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Last Updated on Monday, 19 September 2011 16:48

Written by Christy Martinez

Buffalo – “We look at the Wyoming Veterinary Medical Practice Act as a consumer and animal protection act,” said Wyoming Board of Veterinary Medicine President Jim Summers of Lander, referring to the notion of laypeople performing auxiliary veterinary practices.

Summers, together with Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan, presented changes to the Act to the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee at their fall meeting, held Oct. 4-5 in Buffalo.

This isn’t the first time the committee has reviewed the bill, which in the past has included controversial language allowing laypeople to be licensed for certain veterinary procedures.

“It’s been approximately two years since some of our board members indicated they’d heard some talk from legislators about auxiliary practices,” said Summers.

An earlier version of this year’s version of the Wyoming Veterinary Medical Practice Act included an outline of AI, equine dentistry, embryo transplant, massage therapy, chiropractic therapy, acupuncture and orthopedic manipulation in the definition of “practice of veterinary medicine,” which may only be performed by licensed veterinarians. However, that language was removed.

The current bill reads, “No person may practice veterinary medicine in the state who is not a licensed veterinarian or the holder of a valid temporary permit issued by the board.” It also increases penalties from $100 to $750 and up to six months in jail.

Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan said over the last 10 years Wyoming has had several situations where unlicensed heifer spayers and equine dentists have come into Wyoming.

“There have been at least three equine dentists and two heifer spayers doing what is typically considered to be veterinary medicine,” he explained. “The board sent letters of cease and desist, and some took that to heart and others persisted. We’ve not had any success getting country attorneys to prosecute them, since the fine apparently wasn’t high enough nor was it a priority issue.”

Logan added the board currently licenses AI technicians, embryo transfer and embryo transplant technicians.

“I don’t think the Vet Board had any intention to step over its bounds and stop people from legitimately doing certain services,” said Logan. “There are certain areas where livestock producers are in need of certain services that may not always be available through a veterinarian, and presently there is no way for trained laypeople to presently do those services.”

“The Vet Board had drafted a version of the Practice Act that could make those services legally available, but only under regulation of the board for consumer protection,” added Logan. “It wasn’t to legitimize people who out there practicing without a license. The intent was to bring that type of thing under regulation of the Wyoming Board of Veterinary Medicine, so those people who do qualify for permit or license can be permitted or licensed. It was not meant to detract from the practice of veterinary medicine or consumer and animal protection, but to bring those things under the regulation of the board.”

Representative Mark Semlek, committee co-chairman with Senator Gerry Geis, indicated he had expected a different type of bill to come before the committee than the one reviewed at the meeting.

“Two years ago there was a bill before the House Ag Committee, with respect to preg testing, and we heard the discussion and there was a great debate and the point on both sides was well taken. We gave it thoughtful consideration, and at the end of the process the committee voted not to allow that to occur.

“What I expected was that there would perhaps be some thoughtful consideration given, and that if we are going to allow it, there ought to be something in place, as with AI, to provide instruction through the vet tech program at Torrington or some other certification or process. We’re not sure what you’re proposing. I think the expectation was something like that would happen.”

“Wording was included to include vet technicians in the act,” said veterinarian Malcolm Blessing of Cody. “I believe vet techs should be the first ancillary vet care professional sanctioned by the act. We have a school of technology in Torrington, and we’re graduating technicians, but not licensing them in Wyoming. I think it’s a travesty we’re sending them to other states because they can’t be licensed to practice with a vet. I think that should be included in the act.”

“I’ve heard from those utilizing the services of people doing these services, and a common theme is that they are really specialized, doing one thing all the time and providing a good service. I think there’s a way to meld these objectives, where producers get the services they need with some kind of a tech system that protects the consumer and producer,” said Representative Sue Wallis.
A group of Wyoming’s veterinarians attended to meeting to share their perspectives with the legislators, including a veterinarian from Sheridan. “We have incentives for veterinarians to come back and work in areas, yet we’re going to let other people come in and do the work,” he commented. “There is a shortage of food animal veterinarians, and it won’t work to encourage people to go into pre-vet and go into an industry where other people can do the fields without the extent of education. I wouldn’t want to spend eight to 10 years of my life, only to have that happen.”

He added it’s also a standard of care issue. “There’s a standard of care we’ve worked to grow and build, and where does it stop? With Bangs testing? Trich testing? Health certificates? Where does it stop? We’ve worked our careers off to establish the standard of care.”

“If these alternative services will be done in Wyoming, they should be under some regulation. If we’re not going to worry about regulating, we might as well throw it open to everybody. That’s not what either the state’s veterinary profession or I want,” said Logan.

The Joint Ag Committee voted to move the bill, and it will appear first in the House of Representative in the 2011 general session beginning Jan. 11.

