Collierville Veterinarian Not Exactly Cats' Meow
Dog-gone specialty clinic makes canine care priority
By Cathryn Stout (Contact)
Friday, November 2, 2007
Carr Kelsey loves animals.
In fact, he cares for 712 of them at his Collierville practice.
But unlike many veterinarian offices where dogs, cats and the occasional pocket pet create a modern-day Noah's Ark in the waiting room, the Collierville clinic has a more singular mission.
[photo left] Dr. Carr Kelsey gives an annual exam to his namesake, bichon frise Kelsey, as she is held by her
owner, Don Eye, at Canine Medical Center, a dogs-only veterinary clinic in Collierville.
The Kelsey Canine Medical Center at 875 W. Poplar that opened in May is exclusively for dogs (and their owners).
Although canine-only clinics are rare, Dr. Chuck Halford, president of the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association, said expect to see more of them in the future.
"Specialization in general is certainly on the upswing. There's just so much to learn that it's harder and harder to know it all," said Halford.
"If all I ever see is dogs, I naturally can devote more time to dogs and give them better care," added Halford, a 29-year veteran doctor, who welcomes felines and canines at his Walnut Grove Animal Clinic.
But if you're coming to Dr. Kelsey's Collierville office, bring Ren and leave Stimpy at the house.
"Cats may be great at home but they come to the vet and kind of act up," said Kelsey. "Dogs are a lot more fun to deal with for the most part."
Kelsey, 33, admits he's biased. When he was 6 years old, his family adopted a mixed-breed named Blazer. Kelsey walked it, fed it, groomed it, loved it. The beloved family pooch died in the late '90s when the future veterinarian was away finishing his last year at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
In hindsight, Kelsey said, Blazer probably had cancer.
Today, the canine doctor has trained his senses to spot such malignancies.
A few years ago, when Don Eye brought his dog, Muffin, in for an examination at Kelsey's former office, the doctor rubbed the bichon frise's belly and then made a crushing statement.
"He said, 'I don't like the way that feels,'" remembered Eye.
The ailing dog had intestinal tumors.
Kelsey went on to remove the growths and add two years to Muffin's life, said Eye.
So when Muffin died in 2003 and Eye bought another bichon frise, the Germantown resident named the mild-mannered puppy after the doctor.
The four-legged Kelsey got high marks at his recent annual checkup.
Although Dr. Kelsey only sees dogs, he is licensed to treat all small-breed animals.
Some veterinarians have lobbied for single-species licenses. So far those efforts have failed, said Shannon McGee, chairman of the American Veterinary Medical Association council on education.For pet owners like Eye, having a Carr Kelsey who exclusively practices and researches canine care is reassuring.
"I feel pretty confident that he knows everything that there is to know about dogs," said Eye.