If the patient comes in a shoebox then an Angus veterinary practice has the man to help it.
In response to a growing clientele opting to keep pets that are certainly out of the ordinary, Chris Allison (25) has become one of the few vets in Scotland specially qualified to treat them.
Snakes, bearded dragons and geckos are all among the more unusual patients that come to him for treatment at the Golf Veterinary Practice in Montrose. For Chris these slithery, scaly types have held a special attraction since childhood and he admits to becoming mildly obsessed with them.
Over the years he has kept a number of snakes, other reptiles and frogs as his own pets and a tortoise he inherited as a youngster recently celebrated its 70th birthday.
Chris has managed to turn his hobby to advantage to respond to a growing need within the practice for expert knowledge, having been awarded a general practitioner’s certificate in animal practice by the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies. It means he is now one of only three vets north of the central belt to hold the rare qualification, which he attained after a year’s study.
He can now treat a variety of fish, birds and reptiles, although his keen interest over many years means that he has often been the first point of consultation for colleagues.
“I’ve always had an interest in exotic species and was always the one up to my knees in frog spawn,” Chris said. “I’ve always kept them and because of their natural history they are so diverse and offer a challenge.
“People often ask what can possibly be attractive about an animal that is likely to bite your finger off every time you open its cage. They may not fetch your slippers or need out for walkies but I find them absolutely fascinating.”