Wildlife Medicine & Surgery

    Shortly after the SDVC opened in 1973,  a need for veterinary care on injured wildlife became apparent. This was many years before the wildlife clinic opened in Tufts University. Members of  the Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife Commission approached us to repair fractured wings on red-tailed hawks, assist in the bear tracking  program and surgically repair limbs on new born fawns injured by mowing machines. Since this time we have been volunteering our services for area bird and wildlife rehabilitators. It has been extremely rewarding to see birds fly away and fawns return to the wild after they have been treated.  

    The large animal portion of this practice provides veterinary services to dairy farms and horse facilities within a thirty mile radius of South Deerfield. The nature of the large animal practice has shifted from primarily a diary practice in 1973  to one servicing a large number of equine facilities. Equine services have become more specialized in the fields of reproduction, radiology and dentistry. We have made a concerted effort to provide the best care in these areas through continuing education and referral to specialty clinics. Services to other species such as llamas, yaks, camels, pot belly pigs, elephants and small ruminants have provided us with challenges that was never thought possible when graduating from veterinary college.  

Veterinary Outreach

    It has been our policy to make every effort to extend our practice into the local community, state and world. Since 1973 our practice has been welcoming student interns from local high schools and colleges in an effort to access veterinary medicine as a career. We have been very fortunate to have many talented pre-veterinary assistants working with us prior to attending veterinary school. It is hard to remember how many letters of accommodation have been written recommending students to veterinary college. Hopefully we have influenced the decision of several dozen pre-veterinary students to enter veterinary medicine as a career. 

    Part of veterinary outreach had been speaking to many school groups such as girl scout troops, kindergarten classes, 4H groups, horse councils and teaching pre-veterinary courses.
    Veterinary outreach to the countries of Honduras as part of Cape Cares medical team  and to the Dominican Republic as part of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association Team has broadened our horizons.