West Fork Veterinary Services

20/12/2024

Out on farm calls yesterday we stopped in to see a long time friend and client Bill Donaldson. Mikaela snapped this picture which shows a beautiful and well conditioned cow and calf. This cow/calf pair as well as Bill’s whole herd were in good body condition going into the colder months.

It is important to make sure you are feeding your cattle good quality hay and supplementing with grain and minerals if needed going into the winter. With the lack of hay this year and the poor quality of some of the hay available, there is a concern that we may see animals suffering towards the end of winter. It is common that cows will lose a point or two on the body condition scale going through winter and calving in the early Spring. If your livestock are entering the winter already in thinner condition than normal it is paramount to make sure they are being supplemented properly through the winter. Now is the time to buy hay or figure out what your strategy will be for adding other feedstuffs. Do not wait until February or March or your animals and pocket book are going to suffer.

08/12/2024

I apologize for the length and hope that does not deter you from reading through this post. I am trying to be as clear and concise as possible yet still provide the pertinent information.

I want to follow up on our previous post regarding the welfare allegations at Weston Livestock Market. I am pleased to say that the management at Weston Livestock Market contacted us, and we have had a fruitful discussion about potential ways to move forward in which everyone wins (animals, concerned public, the Stockyard, and our livestock and equine communities). We want to make sure that the complaints are being directed to the appropriate parties, and we need clarification on who is responsible and accountable for welfare issues at livestock sales. I have received too many complaints from clients to brush them off as hearsay (I see and get sent a lot more than the ones posted on Facebook). Transparency is key; there is legitimate concern about Weston Livestock Markets’ position of disallowing pictures and videos. That seems to be in opposition to their zero tolerance policy for abuse.
Certainly they would want all evidence to be recorded and presented to them. We need to make sure that legitimate concerns are being addressed, that we have a clear path for welfare complaints that will be taken seriously, and that we all understand who is responsible when there is an issue.

All parties have stated they want the same thing which is the best treatment of animals that can be reasonably achieved, proper reporting of any complaints, accountability being laid at the feet of the proper person or entity, and an end to the repeated negative publicity for equine and livestock in our State.

Weston Livestock Market has some legitimate concerns as to what they should do if someone brings in a horse/cow/calf that is obviously in bad condition and has likely been neglected or mistreated. Refusing it and sending it back to the owner (who doesn’t want to or can’t take care of it) is obviously not the answer. Fortunately, through my discussion with Brittaney Bragg (the original poster) and others at Heart of Phoenix Horse Rescue it appears there is funding available to help with the transport, rehabilitation if possible, and or humane euthanasia if required for these horses that are in very poor condition.

It was actually Weston Livestock Management suggestion to collaborate with local veterinarians and rescue groups to make sure that someone is available on site to determine if these horses are fit for sale. If not, they could be signed over to the rescue taken for veterinary consultation, and then, if necessary, humanely euthanized. There is also talk of having a method for people to relinquish ownership of sick or debilitated animals if they aren’t able to take care of them.

We are pushing for the State Department of Agriculture to host a town hall style meeting in which the State Veterinary Office, State Department of Agriculture, Weston Livestock Market, local equine/livestock rescues groups, and an equine welfare specialist Dr. Clara Mason (https://www.claramasondvm.com/) can all come together. The purpose would not be to bash Weston Livestock Market but to make clear what concerns the public has, who has the responsibility for ensuring the welfare of these animals, and how we can all work together moving forward to make improvements.

The importance of having the welfare specialist can not be understated as sometimes the public can misinterpret or misunderstand practices. Melissa Cole said for instance that she gets complaints about goats and pigs being tagged with official USDA sale tags and people see that as animal cruelty. This and other standard necessary practices are sometimes incorrectly perceived as abuse or welfare issues.

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support. To those that felt the need to threaten myself, my business, or the original poster, I hope you can see we are trying to make improvements working together. If you belittle our concerns and pretend everything is rainbows and butterflies and attack anyone who says differently – you are the problem almost as much as the people who have committed the wrongdoing.

I do not see two sides or different agendas. I see one agriculture and equine community that wants what is best for the animals and the industry. Regardless of your leaning, I hope you can see the great benefit that could come from this meeting and hope you will write or call the WV State Department of Agriculture (Address: 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East State Capitol, Room E-28, Charleston, WV, 25305-0170, Phone: (304) 558-3550, Email: [email protected]), The State Veterinarian Office (Address: 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East Charleston, WV 25305, Phone: 304-558-2214, Email: [email protected]), and your local and state representatives to make sure that we don’t keep seeing this cycle repeat itself.

