Driftless Veterinary Services, LLC

01/03/2024

Here's a nod to a spectacular 2023 - I want to thank all of my great clients that I was fortunate enough to work with. Because of all of you, I can say that we had a very successful year! 2023 blessed me with many milestones, both personally (getting married!) and professionally. I can't thank you all enough for trusting me with your animals care. I hope to see you in 2024, and until then, keep a smile on your face - the days ARE getting longer. Cheers - Dan at Driftless Veterinary Services, LLC

08/25/2023

Dental and Vaccine Discount:

Treasure Valley Equine owners - It's time to think about fall vaccines and dental work. For those horses that missed spring vaccines, it's a great time to get caught back up on immunizations. Additionally, those that will be coming in contact with other horses, either through fall riding season, or being brought into a boarding facility for the fall/winter should be boostered as well, depending on risk factors.

Don't forget about your horses' teeth! Fall is a great time to evaluate them for dental problems, especially if you've seen an unexplained loss in weight, dropping of clumps of chewed grass/feed, or if they've been acting more sensitive around their mouth while handling or riding this summer.

We would love to see your favorite equine friend this fall, and we are running a special for September/October scheduling: Clients scheduling for BOTH vaccines AND a dental will receive 1/2 OFF a farm call fee.

Contact me through my website driftlessvets.com , or call/text to schedule or inquire more.

07/05/2023

It's cheat grass season - make sure you keep a close 'eye' on your stock. We have seen an increase in ocular cases in the last 2-3 weeks, including multiple horses, a goat, and a really easy to work with llama! This picture displays what a positive fluorescein stain test looks like. In this particular horse, a cheat grass seed was tucked up under the eyelid, and rubbing on the surface of the eye ( the cornea). When the cornea is disrupted, and the outer layer is rubbed off due to abrasion or injury, the stain is able to uptake in the middle (stromal) layer of the cornea. This horse healed up great after cheat grass removal and topical eye treatment for 7 days, but it could have gotten much worse if left untreated. Watch out for eye issues in your critters, and let us know if there is any abnormal eye discharge, squinting, or excessive rubbing of the face. These all could be signs that you're dealing with a cheat grass in the eye!

04/20/2023

The last year has been a ton of fun. Being a practice owner has had it's challenges, but thanks to great clients, awesome mentors, and a lot of guidance from the big man upstairs, we've made it all work. To celebrate being in business for 1 year, I had some logo patches made. The company out of Bend, OR ( Monterey Co. ) was so helpful, and we went from my logo vector file to a patch that I can have sewn on a hat in under 3 weeks. I think they turned out great. Now I just need some hats to attach them to - what do you all think?

03/14/2023

Hey all! It's Spring vaccine time for our equine friends - here's just a quick video explaining the core vaccines and why we give them. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions. If you would like to get scheduled, please call or text my business number, or visit my website driftlessvets.com and go through the "Book Appointment" button at the top. We hope to see you this Spring!

02/09/2023

It's that time of the year. Currently Trichomoniasis testing is required annually for all bulls in the state that are >24 months of age. The following link details more about the 2023 testing requirements.

https://agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/cattle/cattle-disease/trichomoniasis/

If you have bulls that need to be tested prior to turnout, give us a call we can get you scheduled.
As always, I appreciate your support, and want to be here to help in any way that I can. - Dan Breuer DVM

01/17/2023

Good Morning Treasure Valley! With the warmer weather and actually being able to see the sun ( thank goodness!), it's got me thinking about all of the pregnant cows, does, ewes, and mares out there. Spring can be a very exciting time, but can also be very challenging as well, both for the birthing process and neonatal care. It always pays to be prepared, and to plan things out in advance. I thought that I would post a few tips to keep things headed in the right direction this Spring:

1) Keep an eye on Mom. Parturition issues can present in a number of ways, and being able to diagnose a calving/lambing/kidding issue in a timely manner can be the difference between a happy, healthy newborn, and a sad situation. Helping them along is sometimes the only solution (and something we can help you with if you need assistance).

2) Having a clean, dry place to land is always a good first step. If this area gets mucked up, or has been in use for over 7-10 days, consider allowing your still pregnant does, ewes, or cows to give birth in a fresh spot. Having junior swallow a wad of manure as his/her first meal isn't a great way to ensure a healthy start.

