Do your vet do service calls?

[Angus Guy]

My question is what does your vet do if you are a small producer who does not own a stock trailer so you can haul cattle to him? Or the question is you have a cow or bull problem in the way back 40 and it has rain for days and the 4-wheeler or tractor is the only for him to deal with the problem? I am very glad we have the number and types of vets in our area.

 

[GMN]

My question is what does your vet do if you are a small producer who does not own a stock trailer so you can haul cattle to him? Or the question is you have a cow or bull problem in the way back 40 and it has rain for days and the 4-wheeler or tractor is the only for him to deal with the problem? I am very glad we have the number and types of vets in our area.

Our Vet goes anywhere to deal with a cow. Last time they were out, the cow escaped from the pen, the lady vet lassoed it on foot, out in the mud, it was quite the sight, but the cow got examined, and treated and all was well. Out Vets motto is get it done, they are very experienced with all kinds of situations, I'm sure they have seen it all.

GMN

 

[Twin Springs]

Had a hard day yesterday. First calf heifer began calving at app. 8:30 am. Let her try to do it by herself as it usually works out for us here. I gave her a while and saw two feet , checked her again in 15 minutes and only saw one foot sticking out. She got up and I walked her into the barn . It was becoming apparent that problems were in her future. She was trying her hardest but on of the front legs had somehow gotten folded back inside her. I tried for about thirty minutes to reposition with no success. I am not too proud to call for help so I did. I called five different vets. The one I use normally advised I could bring her to the office but they wouldn't come out. She told me she would put me down to be there in an hour. I told her this wasn'tgoing to work. She said, "Oh well call us if you need anything". (I thought that is what I was doing.) Man this be nice me off I always treat those guys good when they come to the farm and pay my bill the same day. The other vets apparently don't need the business either. Finally a new vet about 30 miles away called me back and said he would come out, but it would be five hours. I told him to come on unless I called him back. Four hours and thirty minutes later I finally got the calf out with alot of stress on the heifer. I am pretty selective with my heifer bulls, but this one came out at 92lbs. He's the only one over 72lbs that I have had this year. Both are doing good today. Sorry for the rant, just got mad thinking about it again. Have a good day.

I am getting ready to change vets. The other morning my brother-in-law had a heifer that had her first calf. The calf was almost froze to death when we found it and the heifer was almost a goner as well. The heifer had prolapsed. He called the vet emergency number several times. Luckily one of the vets at that office stopped by my wife's store. My wife asked her if she had talked to myself or my brother-in-law. The vet said "no, what's going on?" The wife told her and she came right away. It was kinda like the situation above, all the calves coming with the first time heifers were in the 65 lb range, this calf was in the 90s. There is another vet that will come out but the problem is the vets have a territorial boundary.

 

[jp]

I've got good vets here. When I call, sometime's he'll figure it out for me on the phone. If he comes out theres a $35 trip charge and he is usaully prompt about gettin here.jp

 

[dun]

A year or so ago I posted that the availability of a vet, particularly for beginners, should be a consideration on deciding what area to raise cattle. I was severly taken to task for it. After reading about all of the problems folks have with vet care/service, I still think it's something that should be considered.

dun

 

[Susie David]

Our vets do make farm calls 24/7 for large animals. Never had to have them out, wer're only ten or so miles away so we haul them in when needed. Three large animal vets.
DMc

 

[msscamp]

My question is what does your vet do if you are a small producer who does not own a stock trailer so you can haul cattle to him?

If we did not have a trailer, our vet(s) make farm calls.

Or the question is you have a cow or bull problem in the way back 40 and it has rain for days and the 4-wheeler or tractor is the only for him to deal with the problem? I am very glad we have the number and types of vets in our area.

We would not ask a vet to go out to the back 40 to treat an animal - anytime a vet is asked to make a farm call the animal is always in the corral. In our minds, it is our problem to bring the animal up to the corrals so the vet can do his/her job with a minimum of difficulty.

 

[dun]

We would not ask a vet to go out to the back 40 to treat an animal - anytime a vet is asked to make a farm call the animal is always in the corral. In our minds, it is our problem to bring the animal up to the corrals so the vet can do his/her job with a minimum of difficulty.

We've had the vet go out to the back 40 a couple of times. When a cow is in trouble and you can;t get her up it.s easier for the vet to go to her then to stress her even mor by trying to get her up to the working pens.

dun

 

[Alan]

In our area we have 2 LA vets, but they are so busy it's hard to get them out. I always haul in, at least haven't needed one out yet... knock on wood.

I think a lot of vets are going to small animal and horses, certainly a lot more money in it. Instead of getting in the truck and driving each way for 45 minutes to make $100, they can stay in the warm, cool, dry office and make 3 to 4 times the money by seeing cats and dogs. Plus no vet has ever died by getting kicked in the head by a poodle.

I don't blame them. I learn as I go and also have a couple of mentors to call on.

Alan

 

[jcarkie]

yes, i had my vet out for the first time in 11 years, for a cow. a 1st calf heifer trying to calve. i have always hauled them to him if at all possible.
i have had 6 heifers calve in 8 days temps in the teens and snow on the ground, wind blowing. this one had the leg back and the heifer was down and cold, calfs tongue was frozen. he put the pullers on to stretch the neck and cut the head off and it came out without finding the leg. the heifer was up, and cleaned up in a couple of hours and is doing fine.
(16 heifers) 7 more to go

 

[gertfan]

our vet comes out if we need him to, usually we will take them to him if we can at all. I know of another vet in the area that will not under any circumstances come to the barn, says he is both large and small animal vet but he would just rather stay at the nice warm clinic then to get himself cold and dirty