I absolutely see the value that a local sale barn plays in our agricultural community. I have appreciated my discussions with Melissa Cole-Williams and am looking forward to moving forward together, so we can all be proud of our local equine and livestock industry.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you see the value in what we are proposing please share.

Weston Livestock Marketing
Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue, INC
I tag both groups to show solidarity and hope we can move forward together.

05/12/2024

As many of you may be aware there is a Facebook post circulating about animal welfare issues that may have occurred at the Weston Livestock Market recently. We have had multiple clients reach out to express their concern and ask for information about what can be done to prevent future animals from experiencing similar trauma.

It is easy to get upset and be triggered by some vivid language or videos, but what we need is a persistent maintained effort to improve animal care practices in our State. There are several animal welfare issues that I have encountered/experienced during my short time as a veterinarian. I am currently serving on the WV State Livestock Care Board actively trying to make progress on these issues to help the farmers, livestock, and AG industry in our State. Just because it is the way things have always been done does not mean we can’t work to do better. I am proud to be a West Virginia farmer and practicing large animal veterinarian, but when I hear things like what may have happened at Weston Livestock Auction it saddens me greatly:

1. If you are seeing cases of livestock or equine abuse, neglect, or welfare issues please call the State Department of Agriculture (304-558-3550) and the State Veterinary Office (304-558-2214). They are both mandatory reporters, and they have a record of every complaint that they receive. If you want to see action taken, flood their offices with complaints (Please be respectful and courteous).

2. Speak with your wallets – if you are opposed to the way animals are treated at Weston Livestock Auction then quit buying or selling animals there. They make money from every animal that is sold. If most people feel they are not taking care of the animals, then their sales will decline. This particular case may not have the evidence to be provable, but they have had ongoing issues with animal abuse and welfare, especially in regard to horse sales.

3. The sale barn absolutely has the right to refuse to sell any animal. They should all be examined when they are unloaded, and they can refuse the animal or have the veterinarian on site perform a humane euthanize if needed. It is the sales responsibility to make sure animals are being handled appropriately on their property and take necessary steps to address any issues. If they are not aware of an issue, they cannot address it. But they should not have non-employed personal loading or unloading animals if they are unsupervised. Please issue your complaints or concerns directly to the sale barn management and forward them to the Dept of Ag and State Veterinary Office so there is a written record.

4. There should be a State Dept. of AG official at every sale. And there is often a veterinarian. These people share concerns about the welfare of animals but are not legally allowed to intervene or fear not having the support from law enforcement and the judicial system. Often the buck gets passed around because no one wants to stick their neck out and make a statement.

5. West Fork Veterinary services was approached by Weston Livestock Auction to work taking Coggins (blood samples) at their horse sale and perform other duties as an onsite veterinarian. One of the major reasons that this relationship did not progress is that we stipulated to have a voice at the table on what animals could be sold or would be humanely euthanized or turned away. They said it was the job of the State Animal Health Official present at the sales, and they had no interest in a veterinarian helping make those decisions. This speaks volumes to their concern about animal welfare and zero tolerance for animal abuse. I have spoken with Dr. Brenna Brown who is currently working at the sale barn. She has expressed concerns to the sale ownership about welfare issues, but they have not been supportive or interested in her opinion.

6. Talking with clients yesterday, I expressed that everyone makes enemies or has bad days. I am sure you can find people that dislike me or have bad things to say about my business. However, as a business you live and die by your reputation. I strive to always do what I feel is right for the animal. Sometimes I make mistakes, sometimes I am in a bad mood and am rude to clients, but I am always trying to do my best and improve. Weston Livestock has a long track record of animal welfare concerns. People are scared to bring them forward because of the backlash they receive. We should all be advocates for the welfare of animals. This instance may have been exaggerated, yet most everyone familiar with Weston Livestock Auction would believe that it could happen, and similar things have happened. Let’s hold ourselves and the businesses we chose or chose not to frequent to a higher standard.

7. I reached out to the original poster on Facebook. Did any of you do that who are bashing her and questioning her character? I am all for establishing evidence about this case and determining what really happened rather than taking a Facebook post as 100% fact, but one’s personal life has no reflection of what seems to have happened to these animals at the sale.

8. Weston Livestock Auction is by no means the only sale where these types of incidents occur. I am in support of having an avenue to sell animals. And there is value in having an established site where people who can’t or no longer want to take care of their animals can sell them. But we need to make sure that they are being treated properly. My hope is that this doesn’t turn into a call to just shut down Weston Livestock Auction, but that we can use this saddening case as a catalyst to make changes to the way we handle sick, old, and debilitated animals across the State.

