Animal instinct

Dr. Tommy Wilson takes care of a certain breed of athlete.

Wilson, 37, sat in the stands Tuesday at Ector County Coliseum watching his patients tear it up in the arena during the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo’s Super Tuesday roping events.

And his clients don’t understand the concept of his help, but he’s ready to spring into action if a horse’s hoof needs filing or a calf needs a cast on its foot.

“The majority of what we do is look at contestants’ animals,” Wilson said, noting that his wife, Jessica Todia, and technician Michelle Alexander help him.

Wilson, who’s volunteered as the SandHills veterinarian for about eight years, said he’s sat around at the rodeo waiting up to 12 hours in case animals get injured during events.

He doesn’t want that to happen, but some animals get occasional sprains or more serious injuries during events.

“They’re athletes just like human athletes,” he said, noting thousands of animals participate in the stock show and rodeo.

Wilson uses a Porta-Vet compartment — attached to his white 2005 GMC diesel pickup — to house medicines, bandages, surgical equipment, a refrigerator and other equipment with which to tend to the animals if needed.

And a veterinary job can get a little hairy, he said, adding that he’s been knocked down by an angry cow at one point and also had to perform eye surgery on a Clydesdale horse during a fair.

Many of his clients’ owners appreciate Wilson’s expertise.

Jerilyn Tyree, of Greenwood, said her family has taken their horses, dogs, cats and steers to Wilson for about five years. She said the care her animals receive at Wilson’s clinic makes the trips to Midland worth it, even with a veterinarian within about three miles of her home.

“We don’t go anywhere else,” Jerilyn Tyree said. “You can call him, and he’ll give you a fix.”

During the rodeo, Wilson’s been known to perform field surgery on horses or other animals with them standing up and sedated with local anesthetics.

He said he enjoys the wide variety of patients and opportunities he gets out of veterinary work, noting it’s different from the specialization of human medicine.

“You certainly never get bored,” Wilson said. “You may be pulling the teeth on a dog in the morning and performing orthoscopic surgery on a horse in the afternoon … something different every day.”