The Yorkshire Vet, Julian Norton waves farewell to the "dalek" which has helped the practice get established

Other purchases have been replacements to update the very basic and second-hand tackle with which we made do in the early months after we opened the Wetherby practice. Without any clients at the outset, we sought out redundant ex-hospital equipment to see us through the early months.

The ultrasound machine created superb images, but it was as large and cumbersome as a Dalek and took two people to move it around. It’s life in a modern veterinary practice was always going to be brief.

Another cheap and temporary stop-gap was the operating light. It may even have been “free to a good home”. I hope so, because it emitted lumens at a level similar to a candle and – like the old ultrasound machine – travelled around on rickety wheels.

It lived in the corner of the theatre and occasionally came into action, though the huge disc-like head would slowly start to droop, so you had to work quickly!

Its replacement arrived last week. It is fixed to the wall and, when on full power, you almost need to wear sunglasses. Already it’s money well spent.

At the start of my career, I worked with a similarly antediluvian piece of equipment which shared its name with a famous person. The thermocautery machine really should have been in a museum. Its cable had exposed metal ends that were attached by screw-like clamps to the power, which was a cubic wooden box.

The handset had a wooden and Bakelite construction and looked like a gun from a 1970’s space film. Everyone called it Ronald, as in Ronald Ray-gun!

In times of haemostatic crisis, cries of “there’s a bleeder. Fetch Ronald!” went a small way to relieve tension during stressful surgery. Eventually, Ronald was consigned to retirement.

Ronald Ray-gun was replaced by a more modern and nimble thermocautery machine. Accurate and lightweight, it was quickly nicknamed ‘Ronaldinhio’ after the sharp-shooting Brazilian football player.

It’s a difficult balance starting and running a new business. With no guarantee of clients coming into the waiting room, any sensible new business owner keeps a sharp eye on the outgoings. When I was first a partner, I used to equate every expense to the number of “anal gland equivalents”.

A new consulting room table, for example, would be approximately 250 anal gland expressions. This quick calculation would always focus my mind. But proper equipment is utterly essential to do a decent and proper job.

I have not even started calculating how many anal glands will need to be emptied to cover the combined cost of new light, new (and very fancy) ultrasound machine and video endoscope.

What I do know though, is that surgery under the powerful spotlight is much easier and that the positive benefits of the scope cannot be overstated. As for the ultrasound machine… it’s state of the art and can do everything even the most experienced veterinary ultra-sonographer would need.

For my part, the hardest part is switching the blooming thing on!