Four State Veterinary Services, P. O. Box 241, Bear, DE (2024)

06/10/2024

Four State Update! Learn more with Four State Veterinary Services!

Four State Veterinary Services is back in action after a brief vacay 😊. And good thing, too, because parasite season is in FULL SWING! Now, I know there have been several posts already concerning parasites in sheep, goats, and camelids but I can't stress enough the importance of this topic! Barber Pole Worm resistance is REAL and DEADLY! Why is it such a problem? The old mentality of deworming all animals on farm as often as possible with regular frequency still persists today and coupled with regular rotation of dewormer types has created the perfect and almost indestructible parasite. And if you've battled the Barber Pole, you know just how devasting it can be!

So, this summer between the beach trips and poolside fun, FAMACHA score your animals and monitor their body condition scores! And only deworm your animals if completely necessary! Follow the helpful instructions on dosing provided by the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control's dewormer charts (link: https://www.wormx.info/single-post/dewormer-charts-updated) - images provided 🙂.

And as always, don't wait until it's an anemia emergency! Get established with a veterinarian today! .

06/04/2024

Four State Update!

Four State Veterinary Services will be closed June 4th through June 8th! Any emergencies should be directed to the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital (New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, PA). Don't hesitate to reach out with non-emergent matters or to become an established client- Dr. Mike will be back on the road June 10th! !

05/20/2024

Four State Update! Learn more with Four State Veterinary Services!

Let’s keep talking parasites! As parasite season pushes forward, it’s important to talk about treatment options. There are many myths and inaccuracies when it comes to using dewormers and with these products readily available over the counter, this can be dangerous for your herd or flock! So, let’s dive into some common questions and even more common inappropriate practices.

1. The most common question when it comes to dewormers: what’s the best dewormer to use for my animals? ANSWER: it’s far more complicated than that! There is no such thing as “the best dewormer for all farms”. Instead, dewormer efficacy is completely farm and even animal specific. Remember that resistance development is associated with overuse of dewormers and parasites surviving the therapeutic dose of the dewormer. Even if one worm survives the deworming, that worm can create a whole generation of worms that will survive when that dewormer is used again. So, if you have animals from lots of different farms, they may have worms with all sorts of different resistant parasites. Moral of the story: there’s no one size fits all “best” dewormer!

2. Almost all dewormers DO NOT require an additional dose to be given. It’s been common to hear people recommend giving a follow up dose of dewormer at 10, 12, or 14 days after the initial dose. This is not necessary. The only dewormers that are recommended for multi-day use are the “white wormers” (fenbendazole- Safeguard or Panacur and albendazole- Valbazen) and it is typically recommended to use daily for up to 3 days. All other dewormers are best used with a “one treatment and done” model in mind!

3. This was mentioned in another post recently but should be mentioned again! When selecting a dewormer for sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas, it is important to use ONLY products that are made to go orally AND made for sheep and goats. Using an injectable cattle or swine product orally or a topical cattle product orally is not appropriate for sheep, goats, alpacas, or llamas.

4. To round out the discussion, rotating dewormers is a practice that was formerly recommended to try and fight resistance. We now recognize that this practice leads to resistance in ALL the dewormers being used in rotation much faster! So, use a dewormer until it stops working! How do you know it’s working? FECALS!!! Run them yourself or have your veterinarian run them for you. If you are using dewormers on your animals, you should be running f***ls before the dewormer is used and then doing a follow up f***l 10-14 days later! This is the ONLY way we can really know how well a dewormer is working.

5. Oh! And. NEVER BLANKET DEWORM. This means that the entire flock or herd should never be given dewormer at the same time. This goes for entire groups of animals as well- for example, if you deworm all animals after they give birth (another inappropriate practice) and 8/10 of your animals give birth that year, you are blanket deworming! Remember, 20% of your animals carry 80% of the parasites!

Need more info? Check out the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control and their website (wormx.info). If you don't have a veterinarian as parasite season continues to ramp up, !!!!! Don't wait until it's a parasite emergency!!!

Photos: McMaster slide used to count f***l eggs and get an accurate number down to 50 eggs per gram. A FAMACHA score card- FAMACHA score as much as possible this summer!

05/17/2024

Feel Good Friday with Four State Veterinary Services!

Had some helpers during some surgeries last week. Spoiler alert, they were a little less than helpful 😂 Turns out emus don't make the best surgical techs...

05/13/2024

Four State Update! Learn more with Four State Veterinary Services!

We're entering show season, so it's time to get those Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) forms (also known as health papers or health certificates). This may seem like a formality, but did you know that this is one of the only ways to have disease surveillance and protect your animals from getting sick at the show or fair? Here are some helpful tips when it comes to CVIs!

