Sheep Rock, LLC: Veterinary Consulting

08/06/2024

For the next few months, I will be stepping in as the interim state veterinarian while the Dept of Agriculture seeks a permanent replacement for Dr. Jane Lewis. I am confident that my clients, both the fellow doctors and the farmers, understand that this role takes priority as we prepare for H5N1 converging with New England’s show and fair season. Clients have been directly informed of changes in my availability and when I expect to resume normal availability. I’m grateful that we recognize that this is a necessary part of protecting Connecticut’s agricultural industry, and keeping our agriculture commodities safe, during a vulnerable time.

(HARTFORD, CT) – Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt today announced that Dr. Erin Masur, DVM, has joined the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) as interim State Veterinarian within the Bureau of Regulatory Services. Dr. Masur succeeds Dr. Jane Lewis, DVM, DACVPM who was appoin...

05/06/2024

Today at noon, Cornell Coop Extension is hosting a webinar for “anyone from farm to fork” on the topic of milk testing positive for HPAI (avian influenza) and how to protect your products. Multiple experts including food safety scientists and diagnosticians. Follow link to register - this is FREE

Join us for the next Special Session of Dairy Foods Virtual Office Hours! We will discuss Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza Virus (HPAIV) and recent incidences of dairy cows and milk testing positive for this virus. Join us for a moderated Q&A session with a panel of experts in the field to g...

27/05/2024

I've had a lot of inquiries in the past couple of weeks about hosting another webinar covering backyard poultry medicine for veterinarians. Here is the link to the FREE 3 hr lecture with myself, Dr. Perelman and Dr. Walters from June of last year. To be honest, I can't create something better than what we ended up with here. This is a great intro and you get three different perspectives on poultry medicine. I have quite a challenge to tackle over the next few months so this is the best I can offer! As for HPAI/H5N1 specifically, I give frequent updates across all socials (FB, Insta and TikTok) so just keep an eye out if that's what you're looking for.
You do have to create an account with my website to get access, but I promise, I don't actually use your information for anything - its just a way of me ensuring that only veterinary professionals access the content.

What do you want your clients to know? Whether it's articles, handouts, demo videos, or more - we can create those materials custom for you and your client base. Information is cross analyzed against the most current and most reputable industry sources.

29/04/2024

Thank you CJR for sharing your farm with Connecticut State Community College for both the Northwestern and Middlesex veterinary technology programs. It takes a village to provide our students with quality educational opportunities to master their large animal technical skills. As a food animal practitioner myself, I feel obligated to have an active role in training the future professionals of the field… although I am often guilty of trying to lure students from the small animal hospital to the dark side 😂 🤣 CT State Northwestern CT State Middlesex

29/03/2024

Next Thursday night! Class on sheep and goats!
Most common contagious diseases and how to keep them off your farm, PLUS most common non-contagious conditions (hint: urinary calculi) and latest information.

26/03/2024

Here is the latest credible information regarding the "mystery cow virus" which has been determined to be Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The article from which I pulled these details in linked with this post, but here is a brief summary:

- The USDA, the FDA, the CDC, state (TX, KS, NM) veterinarians and state (TX, KS, NM) public health officials are rapidly investigating a disease that primarily affects older dairy cattle and the situation is unfolding daily, with ongoing updates and details.
- Because of the presence of deceased wild birds on the properties where cows were sick, HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) testing was carried out on unpasteurized (raw) milk and an oropharyngeal swab of ill cows, and these tests were positive.
- Viral genome sequencing is underway so that we can characterize how we expect this particular HPAI to take effect. Currently, there appears to be very low risk of human involvement or human illness.
- Milk in the commercial supply is SAFE due to the process of pasteurization, which is continually proven to inactivate bacterial and viral pathogens, and is required for milk entering the commercial market.
- Milk yielded from cattle who are sick, and any abnormal milk, is diverted and destroyed. As ALWAYS, only milk from healthy animals is permitted to enter the market for human consumption, and normal procedure always involves several rounds of testing to ensure this.
- Ensuring good biosecurity, especially pertaining to wild, migratory birds that traverse your property, remains the mainstay of prevention. Be observant and watchful of wild birds and domestic birds near your farm.

