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Veterinarian's practice takes him cross country
Dr. Jim Tompkins' office waiting room is unlike those of his veterinary colleagues. You won't find old issues of magazines, overgrown potted plants, or a set of uncomfortable chairs. And, don't expect a receptionist to greet you. You should expect, however, plenty of fresh air and a short wait.
You see, this veterinarian's office follows him on his rounds--it's his pickup truck tailgate.
Dr. Tompkins has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Tucumcari, N.M., region for more than 30 years. He runs his practice from his home near Tucumcari and works with the many ranches in the area. Rather than contending with the high overhead costs of a stationary veterinary office and staff, Dr. Tompkins chose to make his practice a mobile one. This allows him to concentrate more on being a veterinarian and less on the headaches of maintaining an office.
"I like what I do and the people I work with," he said. Dr. Tompkins calls himself a country veterinarian. He specializes in bovine and equine medicine, but he'll take any case and travel any distance for a client.
In the sparsely populated region of northeastern New Mexico, you would expect a large animal veterinarian to travel quite a bit for his practice. For Dr. Tompkins, an average day could add nearly 200 round-trip miles to his truck's odometer to fertility test a set of bulls for a purebred cattleman, or precondition a group of calves for a backgrounder.
"No two days are alike," he said. "Of course, the work varies with the time of year." Usually, in the spring, Dr. Tompkins sees cases of lameness and lacerations in cattle and horses on the range, as well as calving problems and overall herd health and nutrition. In the fall, he does more pregnancy testing and nutritional consultations.
"It's hard work," he said. "I once worked 3,200 head of cattle for one ranch in three and a half days."
Dr. Tompkins' work is getting tougher with each month that passes without noticeable precipitation. The extended drought conditions of the region have ranchers decreasing their herd numbers, while the amount of calls for drought-related livestock ailments increase.
"Because of the drought, there isn't enough feed for all of the species out there on the range," he said. "And, I'm seeing ranchers down to less than 40 percent of the normal amount of livestock on the range, across the area.
"The drought in this part of New Mexico is causing a lot of nutritional problems in our cattle," Dr. Tompkins said. "I'm seeing cases of deficiency in microminerals and selenium deficiency along with more toxic weed problems." Usually, the first sign of trouble is weak calves, or calves that die shortly after birth for no apparent reason, he said. Dr. Tompkins will collect samples for testing at a diagnostic laboratory and then work with the rancher to correct the problem. Other health problems related to the dry conditions include respiratory diseases and parasites.
Because Dr. Tompkins works with ranch clients, it was only natural for him to also expand into equine medicine. One concern in New Mexico is West Nile virus, which usually appears in the state in late August, early September. There is a vaccine available for all horses.
"People should vaccinate all horses that they care about," he said. The vaccination should be completed at least 30 days prior to the normal start of the mosquito season, which in New Mexico is usually around June or July. A primary dosage is split into two doses three weeks apart. Then, an annual booster follows at around the same time from then on.
Overall, though, Dr. Tompkins sees cases that are common to all veterinarians.
"In this area, reproductive ailments are the top of the list, but they are usually a nutritional problem," he said. "The second would be diseases such as BVD, IBR, vibrio. It's best to tailor a vaccination program to the ranch. I look at the herd history of the ranch, such as do they purchase a lot of their replacement animals or do they raise them?"
Dr. Tompkins consults with ranchers to decide the best course of vaccinations for their herd. He uses pharmaceuticals from many different companies and will not promote one over another, unless it is in the best interest for that operation.
"Drug manufacturers have great marketing departments," he said. "Most ranchers want what is the most economic for their ranches. Sometimes those are off-label drugs." Dr. Tompkins said that producers should carefully examine their treatment options. While all livestock pharmaceuticals are regulated by the government for safety and effectiveness, sometimes the off-label drugs are less potent than their brand-name counterparts and may not be such a bargain in the end, he said.
"The timing of the vaccine is really more important than the product used," Dr. Tompkins said. "If you're going to vaccinate for shipping fever at weaning, by the time you are ready to ship, the vaccine may have kicked in and be out of the calf's system.
"The best advice is to talk to the veterinarian," he added. "The cost of a consultation will pay for itself in the long run." Dr. Tompkins also reminded producers to be proactive when it comes to their herd's health.
"There are lots of health problems out there and producers should be aware of them and know their signs," he said. "Your veterinarian will probably know more about them than you, and will be able to help you make an informed decision.
"I tell my customers that I have to be two steps ahead of them at all times and when I can't be, then it'll be time for me to retire," he said. One new issue in veterinary medicine is the use of electronic identification tags to trace cattle. While a national identification system wouldn't affect Dr. Tompkins' practice very much, he said he thinks it will affect his clients. He said most are aware of the need for an ID system so that cattle can be traced back to their sources in instances of disease. Last year's case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) brought the point home.
Dr. Tompkins, in addition to his regular practice, also works with the New Mexico State University Extension Service on its bull test program.
"I help precondition the bulls when we get them in, check their health while they're there on test, and conduct the fertility exams," he said. "It's a bottom to top examination of the bull. I check his body condition, give him a reproductive tract score and evaluate semen." In order to be sold, bulls must pass this exam.
There are only a handful of veterinarians who have "offices" like Dr. Tompkins in the state of New Mexico. He said the examining board for the state knows of very few and the number of veterinary students who are studying large animal medicine is decreasing each year.
"Most veterinarians are shying away from large animal practices in favor of small animal practices, where they can make a better living," Dr. Tompkins said. "It's hard to make a large animal practice work. Usually, there is a lot of overhead and long hours."
Dr. Tompkins said it's a shame, too, because a practice like his has many rewards.
"I really do enjoy my clients and helping the animals," he said. "I can't think of anything better I'd rather be doing."
Date: 4/5/04
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