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Chris Meyer brings mobile veterinarian clinic to town

By Rose Hooper
Mobile Vet Chris Meyers, Jackson County's new mobile veterinarian, fits Bob Morgan's horse King with a feeding tube. "Who said you can't lead a horse to water and make him drink?" Meyer said, pouring liquid through the tube. The 25-year-old King was injured in a recent mudslide. ­ Herald photo by Rose Hooper Jackson County has a new mobile vet whose specialty is large animals.

Perhaps your horse is injured or too sick to transport to the vet. Or perhaps you just can't get the horse loaded. Or maybe you have several cattle that need to be seen at once.

Chris Meyer is the man to call, 24-7. The mobile phone for this mobile vet is 421-2864.

Once he finished vet school at N.C. State and completed his internship at a satellite campus of Virginia Tech, he and his wife, Cordelia Chancellor Meyer, were ready for the move back to her hometown. Becoming a vet and moving back to Cordelia's hometown brings both their dreams full circle.

"When I was a kid growing up, we always had horses," said Meyer, who was raised in Virginia's horse country. "The vet always came to us, and I knew when I grew up, that's what I wanted to do. That was my dream. Cordelia's dream was moving back to Cullowhee and for us to be able to make a living here."

So, now here he is in Jackson County "making farm calls." His range of calls include horses, cows, sheep and goats. "One of my specialties is horse sports medicine, checking the leg and tendons for soundness. I also specialize in equine reproduction," said this vet whose mobile unit is complete with X-ray machine and ultra sound. He also does "fire engine stuff, like going out at night to pull out calfs." In addition, he provides full-service vaccines.

"One thing about being mobile," Meyer pointed out, "is that in some cases it might mean more prompt care for the animal because I may already be in that vicinity."

Meyer isn't here to compete with, but to complement, the services other vets offer, he said.

"In fact, every vet here has been so helpful and supportive of me," he said.

"My prices are reasonable," he said. "I'm not here to make a killing, just a living."

Meyer hopes his customers "will have confidence in me and know that I am truly interested in the care and health of their animals."

An outdoorsman, Meyer enjoys mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. His mother-in-law, Etheree Chancellor, describes him as "a good person and a good family man." He and Cordelia are parents of Shelby Ray, who will turn 4 Christmas Day.

Back to Archive: 11/08/01.