The Value of a Veterinarian

Many of you that follow us understand the goal of a veterinary clinic is to provide a service to better the health of your beloved companion. This is achieved daily though a variety of services and protocols that have been put in place to enable the best triage and care we can provide. Services from consults, to prescriptions and medications to many diagnostic tests and even in more advanced cases hospitalisation and surgery.

Unfortunately, sometimes owners and producers want to self- diagnose and treat at home and just want medication dispensed without the animal being seen. This is not to say a self-diagnosed case can be wrong or something simple, but a veterinarian has the set of skills to determine if there may be something lurking under the surface. A recent story we a going to share with you will provide a positive enlightenment of why it is vital to let the clinic decide what the best approach may be for your furry one. 

Recently a client called to inform us of a cow that had been regurgitating its food regularly, had been losing weight and was salivating excessively. Typically, in Tasmania we see more woody tongue cases in cattle than most other parts of Australia and at first this sounded like a typical woody tongue case. At first medications were dispensed as the farmer was unable to be seen, but a field consultation was strongly urged to make sure the cow was being treated appropriately. Upon consultation and a deep oral exam, the veterinarian quickly found the tongue was not hard and that a grossly large amount of food was stuck at the back of the throat.

Upon removing a large amount of hay, the veterinarian found a sharp object stuck in the mouth and was able to remove a large length of barb wire stuck down the oesophagus, OUCH! The barb wire acting as a foreign body had a similar set of presenting clinical signs to a typical woody tongue case. This is an important reminder that no matter how many times a certain disease may be seen or how common a diagnosis is there is always value in a professional opinion. The farmers were extremely happy with the outcome and so was the cow! Sometimes the value of a veterinarian can be misplaced in a world with such great access to information, but it’s how a veterinarian uses their training and access to information that makes all the difference!