24 Nebraska Cattleman October 2023 I know what’s going on in their operation. I can offer better solutions because my advice is specific to their operation.” Loseke agrees that having good relationships with her clients is important, and she says they are necessary to move forward with certain treatment plans. “There are more regulations on antibiotics, and producers have to have a prescription for most of them now,” Loseke says. “Vets should be assisting producers in deciding which antibiotics to use and when so that we can decrease antibiotic resistance. The end goal for all of us is to produce protein that’s safe and healthy for the consumer.” While the decrease in large animal veterinarians is concerning, the industry is pulling together to turn the tide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, which is popular in Nebraska, according to Dudley. “The Nebraska Department of Agriculture will nominate areas with a shortage of food animal veterinarians,” Dudley says. “If there is an eligible veterinarian in that area with student loans, the USDA will pay up to $25,000 per year to help cover their debt.” The veterinary schools are also looking into options for increasing the number of students they graduate each year in the large animal discipline area, but it is going to require collaboration across the state. “We’re trying to build some economical incentives for students, but we also want to expose veterinary students to these types of practices,” McVey says. “It needs to involve the whole state of Nebraska. We have a long history of training pre-veterinary students, and we do it for Nebraska.” Loseke says that more students should be recruited at a younger age to get them interested in the profession early on. “We need to get vets into high schools and undergraduate college career fairs to talk to these kids about a career in veterinary medicine,” Loseke says. “However, it’s really hard to get fulltime vets to these events. They are already overworked and exhausted from the regular duties they have.” While it might be a challenge to get veterinarians in front of students, she says it could make a difference for some. “We can encourage these kids to make an impact in food safety, animal medicine and beef production by becoming a vet,” Loseke says. No matter what, the career is rewarding and worth it for veterinarians like Loseke. “I wouldn’t trade what I do for the world,” Loseke says. “I don’t criticize anyone for not choosing to do what we do, but I love animals and producers. I think the return is great.” NC AN AVERAGE DAY AT WORK: EXPERTS REFLECT ON THE SHORTAGE OF LARGE ANIMAL VETERINARIANS IN NEBRASKA • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 TIRES TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WWW.DAWSONTIRE.COM 308-252-3028 Loader Tires | Semi Tires | Feed Wagon Tires | Skid Steer Tires | & Much More LARGEST SELECTION OF TIRES & WHEELS IN THE MIDWEST © 2023, Dawson Tire and Wheel, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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