9. I consider Melissa Williams (Cole) a friend. We have both helped each other out in the past professionally and personally. I also have very close friends that work at this sale barn. I mean them no ill will. However, I cannot let our friendship stop me from doing what I feel is right to protect the animals and my clients. I took an oath to become a veterinarian, and I do my best to hold myself to it:

“Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.

I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.

I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.”

An ambulatory veterinary service providing large animal services to north-central West Virginia.

22/11/2024

We want to reach out to our clients and other livestock owners to discuss the importance of testing your forages. Specifically this year with a short hay supply and what looks like it may be a long winter. It is critical to know that the quality of your hay affects your animals through the winter and the ability to support offspring this coming year. The time to add condition to an animal is after lactation and prior to mid gestation. Do not wait until the animal is in late gestation or milking to try to improve the condition. We have purchased a hay probe which we are happy to loan to established clients. We have an account set up with Cumberland Valley Analytical, and we would be happy to submit the samples for you and consult regarding potential need for supplementation.

Dr. Katie MasonAssistant Professor and Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition SpecialistDepartment of Animal ScienceP: 865-974-8941 In the midst of a busy hay seas ...

08/10/2024

Everyone that has goats and/or sheep here's the post for you! We get lots of questions about how to check for parasites in those little guys. We recommend using the 5 point check system.

1. FAMACHA - the color of the inside of their eyelids. You just push right above the eye and then pull on their lower eyelid. That causes the conjunctiva to pop out so you can see a clear view of the color. The score for FAMACHA goes from 1-5: #1 is very pink or red to #5 which is very pale. Anything at a 3 or below likely needs to be dewormed immediately.

2. Check their jaw - If they have a heavy parasite load the underneath of their jaw may be swollen. This is edema, or "bottle jaw". Usually they have to have a pretty significant parasite load to for this to occur.

3. Body condition - The way to check is to put your hand on their spine and feel for signs of fat or if you can feel more of their spine than normal. Just because a small ruminant has a distended abdomen does not mean it is in good body condition!

4. F***l staining - This means to check their for scours. Sometimes if the small ruminant gets f***l staining bad enough it can cause flies to lay eggs, and you could have a bigger problem on your hands! This scale is usually from 0-5. With 0 having no staining and 5 having severe staining down the hocks.

5. The coat - The coat should be slick and shiny. A small ruminant with a poor and rough looking coat could mean it has parasites.

It is important to know that some of these signs can mean something entirely different. When you are checking for parasites its better to look at the 5 point criteria to make deworming decisions. For example a poor body condition could be a sign of poor nutrition rather than parasitism. Diarrhea and f***l staining may likewise be a sign of stress or their diet.

For further or more information:
https://swnydlfc.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=986&crumb=livestock%7C10

04/10/2024

We stopped by our local Tractor Supply in Clarksburg today and left a donation for the farmers and horse owners in North Carolina. If you can, stop by and donate something for the people in that area who have lost so much.

Thank you to the people that have organized the drop-off and transport to NC.

30/08/2024

We are ramping up for pregnancy checking season in cattle. With cull cows still at record highs and forage/hay in short supply it makes more sense than ever to make sure you aren't keeping open cows through the winter. We have several farms scheduled in the coming weeks. Saturdays tend to get booked up most quickly.

We offer re**al ultrasound pregnancy diagnostics which is easier on the cows, more accurate at earlier gestation, and easier on Dr. Stenger's shoulder ;)

It is also a good idea to age cows if you don't have detailed records so you aren't keeping cows that will have a hard time through the winter.

Message on here or call at 3049318484 for scheduling. Please leave a message as we are often out of service or unable to immediately answer the phone.

If you are outside our practice area, we are happy to try and refer you to a veterinarian that covers your area.

28/08/2024

With the drought conditions affecting this area there are additional threats to your livestock other than the lack of grass or water. The limited water resources and severe weather conditions can also affect them by increasing the risk of certain diseases. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is one disease that can show up with droughts. ***We recently saw a case of a cow with EHD in Marion County and ask to share this with farmers in the area so they can be on the look out.***

EHD is most commonly found in deer. Cattle may get it because the deer will be concentrated around the limited water sources increasing spread to the cattle. The gnats (biting midge) that spread the disease will breed at that watering source and can go from deer to cattle and spread EHD.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease is often not fatal to your herd, but it does cause them harm and discomfort. Some signs that they may exhibit are fever, anorexia, difficulty swallowing or excessive drooling, lameness, and ulcers in or around the mouth. It is noted that their skin may be thickened and edematous. These signs can lead to dehydration, emaciation, and aspiration pneumonia. Abortions and stillbirths have been reported with the disease as well, fortunately this disease has a low mortality rate for cattle if caught in time.

