Caprine & Ewe Veterinary Consulting, PC

03/26/2025

Hot off the Press....New Podcast on the Topic of Goat Polio

🎧 New Episode!

Dr. Melissa Holahan of Caprine & Ewe Veterinary Consulting, PC shares why waiting even a few hours could be the difference between life and death. Today's episode will help you recognize the signs—and act fast.

Full episode in the comments!

02/26/2025

FREE SMALL RUMINANT EDUCATION: Preregistration is required for this free event.
Those who register will be sent an email prior to the event with the Zoom link as well as given access to recordings of all sessions soon after the event.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact event manager Mike Metzger at [email protected]
Registration closes on Friday, MARCH 7.
Register at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/2025sheepandgoatsforsmallfarms/
If the link doesn't work, try deleting the "s" in "https".
The information is also in the attached pdf document. Feel free to pass along this email to anyone interested.

Hope to "see" you on March 8th,
MSU Small Ruminant Team

02/15/2025

🐶💉 Puppy Alert! 💉🐶

It’s not every day we get to see a whole litter of healthy puppies for their vaccine appointments, but when we do, we love it! These eight adorable Tibetan Mastiffs (yes, all eight are in that fluffy snooze pile!) just had their health checks with Dr. Melissa and received their first two vaccines in their puppy series.

📢 Important Puppy Health Tip: In Michigan, the Leptospirosis vaccine is a crucial part of a puppy's early care. We often see cases of this disease in young puppies (as early as 10-12 weeks old), so early vaccination is key! Learn more here: Infohttps://www.zoetisus.com/content/_assets/docs/PDFs/ZPN/Leptospirosis-Client-Brochure-SAB-00632.pdf

These little guardians are now 11 weeks old, microchipped, dewormed, and ready for their new homes! Only a few are still available—if you're looking for a loyal farm companion, contact Rachel to bring one (or two!) home. 🏡🐾

02/11/2025

Wow! What an incredible, fun-filled weekend! After running on little to no sleep (thanks to Mazel deciding to have QUAD goat kids at 1 AM!), I was still completely energized by the amazing group of passionate learners I had the privilege of teaching on Saturday morning. We dove into small ruminant and camelid parasite management and FAMACHA certification, and I couldn’t have asked for a better audience!

A huge thank you to my wonderful client, Cynthia, who went above and beyond as our gracious host—seriously, "hostess with the mostest" is an understatement! At one point, we had 40+ attendees soaking up knowledge and sharing in the experience. The weather even cooperated (for once!), making the day that much better.

A special shoutout to Carol for leading the alpaca teaching group—your expertise and guidance were invaluable! And a huge thank you to my MSU A-Team of students & my amazing veterinary technician:
🐾 Hannah (rockstar veterinary student)
🐾 Kiersten (vet-student-to-be!)
🐾 Rachel (aspiring pre-vet student)
👩‍⚕️ Lauren (C&E Vet surgical technician)
I couldn’t have done it without you all!

We wrapped things up with a Lunch & Learn session—an open Q&A where attendees could "Ask the Vet Anything" over lunch. The feedback has been fantastic, and I’d love to do another event! That said, with goat kidding season in full swing until April and show season keeping me busy through July, we might have to wait a bit before the next one.

In the meantime, drop your topic ideas! What would you love to learn about at a future event? Let me know in the comments!

02/11/2025

Sunday Surgery Squad – Before the Big Game! 🏈🐐

While most people were gearing up for the Super Bowl yesterday, we spent our Sunday morning getting some important farm/vet work done! 💪🐾

I had the pleasure of working with an amazing team yeterday:
✨ Elizabeth, who just got accepted into multiple vet schools (still deciding where she’ll attend in the fall!)—and absolutely nailed her surgery skills today!
✨ Jules, a Penn Foster vet tech student, who did a fantastic job assisting with anesthesia monitoring.

Together, we successfully castrated four boys, and they’re now officially wethers! Everything went smoothly, and we wrapped up just in time to catch the big game.

I’m beyond proud of these future veterinary professionals and grateful for their hard work today! 💉🐐👏

Drop some love for Elizabeth and Jules in the comments! 💙✨

02/01/2025

LAST DAY TO REGISTER BEFORE FEES GO UP & WE ONLY HAVE 1 SPOT LEFT. I'm so excited to be getting everyone together and so many familiar faces registering that it's going to be a great gather for farmers (Some even coming from Northern MI and Ohio : )

I also finally had the chance to get the T-shirts out that people won so you might be getting a surprise in the mail. We will have a limited quantity available for sale at the parasite management course.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19l8naMfsWKL0ukMALal7N2-QOpvjtMSL7eg5O4YjVhk/edit

01/28/2025

Thanks to Caitlin, our new marketing director, we’re getting a fresh update with even more ways to connect with us. Simply use this QR code to add us to your phone contacts, leave a review, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

01/27/2025

Like Caprine & Ewe.....Leave Us A Review : )
Your feedback means the world to us! 😊 Referrals are the greatest compliment we can receive, and your voice helps future clients choose a small business they can trust. We’d love to hear your thoughts in a review!"

https://g.page/r/CdZnRDubxeEIEAE/review

01/26/2025

🌾 Meet our favorite geriatric sheep patients (12-year-olds - Taylor & Lady Baa Baa), who’ve both faced the challenge of pain from chronic laminitis for the past few years (similar disease to chronic arthritis pain in our small animals - like our cats & dogs). With the help of our multi-modal pain management approach, they've found a new lease on life! 🌟

By combining targeted treatments, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory support, and extra-labeled drug use for small ruminants, these resilient sheep are now more comfortable and able to enjoy their days with less pain. Their improved quality of life is a testament to the power of compassionate care and tailored solutions. And to their very dedicated owner who continues to advocate for them every day 🐑💚

Interested in learning more about our approach for your pet's chronic pain? Book an appointment with us today (now seeing both small and large animals for vet care)! We’re here to help your animals live their best, pain-free lives.