Christy Martinez is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Monday, 19 September 2011 16:50

Written by Jennifer Womack

Northeast Wyoming — Rett Scoggin, northeast Wyoming’s newest veterinarian, and his wife Abbra are bringing a youthful presence to the ranches they’ve begun visiting this fall as part of their new veterinary business.
    Scoggin, raised on a ranch 25 miles north of Hulett, is a graduate of Hulett High School. He recently returned to the area after spending four years studying veterinary medicine at Colorado State University and completing an internship at Oakridge Equine Hospital in Oklahoma. While in Oklahoma he met his wife Abbra, a native of the Shawnee, Okla. area. Abbra, who was a technician at Oakridge Equine Hospital, has a degree in business management and works side-by-side with Rett.
    Following graduation from the University of Wyoming in 2000 with a degree in Animal Science, Scoggin returned to northeast Wyoming where he worked a variety of jobs. He was a heavy equipment mechanic in Gillette, trucked cattle with long-time friend Josh Franzen and worked in a feedlot in Greeley, Colo. “I needed a break from the intense studying following completion of my bachelor degree.” says Scoggin “I didn’t apply to vet school for three years.”
    In the winter before entry into vet school, Scoggin found himself in Jeffrey City working as an oiler and a mechanic for a Gillette-based construction company. Earlier that fall he’d applied for vet school, but hadn’t fully made up his mind whether or not to attend if accepted. The winter cold eased the decision making process.
    “It takes four years,” says Scoggin of vet school. “After graduation, I accepted a position in Oklahoma at an equine surgical referral center.” According to the Oakridge Equine Hospital website, interns at the facility see an average of 150 cases per week. It’s estimated that interns at the facility see what would take three to five years working at a typical clinic.
    “You have a tremendous amount of medical knowledge once you graduate from vet school, but you are still relatively naïve when it comes to putting that knowledge into practice,” says Scoggin. “That first six months, especially in a high case load clinic like Oakridge, you really develop your diagnostic skills and learn how to practice the science of medicine,” says Scoggin.
    Scoggin is hopeful his experience at Oakridge will earn the interest of equine industry customers. “The main reason I wanted that experience was to feel confident I had the knowledge necessary to handle those types of cases for clients in the performance horse industry,” he says. From diagnosing the cause of lameness to treating performance-limiting internal medicine issues, it’s a skill set he hopes to apply through future work.
    The internship ended in June and Rett and Abbra began making plans to move back to the Cowboy State.
    “It takes the right type of person,” says Scoggin of working as a vet. When it comes to working with large animals, or running a food animal practice, he says, “You have to really love the business or industry you’re working for. The best part is putting the knowledge gained in veterinary school to use helping producers increase profit.”
    He says the largest challenge involves the cost of a veterinary education. “It’s expensive to keep a university veterinary program operating,” says Scoggin. “It’s difficult to operate those programs as a profit-making business, they’re research institutions. Deficits in their budget need to be filled somewhere. A portion not met with research grants or donations, is filled by student tuition.” Scoggin says the average veterinary student leaves with $120,000 in student loans.
    Wyoming’s vet loan repayment program was part of the reason he chose to return to Wyoming. “I knew if we were going to come back to fulfill a need in this portion of the country, we’d need to catch a break somewhere,” he says. “That program opened the door to come back. It’s still difficult, but we can make it work.” While he and Abbra are currently living in Beulah and working out of the back of their pickup, they’re also looking at purchasing a northeast Wyoming vet clinic. Such a move would allow them to care for small animals, a service that’s important to the financial bottom-line for most veterinarians.
    Scoggin says he was one of few students in his vet school classes who had an agricultural background. “Out of 130 students there might have been a handful,” he says. With the aging population of ranchers, vets and others involved in ag, he adds, “It’s tough. There is a lot of medical knowledge to be learned in vet school, but there isn’t time to teach the realities of production animal agriculture. Students need to come in with that knowledge in place to fully understand a veterinarian’s role in this industry.” He’d like to see a reduction in the costs associated with the education and a stronger recruitment of people with an agricultural background.
    Holding licenses in Oklahoma, Wyoming, South Dakota, and soon Montana, Scoggin says, “We’re trying to offer service to northeast Wyoming, western South Dakota and southeastern Montana.”
    Rett and Abbra Scoggin can be reached at 307-689-6648. Jennifer Womack is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Saturday, 31 March 2012 15:55

