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 Equine field service is an essential part of UC Davis' veterinary training program. |
What do you want to be when you grow up? It's a question we've all heard. For those who answered confidently, with eyes shining, "an equine veterinarian," read this article! What's it really like to help these noble beasts with satin coats and silky manes and tails? Are you willing to spend most of your time tromping through mud and straw, in all kinds of weather, at all times of the day and night, including weekends and holidays, to treat an animal who's not very happy to see you, who can't tell you exactly what's wrong, and whose only way to show you its displeasure is to kick or bite? If you answered yes, then you may have what it takes to be an equine veterinarian.
Equine Practitioner's Diary
A "typical" day on an equine field service unit is often anything but routine. The following describes a day in the life of an equine practitioner.
February 9, 2000
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| UC Davis Field Service veterinarian Dr. Meri Phelps (left) discusses treatment plans for a horse with Connie Littrell . |
7:30 am - Oh man, could barely get out of bed this morning. Two colics last night -- one at 11 that lasted 'til 1:30, then I just got back home in bed, about to fall asleep and the phone rings again...another one! That one kept me up 'til 4. I feel like I haven't slept in three days. Now I have to drag myself down to Smith's place to check a mare that foaled prematurely last night.
8:30 am - Just left Smith's. Weak foal, not nursing. No one around last night when she foaled out in the pasture. Poor foal was wet and cold. Mare was colicky and painful. I think she may have a colon torsion. Gave mom and baby some supportive therapy, got them loaded in the trailer and on their way to my pal's equine hospital 50 miles away. I hope they make it okay, neither one's in great shape, but I can't do much for them here in the middle of nowhere by myself.
9:00 am - Thought I'd stop for coffee, a bagel and a few minutes rest in town before I went out to the Johnson ranch to do some routine vaccination and worming, but no luck. Got a call from a panicky owner for another colicky horse right down the road from where I just came. She sounded pretty worried, thinks the horse should go for surgery right away.
10:00 am - Headed for the Johnson ranch again. Thank heavens that colic wasn't too bad... shaped up right away after I gave him some mineral oil. The horse wasn't acting too miserable...just wouldn't eat breakfast...wish I could eat! Only thing is, that darn horse stepped on my foot and now my boot feels like its going to split...and old man Johnson's mad because I'm a half hour late!
12:30 - Just finished at Johnson's. Wormed and vaccinated everything and did a couple of lameness exams. Of course, then Johnson gives me his usual, "No big deal, but would you mind looking at this horse over here, he's a bit off on the front. I've got a colt over there with a bit of a scratch too." The "little off" horse wouldn't put weight on his foot...found a sole abscess that gushed pus like a geyser. The horse with a "scratch" had a nasty wire cut that needed about 30 stitches. Not bad for couple of hours work though. Got back in my truck to find out that Johnson's dog ate the two sandwiches I brought along for lunch. Serves me right for leaving the door open. Not only that, but I just realized the bugger might have lifted his leg on my seat as well!
1:00 pm - Just left the Burger King on my way out to Fredrickson's to castrate a colt. I hope this one's halter broke…the last one tried to kill me before I got him sedated.
2:00 pm - Well, that wasn't too bad. The colt was pretty well behaved and I had some decent help -- that new barn man they hired is all right! Just got a call on a horse with a 104 temperature. I'll run down the road and have a look before I go down to the training center to do some teeth.
3:00 pm - I don't know exactly what's going on with this one, but he's pretty sick. My sixth sense tells me something is not quite right. He is feverish, depressed and his breath smells bad. I can't hear much listening to his chest and he's not anxious to move. Told the owner that I would treat him and run some blood work, but if he's not a lot better in 24 hours, he needs to go to a clinic for a total work-up. We'll see what the blood shows. I can drop it off on the way to the next call.
5:30 pm - I was an hour late for the training center's appointment but they weren't too upset. I managed to finish six dentistries and a halter breaking lesson in two hours...not bad! Think I'll stop by that sick horse again on the way home to see how he's doing.
6:30 pm - Well, his temperature's down, but he's not doing very well. Called the lab for the blood results but just missed them…closed, damn! I have a bad feeling about this horse. Maybe I'll call that Dr. Watson up at the vet school tonight and see what she thinks.
7:00 pm - Home in time for dinner...first time this week! Dog growled at me…didn't recognize me!
8:30 pm - Talked with Dr. Watson about that sick one. She was pretty helpful. I'm going to go back down there and run my ultrasound over his chest before I go to bed…it might save me getting up in the middle of the night.
9:30 pm - Well, he's a little better. He does have a little fluid in his chest. I'll send a sample of it to the lab in the morning but if that blood report looks bad or if he's not a whole lot better tomorrow, I'm sending him to somebody's clinic.
10:00 pm - Time for bed. You know, I'm working too hard. Haven't had a day off in three months. I should get some help. Maybe I'll just call that Dr. Watson back and see if she knows a good student who could come to work after graduation. If I could get one that wasn't afraid to work weekends and holidays, I could give him a pretty good deal (and I could get a little free time!) Yeah, I could give him a good deal -- a new truck, lots of experience in a short time, and I'd be willing to pay somebody good "big money," maybe as much as $2500 a month! Yeah, I'd better just give her a call tomorrow, she probably has two or three that would jump at the chance!
UC Davis Provides Hands-On Training Through Equine Field Service
The University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine maintains its reputation for excellence and graduates an average of 110 students each year. For those interested in an equine practice, the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital's (VMTH) Equine Field Service offers valuable hands-on training for students while providing on site veterinary care to the public.
