To truly know how cows are managed, we need to "hang out" with them, or with their caretakers, for several hours. We need to see how feed is mixed and delivered, how milking is performed and determine how often feed is pushed up.

As veterinarians, we often find ourselves unable to determine the nature and cause of the problem case. So, who pays for our time?

"We expanded two years ago and added 500 cows."

"What frustrates you most about your job?"

Last night I received a phone call from the doctor who provides routine veterinary services to a dairy herd where I do the ration balancing. This herd is experiencing some problems with fresh cows, and the doctor performed some blood testing in an attempt to obtain clues regarding the cause of these problems. The blood work revealed moderately low albumin levels in most of the six dry cows he tested. This suggests low protein intake.

The wife of one of my dairy clients recently refused to buy milk from a local convenient store.

The image of the pebble cast into the pond sending a ring of small waves in all directions is indicative of the impact that rising energy costs have had on all facets of our society.

I can still remember the feeling of the tractor-tire cleats thumping across my back as I fell onto the tire when my uncle unexpectedly swerved the tractor, traveling in high gear.

New technology to identify open cows circumvents the need for veterinarians to do the work. But that doesn't necessarily erase DVMs from the picture.