1. GET ESTABLISHED WITH A VETERINARIAN! If you don't have a regular veterinarian, but you have show animals, you are taking a big risk. It may be challenging to get a veterinarian to the farm, especially on short notice (procrastination, forgot you needed a CVI, life got busy...it happens to all of us!). If you have a regular relationship with your veterinarian and procrastination happens, you'll likely be covered! *Not all veterinarians can write health certificates for livestock! Make sure that your veterinarian is class II accredited and therefore qualified to do this for you*!

2. DON'T WAIT! Yes, life happens and sometimes we procrastinate as mentioned above. But don't wait until the day before you have to leave to get a CVI! This especially applies to sending animals across state lines, like in the case they have been sold to a new home. Some states require additional diagnostic testing or entry permits to come into that state, and these can take several days to process! CVIs are good for 30 days, so you have wiggle room- try to put it on your radar to visit with your vet at least a week before the show/transport!

3. What's the veterinarian even looking for? Signs of infectious or contagious disease! This can include obvious external signs like ringworm, warts, lice, visible tapeworm segments in the manure, and lameness but also includes deeper internal problems such as pneumonia. If the animal is sick, it CANNOT be transported. No exceptions.

4. Finally, CVIs are legal documents. They should only be filled out by a veterinarian or veterinary technician (under the supervision of a veterinarian). Legally, there is no such thing as "pre-signed" CVIs for the client to fill in later. Remember, the veterinary inspections of your animals and these documents are meant to keep your animals safe!

It's always important to keep your animal's health in mind. If they get sick before a show or intended transport, keep them home! Even if they were healthy at the time of the CVI!

Now, enjoy this beautiful girl getting her examination!

05/07/2024

Four State Update! Learn more about Four State Veterinary Services!

Yesterday marked the 6-month anniversary for Four State Veterinary Services being on the road! It has been an amazing 6 months full of interesting cases, lots of different patients, and clients that truly care deeply for their animals. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve this area and work with the people I get to work with every day! I look forward to continuing to provide high-quality veterinary care and act as a resource for my clients for years to come! THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and this practice along the way, I look forward to the adventures to come and the bonds that we will form!

Need a veterinarian? Know someone who's looking? Maybe you just know a friend that has animals and would benefit from a relationship with a veterinarian! Don't wait until it's an emergency, get established with a veterinarian today!

Enjoy some memories from the last 6 months 😊

05/03/2024

Feel Good Friday with Four State Veterinary Services!

It's cute selfie time! Yes, there are three goats in this picture. Clearly one of them did not get the memo on what we were doing...😂

04/30/2024

Four State Update! Learn more with Four State Veterinary Services!

To everyone's relief, the temperatures are rising! But you know what that means. It's parasite season!😱 And what's the scariest parasite of all? Haemonchus contortus, or the Barber's Pole Worm (Barber Pole, for short!). Why so scary, you ask? This parasite is a blood sucker, and a very prolific egg producer. The more parasites you have, the more blood loss you have. No blood = no life...and Barber Pole can take them out QUICK! Also, Barber Pole has developed resistance in some capacity to EVERY dewormer on the market. If that's not scary enough- the hotter it gets, the more this parasite thrives...so buckle in, we're only at the beginning.

Some quick helpful hints:
1. MONITOR your animals. FAMACHA scoring is a helpful way to routinely monitor your animals for anemia (from the parasites sucking blood). During peak season, ideally it should be performed weekly! Other signs of Barber Pole include weight loss and a soft, squishy swelling under the jaw (submandibular edema AKA bottle jaw). Diarrhea can occur but remember, death may come before diarrhea with Barber Pole infection!!!

2. DO NOT BLANKET DEWORM! What does this mean? Well, the common thought is "one has a lot of worms, so they all must". Did you know that 20% of the population carries 80% of the parasites? So, if you deworm the entire group, the majority of the animals didn't even need it! Resistance to dewormer is rampant among Barber Pole Worms, mainly due to overuse! Don't contribute to resistance- there's no such thing as a "dewormer schedule" for your sheep, goats, or camelids!

3. USE SHEEP/GOAT SPECIFIC DEWORMERS! Using horse paste dewormers, injectable cattle/pig dewormers orally, or topical cattle dewormers orally is NOT appropriate for your sheep, goats, or camelids. The ability of the dewormer to kill the parasite is decreased when using these products- this just contributes to resistance!

4. Last but not least, AVOID OVERCROWDING! The more animals, the more parasites. Too many animals on your pastures is a recipe for disaster.

