Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Oliver Engle.
Hi Dr. Oliver, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I came to Texas from Oklahoma in 2007 for a small animal rotating internship post doctoral study program at Central Texas Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital in south Austin. After a year there, I began my tenure at Lakeline Animal care in northwest Austin. I spent 15 years there and eventually became the Medical Director. During that time I worked emergency relief shifts on my days off from Lakeline at Central Texas Veterinary Specialty, Heart of Texas Vet Specialists, and The Afterhours Emergency Center of Killeen. In 2023, I decided to seriously look into starting my own practice. I took a sabbatical from day practice at VCA Lakeline and took a full time job at the Emergency Animal Hospital of Crystal Falls in Leander. Over the next 18 months we put in the work to start Prestige Animal Wellness. In November of 2024, I opened the doors of Prestige Animal Wellness and am currently a single doctor practice in the Round Rock area, open 6 days a week. We are teamed up with A Crate Escape boarding and daycare, who shares the building with us.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The process of opening up a small business in the last 12 months has been daunting. Our country is experiencing a shifting economic and polarizing political season. As a veterinarian, you come to a bank with high hopes but low expectations. Most veterinarians carry quite a bit of educational debt, low personal income to offset said debt, and competition with big companies. The veterinary industry experienced a heavy shift in the last four years towards corporate owned or acquired clinics. The opportunities for a middle class veterinarian to purchase a clinic were rapidly dwindling in metropolitan areas due to these huge cash offers from corporations. Luckily, I was able to lean on my family, my professional contacts, and some really supportive previous clients that believed in me enough to take a big chance financially to help out.
My wife and I went into this knowing the amount of work involved. She had managed veterinary practices in the past, and I had been a medical director. However, neither of us have owned our own business. The learning curve has been steep and, at times, bumpy. The uncertainty of leaving a steady income job and benefits for a business venture that could fail remained a constant source of anxiety.
We continued our positive affirmations and finally got the doors open last November! The first four months were arduous but we had faith that the business would be a success if we marketed well, maintained good availability, practiced good medicine, and took care of clients. My wife and I joke about how far we have come. At one point, I was making less than I was managing the grocery store in college and had one kid in college and one kid in daycare. There is still a long row to hoe, but we will continue to maintain our core tenets and hope for a business in which we can both be proud.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Prestige Animal Wellness is full service veterinary practice. My clinic is small, but quite capable. We can run routine medicine and preventative care, dental services, routine surgeries, emergency surgeries, and urgent care walk ins. I partner with the local specialty hospitals, emergency hospitals, and a mobile surgeon to provide extensive intervention options that can accommodate a wide range of illnesses and budgets.
The clinic currently partners with 6 rescue organizations in the area and we strive to make rescue medicine a priority. These organizations provide a great service to the community and the neglected, mistreated or unwanted animals in the area. Our clinic puts forth effort to make medical intervention possible for these groups.
One of the aspects of the business I am most proud of is the essence of a family run, hometown feel. My wife is our practice manager, my son is one of my tech assistants, my youngest daughter comes in during the summer to help, and my oldest daughter helps with finance and book keeping questions. This family, small business approach makes it possible to work with clients on a case by case basis and figure out if there is a level of medicine and intervention that is not only justified, but affordable.
I have a “come in now philosophy”. Yes, there are things that can wait and be seen during a scheduled appointment. Yet, there are other times when your pet needs urgent assessment. The simple act of a quick triage and evaluation can make the difference in the outcome of a case. It may be that a client and I figure out that their pet is stable and work up can wait. It may be that bloodwork, radiographs, and outpatient treatment are needed, It may be that immediate stabilization and referral to a 24 hour care facility or specialist is required. Whatever the necessary outcome, my philosophy is to come in, be patient, and lets get this figured out!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
When it comes to the medicine, I have looked to the emergency veterinarians, specialists, and my previous medical directors for advice. I was blessed with great mentors at Central Texas Veterinary Specialty and Heart of Texas Vet Specialty. The mentorship continued with my job at Lakeline where the team of veterinarians there were and still continue to be successful and well respected in our community. I still call these peers with questions and case reviews to this day. It is impossible to have all of the answers in medicine. However, with a network of experienced colleagues with which I have been blessed, you can usually find someone who has had experience or advice with challenging cases. I am also continually humbled by the amount of support and advice I have received from clients, family, personal friends, and professional contacts with respect to small business ownership. The business becomes, in many ways, an extension of yourself and a reflection of your acumen, perseverance, and commitment. A successful business is not created in a vacuum and needs constant nurturing and outside support.
Pricing:
- Wellness exams- $60
- Sick visits- $75
- Urgent care- $85
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.prestigeanimalwellnesstx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prestigeanimalwellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Prestige-Animal-Wellness/61564110297480/
- Youtube: @prestigeanimalwellness
- Other: info@prestigeanimalwellnesstx.com
