A Vet’s-Eye View of Livestock Health Problems

Calling a vet seems to be the last thing most graziers want to do. It could be the expense. It could be that we’re running from one thing to the next and feel like we don’t have time and we think some minor adjustment might solve the problem. Or maybe we’re worried that it’s nothing, and the animal will get better soon. I understand. I’ve made the mistake myself, and it led to disastrous consequences.

To help with all that, I have a low-cost, entertaining solution that will give you some insight on potential health problems, and help you know when calling the vet will save you more money than it will cost. It’s Memoirs of a Country Vet, a blog by Dr. David Larsen.

Doc Larsen served the Sweet Home, Oregon community for 40 years as both a large and small animal vet. His stories describe calls he made over the years. They’re helpful to graziers because he lays out symptoms and how he thinks through the problems he’s presented with. And for vets who will follow him, he describes things like how he uses a specially tied rope to lay animals down safely, and the kinds of treatments used in the past and during his time. Last, but not least, they’re entertaining glimpses into lives of graziers and pet owners. As an example, here’s a recent story he shared with On Pasture readers.

You can read his blog for free, and sign up here to get notifications when new stories come out. Or, if you have a grazier on your Holiday Gift List, consider one of the two short story books he’s written. I’ve added the links for the books below, or, if you’re an Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can download them for free.

And if you need other gift suggestions, visit the On Pasture Shop. I’ve added suggestions there for all kinds of gifts and goodies for the graziers in your life.

My Holiday Gift to You

Through December 31st, annual subscriptions to On Pasture are $10 off. That means just $45 for all the new articles every week, access to over 2,800 more in the archives, and all the premium content too. And you can lock that rate in forever. Click here to subscribe and use the coupon code DEC2021.

Or, give the gift of good grazing. Click here and send your favorite grazier a one year subscription.

I hope that helps a bit with your Holiday gift giving.

Thanks for reading!

Kathy

Books by Dr. David E. Larsen

Last Cow in the Chute

“My God, where did you learn to handle cows like that, Doc?” Jack gasped as I hauled my OB bag and bucket over the fence.“ It just comes from growing up around them,” I said. “I get surprised by one every once in a while, but most of the time, I know what they are going to do before they do it.”

In these real-life stories from forty years of veterinary practice in a small community in western Oregon, Dr. David E. Larsen captures the essence of daily life as a solo veterinary practice before the days of emergency clinics on every corner and specialty help within reach. Dave  writes with equal respect and dedication about the animals he treats, all sizes, from bulls to mice, and of the life and death decisions their owners must make. He draws on the vast experience of his training, and applies the art of veterinary care that were taught to him by colleagues, many times lessening the tension in serious situations with subtle humor and providing needed education to grateful clients.

Widow Woman’s Ranch & Other Stories

“These memoirs are gleaned mostly from my memory, as few early records survive. They are presented in a rough chronological order. But in a small town mixed veterinary practice in the 1970s and 1980s, there was little control in what came through the door. And to some degree, these memoirs try to reflect that chaos.

This is the second book in a series of hopefully four or five books. Books will be similar to this book with short stories of specific snapshots in my life. In the third book, I will include some stores of my early life and my Army experience. Those stories will provide a little insight into the making of a veterinarian. ”