Proceed with caution if you're coming to the comment section with conspiracy theories.

The .gov means it's official. Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you're on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser's address (or "location") bar.

22/03/2024

Fun turn of events - I have some big shoes to try and fill tomorrow. I’ll be headed down to my Alma Mater, to the to act as one of the judges for the annual NJ 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl. It’s been some years since my boots touched the ground on Lipman Dr. Thank you to for passing this year’s judging on to me. Hopefully I make for a decent stand-in!

19/03/2024

Ok I had all sorts of cool news to share, but am too buried in helping clients with lambing season to get my 💩 together, and then this mystery cow virus hit the news. I do want to make sure I address this topic just to try to quell your nerves. Not much has been confirmed about this problem, which originates in TX, but there is a ton of misinformation going around. What is important here is not to panic, simply be observant and careful, practice good biosecurity (I know, I know, but being careful costs zero dollars) and wait for strong information to develop. Here is what is known so far: “Clinical signs include decreased herd level milk production; acute sudden drop in production with some severely impacted cows experiencing thicker, concentrated, colostrum like milk; decrease in feed consumption with a simultaneous drop in rumen motility; abnormal tacky or loose f***s, and some fever. Impacted herds have reported older cows in mid-lactation may be more likely to be severely impacted than younger cows and fresh cows or heifers. Dry cows and heifers do not appear to be affected. In addition, some herds have reported pneumonia and clinical mastitis cases as secondary sequelae.” And if anyone wants to keep their finger on the pulse of this issue I would suggest checking the following website frequently: tahc.texas.gov keep your herd protected by making smart biosecurity choices and treading water until things change!

18/03/2024

Don’t forget to sign up! This class at Woodbury FFA Chapter is quickly approaching.

08/03/2024

Happy International Women’s Day from a gal who just does not have the time to create more content this week.
Please consider celebrating by watching this awesome video about how ladies get things done & handled.

The story of how Slough Farm's Julie Scott and Dr. Erin Masur, a Connecticut-based livestock veterinarian, teamed up to provide the farming community on the ...

04/03/2024

Who wants to get my advice on preventing and identifying the most common contagious diseases of sheep and goats? Join me in April for Woodbury FFA Chapter's Adult Ed Courses!

01/03/2024

How Julie Scott at Slough Farm Foundation and I worked together to bring a farm call service to the island of Martha's Vineyard in 2023 and how we plan to move forward!

The story of how Slough Farm's Julie Scott and Dr. Erin Masur, a Connecticut-based livestock veterinarian, teamed up to provide the farming community on the ...

19/02/2024

Well, there have been neon signs that I need to introduce myself and explain what I do. There are pinned posts/highlights that explain this, so if this post gets lost, you can always check there.
I’m Dr. Erin Masur and I’m a livestock veterinarian, a mom of three kids (five and under), and a sheep farmer. For several years, I owned a practice in New Jersey, but now I live in Connecticut. I’m licensed to practice in NJ, CT, MA and NY.
I work as a professor of Large Animal Clinical Nursing once a week. I regularly consult for fellow veterinary practices, I write, and I create client education workshops. While farm calls are my first love, I’m restricted from offering client-facing veterinary services in the northwest corner of CT, which is where I live and farm.
Because I travel out of state to offer farm calls, I offer established clients strong telemedicine support. In order to receive remote emergency advice, I require a valid Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship in that state, and I need to see your farm with enough frequency to feel confident in our ability to communicate as a team.
I service beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats, alpacas and llamas, poultry, exotic hoofstock, and swine. I do not service horses, donkeys, zebras or zorses. Unless for in-home euthanasia, I do not service dogs, cats, and pocket pets. I do not like green eggs and ham.

29/01/2024

Join me 2/9-2/11 for a lambing workshop (featuring my brand new dystocia simulation model), Sheep 201, and backyard poultry basics during Feb-ewe-ary at ! I’m getting lots of DMs from folks in my neck of the woods asking if the lambing workshop is translatable for goats, and the answer is ABSOLUTELY! The full lambing workshop discusses preparing the pregnant ewe, labor and delivery interventions, and proper care of the neonatal lamb. Each of these units can be easily and quickly adapted into goat-appropriate material, even on the fly in the middle of class if necessary. Do not hesitate to sign up for this if you’re raising goats in MV, and likewise if you want this workshop accessible in CT for either species, please holler at me. ARE EWE READY?!

19/01/2024

come pick my brain during this interactive discussion about managing parasites in the winter! Details in the video and coupon code for subscription is DRMASUR - must be a Mother Earth news member to join!

15/01/2024

Fun merch available on the sheeprockvet.com website! For small ruminant vets, I have durable Pregnancy Toxemia field cards, perfect for when you forget reference ranges while running a truckside blood ketometer and you don’t have the cell service to look it up. For vets, techs, farmers, farm managers and whoever is running f***l tests, P**P SQUAD stickers! These stand the dishwasher test of time and allow you to brag to friends, strangers and relatives about your DIY sciencey adventures with f***s! **psquad 🐾

28/11/2023

Since 2018 (the year I opened my former practice in New Jersey) I've had an annual tradition of posting a holiday gift guide that supports local farmers and makers. The idea is not only to support farmers who have supported me, but to encourage consumers to leave their house and visit their local farm to pick up locally produced products. Since then, everywhere I have moved and/or worked, I have continued the tradition. Truth be told, this was the first year I was not going to do this, but after someone reached out to tell me they were waiting patiently, I thought otherwise. Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy Holidays - whether you're gifting experiences, delicious edible treats, or apparel, make you dollar empower a small farm near you.

Am I missing a local gem? Add your suggestions in the comments!!

These are small operations, so make sure to check out each website for hours and ordering instructions!
Maplewood Farm https://maplewood-farmct.square.site/
Calf and Clover Creamery https://calfandclovercreamery.com/
Lavender Hills Farm LLC https://www.lavenderhillsfarmct.com/
Clover Hill Alpacas https://cornwallct.org/business/business-directory/clover-hill-alpacas-2/
Cato Corner Farm https://www.catocornerfarm.com/
greengoatranch.com
Out Of Sight Alpacas https://www.outofsightalpacas.com/
RWV Land and Livestock South Inc
Flat Point Farm Goat Milk Soap https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlatPointFarmGoods?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Allen Farm Sheep & Wool https://allenfarm.com/index.html
Morning Glory Farm https://morninggloryfarm.com/
The Humble Hive Homestead https://www.thehumblehivehomestead.com/

13/11/2023

Thanks to Jen and for inviting me to do this and doing all the heavy lifting to make it happen. This is open to 4-H kids, parents and alumni! I have been taking my usual producer education and veterinary professional education modules, piece by piece, and making it more digestible for kids of all ages and I’m really excited to get into with them this Saturday. Bring a p**p sample with you!

07/11/2023

Did you know that for the last few months I have been working as a Clinical Parasitology Consultant to Roxbury Animal Clinic? I have been handling their small ruminant, large ruminant, camelid, poultry and swine f***l testing as an independent contractor. One common struggle for mixed animal practices is that the usual out-of-house laboratories, although excellent for small animal and equine species, are unreliable when it comes to accurately identifying ruminant parasite eggs. Most of these labs also do not offer quantitative results - meaning they cannot give a specific number of eggs per gram. Instead, they report results as low/moderate/heavy, or a scale of symbols. While this is acceptable for small animal, it’s not acceptable for small ruminants, where having a specific number is crucial for deworming decisions. With parasites being the leading cause of death in goats in the United States, Roxbury's dedication to providing high quality small ruminant care means they've made this decision to advance the results of their parasite testing. The other major advantage to using a local option is that goat diarrhea is often an EMERGENCY. While the veterinary diagnostic centers in neighboring states are the most sophisticated option for f***ls, the shipping and lab turnaround time can make or break a case when hours are crucial. I have really enjoyed our collaboration on this as it has allowed for direct communication between myself and their team of doctors on a case-by-case basis. Most of my work this year has been finding different ways to support my fellow practitioners with their sheep and goat caseload, whatever that means for each team. This just happens to be my favorite project! Roxbury Animal Clinic

