Mason City Globe Gazette, IA 05-16-07

Northwood vet bucks a trend toward companion-animal practices

By BOB LINK, Of The Globe Gazette

NORTHWOOD — With a knee in the mud, Mike Dierenfeld wrapped his arms around a 10-day-old calf Tuesday morning.

The Northwood veterinarian paused only for a moment as the calf’s mother approached and checked him out.

Dierenfeld lifted and carried the sick calf to a grassy area outside the corral holding the rest of the herd. Minutes later, he poured a pink liquid down the calf’s throat.

Unlike most North Iowa veterinarians, Dierenfeld spends nearly all his time doctoring food animals — cattle and hogs.

“Basically, it’s that way because I want it to be,” he said. “I wind up traveling a little more but I’d say 90 percent of my work is on food animals.”

Dierenfeld starts his day at the Worth County Veterinarian Clinic. He’ll spend an hour or so checking on small or companion animals, mostly pets.

Current trends have a large majority of veterinarians treating companion animals.

John Thompson, dean of the Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said 60 percent of the school’s 100 graduates enter practices involving companion animals. About 10 percent go into equestrian medicine.

“About 30 percent of graduates treat food supply animals,” he said. “That is far and away among the highest percent in the country.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association, a group with roughly 6,200 food animal vets, estimates the shortage of livestock veterinarians at 4 percent nationwide.

Thompson said there are currently federal efforts to encourage more involvement in the veterinary industry. Another federal program is also focusing on placement of veterinary school graduates in under-served areas.

Thompson called ISU’s food animal program one of the most comprehensive in the country. “We feel we are helping meet the needs of society,” he said, “and we feel very good about that.”

Most of Dierenfeld’s days are spent in his big blue Chevy Silverado pickup traveling from farm to farm, checking on hogs, cows and horses.

“Basically, I’m the kind of person who enjoys working with the livestock,” he said. “And so far, knock on wood, I’ve had enough to keep me busy.

“There are some areas where there are shortages,” said Dierenfeld. “But I think in North Iowa we have enough.”

Most of Dierenfeld’s clients live in a 30-mile radius of Northwood. Other days, he travels farther.

“There just aren’t as many farms that have livestock,” he said. “I’d say right now there are about 25 percent of the farms that had cattle and hogs as when I started in 1984.”

Another factor is livestock confinement facilities.

Dierenfeld said he has customers with confinement operations, mostly private operators.

Many of the larger corporations that own and operate hog confinements have their own veterinarians on staff.

Bruce Schupanitz, veterinarian at the Garner Veterinary Clinic, said when he started nine years ago he treated 70 percent livestock and 30 percent companion animals.

“Today, the number have reversed,” he said. “It’s 70 percent small animals and 30 percent livestock.

“I think the decrease is in direct relationship to the number of large-animal operations,” he said. “I don’t think there is a problem with the number of veterinarians in North Iowa — it boils down to the number of operations.”

Schupanitz supported his theory by pointing to the number of active livestock sale barns in North Iowa.

“Both Garner and Forest City used to have real active sale barns,” he said. “A lot of the independent livestock producers are gone.”

Reach Bob Link at 421-0538 or [email protected].