Southwest Montana Veterinary Service

21/08/2024

Congratulations to our vet assistant Morgan and her husband Blaine on the arrival of their baby boy this last weekend! We appreciate the years Morgan was a part of our team and we wish her and her family all the best in this new chapter!

19/08/2024

As summer is winding down, we are starting to think about pregnancy testing cows!

We have already started making appointments through the fall, so give us a call to get on our schedule so we can do our best to get you booked for the day you prefer. (406)925-0808

We appreciate your business!

15/08/2024

Congratulations to our very own Taylor Frey! As many of you know, Taylor has been a Certified Veterinary Technician for the past 6 years. Today she officially received her status as a Licensed Veterinary Technician from the state of Montana. Taylor's compassion and knowledge makes her a tremendous asset to our clinic, clients, and community. If you see Taylor Frey, LVT around, give her a pat on the back for her accomplishment!

29/07/2024

Equine pre-purchase exams: what to expect

GOAL OF THE PRE-PURCHASE EXAM
• A pre-purchase exam is an assessment of the overall health and soundness of a horse at the time of the exam. Veterinarians evaluate the risk associated with the purchase for the horses intended use. They will not be able to make any guarantees for the horses future health.

PRE-VISIT CONVERSATION
•Before the pre-purchase exam, a conversation about expectations, cost, use of the animal and relevant test is very important.
•Previous use, vaccination/deworming/dental history, previous medical concerns and medications.
•Farrier work- recent farrier work can affect exam if done immediately prior.

EXAMINATION
•Durning the exam, the veterinarian checks all major body systems for abnormalities and risk factors for potential future issues, including but not limited to:
*Cardio: Murmurs and arrhythmias.
*Respiratory: Lung sound and function.
*Gastrointestinal: Normal movement.
*Dermatologic: Masses, dermatitis, scar, ectoparasites and wounds.
*Oral: Dental abnormalities.
*Ophthalmic: Vision, ocular abnormalities.
*Musculoskeletal: Lameness baseline and flexion tests, hoof testers, conformation and gait, pain/swelling of limbs, back, neck and joints.
*Neurologic: Normal reflexes and responses, muscle atrophy and coordination.

RADIOGRAPHS AND OTHER OPTIONAL DIAGNOSTICS
•The number of x-rays a veterinarian will suggest depends on the level of information the client wants.
•Assessment of preclinical navicular disease.
•Bloodwork coggins for travel.
•Basline CBC, chem for overall wellness +\- any other tests pending exam.
•Reproductive exam if horse is intended for breeding purposes.

*No veterinarian can predict the future on a pre-purchase exam. We do our best to give information based on facts presented and likely prognoses.

If you are interested in having a pre-purchase exam before your next purchase, please call with any question!

10/07/2024

Summer is finally here!🥳... Maybe🤫... Which hopefully means nice riding weather, at least for a couple hours.🐴 One of the most important aspects of riding is horse care and making sure their feet are well maintained and can support what is being asked of the them.
Unfortunately, lameness is one of the biggest injuries we see in veterinary medicine.🩼 Some of the most common lamenesses we see are directly related to hoof size and angle. Hoof size is a fairly straight forward issue we see.💪 Big muscly horses on not so big feet 🤏 that we expect to support 1000+lb animals plus us, usually doing some sort of high motion activity. 🏇 The smaller the feet the higher the impact they are receiving as they hit the ground.
📐 The angle of the Hoof Pastern Axis(HPA) also plays a major role in soundness. The HPA is the angle between between the hoof wall and the pastern. This angle alone affects every other anatomical feature in the leg including joints, tendons, ligaments, and of course the bones.🦴
This is why having a regular care team🩺 with your vet and farrier is so important in keeping your horse sound. With many lameness injuries, we work together to evaluate and correct the issue (when possible) to get your horse healed up as quick as possible, as well as keeping them happy and healthy. This need is amplified if they are being used for competitions 🏆or breeding 🍼where even more pressure will be put on their legs and feet. Trims every 4-6 weeks (depending on the horse) should be a regular part of your horses maintenance schedule. Even if they are a brood mare or kids pasture pony that doesn't necessarily need shod they still have a job they are expected to do. Keeping their feet maintained will help them continue to do their job to the best if their abilities, and more importantly keep them happy and sound!