Livestock Services and Veterinary Consulting

25/10/2023

My latest article for Goat Journal is out and it covers Cache Valley Virus. If you're raising sheep and goats in New England and your homestead or business model depends on optimal reproductive health, this is a must-read. It took many minds to pull this together, including Dr. Tuominen (Massachusetts), Dr. Sarah Wedel Lowry (New York) of the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners, Dr. Toby Pinn Woodcock (New York) from Cornell University's Dept. of Population Med & Diagnostic Services, and last but not least an assist from Dr. Mary Smith (New York) who provided us with case photos. Great way to collaborate with neighboring small ruminant practitioners.

Our NOV/DEC issue is here and it is full of helpful tips! Subscribe today. Each issue covers health, breeds, seasonal care, recipes, best practices for herd health, animal well-being and productivity and MORE!

https://gtj.iamcountryside.com/loading.do?pk=EGJDNNZE&omedasite=gtj_new&utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=Goat%20Journal

Issue Details:
The Features:
A New Approach to Assessing Nigerian Dwarf Milk Production
Brace Yourselves....author Kopf Canyon Ranch, LLC - Kiko Goats in Idaho

The Stories:
Cache Valley Virus
Common Facial Swellings in Goats
Learning to Love Goats
The Smiling Dog
Goats in Art
Raw Milk Safety
Paneer, An Indian Food Staple

In Every Issue:
From the Editor Marissa Ames of Ames Family Farm
Reader Feedback
Back from the Vet: Foot Rot in Goats
The Helpful Herd: Minimize Stress for Happy and Healthy Goats
Photo Essay: Hulse Hill Farm
Breed Profile: Dutch Landrace Goat
Breeders Directory/Classifieds
Recommended Products
Just for Fun
Coming Attractions

19/10/2023

Didn’t expect this kind of slime from a black & white! Crazy 🐮 👅
I’m back from VT after three days of palpation, repro imaging, milk quality and DAs. I’m feeling like I finally checked off things that I’ve been impatiently seeking training for since I was a freshly minted DVM (even before that if we’re being honest). Veterinary school can often fall short of delivering on practice experience and that’s a problem with much bigger solutions, but for me this was just the first of several trips to address these skills. I’m feeling much more proficient but there’s still much to do. Thanks to my colleagues who housed me, let me work alongside them, ate donuts, maple candies and burgers with me as we discussed the future of food animal medicine and how we can best support each other.
Now that I’m back and I’m catching up, I do have an important housekeeping memo. I’m booked out 3-4 weeks on vet-to-vet consulting at this time. I have multiple consults to wrap up and have standing weekly consults to attend to, but can’t take a new consult on until late November. If you have an emergency you can definitely reach out and I will do my best to accommodate!

16/10/2023

Out of office until Thursday 😁 🍁 🏔️ Every practitioner has strengths and weaknesses and my weakest knowledge gap has always been dairy cattle medicine. I’ve practiced in a few different areas of the US, and everywhere I’ve been I’ve always hoped for the opportunity to get more skilled in that capacity, but kept getting pulled in different directions and life gets in the way. One of the things I’m doing this year and next year is to finally develop this for myself and for my career. Luckily I found a couple other food animal vet mamas to show me the ropes. There’s not much service up here in VT so unless it’s an emergency you’ll be waiting a few days to hear back from me as I sharpen up those skills. Thanks to Dr. Rebecca Whitcomb Allen and Dr. Amy Dowd Bartholomew at Cobble Knoll Orchard for showing me what you know and putting me up!