There's so much more information than a Facebook post can do justice! Check out wormx.info (American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control) for all your parasite needs! And, as always, establish a relationship with your veterinarian today! Don't wait until it's a parasite emergency! .

Photos courtesy of wormx.info 😁

04/26/2024

Feel Good Friday with Four State Veterinary Services!

Happy Friday, everyone! One of the best things about being back in the practice area is reconnecting with clients (friends!) and patients that I worked with in the past and getting to start up that relationship again! This week I had one of those reconnection moments. This is Petey- we first met about 7 years ago. Petey's biological mother rejected him so he was adopted by a very kind human momma who nursed him through multiple health issues and never gave up on him! He was so small and we genuinely thought he wouldn't live past a year of age. Flash forward- I saw Petey this week! And boy does he look good- you would never know that he was that tiny little calf from the first pictures! He's a gentle giant now who still loves his human momma and has a beautiful home full of goatie siblings. He also has a good memory and a healthy skepticism of me🤣🤣

Photos: Petey circa 2017/2018 and during one of his first check ups. Petey circa 2024 and with that healthy dose of skepticism 😄

04/22/2024

Four State Update! Learn more about Four State Veterinary Services!

As the summer gets closer, you may start seeing some new faces on the road with Four State Veterinary Services! Dr. Mike spent 8 years in academic practice and is an award-winning educator. He loves to teach the next generation of veterinary professionals. With summer break beginning for most students, you can expect to see high school, college, and veterinary students out on the road gaining valuable experience and making new memories! Please welcome them with hospitality and know that your animals are helping to shape the future of veterinary medicine ☺️.

Pictured below: Tyler, a senior at Conrad Schools of Science; Kate, a senior at Penn Vet; Sally, a sophomore at Lincoln University of PA; and Lily, a senior at Penn Vet. All future doctors 😁

04/15/2024

Four State Update! Learn more with Four State Veterinary Services!

Babies are hitting the ground everywhere! Mom made it through the delivery, but now what? That first 24 hours of life are extremely important for all newborns. Did you know...?

1. Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and camelids have precocious babies. This means that they are born with their eyes open and ready to stand within minutes of hitting the ground! Ideally, all newborns should be up and standing within the first hour of life!

2. Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and camelids are all born without any immunoglobulins (important disease fighting and immune establishing compounds). ALL of their building blocks to a healthy immune system come from mom's colostrum (that first milk meal!). Without that, these babies are in trouble. Ideally, all newborns should be nursing within the first hour of life. If they don't nurse within 24 hours of birth, they can no longer absorb these important immune system establishing goodies!

3. The umbilicus (belly button, umbilical cord) of the newborn is a gateway to bacteria- think a big opening into your blood stream! Protect that baby and dip the belly button in 7% iodine to help avoid bacteria entering directly into that baby bloodstream!

4. Uh-oh. Mom said "heck no". That baby needs a surrogate mother, stat. Colostrum replacer MUST be given within the first hours of life (remember, don't wait until 24 hours goes by!). Choose a species-specific colostrum replacer- don't give cow colostrum replacer to your goat, or goat colostrum replacer to your cow. The more specific to the species, the better balanced it is! The same goes for milk replacers- make sure to have a species-specific milk replacer on hand for your little ones. DON'T feed whole cow's milk to your newborn sheep and goats! And bottle babies may seem cute, but they're no walk in the park- follow feeding instructions on your milk replacer and get ready to wake up in the middle of the night!

5. When in doubt, call the vet! If you have babies on the ground, you NEED a veterinarian. Don't wait until it's an emergency with the most precious ones on the farm. Get established TODAY! 'twait .

Enjoy these ear-opposites: two new editions to their farms this year! :)

04/01/2024

Four State Update! Learn more about Four State Veterinary Services!

Happy Monday! As the practice continues to grow, so does the importance of establishing a relationship with Four State Veterinary Services. As a busy practice that travels hundreds of miles across four states, established clientele will always come first. That means that daytime emergencies for non-established clientele will only occur if existing appointments are not scheduled. Also, no emergency services are offered for non-established clientele after hours or on weekends.

Being an established client offers you access to a veterinarian as a resource. As all established clients know, your daytime emergencies come first- scheduled non-emergent appointments may be pushed later or rescheduled depending on the day. You know that Four State Veterinary Services will have your back!

So, tell your friends, your family, and your co-workers who have animals to ! Don't wait until it's an emergency! Now, enjoy these adorable spring babay pictures shared by established clientele 🥰

03/07/2024

It's been a minute, so it's cute selfie time! These two little angels made a surprise visit to the world but aren't they gorgeous 😍. It's that time of year again- lambing and kidding is in full swing! If you have pregnant animals, you should have a veterinarian! Don't wait until it's too late! .

