Using your skills as a herd management consultant

A veterinarian's role beyond the blocked pygmy goat

Abstract

In small ruminant practice, individual animal care can be a large part of a veterinarian's workload. Backyard pet owners use a veterinarian without avail for every hint of bloat, diarrhea, flaky skin, or possible dystocia. Large producers and high-value purebred herds of goats and sheep also have a need for veterinary service. These producers do not demand individual animal care, and often they claim that they know more about their animals than the veterinarian. Although this is often a misconception, there are many cases where we fail to provide what the producer wants. Here is the opportunity waiting to be grasped.