Welcome to the VMTH Livestock Clinical Services at UC Davis
An outstanding team of veterinarians dedicated to food animal medicine, surgery, reproduction and herd health are available to serve you. The livestock team is divided into Food Animal Medicine and Surgery and Food Animal Herd Health and Reproduction Services. There is also a team specializing in Dairy Production and Nutrition at the VMTRC in Tulare
The Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Service
Medical Services
Infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory problems, urinary tract problems, trace mineral deficiencies, poisonings, and disorders of many other systems are diagnosed and treated by the Food Animal Medicine team. Advanced diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound, endoscopy, and radiography, enable us to accurately determine the cause of the animal’s problem, and because the animal is hospitalized, it can be intensively managed. For example, a valuable calf with diarrhea can be given intravenous fluid therapy and laboratory monitoring while under careful supervision by the 24 hour nursing staff. Changes can be monitored and immediate adjustments in therapy made for critical cases. In addition to individual animals, animals representing a herd problem can often yield valuable information when they are given a thorough diagnostic workup, leading to a solution for the herd. This section also performs routine procedures such as vaccinations and pregnancy examination.
Surgery Services
Our team of food animal veterinarians has expertise in routine surgical procedures such as correction of displaced abomasum, rumenotomy, and other abdominal surgeries, castration, dehorning, removal of tumors associated with cancer eye, Caesarean sections, prolapsed vagina, claw amputation or fusion of bones on an infected claw, and repair of long bone fractures. For complex fractures, the expertise of equine orthopedic surgeons is also utilized. When general anesthesia is called for, the VMTH has board certified anesthesiologists who provide the best possible anesthesia.
The Food Animal Herd Health and Reproduction Service
This section delivers on farm health care and reproductive services to groups of animals (cattle, sheep, goats) on a scheduled basis. In addition, this group sees animals for fertility evaluation and reproduction problems at the hospital.
Reproduction
From vaccination against brucellosis to testing for trichomoniasis, to testing for male fertility evaluation, the VMTH offers state-of-the-art preventive care and diagnostics. Semen testing and fertility evaluation is key to having a good conception rate. Faculty in the reproduction service provide advanced diagnostic techniques and treatments.
- Brucella and other vaccinations
- Estrous synchronization
- Hormone treatments
- Male fertility testing
- Nutrition counseling
- Pregnancy testing, including use of ultrasound
- Treatment for anestrus, cystic follicles, and other problems
- Trich testing