11/10/2023

This week started off with a few consultations for other veterinarians, including a ewe herd nutritional plan, compiling an inventory and equipment list for a new practice start-up, and updating some pain management protocols for small ruminant and swine field procedures.
As if that was not enough fun, yesterday I ate lunch with the team at Roxbury Animal Clinic. We had an all-hands discussion regarding barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) in sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas. Together, we talked about how to bring current concepts like refugia, pasture health, and herd surveillance to clients. How can these concepts be modified to fit into anyone’s backyard? We talked through the latest deworming strategies that are out there and how each strategy has advantages and disadvantages, and if these strategies help us with our goal of preventing dewormer resistance. We also reviewed a number of supportive care products that are available over the counter and discussed which are helpful or not helpful for an animal recovering from barber pole. Last but certainly not least, we had pizza and chocolate! It was so nice to be amongst a team, eating my favorite lunch and talking my favorite topics. Thanks for having me! Roxbury Animal Clinic

04/10/2023

Tonight I’m thrilled to be speaking to the student chapter at and even more thrilled at the assignment: Spooky Season Creepy Crawlies! I think by now we all know that “gastrointestinal worms of small ruminants” is my favorite topic of all time and that I can (and will) spend 5 hours on just that. I’ve spent years reading, practicing, and conducting my own clinical research in that domain, so naturally that’s where we are starting! These fledging vets will shortly be out in the field as my colleagues so I will do my best to prepare them for practical applications and client discussions - how do you take all that knowledge and apply it to the farm you’re about to visit? If time allows I’ve also prepared top tips on meningeal worm, maggot management, airborne vector control and how to incorporate in-house f***l testing as a practice building tool. As an enthusiastic AASRP member myself I’m looking forward to this opportunity for mutual connections with our future small ruminant practitioners. See ya all tonight! Bring gummy worms! American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Farm vet: Tailored workshops for ag groups, relief for fellow practices, first responder trainer.

19/09/2023

The only picture I got from yesterday was before anyone arrived! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for a great turn out and an active, engaged group. I traveled home today and sent out a mass email to all attendees, but in case you don’t see it: I will be replying to follow up emails and sending the slides to anyone who was in attendance (or ended up not making it last minute). Please give me a week or so to do this (I came home to farm chores, school schedules and my other jobs)! Since we ended up short on time, I’m offering some consult time to anyone who attended, receives the PowerPoints, but still has lingering questions, especially pertaining to the first aid and CPR module. Thank you so much! I hope you learned a lot and feel more empowered to be proactive with the wellness of your livestock!

15/09/2023

Coupon codes now available for Rutgers students and alumni, and NJ Farm Bureau members. Message for secret codes :)

Let me teach you the most current and most correct research on worms, how to prevent parasite issues, and how to recognize common diseases.

11/09/2023

Less than a week away and still a few spots left! Don't miss out! I've got a few extra goodies up my sleeve.

Let me teach you the most current and most correct research on worms, how to prevent parasite issues, and how to recognize common diseases.

01/09/2023

Me and all my beverages are present for first day as adjunct professor of Large Animal Clinical Nursing at the Northwestern CSCU. I will be working with second year nursing students as they develop their comfort, knowledge and technical skills around the farm and handling livestock. Our field needs help, and I truly believe the solution lies with our nurses, technicians, assistants, and farmers. This year has been full of guesswork and trepidation as I’ve tugged at multiple threads with the same common origin: what can I do to collaborate with my colleagues and educate professionals and producers so that as our field becomes more physically dissonant, we can still support each other? It does not escape me as I wait for students this morning that both colleagues I knew and colleagues who were strangers have put their ideas, opportunities and support into my hands this year. Thank you all!

25/08/2023

*** Update re: FREE RESOURCES for livestock owners/caretakers***

Here's a link to my YouTube channel, where I'm actively uploading various demo videos to teach you basic technical skills to make your farm more self-sustainable. I've been hitting the sheep/goat/alpaca skills hardest, and now there is a whole playlist including BCS, FAMACHA scoring, IM and SC injections, even how to put on one of those dang cheapo halters. You'll notice there's a second playlist called "FAQ" where I will be answering your questions that need answers a bit too long to fit on an Insta/FB story.

So I've got two questions for you all.
1. What skills/techniques do you want to see next?
2. What questions do you want answered?

Did anyone else struggle to stay awake this week or was it just me?There was not enough coffee in the world.

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