Feel free to call with questions! Thanks! 😊🐎
Southwest Montana Vet Staff
406-925-0808

08/07/2024

It's National Farriers Week! Let's celebrate the hard work that our farriers put in daily to partner with equine veterinarians and ensure the health and well-being of our horses. Proper hoof care is essential for a sound and happy horse, so it goes without saying that a skilled farrier is both a necessity and a tremendous asset.

Don't forget to give a shoutout to your farriers this week and show them your appreciation for their dedication to their craft!

03/07/2024

In observance of Independence Day, Southwest Montana Veterinary Service will be closed for non-emergency appointments on Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th. Should you have a large animal emergency during this time, please call Dr. Igo. Happy Fourth of July!

04/06/2024

🔔Reminder🔔
Don’t forget to join us today at the Dillon Livestock Auction Yards for a great line up of speakers on cattle nutrition and management!
Hope to see you there!

14/05/2024

Join us on June 4th at the Dillon Livestock Auction Yards for a great line up of speakers!

06/05/2024

Welcome to our new Vet Assistant, Patsea! She jumped right in and is doing great! Stop in and say hello!

27/03/2024

If your cow or heifer is not making progress calving on her own, get her in and see if there is a problem. We are here to help if needed! Happy Calving! 🐮

04/03/2024

Your friendly spring reminder!💐

🐎 Along with equine vaccinations, have you thought about f***l floats?! March is f***l exam month!💩

🦠With so many deworming options out there and resistance to dewormers becoming more common, we recommend f***l flotation before deworming your horse. This allows us to identify IF there are indeed parasites, the kind of parasite we are treating, and the severity of the problem.

🪱Although many of us rotate dewormers between spring and fall, we still see parasites that are not covered by that product or have become resistant to it.

To find out more information about f***l flotations and targeted deworming strategies
📞contact us @ (406) 925-0808📞

28/02/2024

Interesting case of the day! A good reminder that not all lame cattle have footrot. If they are not responding to treatment, be sure to pick the foot up and check it out like these clients did.
Somehow this cow got a rubber hair band worked up around one hoof claw and was cutting into the skin between the digits and around the coronary tissue at the top of the hoof wall causing significant pain and lameness.

25/02/2024

The catalogs are in the mail. If you would like to look at the digital version, click the link below!

https://circlelangus.com/pdfs/2024/CIRL_2024_Sale_Catalog-Jan24_WEB.pdf

14/02/2024

Happy Calving Season! First baby born in our new haul-in facility. Give us a call with your calving needs 🐮

31/01/2024

Come learn about cattle nutrition on February 8th! Put on by Axmen Feed. RSVP to Danielle

20/01/2024

Hi everyone! Although Montana seems to have it's seasons confused🥶, we are coming up on the spring months. With that comes all the yearly maintenance on our furry friends getting them ready for summer riding.🐎 Seeing how February is Dental Health Month 🪥🦷we will be offering our annual promotion on dental floats. This will consist of free sedation on all dental floats scheduled from February 1st- February 29th. 💉
Please call the office at 406-925-0808 to schedule your appointment or if you have any questions.
Thank you! 😊
Southwest Montana Vet Staff

26/12/2023

Merry Christmas from all of us at SW MT Vet!! 🎄

22/12/2023

We are glad Santa didn't wait until the last minute to get his health certificate 🎄🙂 Merry Christmas!

24/11/2023

We will be closed today (Friday 11/24) to allow our staff to enjoy the holiday with their families. If you have an emergency, please call Dr. Igo. Thanks for understanding!

