surgery, and "Invertebrate
Biology". She is a member of the Association of
Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians where she is co-chair for the
"What's your diagnosis?" section of the journal and
co-chair for the PR Committee, and she is also a member of the Association of
Avian Veterinarians, the Association of Exotic Mammal
Veterinarians, AAZV, and AVMA.
The Red Door Animal Shelter, (http://www.reddoorshelter.org) uses her
rabbit expertise with their many wonderful bunnies. She is
also a member of the Turtle Survival Alliance. Through this
organization, she helps endangered Asian turtles by volunteering
time, medicine, and her home to foster turtles. Recently,
Dr. Horton and Alyssa took an endoscopy
class at University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Pictured
below with Dr. Horton is Boris the iguana.
Dr. Horton has her own assortment of exotic (and
not so exotic) pets including: an iguana, geckos, cockatiels,
frogs, fish, cats, and two dogs. In her "spare" time, Dr.
Horton likes gardening, scuba diving, bird watching, camping, and
beading (and working on this website).
Recently Dr. Horton appeared in a Chicago Magazine article
profiling Chicago's top veterinarians.
Pictured below is Dr.
Grabowski.
She is a full time veterinarian with
Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital. Dr. Mary Grabowski
graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary
Medicine in May 2008. Her prior education includes a
Master’s in Anatomy from
Colorado
State
University
and Bachelor degree in Biology from the
University
of
Illinois
.
Prior to graduation, Dr. Grabowski’s animal experiences
include being very active in the Wildlife Medical Clinic as a team
leader, resident bird keeper, and public speaker. The Wildlife
Medical Clinic is a student organization that treats injured
wildlife. She was the Avian Club President for two years and
worked very closely with a local avian rescue. Mary externed
for Dr. Horton during her second summer in veterinary school and
found her love for exotic animal medicine. She did two
externships in wildlife and exotic medicine during her fourth year
of veterinary school including a month externship at the
Minnesota
Raptor
Center
in
Minneapolis
,
MN
and a month externship at the University of Tennessee College of
Veterinary Medicine Exotics Department. Dr. Grabowski has
learned invaluable information about exotic husbandry, surgery, and
medicine through her past experiences. Her main interest is
avian medicine and hopes to continue her education to become Avian
Board Certified.
Dr. Grabowski’s main interests outside of medicine include
being active outdoors, spending time with family and friends,
reading, and traveling. At home she has 5 animals including a
Sun Conure, a Peach-fronted Conure, a blue-merle Shetland Sheepdog,
and two cats.
Dr. Deanne Strat-Zenoni is one of
our part-time veterinarians. She loves exotic medicine, but
also practices emergency, acupuncture and chiropractic medicine. She
is pictured below holding a Lemur from the Torango Zoo.
Pictured below is Dr. Katy Parr
who has joined our staff this year.
Dr. Parr graduated from Louisiana State
University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. While
there, she focused in exotic animal medicine, and was
involved in several of the school clubs. Dr. Parr was
President of the Wildlife, Avian, Zoo and Exotic Medicine club,
and Cochair of the Raptor and Wildlife Rehabilitation Unit for 2
years. Dr. Parr also completed several externships
during vet school, including the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Wildlife
Center of Virginia, and Niles Animal Hospital.
During these externships, Dr. Parr realized that her true passion
for practice was with clients and their exotic animal
companions. She enjoys supporting the bond that people
have with their pets.
When not at work Dr. Parr enjoys home brewing,
bike-riding, reading and yoga. She lives with an African
Grey Parrot named Monty and a cat named Juliet.
Kelly, pictured below, comes with lots of
avian experience. She also loves rabbits and guinea pigs.
Pictured Below is our full time technician
Erica. She is interested in exotics and wildlife!
Holly joined
our technical staff in 2007. She has lots of large exotic animal
experience, just ask her about polar bears. Above, she is pictured
here with Abbie, Dr. Jethani's Senegal parrot. Below, she is
pictured with some of her favorite zoo animals.
Pictured below is
Marcia. She works as a receptionist and an assistant.
You can see she likes chickens, but her favorite animals are
rabbits!! She is also involved with Red
Door Animal Shelter. She is a journalist when not
helping us.
Pictured above is Liz
with one of her favorite rabbits! Bunnies are her favorite
thing!! She is also a restaurateur, among other things.
Pictured above is
Rachel with a Lion head rabbit. She is very interested in
animal behavior!
Pictured below is Cindy
who has 15 years + experience as a veterinary technician! Also pictured below are some of her
horses!
Here is our full time receptionist
Lamor. She is pictured below with
some of her favorite reptiles.
I finally caught Tina
on film! She's pictured below with Lemiwinks, our mouse
mascot. Tina is one of
our daytime receptionists.
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