The only real treatment is supportive care with anti-inflammatory drugs and supplemental feed. This is a reportable disease. The way to test for it would be to draw blood and send it off through an official State or Federal laboratory.

01/08/2024

With LOTS of pinkeye cases this year here is some information on it.
Pinkeye is also known as Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis. It affects the surface of the eye which causes the foggy lens. Younger cattle are more prone to it, but older cattle can still be affected.
Cattle get pinkeye by trauma to the eyes, dust, or sand blowing into the eyes, face flies (as seen below), and UV irradiation.
There are FDA licensed vaccines such as Solidbac pinkeye vaccine that are effective against the most common bacteria Moraxella bovis, and then there are autogenous vaccines that can be made from a local veterinarian taking swabs of infected cattle and sending them off to have a vaccine custom made for different bacteria.

Outside of vaccination, there are other management strategies that can be used to reduce face flies. A common practice is to feed a mineral with sulfur, garlic, or other components that inhibit flies directly or larval development in cow f***s. Farmers also sometimes sue fly sprays or rubs which will reduce fly populations.

Even with the use of vaccines, fly spray, and adequate shade sometimes pinkeye outbreaks still occur. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but sometimes with the best management cattle still become infected.

Pinkeye does have a high recovery rate if treated early. Pinkeye is commonly treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. We have had success this year with Macrosyn (Tulathromycin) a long-acting antibiotic, and Prevail (Banamine) that is for pain and inflammation in the eye. If the infection isn't treated quickly then sometimes more invasive treatments are required such as patches and eyelid injections.

Prompt treatment will make almost any treatment effective and prolonged cases can become so severe that no treatment will work and the animal may have to have its eye removed (enucleation).

18/06/2024

Happy National Veterinarian Appreciation Day to Dr. Robert Stenger! No one else can be a better only large animal vet boss other than you! Always there for the animals whether they’re yours or someone else’s!
Today is your day….to spend in the clinic doing paperwork because it’s too hot🤣
Happy Veterinarian Appreciation Day to you!!

16/04/2024

We get this question a lot, so we decided to make a post explaining a bit about how to age your horse by its teeth. For older horses it is as much an art as science with guesses based on wear and other parameters. But younger horses can be aged fairly accurately. Age determination is based on the front teeth, also known as incisors.

Here are the some common ways to estimate the age of your horse-
•Occurrence of permanent teeth.
Temporary incisors show up at 8 days, 8 weeks, and 8 months of age. At one year of age all temporary teeth are present. Then by 3 years of age there are large permanent center teeth, both lower and upper. At age 4 the horse has well developed permanent centers, immature intermediates and milk teeth at the corners. Their “tusks” or “canines” have also appeared. At 5 years of age the temporary teeth have been replaced by permanent teeth. They now have what is called a “full mouth.”

•Disappearance of cups (dark brown, hollow indentations in the enamel)
At 6 there starts to show some wear on the corner teeth. Cups in the lower jaw and in the centers should be worn down.
At 8 the cups have disappeared completely from the lower jaw, but the teeth on the upper jaw are present. Dental stars have appeared in four lower and two upper incisors. Dental stars are marks that appear in the central pulp cavity of the teeth as the horse ages.
At 10 the mouth shows a typical angle of incidence. Ordinarily cups are gone from all of the teeth except the upper corners at 10 years of age.
At 11-14 it is hard to differentiate between the two ages.
At 15 all the cups are gone. Central enamel rings are prominent but are very small and round. All teeth have become angular.
At 21 the length of the teeth, acute angle of incidence and triangular surfaces characterize the mouth. Spaces have also appeared between the teeth.

Some other ways you can determine age are:
•Angle of incidence- Which is the angle formed by the meeting of the upper and lower incisor teeth.
•Shape of the surface of the teeth- Teeth appear broad and flat in young horses. From 8-12 years the back surfaces become oval, then triangular at about 15 years old.
•Abnormal teeth conditions- “Parrot mouth” is where the upper and lower incisors don’t meet.

It is often easiest to pull up a chart on your phone and compare it to the teeth of your horse. It is common for “experts” to age a horse differently, so understand there is wiggle room in most horses ages especially woth an unknown history.

Being able to pinpoint age within a fairly narrow range can be of use to owners of unregistered horses or horses whose age is unknown for any reason. Many health and nutrition management decisions are directly related to age and dental wear, making it even more important for all horse owners to have...

