Farm Progress (Nov. 17) – Cattle producers resorting to doing their own vet work is no substitute for a professionally trained veterinarian. And it actually contributes to the veterinarian shortage. But many have no other choice.
“The consequence of producers doing their own vet work is, it’s harder to employ veterinarians in that area,” says Jim Lowe, University of Illinois associate dean of online programs and Extension in the College of Veterinary Medicine. “It takes a lot of cows to support a large-animal vet. That’s just an unfortunate fact.”