Owner: Dr. Bryan Mitchell, DVM
Location: El Dorado Springs, Mo.
History: Dr. Bryan L. Mitchell received his degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., in 1991. He worked at the Animal Clinic of Monett, Mo., before beginning his practice in El Dorado Springs in 1995. They chose El Dorado Springs because they have family in Adrian, Mo., and the surrounding areas. The business came up for sale and this was as close to home as they could get.
Services: Services offered at the clinic are for both large and small animals.
If the need arises, however, he has provided care for a few exotic animals. When a small zoo was located just outside of town, he turned them down three times before he gave in to castrate their tiger. Even though he “tamed their tiger” he much prefers large domesticated animals and smaller pets.
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a new case comes in. One of his most diverse days occurred when I did a twisted stomach surgery on a large dairy cow and removed an adrenal gland tumor in a ferret,” he said.
Dr. Mitchell is up-to-date on the changes in animal care laws but admits it a bit of a challenge to stay that way. His newest purchase is an ultrasound machine he uses to tell if a cow is pregnant and how far along she is. That way he can tell which cow was bred by artificial insemination or if she was bred to the clean-up bull.
On the farm: Dr. Mitchell is a veterinarian by day and a farmer by night and weekends – unless someone needs him as a veterinarian. He and his wife, Kristen, and two younger children live a farm between Tiffin and Taberville in St. Clair County. They have a herd of Angus/Gelbvieh cross cattle, which they maintain by using AI.
Their two older children are out of college, with one having completed training as a registered nurse. The other installs software into hospital laboratory equipment.
“Helping people get the proper care and medication for their animals is my goal and is a satisfying life,” Dr. Mitchell said.