06/04/2024

Another heartbreaking story with sale barn dairy calves. The client bought three calves last weekend. One calf died the next day, they tried treating the 2nd at home but it died within 2-3 days, and the third I saw last night on emergency at 8pm.

Please share and spread the word. If you buy newborn calves expect serious illness and consult your veterinarian to treat preemptively. If you wait until they are sick and not eating you are already behind the 8-ball.

I have contacted the State Dept of AG and State Veterinary Office. I have meetings to discuss the issue. If you have time and feel passionate about the well being of these newborn claves and want to support ethical livestock practices in the State please call 304-558-2214 (State Dept of AG) and voice your concerns.

This client called the department of AG and said she was told it is a buyer beware market. The official she talked to didn't seem concerned about the welfare of these animals or her children having to watch the new calf they bought die in front of them.

22/03/2024

Not every day is puppies and baby lambs here at West Fork Veterinary Services, though that is often what we post to social media. Unfortunately, part of being a veterinarian is that we must deal with sick animals. I apologize for the disheartening images, but feel it is my obligation to share this information. Today, we had an emergency call for some very sick bottle calves. We rushed out as soon as we could, but one had already died and another died during the visit.

The calves we saw are dairy calves that were purchased from a local sale barn within the last few days. These calves are originally bought out of state and shipped for hours back here to be resold locally. They likely did not get colostrum, were comingled - increasing the risk of infectious disease, and were ran through sale barns all causing a drastic increase in the risk of sickness from environmental stress and pathogens. The livestock “trading” sector is an unfortunate “black sheep” of the agriculture industry, and when it happens to newborn calves it is heart breaking.
Part of the issue is that these calves often look healthy when they are run through the sale barn; as the incubation period for common diseases can be days to weeks. So, if the buyers are not warned about the risks and do not have experience with these high-risk calves, they have no clue what is about to happen or how to care for them. Unfortunately, there seems to be a higher volume of trade in these calves with the increase in homesteads and new farmers since Covid. People are being taken advantage of for a quick dollar and often have such a bad experience they quit farming as soon as they start. The owners we met today were a grandfather and granddaughter who had saved up money for some time to purchase these calves. They spent $650 per calf for a total of $3900. Two calves have died already, and another is in critical condition. For these owners it was not only a serious financial loss but also devastating emotionally. While we were treating the calves one of their great grandchildren came to the barn to check on “his” calves. It made me want to cry and boiled my blood at the same time.

I take cases like this very personally. Mikaela can vouch that I was fuming, and probably drove a little too fast on the way to the call. Not only as a veterinarian is it my duty to be an advocate for animal health and welfare, but as a proud livestock farmer it infuriates and shames me that these practices are being done in an industry I love. It hurts the animals, it hurts the young/new farmers who don’t know better, and it hurts the agriculture industry. It only helps the short-term pockets of the traders who are peddling these calves.

My plan is to speak with both the State Veterinarian Office and the Department of Agriculture to see what can be done to get some legislation passed to protect these animals, our local farmers, and West Virginia agriculture. We are a State in which the vast majority of farmers are small operators or homesteaders. We need to fight for the welfare of our animals and our small farmers. I hate to shed a bad light on animal agriculture, but I would hate more to stay silent and do nothing when these practices are happening every day. This is not an isolated event. I see it every year. To the point that someone will call and say they have a sick bottle calf, and I can make 2-3 guesses and pick who or where they purchased the calf. A few years back, I had a call where grandchildren went to the sale bought some cute seemingly healthy dairy calves, yet within a few days two had died. We were treating the remaining two, which were starting to turn around, when a heat lamp fell in the middle of the night and burnt down the person’s entire garage. I have countless other stories with the same theme.

We need to do better. We must do better. Where good people are silent bad things continue to happen. When you watch a newborn calf die in the arms of a grandchild in front of their grandparents, you will know what I am feeling and why I am so upset and ready to fight for change. If this message doesn't sit well with you, then you or your livestock practices are the problem.

Please share this with anyone you know in agriculture, especially anyone that may be considering purchasing animals from a sale, auction, or through Facebook. At the very least we need to make sure that the people who buy these calves are doing so with an understanding of how to properly care for them and understand what is at stake for them and the animals.

TL;DR
Young newborn dairy calves are being bought out of state and sold at high prices to unknowledgeable people. The animals are suffering, and the people are suffering. Please share to help spread the word. DO NOT PURCHASE SALEBARN OR AUCTION CALVES unless you are experienced and prepared to treat them.