02/21/2024

Four State Update! Learn more about Four State Veterinary Services!

I often get the question “do you cover my area?”. Well, I decided to make a little map showing just how far I will cover! Just for reference, I do operate out of Newark, Delaware. The red territory marker shows how far I will travel for scheduled visits while the blue territory marker shows the area that can be expected to be covered for both scheduled visits and emergencies. The yellow pins mark addresses of my current established clients, and the green numbers indicate the number of clients in that area. The more clients in a certain area, the more I’m there! 😊

My practice area is large, which is why my focus is on established clientele! This is why I constantly encourage people to get established because when it’s an emergency, I likely will be taking care of the people on this map. Their scheduled appointments and emergencies will always come first! So, share with you friends, family, neighbors. !

02/16/2024

Four State Update! Learn more about Four State Veterinary Services!

Happy Friday!! It’s that time of year again! Lambs, kids, calves- oh my! Fortunately, Four State Veterinary Services is here for you. A few highlights to keep in mind:

There are three stages of labor. Stage 1 is the longest and when momma starts to get ready for labor. She may isolate herself and start “nesting”, and show signs of discomfort (lay down and stand up, mild straining, walking around). The “water bag”, or amniotic sac, will be visible at the end of stage 1. Stage 2 starts as soon as her water breaks! This is the fastest stage of labor- that baby should be on the ground within an hour or two, ideally. Stage 2 is often when most problems happen- the baby may be in the wrong position and get stuck, or be too large for its mother to deliver on her own. If all things go as planned, though, stage 3 is when the placenta will be delivered. This should happen within the first 12 hours- if she does not deliver the placenta after 12 hours, it is considered retained and can lead to uterine infection.
One more pro-tip: when those little ones come out, make sure to dip their navels in a dilute iodine! Those baby belly buttons are the perfect doorway for bacteria, so we need to clean them up to prevent infection.

What’s my moto? Don’t wait until it’s an emergency! If you have pregnant animals getting ready to give birth, you NEED a veterinarian. Trying to establish a relationship while your animal is in distress during labor is not a solid plan- get established today! Text or call 302-229-4297, email at [email protected], or check out the website at 4statevet.com.

02/05/2024

Four State Update! Learn more about Four State Veterinary Services!

Dr. Mike is big on “establishing a relationship”- you’ve seen it in almost every post! But what does that mean? Well, getting established with a veterinarian is the process of forming a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (or VCPR for short). The VCPR is a mutual agreement between the veterinarian (Dr. Mike) and the client (you!) to work together for the benefit of the patient (your animals!). Want to know what that VCPR technically contains- check out the picture with the five pillars of the VCPR, as laid out by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

What benefits do you gain as an established client? Well, for starters, clients ALWAYS come first. As a policy, Four State Veterinary Services does not see weekend emergencies for non-established clients. Also, non-established client emergencies will not come before established client emergencies or even routine appointments for established clients. Second, it is illegal for Dr. Mike to give ANY medical advice to non-established clientele. No phone consultation via text or call is offered for non-established clientele. Finally, dispensing and prescribing of medication is reserved for established clientele.

Four State Veterinary Services is interested in establishing long-term relationships with clients. We are NOT an emergency-only clinic, a back-up for when your “regular veterinarian” is busy, or a pharmacy to provide you with medication so you can “doctor” your own animals. Instead, we are a practice dedicated to serving as a resource to our clientele, helping our clients to be as autonomous as they want to be with our guidance, and providing quality care and expertise to patients across the practice area!

Don’t wait until it’s an emergency, get established today! And if you have friends who are waiting to get established, share this with them- let’s get them set up before it’s an emergency!!

01/31/2024

Four State Update! Learn more about Four State Veterinary Services!

Why Dr. Mike?

What do you look for when you pick a doctor for yourself? Likely, you want to find a doctor who is specialized in care that you require, who has experience in their field, and strong credentials behind their name. Why would you look for anything different when it comes to your animals?

Dr. Mike is board-certified in Food Animal Practice with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners which has allowed him to develop a deep understanding of the medical and surgical treatments, preventative medicine, and health management associated with beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. He is currently serving as the President-Elect of the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners, the only professional veterinary association in the United States made for veterinarians that work with sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, camels, and white-tailed deer. He is also a proud member of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control, a group of veterinarians and animal scientists dedicated to discovering, gathering, and disseminating the most up-to-date research concerning parasites in sheep, goats, and camelids. Finally, Dr. Mike has been an active member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, a professional association dedicated to beef and dairy cattle practice, for over 10 years.