Written by Saige Albert

Denver, Colo. – The evening of March 27 was spent honoring those people who have played a role in the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) during the NIAA conference in Denver, Colo.
    Peter Timoney of the University of Kentucky received the prestigious Meritorious Service Award.
    NIAA has given the Meritorious Service Award since 2007, which honors a member for extensive contributions or has given exemplary service to agriculture groups and the NIAA.
    The 2012 Meritorious Service Award was given to Timoney after years of service to the equine industry, both in Ireland and in the U.S. Timoney has served as chair of the NIAA equine committee and two terms on the NIAA board of directors. He is currently serving as professor and chair of the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky.
    “It has been a pleasure. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to do it, and if I didn’t feel I was doing something of direct service of this industry,” said Timoney on receiving the award. “You’ve got to, at the end of the day, feel some sense of tangible satisfaction in return for your efforts, and for me, over many years, that sense of satisfaction is to feel that you have done something of service to someone.”
    Timoney continued that he treasured the years of service he has spent working with NIAA and serving the agriculture industry, both in the U.S. and in his native country, Ireland.
    “Agriculture, to me – it doesn’t matter whether we are talking about an animal commodity or plant commodity – is all part of the same jigsaw,” he commented. “We are dealing with and increasingly contentious, aggressive public that doesn’t appear to have any sense of gratitude with respect to the sector of society that puts food on the plate. They don’t accept the reality that we are so fortunate in this country in having safe, plentiful and wonderful food to eat.”
    “I can only say in summary, I am deeply moved and extremely privileged to be accorded this honor and distinction,” he stated. “For me, it’s been a wonderful ride, and I personally thank everyone in this organization for their support, for their enthusiasm and for giving voluntarily for something they believe in. Instead of having their hand out, they are willing to contribute their time, their effort to something that they believe in is essential, and it has never been more essential than it is today.”
    Saige Albert is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Thursday, 07 August 2008 09:01

Written by Liz LeSatz

Laramie – Veterinary medicine in Wyoming was at the forefront of discussion during the Wyoming Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) Summer Meeting in Laramie. Several topics were presented during the two-day meeting and it was clear many are catching the attention of producers and veterinarians alike.
    As the news of two confirmed brucellosis-positive cattle broke during the WVMA gathering, it was up to Wyoming State Veterinarian Walt Cook to provide information and updates. A meeting on the situation took place in Pinedale Tuesday after the WVMA meeting (see related story on the cover of this week’s Roundup).
    Cook also used the WVMA gathering to present information about several other veterinary issues affecting the state.
Bluetongue
    After an unusually large outbreak of bluetongue in sheep last fall, Cook addressed prevention of the disease for this production year. Due to difficulties in getting legal vaccine to the state at a reasonable cost before bluetongue season is over, Cook advised producers to use insecticides. He recommends Python ear tags for cattle and insecticide sprays that repel Culicoides. Both are approved for use in sheep.
    Cook also said a producer meeting on bluetongue control is set for July 14 in Casper. Producers can contact the Wyoming Livestock Board at 307-777-7515 for further information.
NAIS
    Cook also touched on the resistance he has seen to the implementation of the National Animal Identification System in Wyoming.
    “I don’t really care if Wyoming uses NAIS, but we need to have some system to track animals more efficiently than our current one,” Cook said.
    He says more support has been rallied behind a Wyoming traceback program and the topic will be discussed further at a listening session Aug. 13 in Douglas during the Wyoming State Fair.
Vet Student Loan Repayment
    Cook announced the proposed rules for the Veterinarian Loan Repayment program are out for public comment until June 25 and applications will be accepted starting July 1. The repayment program is part of an effort to increase the number of food animal veterinarians in the state.
Reportable Diseases and Health Certificates
    Cook urged veterinarians and producers to report cases of disease to protect producers and consumers. “Last year the bluetongue situation was grossly underreported,” he said. “We have reportable disease requirements for a reason.”
    Cook is also concerned about reports that veterinarians are approving health certificates without looking at the animals. Cook said a shipment of foot-rot infected sheep from Wyoming arrived in South Dakota with signed health papers and he urged veterinarians to make sure animals are actually healthy before issuing a certificate.
Overall
    Aside from Cook’s update, leaders in the state and national veterinary field were on hand addressing current issues and concerns. WVMA President Dr. Kelly Palm said she sees similar veterinary topics coming up year after year, but the hottest issues in the state are brucellosis and the new loan repayment program. Palm emphasized the importance of the loan repayment program.
    “A lot of large-animal practitioners will retire in the next 10 to 15 years, so this program hopefully will draw food animal vets to the state and keep them here,” she said.
    The summer meeting also hosted American Veterinary Medical Association President Greg Hammer. Hammer practices in a small animal and equine clinic in Delaware but during his year as president he’s promoting the AVMA and its issues.
    Hammer advocates for veterinarians in both the public and government arenas. He is currently promoting legislation that would give grants to U.S. veterinary schools to expand facilities and therefore turn out more graduates. He says S. 746 and H.R. 1232 would do just that.
    The second topic Hammer is pushing is increased awareness of animal welfare. He said animal welfare means different things to different people, but he promotes the approaches that work best scientifically.
    The WVMA can be reached at 208-922-9431 and the AVMA at 800-248-2862. Liz LeSatz is summer 2008 intern for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be emailed at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .