About Vet Gadgets
Vet Gadgets is a company started in 2010 with an idea to make a routine process for treating a horse safer for the veterinarian. This is the founding principle for the company. A dream of safer, less invasive technology for the betterment of veterinarians and their patients. Currently, there is a single product for sale, but more are in the pipeline.
The founder, an equine veterinarian named Ryan Lee, had friends & colleagues over the years that were injured, even hospitalized from passing nasogastric tubes on horses. He always thought that this process could be improved from both the safety standpoint, and the optics of the procedure. Over the years practicing equine medicine, Dr. Lee would pass a tube successfully to empty foul-smelling reflux or gas onto the ground or in a bucket, wash the tube off in a water bucket and stick the tube back in his mouth, while the clients looked on in disbelief or turned away sick at their stomach. These were the principal parts of an idea that took years to develop into a working prototype.
The earliest device was developed with very rudimentary items, but it worked so well that Dr. Lee hid it and started the process to improve it. Friends helped him along the way with drawings that were sent to draftsmen for prototype assembly and early embodiments …. today’s patented device.
Dr. Ryan Lee
About Dr. Ryan Lee
Dr. Ryan Lee, a veterinarian, US patent holder, and entrepreneur, identifies primarily as a devoted Christian husband and father of three. Growing up in Navarro County, Texas, he graduated from Corsicana High School and, inspired by his mother’s hard work, developed an early interest in business.
Ryan’s passion for animals began in his youth, particularly through experiences with his stepdad, a cowboy in Italy, TX. While he initially envisioned a career as a ranch hand, meeting his wife Kristina during high school shifted his focus toward veterinary medicine. After graduating, he volunteered at veterinary practices, igniting his curiosity about animal physiology.
Mentored by Dr. Ray Carroll and John Harper at Carroll & Harper Veterinary Clinic, Ryan learned the importance of community involvement and the art of animal examination, which became crucial in his career. Dr. Lee married Kristina during their time at Texas A&M, and it was in their first year of marriage that he started his first business, an alfalfa brokerage serving all of Texas and some parts of northeastern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. He sold this business in 2001, before he completed his Masters degree, and spent 2 years teaching high school agriculture in College Station. This first experience in business taught lessons that would shape new ventures in the cattle and show pig business, and later his veterinary practice and other business ventures.
In 2009, the couple established South 40 Equine, focusing on equine sports medicine, which led to other ventures in veterinary gadget development and real estate. Their success has allowed them to support over 40 employees and provide diverse experiences for their children.
Outside of work, Dr. Lee supports local youth sports and livestock programs, performs surgeries at the small animal clinic, and enjoys family projects. He and Kristina, who works at St. Joseph’s Regional Health System, are active members of Christ Church in College Station and belong to several professional organizations.
Dr. Lee is dedicated to patient care, taking a thorough approach to diagnosing performance issues in horses and small animals. He values teaching and sharing his expertise with others, making him a generous and impactful figure in his community.