The Importance of Wellness Checks for Farm Animals
Pet wellness is essential for all animals, not just cats and dogs. Farm animals should be examined by a veterinarian at least once a year, even if the animals seem perfectly healthy.
At Switzer Veterinary Clinic, our mobile unit contains the equipment and supplies needed to provide farm animals with general wellness exams, herd health visits, diagnostic tests, and some surgeries. We also treat chickens and small goats at our clinic in Alpena.
In this blog, our team explains why pet wellness is essential for farm animals and the things you can do between visits to keep your farm animals healthy.
What to Expect During Farm Animal Wellness Exams
The goal of any pet wellness exam is twofold: to prevent diseases to begin with and to detect illnesses early on when they can be easier to treat. With farm animals in particular, preventing the spread of illnesses is critical for the overall health and safety of all the people and animals on the farm. Horses, cows, sheep, goats, llamas, ostriches, and even bison should get annual checkups that include the following services:
- A review of the animal’s medical history
- Full physical examination
- Species-appropriate diagnostics, such as bloodwork and fecal tests for parasites
- Vaccines
- Parasite prevention
- Nutritional counseling and recommendations
- Dentistry (for horse vets)
In addition to routine wellness exams, your horse vet, cow vet, or other farm animal specialist can perform pregnancy checks when needed, create health certificates, and evaluate bull semen (for cow vets).
The Importance of Herd Health
Herd health is serious business for farm animals like beef and dairy cattle to protect livestock from the spread of infectious diseases and illnesses.
The recommended schedule of herd health visits depends on the function of the farm. Dairy farms, for example, might need frequent visits to monitor milk quality, while other farms may need just monthly herd health visits. Depending upon the individual needs of the farm animals and farms themselves, these visits might include:
- Vaccinations and deworming
- A walkthrough of the farm to confirm that required protocols and procedures are being followed
- Administering or delivering prescription medications
- Recommendations for improvements to the facilities
- Inspecting the animals for health issues
- Breeding exams/semen collection
- Checking the feed and offering dietary recommendations
- Performing bovine ultrasounds (for cow vets) to confirm pregnancies
Keeping Your Farm Animals Healthy Between Visits
For the optimal health and well-being of your farm animals, keep these tips in mind between visits with your cow vet or horse vet:
- Keep pens and barns as clean as possible
- Remove feces regularly
- Separate sick farm animals from the rest of the stock
- Keep water troughs clean and provide clean, cool water
- Provide a species-appropriate, nutrient-rich diet
Are your farm animals due for a wellness checkup? Contact our team at (989) 356-4880 to schedule an appointment or if you have any questions about our services for farm animals.