I graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine 50 years ago. At the time, large animal practice on the Western Canadian Prairies was everything I wanted to do. In about 10 years and after nearly 500,000 miles up and down prairie roads, sore shoulders, a bad back, chronic lack of sleep plus being a […] Read more
Vet Advice: Bolstering recruitment of rural vets requires careful study of issue
Oligarchs debase EU agriculture
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
A new week started on the first day of spring 2018. The collection of cars and half tons in the parking lot at the local burger joint meant the “Circle of Wisdom” had already started their daily debate, enriched with weekend news stories and beginning stages of sports playoffs. The Circle is a cluster of […] Read more
The night we painted a Mountie green
Veterinary Case Study: While speeding to an emergency call, Dr. Ron Clarke recruits unexpected help
The day started with an overnight shower followed by a warm May sun. Cows and horses everywhere enjoyed new growth on year-old pastures. A panic call from a good dairy client at Balgonie interrupted supper. Mike, almost inarticulate, pleaded, “Doc, come right away. Two cows have died; another 15 are seriously bloated. I turned the […] Read more
Vet Advice: Fatal pneumonia in adult cows
Shipping fever caused by Mannheimia haemolytica is the most important respiratory disease of cattle in North America, particularly in feedlot animals that have been through the stressful marketing and assembly processes (Pathological Basis of Veterinary Disease). M. haemolytica biotype A, serotype 1 is the etiologic agent most commonly responsible for severe pulmonary lesions. Some investigators […] Read more
The essentials to achieving anything worthwhile
Veterinary Case Study: The three great essentials to achieving anything worthwhile are hard work, stick-to-it-iveness and common sense
It turned out to be Don’s first day of work. Third-year exams at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine had sapped most of his academic capacity. Now he searched for hard-core field experience and the savvy that comes with being a step closer to being a real veterinarian. I looked forward to someone to relieve […] Read more
Ranching west of the 100th Meridian
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Outlanders venturing west were frightened by the Great Plains, with its sweeping grasslands that extended from horizon to horizon. The only inhabitants at that time were small clusters of Indigenous people. In the beginning, great farms stippled majestic forests across Eastern Canada. Western climb gave way to deserts and mountains. Harvey Leifert, in an article […] Read more
More on updating the risk budget for newborn calves
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
A great deal of what gets published about nutrition of the neonatal calf (birth to 28 days) comes from research in the dairy industry. Beef producers should pay attention to what’s being practiced by neighbours in the dairy industry and to topics such as viability of newborn calves. Key to profitability for both beef and […] Read more
Updating the risk budget for newborn beef calves
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Looking at the risk budget for newborns brings to mind the adage “I am what I do.” Organizations grow around ideas and things that get done, not people. The adoption of new tools and technology strengthens the industry’s unflagging resolve to improve animal health and welfare. Getting a running start on health starts with nutrition, […] Read more
Too young to feel this damn old
Veterinary Case Study: Conducting a caesarean in a barn when it’s -38 C is not a pleasant task
I graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1970, a farm boy’s dream that never faded from 12 years old onward. The day I walked across the stage six years after starting university and received a rolled-up degree wrapped in ribbon, I whispered to myself, “I’ve done it. I will be a large […] Read more
Drought feeds vitamin A deficiencies
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Areas from Calgary to Winnipeg are either abnormally dry or facing drought conditions, according to Agriculture Canada’s Canadian Drought Monitor. Producers over much of the Prairie region are anxious about pasture quality and sufficient feed supplies to get them through winter. An open fall in many areas has supported extended grazing on poor pastures, post-harvest […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
