HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarming '89, 1989-03-22, Page 17FARMING ‘89, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1989. A17.
Performing immediate surgery is all part of a routine day for Dr. Clark. To begin the surgery to replace a displaced
stomach, Dr. Clark administers a local anesthetic, then makes an incision about eight inches in length.
Approaching the surgery from the left side is the Utrecht Approach. Farmers Joe, left and Jim Hallahan are Dr.
Clark’s able assistants for the procedure.
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Doctor to the animals
A day in the life of a country
veterinarian shows a dedication
to helping animals
BY BONNIE GROPP
Careening down the icy road, the
pick up truck makes its way
towards its destination. It is early
Thursday morning and the man
behind the wheel is rural veterinar
ian, Dr. Lavern Clark of Blyth. He
is just beginning what is for him
another routine day.
Dr. Clark’s decision to become a
vet happened while growing up on
the family farm near Ridgetown,
after witnessing a post mortem on a
steer. While the veterinarian con
ducting the autopsy was unable to
ascertain what had killed the steer,
he provided the enthralled teen
ager with a detailed explanation of
what he was doing. Though Dr.
Clark now thinks perhaps the vet
only did this to cover the fact that
he couldn’t explain the demise of
the animal, he remembers being
thoroughly impressed at the time.
Following his education at the
Ontario Agricultural College and
Veterinary College, Dr. Clark with
his ‘rural roots’ did not choose to
follow the same path as most of his
classmates. Unlike those veterinary
graduates who have established
small animal practices, Dr. Clark
prefers to work with large animals.
He selected Blyth as the place to
begin his practice as it was not
unlike where he grew up. His
practice here consists of 60 per cent
dairy cattle, 15 per cent swine, 15
per cent beef cattle, with a small
percentage made up of equine and
pets.
His day-to-day routine is remini
scent of a more caring time, when
the country practitioner was a
compassionate, caring friend.
Without Dr. Clark’s concern and
commitment the farmers would
face monumental difficulties in
their daily operations. Their re
spect for Dr. Clark is apparent, as
is his for them.
Dr. Clark has pointed out that
the farmers are quite often able to
detect the problem with the live
stock themselves. They are, he
states, extremely knowledgeable of
their animals and of the problems
that arise within their profession.
The farmers are encouraged to
call the office early in the morning
in order for Dr. Clark to plan his
route, keeping urgency and consis
tency in mind. He services an area
that extends north of Belgrave,
through Clinton, east to Walton,
and west to Dunlop.
His first stop on this particular
morning is at a dairy operation
located outside of Belgrave. The
farmer’s two sons greet him by his
first name. Proceeding into the
barn one becomes aware of how
comfortable Dr. Clark is in these
surroundings, how familiar the
territory is to him.
The farmer proceeds to explain
the history involved concerning the
“patient”. It is pointed out to Dr.
Clark that the nine year old cow has
been off her feed for the last few
days and has recently calved. Dr.
Clark listens with a stethescope as
he taps the side of the cow and
what he hears confirms what he has
suspected. He turns to the farmer
and reports that the farmer’s lay
diagnosis has been correct; the cow
has a displaced stomach. Though
there are several causes for this
condition it frequently occurs fol
lowing pregnancy, when the cow is
heavier. This results in the cow’s
fourth stomach sliding to the side.
The question that now arises for
the farmer concerns economics. If
the cow is productive then Dr.
Clark can surgically correct the
problem. Otherwise the cow could
be shipped. In this case the farmer
elected to have the damage repair-
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There are three approaches to
the surgery and Dr. Clark explains
that each one has its advantages
Continued on page A18
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