3) For first time mothers especially, making sure they bond with their offspring is very important. Checking teats to ensure the newly arrived has suckled is a good way to know if they've been acquainted with the udder in order to ingest colostrum. Colostrum consumption is VERY important. At a bare minimum, they need to have had suckled within 24 hours, but the first 2-4 hours is best to ensure a head start in immunity. If for whatever reason mom is unable to give the newbie this first meal, having a high quality colostrum replacement on hand is a wise choice.

4) Many infectious disease pathogens ( viruses, bacteria) have an incubation period that keeps the pathogen circling in the herd if all calves/kids/lambs are grouped up together throughout the season. If you have had a scours ( diarrhea) issue in the past, consider moving your still pregnant moms to a new barn/pasture/area every 7-10 days to reduce disease transmission risk. The herd can be regrouped later when everyone has gotten past the initial, vulnerable phase. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Google "Sand Hills Calving"

5) Some neonates get behind the 8 ball. Whether it's due to sickness, weather, or just bad luck. Hydration is key for any young stock that are dull/depressed and are not feeding themselves. In these cases, a high quality oral electrolyte can be administered ( either via tube or bottle) and can be added IN ADDITION to feeding milk. Some of these guys do need IV therapy to correct acid-base disturbances, and to jumpstart their hydration - that's something that we can help you with!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Spring! If you have questions, or need assistance, be sure to reach out. driftlessvets.com or Call / Text as needed.

12/16/2022

This post is a reminder for all of us to be thankful during this Christmas/Holiday season. I think about this often, but many of us are unaware of the amount of work that goes into having readily accessible food / drinks in our grocery stores just down the street. We are able to have access to such things due to the hard work of our farmers/ranchers and support staff associated with those places of business. It's amazing to see these places operate like a well oiled machine, but this only happens due to the hard work and dedication of individuals working together with a common goal in mind. Remember to thank a farmer/rancher, and their staff during this season. For those of you that DO provide milk, meat, eggs, and fiber: I want to THANK YOU for continuing to keep your roots grounded in American culture. We wouldn't be able to enjoy our ham dinner or eggnog without the people that are working while most of us are still sleeping. Cheers everyone! - Dr. Dan

11/22/2022

In August, I had gotten a call to be the attending veterinarian for the Jack Pine Roundup in Idaho City. It was a phenomenal opportunity to meet some great people, and I got to watch the stock and the cowboys/cowgirls work their butts off to put on a good show. This was their 3rd annual event, and they're already putting things in the works for next year. Fall is such a busy time of the year for me, both personally and professionally. When I got their appreciation certificate in the mail, it reminded me of how quickly the time has gone, and what a great, action packed Fall it has been!

11/15/2022

Learn about Dr. Dan:

Hey folks,
I just wanted to share a bit of a background about myself! I grew up in Wisconsin ( Go Packers! ) and spent my childhood doing chores on the family farm, helping with the crops, cattle, and pigs. I'll forever be grateful for my Midwest upbringing, and the work ethic that comes along with it. I decided to go to college, and followed that by attending Iowa State University for my DVM degree. After graduation, I was taken into the fold at a wonderful mixed animal practice in Northwest Illinois. This allowed me to hone my skills in dairy and beef practice, as well as work with a large number of equine clients. I then moved to Idaho in early 2019 and have been enjoying the mountains and a very active western lifestyle ever since. With the full support of my fiancée Sheridan, I made the decision to start Driftless Veterinary Services in 2022. I hope to be able to continue to build the practice, and meet more of the wonderful livestock owners the Treasure Valley supports.

11/09/2022

Treasure Valley!
We are so happy to be here to serve you with any, and all of your farm animal needs. Driftless Veterinary Services was started in order to provide quality care for the farm animals in your life, whether you have one animal, or thousands. We strive to be available to best serve you, whether that involves urgent care, scheduled health checks, or vaccine strategy and protocols. We are fully capable of providing veterinary care for your equine, bovine, ovine, or caprine species ( horse, cattle, sheep, and goats!) Head on over to our website at driftlessvets.com and give us a call, or email us in order to get scheduled today!

Thank you for all of your support! - Dan Breuer DVM

11/09/2022

11/09/2022

11/09/2022