At Cedar Ridge Veterinary Hospital in Carney, caring for animals means serving the people and communities that depend on them.

On any given day, Dr. Justen Carroll might treat a family pet, perform a bull fertility exam or travel miles down a dirt road for a farm call. That variety is what first drew him to veterinary medicine and continues to inspire the family-owned clinic today.

“We deal with something different every day,” Dr. Carroll said. “It could be a dog hit by a car, a colic horse or a c-section cow.”

Dr. Carroll and his wife, Alison Carroll, a registered veterinary technician, opened Cedar Ridge Veterinary Hospital in 2019. Their practice began years earlier as a mobile veterinary service, treating animals in homes, barns and on farms throughout the area.

Today, the clinic serves communities across central Oklahoma, including Carney, Stillwater, Wellston, Luther, Stroud and Guthrie. In addition to caring for dogs and cats, the team provides services for horses, cattle and other livestock.

“There are a lot of veterinary clinics, but few offer mobile work,” Dr. Carroll said. “We catch a lot of emergency calls because they don’t serve farm or large animals.”

 

Serving Rural Communities

As veterinary medicine continues to shift away from small rural practices, the Carrolls remain committed to meeting people where they are.

That often means traveling to farms, helping hobby farmers care for livestock or performing services such as bull fertility testing.

“In the spring, when producers turn bulls out, we evaluate whether they’re healthy and able to perform,” Dr. Carroll explained. “If a bull is sterile, you’ve missed out on a lot of calves.”

Their dedication to helping animals has earned them a reputation for tackling unusual cases. One memorable patient was a goose that required a foot amputation and now walks with a prosthetic foot.

“In this profession, you have to be a little bit MacGyver,” Alison said. “Especially doing mobile work. You learn to work with what you have.”

A Family Business

Despite the long hours, the Carrolls say helping neighbors care for their animals makes the work worthwhile.

“We’re a small clinic and a family business,” Alison said. “We want clients to see the care we’re providing for their animals.”

The clinic is also investing in the future. One employee, Emma, began working at Cedar Ridge while still in high school and plans to attend veterinary school before returning to the practice.

For the Carrolls, mentorship is a way to strengthen rural communities.

“We’re trying to keep rural America running,” Dr. Carroll said.

 

Staying Connected

Reliable technology also plays an important role in veterinary care. Fast internet and phone service from Centranet help the clinic communicate with clients, process lab work and respond to emergencies more efficiently.

“Our blood machines use the internet to send lab results, and our point-of-sale system runs on it, too,” said Marci Fisk, receptionist. “Having reliable internet is a must.”

Centranet’s fiber internet at the clinic has reduced the time needed to process and send lab work, allowing staff to receive critical information and begin treatment more quickly.

Because Dr. Carroll frequently travels for farm calls, the clinic also uses the app that is part of Centranet’s phone solutions, which routes office calls directly to staff smartphones.

“I can grab a clinic call wherever I am,” Alison said. “It’s convenient.” 

Features such as call forwarding, auto attendants and do-not-disturb settings help the team stay responsive during business hours while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

 

Community at the Heart of It All

For the Carroll family, veterinary medicine is about more than caring for animals. It’s about building relationships and supporting the communities they call home.

“It takes everybody,” Dr. Carroll said. “That’s what this community is about.”That spirit of neighbors helping neighbors continues to keep rural Oklahoma strong, and keeps Cedar Ridge Veterinary Hospital caring for the animals that are such an important part of country life.