Get to Know Dr. Graeme King from Parkmore Veterinary Clinic
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“Behind every healthy pet is a caring vet with a heart full of compassion.”
My patients can’t tell me where it hurts. Some of them hiss, bark, squeak and even squawk, and a surprising number attempt to bite me. Every day brings a new cast of characters, from nervous cats and enthusiastic Labradors to the occasional patient who sees the examination table as a wrestling ring. As a small animal veterinarian, every day begins with a puzzle: a patient who can’t speak, an owner who’s worried, and the challenge of working out what’s wrong. It’s a career that requires equal parts science, patience, and a good sense of humour.
My love for working with animals began long before I ever stepped into a veterinary clinic. I grew up on a farm in what was then the Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga and as a child I always imagined myself becoming a farm vet. Some of my favourite memories are of the veterinarian visiting our farm during calving season. Watching him work left a lasting impression and sparked a passion that would eventually shape my career. That passion led me to study veterinary science at Onderstepoort. Looking back at old photos from those years reminds me how much fun we had, and somehow we still managed to get a degree between all the fun and socialising. More importantly, those years formed friendships that have lasted a lifetime. This year is a particularly special milestone as we celebrate 30 years since graduating, with classmates now scattered across the world. It was also at Onderstepoort where I met my wife, who is also a veterinarian. Our shared love for animals has shaped both our careers and our family life ever since.
After graduating we spent four years in England, partly to gain experience, partly to travel, and partly to earn pounds to pay back student loans. Growing up I loved reading the books of James Herriot, and although he sadly passed away just before we arrived in the UK, I often felt like I was living out a version of his stories while doing large animal work in the Kent countryside, sometimes in knee-deep mud or snow.
After four years in the UK we came back to South Africa, and in June 2000 we bought Parkmore Veterinary Clinic in Sandton. While the farm boy in me always thought I would end up a large animal vet, small animal practice has proven incredibly rewarding. You get to treat each patient as an individual and often care for them throughout their entire lives, from energetic puppies and kittens to their senior years and the ends of their lives. While small animal practice keeps me busy in the city, I still make time during holidays to be out in nature: camping, fishing, bird watching and visiting game parks all over Southern Africa.
One of the things we value most about working in a smaller, family-oriented practice is the relationships we build with our clients. Over the years we’ve watched children who once visited the clinic with their parents grow up and bring in their own pets, (that does make me feel quite old, I do admit). Seeing familiar faces, both human and animal, is one of the greatest joys of the job.
As a family we have three children, and our home has always been filled with animals. While all of them share our love for animals, nature and the bush, our middle child has decided to follow in our footsteps and is now studying veterinary science at Onderstepoort.
Thirty years on, the profession still brings new challenges, new patients, and new stories every day. Animals have an incredible way of reminding us what really matters. As the author James Herriot once wrote, “If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”
