About The Show

Overview

A Walk on the Wild Side is a podcast designed to educate veterinary professionals and other animal lovers on all things zoo, wildlife, aquatic, and zoological companion animal medicine. Tune in as host Dr. Kyle Kansman, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Certified Aquatic Veterinarian, interviews veterinary professionals and other experts in the zoo, zoological companion animal, aquatic and wildlife field. Also enjoy listening to the podcast's special segments "The Couch Conversations" and "Speak Up for a Species", where Kyle is joined by best friend and colleague, Dr. Maddie Chilcote, as they dissect the topics discussed in the interviews, talk about navigating veterinary school and getting your foot in the door in this field, highlight different species, and much more! Show us some love on Instagram (@walkonthewildside_vetpodcast) and like us on Facebook for continual info on episodes, animal health, and special content! 

Mission

As veterinary professionals ourselves, it is our mission to create an engaging platform to educate veterinary professionals and other animal lovers on all things involving wildlife, zoo, aquatic, and zoological companion animals through unique podcast episodes and social media content. 

Vision

It is our goal to become a continual resource for veterinary professionals and fanatics of wildlife, zoo, aquatic, and zoological companion animals. We hope to create a platform promoting the health and welfare of all species and instill a foundation of love and respect for all animals.

Kyle Kansman, DVM, CertAqV (Michigan State Class of '22)

Kyle is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduate from Michigan State University, a Certified Aquatic Veterinarian (CertAqV), and a current veterinary intern at Colorado State University. Kyle is the founder of the podcast, host of the interview episodes, and co-host of the special segments  "The Couch Conversations" & "Speak Up for a Species". He graduated from Alma College where he studied biology (with a pre-vet concentration) and Spanish while also playing collegiate soccer.  His goal is to  become a diplomate in the American College of Zoological Medicine and have a career at a zoo or aquarium with a diverse collection and an emphasis on research, education, and wildlife rehabilitation. Kyle's second passion is teaching, in which he hopes that the podcast's unique platform provides opportunities for veterinary professionals to learn and grow as well provides an opportunity for Kyle to mentor veterinary students to help them find their voice and develop their knowledge. 

Maddie Chilcote, DVM (Michigan State Class of '22)

Maddie is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduate from Michigan State University and a current veterinary intern at VCA South Shore Weymouth Animal Hospital. Maddie is the co-host of the podcast's special segments "The Couch Conversations" & "Speak Up for a Species". She graduated from Kalamazoo College where she studied biology (pre-vet) and German, was involved in research, and played collegiate soccer.  As of now, she believes she wants to pursue wildlife rehabilitation or wildlife medicine, but loves one health, neurology, and emergency medicine, so her path might shift along the way! Maddie hopes to provide insight into veterinary medicine for fellow veterinary students and share her passion with other wildlife, zoo, and exotic fanatic

The Inspiration Behind the Logo & Coyote

The podcast’s logo was designed based off a special case we were a part of while working in California that is near and dear to our hearts.

The coyote signifies a young pup brought to the wildlife center. She had a devastating and debilitating disease where she was completely non-ambulatory and was fighting for her life. Each day, we gave her intensive care including medications, fluids, rehab exercises, nutrition, etc. After just a week she began to start using her legs again and then a week or so later finally was able to walk on her own. A few weeks later, she was able to join the other coyote pups in the center’s care.  Then, months later she was successfully released back into the wild.

Her perseverance and recovery was incredibly inspiring for us. From the very beginning, we were afraid we were going to lose her and that she would never have the chance to have the wild life that was meant for her. This was one of the first cases we were directly involved in and we were able to see first hand the incredible impact we can make by providing medical care and support. She forever will be a huge part of our hearts and her story carries on with us every day as we continue our journey in veterinary medicine and we will continue to carry her story with us in our future careers.

The tracks are to signify how we as humans walk amongst animals in our everyday lives and that in order for us to help them, we must first understand and respect them. We have a responsibility to respect all animals and find ways to cohabitate with them. Unfortunately, a lot of our actions have had negative impacts on many species, but the good news is we can work together to make changes to our way of life and build a better future for all life. 

We can’t wait to have you join us on our journey to make a difference for all animals (with extra love to all our wildlife, zoo, aquatic, and zoological companion animal species💚).  Thank you for your support and remember to love and respect all life.