For horse owners within approximately a 25-mile radius from UC Davis, the field service provides general preventive health care, routine and diagnostic examinations, diagnostic testing, emergency services, minor surgeries, diagnostic imaging and endoscopy. Under special circumstances such as disaster emergencies or to assist animal control with neglect or abuse cases, the field service has traveled farther. The field service was established when the veterinary hospital opened in 1970, but in the late 1970s, the service split into three branches: equine field service, equine reproduction, and food animal reproduction/herd health.
Typically, the equine field service truck arrives with one resident veterinarian who is pursuing specialty board certification, and one to three senior veterinary students. One faculty member also rides on one of two trucks and is available at all times for both trucks. Because the VMTH is a teaching hospital, students are present to observe and learn procedures under the guidance of the resident and faculty veterinarians. The students also participate in conducting the examination and in formulating a plan for diagnosis and treatment.
A typical visit involving a complete physical examination usually takes about an hour. A lameness examination varies greatly from about one hour for a recent routine problem, to several hours for a long standing complex problem. Diagnostic testing including radiographs, ultrasound and blood testing, can be conducted at the farm and most test results are reported to the owner within 24 to 48 hours.
| VMTH Field Service Provides: General/Preventive Health Routine physical exams Vaccinations, deworming, routine dental care Health certificates, Coggins testing Bloodtyping and other routine lab testing
Other Examinations |
Minor Surgery |
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Field Service Veterinarians for 2000: |
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| Faculty Dr. Monica Aleman Dr. Sharon J. Spier Dr. Johanna L. Watson |
Residents Dr. Miska Carlberg Dr. Leah Gray Dr. Lisa Jeanes Dr. Kira Maleski Dr. Meri Phelps Dr. Brad Scheuch Dr. Nathan Slovis |
Client Comments
Kris Rominger currently has two horses just west of Yolo, California and has used field service for about 18 years - "I use field service all the time. I find the quality of their service excellent and I like how they are so current on the latest scientific discoveries. I especially enjoy their willingness to engage the owners in the decision making process. The individuals on the service have consistently been really good/decent people."
Leon Lewis has a Thoroughbred ranch/rehabilitation facility (Rancho Yours Mine and Ours) with 17 horses including broodmares and foals in Vacaville, California and has used field service for 20 years - "I find their service excellent. They are friendly, personable and efficient. I am very happy with their service and have no reason to change vets."
Michael Muir owns Stonewall Stud in Woodland, California where he has 20 horses including stallions. He breeds and shows sport horses in combined driving events. "I have used the vet school since 1965. Horses are my business so keeping my horses healthy and keeping the costs down are very important to me. I like the teaching aspect of the field service. I keep my ears open, pretend I'm a student too and I gain an education as well. I have never worried about any of the students working on my horses. They are always very well supervised and the experts step in when needed. Field service helps me maintain my horses' health and when I'm in a bind with something serious, I can bring in the big guns. I have them available. Field service has done some phenomenal things for me over the years. We haven't won all the battles, but they have been great. I also especially like how Davis has been very supportive about owners doing as much vet care as they can themselves. They have been very good about allowing me to do the basics to treat my horses - administering medications, bandaging, etc. Over time, I have been trained by UC Davis as well."
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| Dr. Joie Watson remains a dedicated and enthusiastic faculty member of the UC Davis Equine Field Service, devoted to educating future veterinarians in equine ambulatory practice. |
A Valuable Teaching Experience
The field service teaching environment provides a valuable experience for the senior veterinarians. They receive well-rounded training in standard day-to-day veterinary procedures, typical emergency care, communication skills with clients, and on-site management practices including nutritional issues. The field service is very popular with the students because they enjoy the "hands-on" experience and they see things in the field that they won't see at the hospital.
Catherine Radcliffe is a visiting senior veterinary student from the University of Minnesota. She is one of several University of Minnesota students who came to UC Davis for one month to gain practical experience. University of Minnesota doesn't have a field service and her mentor, Dr. Mats Troedsson (a former UCD faculty member), highly recommended the UC Davis Field Service as an educational opportunity. Catherine stated, "You see a lot of things on field service that give you the basic essential components of equine veterinary care. The (field service) faculty are very supportive and very good at stimulating discussion and motivating students to do as much as they feel comfortable doing. Field service has shown me the importance of routine health care. It has also shown me that veterinary care can be repetitious, although we do see some interesting, stimulating cases that really challenged our thinking. We also see a wide variety of clients. Some will do all they can for their horses - money is no object; others are limited by money so you learn to think of alternatives and how to improvise. I am really enjoying my time here at UC Davis."
Dr. Leah Gray is a resident veterinarian at UC Davis and a member of the field service. "Field service gives students hands-on practical experience. The students also get more client interaction. It's a great opportunity for students who plan to go out in private practice. Field service is a fun, low stress experience, but also an excellent educational opportunity."
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| Dr. W. David Wilson, former CEH Director, helped develop UC Davis' Equine Field Service to be an exceptional place for clients, patients, residents and students. . |
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the VMTH Field Service at (530) 752-0292. The phones are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Emergency services are available 24 hours, seven days a week. Scheduled appointments usually begin around 9:30 a.m. and the last appointment is usually around 3:00, depending on the request and the time needed for the visit.
Reprinted with permission of the copyright holder and the Center For Equine Health. The materials offered in this article are intended for educational purposes only. Always consult your veterinarian in matters regarding the health of your animals.
The research conducted by the UC Davis Center for Equine Health is supported with funds provided by the Oak Tree Racing Association, the State of California pari-mutuel fund, and contributions by private donors. Please visit The UC Davis Center For Equine Health website for additional information at http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ceh
The Horse Report: Writer/Editor: Laurie Fio,Editor/WriterCenter for Equine Health School of Veterinary Medicine University of CaliforniaOne Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616-8589 Phone: (530) 752-4434 Fax: (530) 752-9379 e-mail: ltfio@ucdavis.edu
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