01/20/2025

Meet Charlie, our brave little patient we want to highlight from this week! 🐑💙 Despite facing challenges, this sweetheart is full of courage and love. With his stylish blue cast and lots of TLC from our team and his owner, Charlie is well on his way to recovery. 🩹✨

We’re so proud of his progress and grateful for everyone who supports our work with animals like Charlie. Let’s send this little guy all the love and encouragement he deserves! 💕
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01/13/2025

Great experience for any kids interested in agriculture

Registration is now open for the highly anticipated Winter and Spring Farm Camps at Tollgate Farm for 2025! Designed for young adventurers aged 6-12, these camps promise to deliver engaging, hands-on experiences that will ignite a love for nature and science.

The Winter Farm Camp will take place over the weekend of February 17-18, where campers will explore winter farm activities and discover the wonders of nature in the colder months.

Meanwhile, the Spring Farm Camp offers two exciting weeks from March 24-28 and March 31 - April 4, running daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Each day is themed around the rich tapestry of farm life and the natural world, ensuring that campers will be immersed in a variety of activities ranging from creative STEM projects to fascinating hands-on science experiments.

Click here to register: https://www.canr.msu.edu/tollgate/camps/winter-and-spring-break-camps

01/13/2025

Our mobile business is going more “mobile” in 2025 and now have an mobile app available for our clients for more accessibility

01/05/2025

LINK HAS BEEN FIXED: https://forms.gle/R2BWjRY4aRjBLUek6

🎉Join Us for the Exciting WINTER Small Ruminant/Camelid Education Series! 🦙🐐🐑

Dear Friends, Farm-ily, and Valued Clients,
We're kicking off the new year with something you won't want to miss! 🌟 We’re thrilled to invite you to our Winter Small Ruminant/Camelid Education Series, packed with essential hands-on training, expert insights, and practical tools to help you manage your herd like a pro.
🔍 FAMACHA Certification & Integrated Parasite Management Workshop
Date: Saturday, February 8th, 2025 @ 9AM-1PM
Location: Willow Pond Farms, 8401 Kearney Rd Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
Session Breakdown:
🐐 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Lecture Series
– Dive into the fundamentals of parasite management, understanding FAMACHA scoring, and the lifecycle of harmful parasites like barber pole worms. Learn why this method is an absolute game-changer for managing anemia and parasites in small ruminants and camelids.
🦙 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Hands-On Training
– Get your hands dirty! Practice FAMACHA scoring, body condition scoring, quick f***l sample collection, and more. You’ll leave confident and ready to apply these skills directly to your farm.
🐑 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: NEW THIS YEAR: Lunch & Learn!
– Stick around for a delicious hour of networking and education! We’ll discuss the Top 5 Diseases in Small Ruminants/Camelids and how to treat them successfully.

Why Attend?
The FAMACHA system is a low-cost, highly effective tool for detecting anemia and managing parasites, especially barber pole worm. In this workshop, you’ll not only master FAMACHA scoring but also learn how to minimize parasite infestations, reduce risks of dewormer resistance, and practice preventative medicine that helps keep your herd healthy.

Don’t Miss Out – Secure Your Spot Now!
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/R2BWjRY4aRjBLUek6
Course fee is $45 per a farm/family for the workshop and includes:
Full Course Materials (electronic)
1 Certificate of training (for farm owner)
1 FAMACHA© card (per farm).
Late registration (after Feb 1st) is $60 per farm/family.

Got questions? Email us—we’re here to help! [email protected]
Dr. Melissa & the Caprine & Ewe Veterinary Consulting Team

11/20/2024

How often do you get to meet a pig that can sit and shake ❤️ Meet Ziggy

11/16/2024

Great information that often gets overlooked

Useful USDA publications pertaining to livestock guardian dogs.

Poster
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/post-livestock-protection-dog-public.pdf

Brochure
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/bro-livestock-protection-dog-public.pdf

11/13/2024

I have some of the coolest patients ❤️
It was a beautiful day for farm calls on Tuesday with my nurse Bayley

10/28/2024

https://vetextension.wsu.edu/2024/10/23/top-10-pitfalls-in-small-ruminant-parasite-management/

Top 10 pitfalls in small ruminant parasite management October 23, 2024 By Melissa Holahan, Veterinary Medicine Extension, and Laura Williams, Parasitology Section Head WADDL Gastrointestinal parasitism is a major health concern affecting small ruminants and therefore preventive care should be direct...