Barn & Home Veterinary Clinic

01/18/2025

Checked the weather report recently? It's getting cold! Nights are supposed to be below freezing for a bit.

What do the animals need when it's so cold? Indoor critters have it easy. Outdoor animals - livestock, poultry, guardian dogs, barn cats - need a little extra attention.

Please ensure the following:
---Fresh water always available - ice may need broken.
---Access to normal diet/feed. May need extra during cold weather.
---All feed is kept dry and mold-free.
---Shelter free of drafts, away from wind and moisture.
---Good bedding.
---Avoid wet ground, especially in the form of mud (if possible).
---Monitor everyone closely.

01/11/2025

01/04/2025

Have you ever wondered what a mobile mixed-animal Veterinarian does in a day? On an average day Dr. Furrer does the following:

---Sees an average of 5 appointments, with an average of 6-10 patients.

---Gets full history and all pertinent patient information.

---Performs exam on each patient or herd/flock.

---Obtains and interprets lab samples – blood, urine, f***s, fine needle aspirates of lumps, etc.

---Determines what/if anything each animal needs based on history, lab results, etc.

---Diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries – from trauma to GI upset to skin conditions. Out of the average 15 appointments per week, over 50% of those are sick and/or injured animals.

---Educates clients on best care for each individual animal, herd health, general husbandry, plus educating on newly diagnosed illnesses/injuries.

---Performs euthanasia to help animals pass peacefully.

---Spends an average of 1-2 hours writing charts per day.

There is so much more that does not fit into an average day, but it is impossible to keep it concise. It is not just Dr. Furrer, but all veterinarians, that perform all the duties necessary to provide best medicine to each and every patient. Thank a veterinarian today!

12/31/2024

Raw diets for dogs and cats - an entire discussion beyond the scope of this post. The important note currently: H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus (strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - HPAI) has been detected in raw pet food, and has killed at least one house cat. PLEASE do not feed your pets raw! This includes meat and dairy products.

Increased risk of HPAI in pets:
--Any pet with exposure to/ingestion of raw milk, wild birds, raw meat, or raw meat products.
--Current recall of Northwest Naturals (specifically Morasch Meat’s Northwest Naturals brand 2 lb. Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food).

Typical symptoms of HPAI in pets:
--Neurologic signs - seizures, nystagmus, blindness
--Fever
--Severe lethargy
--Icterus
--Increased respiratory rate/effort
--Eye inflammation/changes
--Acute respiratory distress

Links to more information:
https://www.oregonvma.org/news/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-h5n1?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2XQeiohiObUlkPzAI6sfskHtVUmpR6epxiViUC1SiC99dToSIXNtm1ORs_aem_3iXf8ybtVLSGPfaEpHFHng

https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/12/articles/animals/cats/raw-pet-food-linked-to-fatal-h5n1-infection-in-cat-oregon-us/

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas - to the two-legged, four-legged, feathered, and all!

12/24/2024

Happy Holidays to all! We will be closed Christmas Eve (12/24/24) after 12p, closed Christmas day (12/25/24), and reopening Thursday (12/26/24) at 1p.

Hopefully no one needs this info, but in an emergency:
--For dogs/cats please go to either WilVet South or Emergency Vet Hospital (both in Springfield).
--For livestock please go to the OSU Vet School in Corvallis.

12/18/2024

Have you ever wondered what a Veterinary Assistant does in a day? Barn & Home Vet Clinic is very limited in its personnel, so here are just a few of the things Tiana accomplishes on an average day:

---Answers 15 phone calls
---Responds to 6 voicemails
---Responds to 25 texts
---Responds to 10 emails
---Follows up with 5 patients
---Schedules 7 appointments
---Creates 13 quotes
---Initiates contact and follows up with 3 new clients
---Takes notes during appointments
---Restrains 8 patients (anything from dogs and cats, to goats and turkeys) for Dr. Furrer
---Monitors surgery patients
---And much, much more!

The above is of course definitely not an exhaustive list! And don’t forget to mix in a great attitude and being up for daily adventures.

Who else thinks Tiana is a superhero?

