Northbound Veterinary Services

06/04/2026

New World Screwworm was confirmed in Texas about 100 miles south of San Antonio. Not currently a threat in our region, but something to understand and be aware of as animals and equipment move so much more now than they did back in the 1960's when it was last eradicated from the USA. USDA link below for your questions.

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03/25/2026

There has been continuous talk all over the nation about the loss and/or shortage of the rural large animal veterinarian. Every day I get emails from AVMA, MVMA, MNBAH, AABP, and the UofMN about how they are working to get vet schools to add more seats for “Production Animal Vets” or Grants/Loan Forgiveness Plans to entice veterinarians to “service” an area for a minimum of 4+ years. I personally also get a lot more phone calls and emails now from people all over asking if I will drive to their place because there is no vet availability, or they are unable to haul somewhere since the clinics nearby don’t work on production animals.

I’ve heard it many times, “There are animals all over doc, lots of work!” Or “My daughter wants to be a large animal vet, and I’ve heard it should be easy to get a job with all the shortages around!” My answer, “Sounds great, are they willing to move long distances to find work?” There is a reason all the small animal only and equine only clinics are not hiring production animal vets, and it’s not a lack of people that want to do the job.

I do not think people realize how much time large animal vets spend working with dairy producers to help produce the world’s safest milk and meat. No veterinarian can afford to sit and hope that you MIGHT call after you get home from work and notice a problem. They need that scheduled work during the day.

Unfortunately nobody talks about why this is happening, only how to put more vets out there. Honest truth, the loss of dairy farms is the main reason for the loss of Production Animal Veterinarians nationally. Not just large animal vets, but many small town businesses that dairy farms fuel as well. No continuous yearly routine work means clinics can’t focus on production medicine as the main income to keep people hired and going. The demographic change is fueling large animal shortage, not a lack of passionate people to do the job. Dairy dense regions do not have veterinary shortages.

Government and Educational systems see reports that dairy cow numbers have maintained and production has increased, but ignore the loss of farms. If regions want to have access to production animal veterinarian care, they sure as hell need to support their local dairy farms first and foremost!

Stepping down off my soapbox now.

01/24/2026

I have been delaying this post for a while hoping that something would change regarding the availability of Valbazen (albendazole). Unfortunately, I’m told the API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) is unable to be manufactured. Meaning Zoetis cannot get the albendazole API from a regulated facility to add it to their slurry which then becomes Valbazen.

It has been a strange chute season doing so much work and not having to fight to keep it warm and flowing through the tubing. I’m continuously asked, “what should I use instead doc?” My answer the entire time has been that I don’t have another option. If I did I guarantee I wouldn’t use Valbazen as the ease of administration is not there. If all the research told me that another product actually worked I’d be using that instead.

The only other product we have for Food Animal Veterinary medicine in the good ol’ USA that is labeled for flukes is clorsulon, the “plus” in Ivermectin Plus. However that will only cover adult Fasciola hepatica (Cattle Fluke) and not Fascioloides magna (Deer Fluke) that we deal with here, in fact Cattle Flukes are rare in MN!

Don’t believe me, check this link (https://extension.umn.edu/beef-cow-calf/liver-flukes-and-redwater-disease-minnesota-beef-cattle)

Now I can’t stop you from using Ivermctin Plus because the box does say Liver Flukes in great big letters (check the annoying paper insert in the box that everyone tosses though if you want to, as it says what it actually treats!). Don’t worry they covered themselves in the small print! However, that’s been hard to get as well since Ivermectin is now a miracle drug! If it helps you sleep better to give this, it is still a good parasiticide.

Others have turned to a different dewormer that sounds very similar to albendazole and you can add it to feed or drench it orally, so surely it covers the same things. Well, I’ve talked to that company a few times hopeful they knew a secret….and they absolutely will not claim that it works at all, not even a little. In fact they are a little worried as there has been false information spread about its use locally. Again if you want to use it to sleep better at night, go for it. Great parasiticide but not a flukicide.

My last few rays of wisdom before I hide from the cold and attempt to focus on crappies rather than the baby livestock that will certainly plague me instead.

1) 8-way clostridium vaccines (NOT 7-way) are a MUST!! 2+ times per year now to prevent Red Water. It (clostridium haemolyticum) grows in the damaged liver after the fluke migrates through. Cheapest vaccine they make, buy extra! If the cow/sheep/goat gets touched….think about giving a dose if it’s been over 3-4 months since the last dose was given! Red water kills more ruminants than the liver failure from deer fluke over population in my opinion!

2) Remember the deer fluke does not WANT to kill its host. If the host dies, well then it also dies. If there gets to be too many deer flukes for the liver to sustain, then yes it’s game over. I feel worse for my small ruminant clients than cattle clients as this can happen so much faster! With that said limiting risk is key! …….Just move all your ruminants south out of MN. There I fixed everyone’s problem!

If you find outside sources of albendazole that are from unreliable sources or products from other countries, I don’t want to know anything about it, or see it posted in the comments as I will just delete it!

Oxytetracyclines and Penicillins are also short supply. What a time it is to be a food animal veterinarian!

