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Being a veterinarian, in my opinion, is not just the profession of caring for animals, it is a commitment to your pet and YOU! And I have the wonderful opportunity to be a part of your care team. Pet care is a coordination of what your pet needs (preventive care, emergency care, behavior questions, everything), what you need (information, training, comfort), and what I have learned and will share with you.

This year I am celebrating 30 YEARS as a pet professional. I started out as a veterinary assistant in 1994. My bio tells you of the circuitous route I took to opening my own practice. I didn’t think I wanted to take on the responsibility of practice ownership. It’s daunting. Solo practitioner equals no days off and no vacation- ever! Now, that’s not entirely true, but it does create free time challenges. My husband has a business degree, and he saw practice ownership from a different perspective. Honestly, I have to thank him because he is the enthusiasm behind the decision, and he brings that enthusiasm even today when I start to feel tired and overwhelmed.

We talked about why open our own practice…what is our goal? What about veterinary medicine brings me joy? What could we do differently in the veterinary medical world that would bring people to our practice? Who would come along on this dream with us? What about the practices I have been with doesn’t work for me?

Education was the big answer! I LOVE to teach people about their pets and their pet’s needs. That is my joy in veterinary medicine. And the team that came along with me feels the same way! We were all caught in the corporate practice model, get pets in and out. Yuck! I want to talk to you! I want to develop relationships based on trust and understanding. OKC Vet Campus was born. A veterinary practice built around education.

So, 3 years ago this month, OKC Vet Campus was a big empty building with plans for walls and diagnostic equipment and a dream of client education. Some of the team that you see when you walk in the doors were here from the ground up. Dakota will not let us forget that he drilled the holes for every cabinet and drawer pull in the place. There are 8,000 square feet of clinic space, he was busy!! Jessica and I drove the middle of nowhere to pick up the auditorium seats for our campus/scholastic theme- from a barn covered in weeds and some bird poop. We only brought back one tick! We spent hours planning our dream practice as we painted the walls and scoured thrift stores for finishing touches.

That’s the story of the physical practice. What’s this blog? Same thing only I get to share knowledge with more of you! There are lots of topics that can improve your knowledge base that don’t require a physical exam, but your personal vet will appreciate you learning something new from a trusted source. We all know the internet Google search for medical advice quickly takes us down the worse case scenario rabbit hole! Our topics and education will try to give you answers and better questions to ask your veterinary care team. For example, when we talk about poop in a later blog, you will be an expert on descriptors your vet will appreciate! Who knew you could describe poop better?

I will also share cases that we can all learn from. The worse case scenario has walked in our doors, and with a strong client-pet-veterinary care team, we have had amazing successes. We are all in this together! I don’t fix your pet, WE do.

So, I hope you will join me on this educational veterinary practice journey. I look forward to sharing with you!

Dr. Carlton