12/04/2024

Some of you have already met our wonderful Veterinary Assistant/Receptionist, Tiana, but we want to give her a huge official welcome! We think she's amazing, and hopefully so do y'all!

Bit about Tiana:
Growing up in Southern California, Tiana rode horses, fostered kittens, and was always trying to convince her mother to get another pet (though usually unsuccessfully). Her love of animals led her to working at an animal shelter, as a caregiver to dogs with medical and behavioral problems. After studying natural resource management at OSU and spending some time working outdoors with conservation corps, Tiana found her way back to animals and joined Barn & Home in August of 2024 as a Vet Assistant.

11/27/2024

Today we are thankful for successful C-sections and healthy, happy lambs! Hard work all around, but tis' the season to give extra thanks!

Also to honor Thanksgiving, we will be closed Thursday November 28th and Friday November 29th. If your animal is having an emergency on these days, please take them to an emergency vet hospital. For dogs and cats: Either Wilvet South or Emergency Veterinary Hospital (both in Springfield). For livestock: Oregon State University Vet School in Corvallis.

We are going to pray that everyone stays healthy and emergency-free!

11/22/2024

Who else is enjoying the mud?

10/31/2024

Share your costumed animals! Our livestock and poultry politely declined participating in Halloween, but all species welcome!

10/24/2024

We are following the light! We spend a lot of our time in fields and barns, and we want to be able to continue seeing your animals - literally. Hence, with the time change we are changing our office/available hours. Starting November 1st, instead of 8:30a-5p, we will be available 7:30a-4p. We will likely change back again in the spring to continue following the sun, but let's all get through the dark months first!

10/10/2024

Beast occasionally gets to have the adventure of seeing a handsome, friendly goat! Beast usually sticks to the canine and feline surgeries, but we love a little extra fun. And yes, Loki did actually go on the van - he was even polite and didn't eat any of our supplies!

10/02/2024

Cattle + Apples = Happiness. You may notice in the photo the joy, but also that the apples are whole. It is easy to forget or not take the time, but we highly recommend cutting apples prior to feeding to cattle. Whole apples can get stuck in the esophagus and cause choke or other severe issues. As much as we enjoy the occasional adrenaline that emergencies cause, we'd prefer to celebrate Fall with sunny crisp days, hot cider and apple pie!

09/16/2024

We've made some cute friends recently!

08/28/2024

We are extremely passionate about what we do at Barn & Home Veterinary Clinic. We want to provide best medicine to as many animals as possible, and as promptly as possible. We recently have had a massive influx of urgent and emergency calls, and we have only one veterinarian. Dr. Furrer is human, and so far we have not quite figured out how to clone or teleport her.

We are doing several things to help increase our efficiency and be as available as possible. We cannot guarantee we will be available for every emergency, but we are trying. Routine/wellness and non-urgent appointments may be scheduled a few weeks out. Keep in mind this is a good thing! It means your animal is healthy enough to wait.

There are a few things you can do to help us:
-Fill out ALL forms prior to your appointment. Forms may seem tedious, but they help us be prepared and save us time. They also help us get to know our patients better.
-Have your animal(s) ready for the appointment. The more prepared you and your animal are for the appointment, the more time we have to focus on the needed services.
-Let us know any and all concerns prior to the appointment. We want to make sure we schedule the appropriate amount of time to address all of your concerns.

We will continue to do our best, and we ask that everyone remain respectful and patient. We are working on a superhuman serum for Dr. Furrer, but for now she is still just human.

08/09/2024

Rattlesnakes. As much as we'd love to forget about them, they are around. We're in a hot, dry summer - they're looking for water and making themselves more known. This is a rattler killed in Dr. Furrer's driveway (few miles outside Creswell) at 8:30p. There were animals around, and he was out in the open giving a barely audible warning. PLEASE watch your animals, kids, and yourselves.

07/29/2024

We are back from vacation! As a welcome back gift, we learned that our phone system ate all the voicemails while gone. So far we have not been able to recover them. If you, or anyone you know, left us a voicemail PLEASE call us back and leave another voicemail at 541-735-4771 or email us at [email protected]. Spread the word so we do not leave anyone hanging. We apologize, and thank you for your patience and understanding!