Mountain River Vet - Salmon

18/06/2024

As we wind down operations here in Lemhi, I will make announcements for other service options in the area.
I have the ability to place med orders for the rest of this week if you need a short term stock up option.
I also want to remind you that script meds can be ordered through the main office for 12mo past the date of my last site visit to your operation.
As always, I am deeply grateful for all of your support and friendship over the years 🩵

18/06/2024

Make sure you get your animals rabies vaccinated!
Fortunately we use a Potomac/Rabies combo, so almost all of the horses we saw this spring are UTD on rabies vaccination.

Plan ahead for next year and be sure to do the same.

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2024/06/rabid-bat-found-in-lemhi-county-rabies-is-fatal-if-treatment-is-not-administered-after-exposure/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2xoNXl6vactzZxyOX8swwZ_b_LdQr02vG4MnJdPNAWuSrhG_QO-2RoaF4_aem_aEmWAzUAJXvsx4GiZf7fYg

The following is a news release from Eastern Idaho Public Health. SALMON — A bat found in the yard of a residence in Lemhi County has been identified as having rabies. While most bats are harmless and do not carry rabies, they are the only animal in Idaho that is a natural reservoir for the […]

04/05/2024

In life there are multiple times where the realization that one's individual decisions affect a much broader population than oneself. And this has weighed very heavily on me the last week, it is incredibly humbling as well as emotional.

Over the years I have become acutely aware that as an individual in my profession, our choices have the potential to ripple beyond the limits of our circle of family and friends. On a daily basis my presence and influence is seen, heard, and felt in a great many family homes, herds and operations- and this is something that I have not taken for granted. The realization that any decisions made would affect a significantly larger number of friends and clients can at times be incredibly overwhelming.

I have from a very young age been both blessed and cursed with an intrinsic need to pursue personal and professional growth. This smouldering necessity has once again prompted me to pursue an opportunity to broaden my career. I had tried to repress this for a number of years now, but it just kept returning more and more frequently with a growing intensity.

And so it is with a heavy heart, that I announce my departure from the beautiful Lemhi valley and the state of Idaho. A decision that I can assure you, was not taken lightly or arrived at painlessly, as growth often goes hand in hand with some level of discomfort.

I have accepted a position at Iowa State University that offers an excellent opportunity to continue to learn, grow and collaborate with others in bovine production medicine.
Although we are very excited for this next chapter in our lives, it is accompanied by a deep sadness to leave this wonderful and kind community we have been lucky to call home for the last 7 years.

I want to extend a heart felt thank you for all of the kindness, support, and trust in me as your veterinarian you all have given over the years. You all have added so much depth to my skillset, knowledge and life; and I can never fully express how much that means to me.

I will be accepting calls up to the middle of June (June 14th) and hope to see many of you in person over the coming weeks.

"There's just nothing compares quite to making my cow's life better, because in the end, it makes my life better." Otto Kilcher

27/04/2024

Thank you VAHS, what a sincere tribute.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1113271953078073&id=100031858373451&mibextid=cr9u03

04/04/2024

Ranching for Profit School opportunity in our area!!

There is a RFP school planned for June over in Billings. Take advantage of this excellent opportunity with your ranch stakeholders to create a plan for the health and longevity of the ranch!

Follow the link for more details!

We just finished our main Ranching for Profit School delivery season, which was fulfilling as ever, but we are all glad to be home too. Eight full schools since Thanksgiving means we got to meet and work with over 400 ranchers who were willing to travel to learn in the last three months. That is [.....

01/04/2024

Here we are already headed into AI season!! Where does time go??

Feel free to contact us if you need help with guidance on protocols or want to schedule for us to come and provide services to your herd.

I recently watched a safety webinar on handling liquid nitrogen, and to be honest I was ashamed of the many times I’ve taken unnecessary risks hauling semen tanks around.

Below is a slide from the presentation that outlines the rate at which liquid nitrogen can cause dangerously low levels of oxygen. Please be airborne to this…. The story told during the presentation is truly heartbreaking and a reminder to always be cognizant of the risks we take in this career.

There link for the full presentation is below as well- I will warn you that there is a tragic incident relived through the presentation.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lIic3oiLCiw

30/03/2024

Bear with me- lots of good info I want to get into my clients heads/hands.

As branding season approaches, I want to share a couple tips to maximize success of the immunization products, and minimize stress on the calves. 💉Minimizing stress helps to boost immune response to vaccines, keep those calves healthy, and keep them on the gain; all yielding more $$ in the fall.

