Longtime Mt. Vernon veterinarian Trokey retires from animal practice

Still hopes to sell his medical facility east of Mt. Vernon
 
Mt. Vernon veterinarian Phil Trokey retired on Dec. 13 after 25 years and three months serving the Mt. Vernon area. He worked at the Mt. Vernon Animal Hospital on Farm Road 1163, on the service road north of Interstate 44 near the Chesapeake exit.
A St. Louis native and graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia veterinarian school, Trokey practiced in Springfield for 18 years before opening his practice in Mt. Vernon, commuting between the two communities for several years.
“I moved here and I loved it,” he said.
Trokey has spent his career concentrating on small animals.
“Originally I thought I’d do both [small and large animals],” he said. “All the vets did them. But people wanted a sitting target for small animals. I’ve gone into the field treating dogs. I’m most familiar with dogs and cats.”
He’s treated owls, squirrels, and “lots” of rabbits, in addition to dogs and cats.
“The most rewarding part of the job has obviously been when I’m helping animals,” he said. “You get to know them and their people, especially in a small town like this. I never got burned out.”
Trokey recounted a number of adventures he’s had along the road treating animals. One of his most memorable came from crawling through snow to reach an old dog who could no longer walk, under a pup tent in a field, where Trokey helped the dog complete his trip over the Rainbow Bridge. Another time, Trokey removed a canine tooth from a chimpanzee that was under anesthesia. On one occasion, a lady drove to Springfield from Reeds Spring with a pregnant goat seeking help with the delivery.
“I was the first vet willing to help,” Trokey recalled. “The four babies were all tangled up. I was able to get my whole hand in there. With a dog, you’re lucky to get a finger in. All were fine in the end.”
He noted with dogs, half the time births are breach, coming out feet first. “There are a lot of procedures that are hard, like a twisted stomach or dealing with an infected uterus. Today, we have a lot more medicines to work with. I can’t think of any that have gone away that I’d want back. Things have improved a lot.”
In the age of Covid, Trokey recalled his share of requests for the animal antibiotic Ivermectin. “I haven’t researched that drug. I have no opinion about it. It was supposed to be approved for dogs a year after I got out of vet school. It still hasn’t been approved. It can cause problems. I’ve always been very cautious with it.”

Health improvements over years
He agrees that better food can make a major difference in the life of a pet.
“Animals live a lot longer than they used to,” Trokey said. “I’ve had dogs brought in literally dying, and all we had to do was change their diet. I’ve seen dogs starving on lower-end food. A good quality name-brand dog food can make all the difference.”
A reception was planned for Trokey on his last day in the office. He hoped to see former clients who have become friends over the years. He still has loose ends to complete, and has been trying to sell the practice for several years.

Future plans
Turning 70 in February, Trokey plans to live in St. Clair, near St. Louis. He and his wife, Mary, went to grade school together in St. James.
“I have five kids, she has three. We adopted two from Russia a few years back. All my kids and grandkids live back here, so we’ll come visiting. I’ve never retired before, so we’ll see how this goes.
“I want to thank Mt. Vernon for supporting the clinic all these years. Coming from Springfield, I wasn’t sure how the community would respond to a small animal vet. It worked out well,” he added.