23/11/2023

07/11/2023

Dip & Dot got her teeth done! Today's smallest (but sassiest) patient 🐴

21/10/2023

Meet our staff:

My name is Olivia Davis. I am originally from Northern Kentucky and moved to Dillon in 2011 to attend school at Western. I graduated college in 2016 with 4 degrees in horsemanship and science. I have been a part of many ag related businesses in Dillon the last several years, but being a vet technician has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had! I enjoy all the different duties and seasonal work - there is always something new and exciting to learn with all the animals and it’s a bonus to visit with local producers! When I am not working with Dr. Igo… to say that I have some irons in the fire is an understatement! I am either working with my husband with our cow/calf operation, running a tractor for our custom farming business, cutting or baling for our custom haying business, or I am working for my own business, Diamond 7 Western Riding; conducting horseback riding lessons or guiding a trail ride! In the winter, I am usually drawing or painting custom artwork pieces. During these winter months, my husband & I use our time off by going snowmobiling and playing in the snowy mountains! I have learned so much working with Dr. Igo - forever thankful she asked me to join the adventure of veterinary practice! I hope to spread appreciation for veterinarians, veterinary knowledge & expertise and I’m happy and humbled to be apart of this team ❤️🩺 happy vet technicians week!

19/10/2023

Meet our Staff!
Taylor Frey

"As a Montana native, I grew up playing outside around all sorts of animals. That hasn't seemed to change much, other than now I get to do what I love as my job. I have been lucky enough to work as a vet tech for over five years and wouldn't change it for the world. I spend my off time with my husband and our six furbabies hunting, fishing, and riding in this beautiful place I'm so lucky to call home."

16/10/2023

Meet our Staff:
Get to know a tech during vet tech week!

My name is Morgan Zuidema, now known as Ammar since I just got married 💍 I was born and raised in Great Falls and decided to move to Dillon after graduating C. M. Russell High School(GO RUSTLERS🤠) to attend PIMA Medical. After attending PIMA I decided to stay in the lovely town of Dillon. Outside of work I have hobbies for every season! In the summer I enjoy golfing…LOTS of golfing 🏌🏽‍♀️, fishing 🎣 and camping 🏕 . During the busy fall season🐄 You’ll find me hunting with my husband. In the winter there’s not one weekend where you won’t find me in the ice hut trying to catch the biggest fish 🐟 and cooking kielbasa😋
I enjoy my time at SW MT Vet! I get to work with the greatest team and have the best patients! I can say…I LOVE MY JOB!❤️

15/10/2023

Happy National Vet Tech Week!!! October 15-21, 2023 we are going to stop to recognize our fabulous support staff! There is an endless list of what these people do that includes, but is not limited to, patient nursing, lab tech, anesthesiologist, surgery prep/assistant, radiology tech, receptionist, educator, emotional support, janitor, dental hygienist, pharmacy tech, and the hardest of all: veterinarian babysitter.

At Southwest Montana Vet we think we might have the best crew of all! If you see these lovely ladies this week be sure to let them know how much their hard work is appreciated! 🩺
Morgan Zuidema, Olivia Davis, Taylor Frey

12/10/2023

A friendly reminder that this is one of our busiest times of the year and we are booking a couple weeks out. So that we can provide you with what you need, please be sure to call us in advance to get on our schedule for non-emergency appointments and we will do our best to get you seen in a timely fashion. We appreciate all of you and happy preg checking!! 🐮

03/10/2023

✨Check out this product we carry on our shelf✨

🪱A fast acting, broad-spectrum oral dewormer delivered in a convenient low dose.
Synanthic is fast, effective and available in a low-dose formulation. Synanthic is readily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and goes to work to reduce parasite populations. In a study, Synanthic was 100 percent ovicidal within 24 hours!💯

➡️“It’s important for producers to have choices in classes of parasite control products to reduce resistance issues”
-Mac Devin, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Professional Services Veterinarian

13/09/2023

Hello everyone!
Somehow we are already in September and along with that comes the craziness of Preg checking season🐮. As we all know, it is a busy time of year for everyone in the Ag. Industry. We do the best we can to meet everyone's needs as quickly as we can. We are asking that questions, scheduling, and product orders be directed to the office staff at 406-925-0808. With our busy schedule it can mean Dr. Igo is at times out of service or unavailable until late evening or the next day. Our office staff is here from 8am-5pm Monday-Friday and can answer questions, schedule appointments, or help direct you in case of an emergency. Thanks for all your patience and understanding! We are so excited to see you all this fall and can't wait for a great Pregging season!🍁
Southwest Montana Vet Staff