The most important aspect to maximize calf health; MINIMIZE THE TIME AWAY FROM THE COWS!!!! ⏱️

Work your cattle in small groups- sizes you can get through in 1-2hrs max. If roping & dragging, set up your system so that the processed calves go directly back to their dams- not back into a calf mob to continue to stress.

If using a calf table- set up your pens so calves go back on the cows after leaving the table.

This may require working cows first- or breaking the herd in half on branding day. Calves with cows; even if not their dams are still less stressed than in a calf mob.

Finally- this is very important; vaccines need to be given by someone who is trained in BQA, proper vaccine handling, and injection practices. This is one of the most important parts of the day- our goal is to immunize calves, not just poke holes in them.

The following article reiterates many of these points and mashes a few other.

https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2022/relieving-stress-around-branding-pen

30/03/2024

Most of my clients are done or almost done calving- but this article is a good one to print out and reread every year a month or more before calving.
It is a recipe for a successful calving season!

Fall calving is in progress for many ranchers. A veterinarian offers tips to give calves the best chance to thrive and survive.

29/03/2024

Cow-calf clients; there are preliminary reports of High Path Avian Influenza having been diagnosed on an Idaho dairy. As a community- we are not yet sure what, if any, impact HPAI could have on beef cattle.

Dairy producers report that only a relatively small percentage of their cattle are affected, typically older cows in mid- to late-lactation. Dry cows and heifers are not showing signs of illness. Symptoms vary but affected cattle may exhibit reduced milk production, an unexpected drop in feed intake, thick, colostrum-like milk, diarrhea and/or tacky f***s, dehydration and mild respiratory symptoms. The cattle recover, although milk production may be slow to resume.

There is no evidence of any concerns with meat or pasteurized milk consumption.

I do request that you refrain from bringing in any new dairy animals to the area herds at present. Until we have a better idea of how transmission occurs & impact to cattle health.

Rest assured that many individuals are working hard to find these answers at present.

See the following infographic for recommendations on increasing biosecurity in your herds. And feel free to reach out with any questions.

15/03/2024

Colostrum as a treatment for calf scours?? Yup!! I’ve talked to a handful of producers about this and gotten some good feedback from people that have tried it. Read the following article for more information!!

https://genex.coop/feeding-colostrum-as-a-therapy-for-diarrhea-in-preweaned-calves/?fbclid=IwAR0Yx9y0YG7V7RV8rSXY6tjuUq27rGggcq1kFefEZ0ndESfORBZCnNOvj3w_aem_AXRR-DUnGkM9d0OAuZgHk-iWO_BFQnN7iLWRi72KukR1DbAbk3T_eS8YR54w0rkDqAwinYHBZUbQgDgxKE3eFiqU

The benefits of colostrum create an enticing argument that it may have the potential to act as a therapy for diarrhea in preweaning calves.

09/03/2024

Orphan calves can be managed to stay with the herd- it’s not cheap- but it is definitely possible. Calves need to eat 10-12% of their body weight in milk for the first months of life. That means an 80lb calf needs about 1gallon (1 gallon weighs 8lbs) of milk divided into multiple meals initially. But as they gain weight; the amount will need to increase.

If they gain 2lb/day; at 1 month of age they will weigh approximately 140lbs- (14lbs of milk) which is 1.75 gallons of milk divided into multiple feedings (I recommend 3 feedings).

Use a good quality milk replacer- at least 15% fat & 22% protein; but a 18-20%fat, 22% protein would work even better.

Get them started on a good quality starter grain from the first week of life, plenty of fresh water, and plan to wean them slowly once starter ration consumption is 2lb or greater/day. Hay can be slowly introduced around 1mo of age.

Yes, this will be pricier than what I typically see people use on orphan calves- but having a calf that gets on the truck this year, vs. keeping an extra year to fit in next spring or fall will return the investment.

Raising an orphaned beef calf can be time consuming and may require additional expense. Additionally, calves may not be thriving at the time they are orphaned so managing health and nutrition can present challenges.

15/02/2024

It’s a slop out there this year!

Be prepared to make changes if you start experiencing calf health issues!!

This article gives good tips on managing around mud during calving.

Pro Tip: open the article and then ask Siri to read it to you 😉

Mud conditions in calving areas can lead to health concerns in both the cow and calf. Mud and moisture prevent the hair coat from insulating and maintaining body temperature, leaving newborn calves vulnerable to hypothermia. Mud also increases the energy requirements for the cow and may lead to decr...