Specialized ✅. Credentialed ✅. Experienced ✅. Get established today, don't wait until it's an emergency...

01/26/2024

It's a very happy Friday with this cute selfie of the week. These boys had a rough start to life after their momma had some trouble. Unfortunately, she didn't make it- but these lil' guys are thriving with the help of their human foster momma! Four State Veterinary Services is ready for lambing and kidding season, are you? 🐑🐐

01/16/2024

Well, my entire practice area is under several inches of white🥶🌨❄️! But that won't keep Four State Veterinary Services down! I'm still out and operating, and here to take care of your animal's needs. Not a client? Why not!? Let's get you taken care of. Call or text at 302-229-4297, email at [email protected], or check out the website at 4statevet.com. Don't wait until it's an emergency!😁

01/05/2024

One of these is not like the other 🤣 This week’s cute picture comes with a quick announcement: FFour State Veterinary Serviceswill be closed January 4th through January 13th. Dr. Mike will be back at it the week of January 15th and, as always, is delighted to see you and your animals! Don’t hesitate to reach out via email at [email protected], check out the website at 4statevet.com, or text 302-229-4297. Expect some delays on response this week, but you will be contacted!

01/01/2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Four State Veterinary Services!! As we enter a fresh new year, I am grateful for the support of my family, friends, and wonderful clients who have made this endeavor both possible and worth it. I look forward to providing service to the people and animals of my area for many years to come! You can continue to expect quality veterinary care in 2024, and you can bet that I’ll continue to grow and evolve to offer you more services! You’ll also see some new faces as I start to have high school, college, and veterinary students ride along to gain valuable experience! To all of my wonderful clients: a special thank you for allowing me to be a part of your care team, for your flexibility, and, above all, for the care you provide your animals! Happy 2024, everyone!

12/27/2023

Not really a cute selfie this week, but I needed to highlight one of my funniest patients! Izzy is a 13-year-old goatie gal with a LOT of attitude 🤣 I feel like she embodies how we all feel as we round out 2023 and get ready for 2024...

12/24/2023

¡Feliz Navidad from Four State Veterinary Services! We wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season! We will be closed on December 25th for Christmas 🎄 🦙🐪🐄🐑🐂🐖🐐🐓🎁

12/23/2023

Great to work with the students at Christiana High School! I love to teach, so this was a blast!!!

12/19/2023

Cute selfie(s) of the week! Tiny Dancer was very interested in pictures until the phone made a noise, then she tried to hide with Zoey and Ziva! So happy to see all three of these gals thriving at Nash Hill Alpacas thanks to their wonderful owners and the attention they give their animals! Want to see your animal's in a cute selfie AND get high quality veterinary care? Establish a relationship with Four State Veterinary Services today! 😁

12/12/2023

Last week, Four State Veterinary Services happily celebrated one month on the road! It's been an awesome adventure so far. I am extremely appreciative of all those who have invited me to be a part of their animals' care team, and I look forward to years of being your partner to provide quality veterinary care and address all your veterinary needs. Please never hesitate to provide feedback and reviews- these things help me grow! This month has been highlighted by several of these wonderful clients, as seen in the pictures- thank you for the action shots! To round out the month, I blew a tire on Friday...just one of the risks when your office has four wheels! 😂😁. Minor snag- we're back at it and ready for more fun in the field!

12/06/2023

Time for that cute weekly selfie! This week I'm with Cheddar, who was very interested in my vaccine cooler and what I was planning to do with it. Thanks to her owner for letting me post this picture! And a special thank you to LUMS POND ANIMAL HOSPITAL for connected me with Cheddar and her family! LPAH has been extremely welcoming and supportive of Four State Veterinary Services, I'm lucky to have found such a great group of people to work with! If you are looking for a fantastic veterinary team to take care of your furry family member, I highly recommend contacting LPAH!

11/30/2023

Cute selfie of the week! Some people pay for goat yoga, I get paid for mine 😂Godiva wanted to help while I was examining her friend. Special thanks to her owner for letting me post this!

Need a checkup for your goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, camels, beef or dairy cattle, pigs, or backyard poultry? Don't wait until it's an emergency- become an established client! Let's get you on the schedule! Email [email protected], call 302-229-4297, or check out the website: 4statevet.com.

11/21/2023

Just getting some love ahead of the holiday! Thanks Stella at The Little Farm! Four State Veterinary Services will be closed Wednesday, November 23rd through Friday, November 25th in celebration of Thanksgiving. Wishing everyone a restful holiday and looking forward to more shenanigans next week! Want to work with us? Check out 4statevet.com or email at [email protected].

Four State Veterinary Services