How do beef cattle get infected by flukes?

09/20/2025

Just a heads up for the coming fall for all producers: Valbazen has been on backorder for the year and I am told by Zoetis that it likely won’t be available till end of 2025 or early 2026.

For my cattle guys that use it late winter early spring when scour vaccines are given, this will hopefully not affect you. For those that do it at the same time as preg checking/vaccinating late fall/early winter this will affect you. What this means is you can likely plan to vaccinate and preg check earlier than normal, as Valbazen usage was always the reason for waiting. However, you will have to plan to run animals through the chute again either once it is available or post-calving.

For my small ruminant producers that use it when you vaccinate ~1.5 months before lambing/kidding in the late winter/early spring it should be available by then. Those that do it earlier will also just have to do it once available or post lambing/kidding.

As a reminder Valbazen is perfectly safe to use in pregnant animals as long as cattle are over 45 days since last bull exposure, and sheep/goats are over 30 days since last ram/buck exposure.

For those that will reach for Ivermectin Plus, please be aware that it is only labeled for Cattle Liver Flukes (in Southern US) and not the Deer Liver Fluke we deal with in this area. This is also why we have to use an 8-way clostridium (Ultrabac 8, Vision 8, Covexin 8, Cavalry 9) in our region and not a 7-way clostridium like the rest of the country.

Any questions give me a call @ 320-224-1166. The leaves are changing color already, let’s all get ready for the busy fall season in agriculture!

09/07/2025

Will be in Canada fishing September 9th-14th! Apologies for any inconvenience, but please plan accordingly. I will not have service while gone, so I will respond to phone calls, voicemails, texts, and emails once I’m back. Take care!

04/19/2025

An FYI - I will be unavailable Tuesday April 22nd until Sunday April 27th. My daughter crushed it at her State Archery Tournament and earned an individual spot at the National Tournament in Utah. Perfect timing during the busy season so I do apologize, but I won’t miss this opportunity she’s been blessed with!

02/14/2025

Notice: Phone number has changed - (320) 224-1166. The old number will still work for an undetermined amount of time, but will eventually be discontinued.

Only the phone number has changed, nothing else!

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02/03/2025

Just an FYI - that FCC phone thing I talked about in December got extended, however it went into effect this afternoon. I can still receive texts but can’t reply. Expect that I will be updating my phone number in the near future, but at this point if you text me expect a phone call back once I can. Like always, calling and leaving a voicemail is treated as a higher priority than a text or email.

11/30/2024

Hey just a few things to get out there.

1) Starting December 1st the FCC rules on sending and receiving text messages are changing for some carriers. I use Grasshopper for my business line, so there will be some changes that happen. I am not sure yet if I won't be able to receive texts, send texts, or potentially both. I receive a lot of texts, as many of you it seems like that is your preferred way of communication, this may affect you. Remember, calling is always better as you will get my voicemail giving you information on my availability (I change it if I am on vacation or know I will be out of the area). I should know more on what will change in the coming weeks, but please be aware of the possible change.

2) For my beef clients out there, I came across a "newish" breeding synchronization with one shot of PGF2a (such as Lutalyse and Estrumate) for bull breeding herds that has some more research now. This comes out of the University of Nebraska and showed 75% of cows calved in the first 21 days of the calving season using the following protocol as compared to 63% of cows from a non-synchronized herd. Using this protocol it is VERY IMPORTANT to make sure that bulls have a proper BSE (Breeding Soundness Exam) prior to the breeding season, and they also recommend a bull-to-cow ratio of no more than 1:15 for yearling bulls and 1:25 for mature bulls. This also requires you to actually have a calving season. If the bull lives with the herd all the time, don't touch this!

Day 0: Turn in Bulls
Day 5: Give ALL Cows PGF2a
Day 6-10: Synchronized Breeding occurs
Day 10+: Normal Breeding Coverage continues until bulls are removed

The injection of PGF2a causes any cow with a MATURE CL on the o***y to regress, which causes progesterone production to stop, causing cows to come into estrus (heat) usually within 3-5 days.

But doc won't the shot of Lute cause them to abort if they get pregnant before I give the Lute shot!?!?

Nope, if the cow and bull have a little "rendezvous" between Day 0 and Day 5 the CL will not be MATURE enough and will not respond to the PGF2a injection. This is the same reason I tell you all to wait a week after pulling bulls out if there are accidental "rendezvous" involving fence jumping/smashings or heifer calves living with bull calves too long.

Like any synchronization protocol you have to be on point with timing! Don't push you PGF2a injections out any further than Day 5 for this one. This is also just a tool in the toolbox to potentially get more calves in a tighter window. Please remember that to first be successful with any breeding operation, animals need to have proper nutrition, body condition scores, health, and you have to have enough bulls that have had a BSE to get the job done!

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11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving to all my amazing clients! I am very thankful for your business, but more importantly, I’m thankful that the animals in your care have amazing owners that love and care for them the way that you all do! Keep up the great work! Enjoy the day with family and loved ones and maybe spoil those critters a bit more today as well.