All Creatures… If you’re an animal lover and haven’t watched the new Netflix remake of All Creatures Great and Small then be sure to put it on your list. It’s excellent.

As I was watching though, I was taken by how far the veterinary profession has come.

The story depicts a general practice vet set in Northern England in the 1930s, who sets out to heal the sick and wounded with very little more than a stethoscope and a rectal glove.

Fast forward to modern practice and every GP vet is equipped with digital radiographs, blood analysers, ultrasounds and ECGs, not to mention dental and surgical suites.

Underneath all that modernisation, however, the core principles and skill set of the profession are the same.

A good clinical history and physical examination of the patient was the cornerstone of James Herriot’s practice and is equally so in mine today.

Building trust with clients and understanding their lives, offering affordable treatments and emergency care, and working together as a team were all just as vital then as they are now.

Some of James Herriot’s clients were also recognisable in my own practice. In the TV show, Mrs Pumphrey, the overprotective owner of a pampered pooch named Tricky Woo, held an uncanny resemblance to several of our clients today.

In the show, Mrs Pumphrey overindulges Tricky with steak, cheese and pie and gives him a nasty pancreatitis.

I can’t tell you the number of times I have had to gently persuade clients that filet mignon is not an ideal meal for their four-legged friend, no matter how much he begs.

And I clearly remember a few years back when a client was convinced that giving a bottle of champagne to her colicky horse was the best approach.

I suggested another treatment, which worked very well so we celebrated the win by drinking the champagne ourselves.

I laughed at the episode showing the village fair, where the vet was dashing about measuring ponies, judging the small pets show and examining the prize bull.

It reminded me of the Ag Show in Bermuda this year, where I was on call for animal emergencies while handing out ribbons, filling up water dishes and answering any questions on animal care from the public.

Times haven’t changed that much after all. The struggles of practice are the same today as they were back then.

The heartache of losing beloved pets owing to age or illness, the sadness of knowing you have done all you can, but you can’t save them all. It was comforting to know that vets have been dealing with these difficult emotions for generations and that it is all just part of the job.

Watching it on the screen made me reflect on what a strange profession it is, full of twists and turns of emotion, but also full of compassion, fun and friendships; but most importantly full of wonderful animals.

• Lucy Richardson graduated from Edinburgh University in 2005. She started CedarTree Vets in August 2012 with her husband, Mark. They live at the practice with their two children, Ray and Stella, and their dog, two cats and two guinea pigs. She is also the FEI national head veterinarian for Bermuda