Dr Travis began his journey of becoming a vet at the age of 11 when he started volunteering at a horse trail riding company in Cairns where he learnt how to look after horses as well as how to ride. Not too long after caring for horses, Dr Travis began volunteering at Cairns Tropical Zoo where he helped in caring for a wide range of exotic and native animals.
The most thrilling case Dr Travis has been involved in happened in his first year out of practice when he was called out to castrate a 700kg fully grown adult male camel. “The camel wasn’t the friendliest of fellows, which made administering the anaesthetic for the procedure difficult. I ended up needing to use a dart rifle to administer the anaesthetic medications to perform the procedure out in the bus”, Dr Travis exclaims. This story just shows how no two days are never the same and how exciting the veterinary profession can be!
Strap in and hold on tight, is what Dr Travis’ advice is for any aspiring vet! “The road to becoming a veterinarian holds many challenges but is certainly rewarding. It will take you to places you never thought you would go and will introduce you to some amazing people. The number of doors a veterinary degree will open for you is unparalleled”, says Dr Travis.
When not looking after his patients you can find Dr Travis in the great outdoors, hiking the Glasshouse Mountains, kayaking the rives and surfing the number of beautiful beaches along the coast.