A newborn cow stands in straw

Preparing for calving season

Veterinary Case Study: Dr. Clarke coaches a beef producer who has purchased 50 first-calf heifers right before calving season

Jim came into the clinic one day. He’d even called ahead to say he needed a few minutes of my time to talk about the 50 new heifers he bought and what they might need to help them through calving season without problems. Jim had become an astute cattleman through the years, always trying to […] Read more

Lead paint removal underway at an old church. Food animals that have ingested lead represent a food safety risk for people and so should be euthanized.

Lead poisoning in calves

Veterinary Case Study: Oddly, young animals readily consume these materials when they encounter them

Jim called one morning upset about two three-month-old Holstein steers he had bought at the local auction market two weeks earlier. “I’m really sorry about calling. I know you have warned me about doing this, but calving season is over for me and everything went to pasture. They are really sick. Can you come out […] Read more


‘I’ve seen serious bouts of salt poisoning when cattle are deprived of water through periods of heat, then gain free access to fresh water and end up dying.’ – Ron Clarke.

Protecting beef cattle from extreme heat and cold

Veterinary Case Study: 2023 was one of the warmest in memory, and climate change is only getting started

Sixty years with the cattle industry has created many stories for me — good, bad and funny. Veterinarians don’t get called to many good ones, but there are a few funny stories mixed in with the many tales chronicling sickness and dying. Fortunately, more animals respond to treatment and recover than not. Bills get paid. […] Read more

Ergot on grass in Somerset, U.K. Ergot was identified as a toxin centuries ago, but we still haven’t found an effective treatment for the toxicity.  Photo: Ian_Redding/iStock /Getty Images Plus

Ergot: Madness meets modern medicine

Vet Case Study: The risk of ergot toxicity has only grown for cattle, but ergot alkaloids can also be used in human medicine

Ned had a question one morning when he stopped by the clinic for vaccine. “Is ergot still a problem in cattle feed?” “We seem to worry more about ergot today than we did thirty years ago,” I replied. “Don’t know exactly why, but I think cropping practices changed as did our concern about ergot. Headlands […] Read more


It’s important to keep vaccines at the right temperatures.

Quick tips when using livestock vaccines

Veterinary Case Study: From using the right needle size to cleaning syringes, here’s how to do vaccination right

Roper Roy arrived in our practice area last spring. He followed a young lady home from a horse training school in west Texas. Now married, it looked like Roper fell into a sizeable chunk of a prosperous ranching and farming operation. He came to town for supplies for their branding next weekend. While he waited, […] Read more

Young Wyatt studies his handiwork tethering Sam.

Sam

Veterinary Case Study: A favourite mule at an Alberta grazing association exemplifies hybrid vigour

Sam is an oddity and a legend at Willow Creek cow camp, Willow Creek Grazing Association, west of Nanton, Alta. He is an Appaloosa mule with a heart of gold. Anyone can ride him under saddle, from seasoned cowboys to kids learning the basics. You can rope off him and he will carry 200 pounds […] Read more