Surgeon

Chris Ralphs

DVM, DACVS

Chris grew up in eastern Pennsylvania trying hard to avoid getting a Philadelphia accent. He graduated from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998 and cannot believe that was more than 20 years ago. He did a one year internship at Darien Animal Hospital (now VREC) in Norwalk Connecticut. After discovering that an inability to write legibly does not necessarily mean you can’t do surgery well, he did a surgical internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston TX where he, among other dubious honors, won the Class D championship in curling. From there he moved to Minnesota for a small animal surgery residency where learned to enjoy ice fishing, cross country skiing and other cold weather sports… and also some surgery. He met his wife Kristen while there (she was an intern- scandalous!) and in 2003 they moved to Pittsburg together where he practiced at Pittsburg Veterinary Specialists for three years. With the birth of his first daughter, they moved to Rhode Island where Chris took a job at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists.

Along the way, Chris has published articles on topics as varied as intestinal anastomosis risks, meniscus injuries, Stomach Compartment Theory ( which explains why you always have room for dessert. In the Annals of Irreproducible Results, seriously!), recto-urethral fistula repair, erosive polyarthritis, and many equally forgettable topics! He also wrote the Veterinary Medicine chapter of Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine textbook. He has always enjoyed teaching and speaking engagements of note include the keynote speaker at the Northern New England Alpine Veterinary Symposium and a lecturer at the first ever VETgirl U in Minneapolis!

While Chris enjoys many outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking, hiking, paddleboarding and lawn/crabgrass mowing, he spends most of his time trying to be a good doctor, husband and father to his two daughters.