The VetDentist
Bob Partridge qualified from Edinburgh’s Royal Dick Veterinary School in 1984 having served briefly in the British Army with the Royal Engineers. After a period in mixed, equine and small animal practices he established his own practice in Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England in 1988. His interest in Veterinary Dentistry was established in 1986 when he was one of the first vets in the UK to have access to a high-speed air driven dental machine. This led to Bob being a founder member of the British Veterinary Dental Association (BVDA) in 1988 and acting as Treasurer.
The practice in Harrogate grew and in 1992 Bob created the first Veterinary Hospital in the whole of North Yorkshire. The numbers and complexity of the dental cases (both internal and referred) increased. In 2016 Bob sold the highly successful Veterinary Hospital company, allowing him to concentrate purely on Veterinary Dentistry. In 2018 he established a dedicated dental referral practice, recently moving it back to Harrogate, with the latest and best technology.
Recognised & Recommended
In 2011 Bob achieved Diplomate status of the European Veterinary Dental College. This was one of his proudest moments as it represented many years of work and allowed him to use the accolade of Recognised Veterinary Specialist in Dentistry. He is also now a Recognised RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry.
Knowing the benefits that he has received from being a vet, Bob has always tried to put something back into the profession he loves. He helped found the BVDA, has served for a number of years on BSAVA Congress Committee as Treasurer, has served as an officer and then President of the Veterinary Hospitals Association for over ten years and was elected to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Council (the governing body of UK vets) in 2006 and re-elected for a further four-year term in 2010. He has also recently served a term as Secretary for the European College of Veterinary Dentistry. Bob is also involved in training a Resident – the next generation of Specialists.
About Bob
He ran the London Marathon in 2001, 2009, 2012 and 2015. He has raised funds for Cancer Research and Water Aid but is far too keen on food and wine to run a fast race.
In 1999 Bob founded Pet Smile Month, an annual pet dental health promotion. This led to over 1500 veterinary practices in the UK providing free dental check-ups for clients, together with distributing dental health promotional materials and widespread media coverage in the press, radio and TV.
Bob lives with his long suffering wife, Jackie, in a windswept farm in the Yorkshire Dales with two Springer Spaniels and a trio of Geese (and occasional goslings). They also play host to a flock of Herdwick sheep, belonging to one of his nurses. They are keen Scuba Divers and Skiers and vacations require water – either in solid or liquid form!