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Rural veterinarians scarce in New MexicoSANTA FE, N.M. (AP)--On a freezing morning recently, Michael Callahan was driving in the ice-packed Pecos Canyon when his truck started sliding backward down a steep hill. The longtime veterinarian put the truck in park, "but it just kept sliding," he said. Callahan finally had to chain the truck to a tree and call his client for help. Eventually, he got around to the reason he was out in the cold to begin with: castrating a horse. It's all in a day for Callahan and other rural veterinarians in New Mexico. Their patients run the gamut from hamsters to cows. They never know what to expect from day to day. "I enjoy what I do. I like the rural practice where it's always different," said Callahan, who owns the Pecos Valley Veterinary Hospital. But there are fewer rural veterinarians like him in the state and around the West. Eight New Mexico counties have no veterinarians, according to the American Veterinary Medicine Association. Six of the counties, with at least 25,000 or more cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens, have no veterinarians who work on food animals. "Rural vets are going the way of the dodo bird," Callahan said. The rural veterinarian understands why. The hours are long, the patients sometimes big and unruly, the pay less than urban vets make and the work humbling. "You can look in a cow's ear, and its tail will come around and hit you in the face and then it'll poop on you," he said. The declining number of rural veterinarians is something the AVMA and the New Mexico Veterinary Medicine Association want to reverse. "It's been a growing problem for the last 20 years," said Lawrence Young, an Artesia vet and president of the state association. "We have concerns in our state long range." The dwindling number of rural food animal veterinarians isn't just a problem for ranchers with sick cows. It also is a bioterrorism, food safety and human-health concern, Young said. Callahan is one of only four food animal veterinarians in San Miguel County, which has just shy of 40,000 head of cattle, pigs and other livestock. He's also one of seven food animal veterinarians in Santa Fe County who work on about 12,000 head of livestock. Callahan is fairly representative of rural New Mexico veterinarians. In the winter, Callahan's work slows down. From spring through fall, his practice is going full steam. He's working 60 hours or more a week and getting calls at all hours of the night and day. "My New Year's resolution is to have a better attitude about after-hour calls," he said, admitting to grumpiness when he gets called away from his fireplace on a subzero winter's night. Young said fewer veterinary students are from farming or ranching backgrounds, accustomed to working around food animals. And "we've seen a definite migration of veterinarians to urban areas," he added. The money and the hours are better in cities. Urban veterinarians tend to work on small animals, though some specialize in horses. The hours are more regular because cities usually have emergency clinics to handle after-hour calls. "It is more profitable for vets to see small animals and equines. So more veterinarians are going that way, said William Brainerd of the Animal Care Clinic in Las Vegas, N.M. "There are fewer coming out of vet school that will even look at other large animals." More rural veterinarians are nearing retirement, and fewer young practitioners are waiting to take their place. Young said most beginning rural vets pull in $50,000 a year. "Then you tack on working 50 hours a week and have a young family," he said. "Takes a special person to want to do it." When it comes to preventing a disease outbreak like tuberculosis in an entire herd, ranchers will spend whatever it takes. Such outbreaks are devastating economically because they make it harder to sell or ship cattle out of state. They also pose a risk to humans. Without food animal veterinarians experienced and willing to test a herd, early diagnosis, quarantine and treatment are impossible. It took decades for New Mexico cattle to be deemed tuberculosis free and only two TB-positive cows near Clovis in 2003 to risk the entire state's TB-free rating. Dr. Dave Fly, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, said the state is short 30 to 40 food animal veterinarians. "We're worried we don't have the young people to train," Fly said. "We're short-handed, and its getting worse every day." Fly said veterinary schools began aiming their curriculum toward training for small animal, equine and veterinary specialties years ago. "They neglected their food animal veterinarians," Fly said. "Even if we start fixing it now, it will take 10 years to make up the shortage." New Mexico has no veterinary school, so it works with other states. New Mexico State University extension veterinarian John Winzel is working with NMSU and the Kansas State University Veterinary School to ensure space for New Mexico students with an agriculture background who might be interested in caring for food animals.
Date: 4/10/08 Advertisement
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