Modern veterinary practice

The work of the modern veterinary surgeon, particularly in small animal practice, has changed massively over the course of my career (which essentially started, as a young lad, at my father’s side in the 60s). The range of highly complex treatments and procedures that have developed during my time as a practising vet, and the awareness of people, which has been raised by programmes such as The Supervet, is quite staggering. These changes have led our practice to recommend, increasingly, the benefits of pet insurance, as all these innovations come at a cost.

During my time at Drake Vets we have moved both our main Horrabridge/Yelverton surgery, and our Tavistock branch, from small, homely premises to modern purpose-designed and converted premises. This has allowed us to develop the practice to accommodate the facilities required to keep up-to-date with current best practice and we were very proud to be the first Gold Standard Cat Friendly practice in Devon and Cornwall.

The core of small animal practice is, however, still the relationship with your local veterinary surgeon and the level of individual care given to clients and their pets. As I approach retirement I was determined that Drake Vets should remain completely independent. To this end I am very pleased that Chris Jones, another ‘local lad’ who has been with us for some time, and Dermot Clarke will be taking over the mantle to assist Karen Tyrrell in further developing the practice for the future.

I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank publicly, all the clients, staff, and friends who have made the past 25 years such a pleasure. Hopefully I will continue to see you all as I sing and morris dance my way through retirement!

Peter MacKellar