11/02/2022
Dear Clients of North Wind Equine,
Thank you for your support of North Wind Equine, LLC (formerly Dr. Bowman’s equine dental practice) over the past nearly 25 years. Equine veterinary dentistry has grown significantly during that time, and continues to do so at an extraordinary rate. When this practice began circa 1998, a good float was hard to come by; now x-rays, complicated extractions, periodontal and even endodontic treatments are becoming not only possible, but the standard of care. Many of you have had front-row seats to that evolution. In fact, your dedication to the care of your equine partners and education of family and friends has driven the scope of this practice for over two decades, and we greatly appreciate that contribution.
Thus, it is with a heavy heart that I write to you today.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said it best over two millennia ago: “The only thing that is constant is change”. I am saddened to inform you that Dr. Alli Delheimer’s medical concerns have forced her to abandon her dream of practicing equine dentistry; in fact, she is completely withdrawing from equine practice. Her recruitment to North Wind began with a trip to Dr. Bowman’s ranch during her first year of veterinary school, and was realized over five years later when we were able to welcome her to the team as an associate in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Between the overall shortage of veterinarians, the additional challenge of identifying individuals interested in pursuing the physically demanding practice of equine dentistry, and the increasingly unsustainable size of our region, I do not anticipate filling her vacated position. We wish her the best of luck as she navigates her evolving future in veterinary medicine.
It grieves me to simultaneously announce that North Wind Equine’s practice area is dramatically decreasing. Everyone told me that the business model is impossible to sustain: business consultants, accountants, lawyers, veterinarians, family, friends, over-the-road truckers, even you: my clients! Despite this advice, since purchasing the practice in 2013 I’ve fought this inevitability with every tool at my disposal: educating students/technicians/veterinarians about equine dentistry, hiring associates, building and outfitting new dental rigs, and giving up sleep, mental health, and time with my family (human, canine, and equine). However, it turns out that everyone was correct. Effective immediately, as the sole veterinarian at North Wind Equine, I will no longer be traveling more than two hours from Duluth (per Google Maps drive-time to “Duluth, MN”). In addition, I will not drive to new or inactive clients more than 1.5 hours from Duluth. We will be offering haul-ins at one facility outside this two-hour radius (Jubilee Equine in Horace, ND approximately three weeks a year: keep an eye on the North Wind Equine website/Facebook for those dates), as well as a few other locations within our practice range (currently this will include Deer River and Brainerd; stay tuned to the website/Facebook for other options within our practice area).
For those of you outside the two hour range from Duluth, at this time, we unfortunately cannot recommend anyone for you to contact for equine dental care. If you need copies of your records (our dental charts go back to 1998, our radiographs to 2015), we will be happy to share those with you or forward them to another practice, if you contact us to do so. In an effort to fully inform clients of this change, you will be receiving this information in the form of a letter in addition to this email.
For those of you within the two hour range of Duluth, nothing is changing and there's nothing you need to do.
As North Wind Equine shifts gears yet again, no one knows exactly what the future holds. May we all continue to weather the changes that life throws at us with resiliency and flexibility. Happy trails!
Sincerely,
Laurelyn Keener DVM
North Wind Equine, LLC