Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Each summer DVM students from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph delve into hands-on, practical experience at veterinary clinics across Ontario and additional locales during their Externship Veterinary Course. Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), students must complete an eight-week Externship Course between third and fourth year in a rural veterinary practice that works with food animals and/or equine, as well as companion animals. These Externship blog posts are an opportunity to tag along with students during their externship. Here student veterinarian Shannon talks about the importance of problem solving when things don’t go according to plan. Check out all the student blogs here. 

I’ve been very fortunate to have excellent veterinary mentorship during my weeks at Milverton-Wellesley. When I’m on farm service, I get to perform almost every procedure we do on our cattle calls, and this has been a huge boost to my competency and confidence. This is all due to excellent teachers who are ever so patient, and of course wonderful farmers who are willing to let me learn on their animals.

When I do a procedure, I have a plan in my mind for how it should go. If I’m going to give calcium intravenously for the treatment of milk fever, I think “occlude the jugular vein, look for the vein to pop up, feel the vein, take the cap off my needle, stick it in, watch for blood so I know I’m in the vein, and attach the IV line to let the calcium to flow in slowly over 5 minutes.” Our ideal plan is one that goes smoothly and quickly, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t always go that way. Needles slide out of veins and you have to take it out and redirect it, some cows have smaller veins that are hard to visualize, sometimes cows are obstinate and hard to restrain… the list goes on!

It’s very easy as a student to be hard on yourself when things don’t go perfectly. I often get frustrated with myself if I struggle with something that I’ve done several times before. Your inner voice can be your harshest critic. But it is helpful to remember that this is the very best time for you to experience what happens when things don’t go according to plan!

First, you learn that things don’t always go perfectly, even for the most seasoned veterinarian. This helps you to stop being so hard on yourself! The other great thing is that right now you are completely supervised by a veterinarian – so if you need help or advice, someone is right there to coach you through a sticky spot. This is incredibly valuable, because you learn lots of strategies for how to help yourself should you ever need to in the future! When I learn one of these helpful pieces of advice I write it down in my notebook under the heading “TIPS” so I can refer back to these if I ever need to.

I don’t think the best veterinarian is one that does everything perfectly every time. Maybe I used to think that and aspire to that. But animals are unpredictable and so is medicine… no two cases are alike just like no two animals are alike. The best veterinarian is one that can think on their feet and improvise to solve a problem to achieve the best outcome when a wrench is thrown into their plan. I think that is something worthy of aspiring to! 

Photo: "Speaking of improvising, we needed a place to hang our fluids from for this sick cow, and a quick thinking farmer improvised with a ladder!" 

Views: 96

Comments are closed for this blog post

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

New University of Manitoba research chair to advance beef production sustainability

Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), the University of Manitoba (UM), along with its partners at Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Agriculture, and Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives is proud to announce the establishment of the BCRC Chair in Beef Cattle Economic Sustainability. “It’s important for our industry to understand beneficial management practices that boost productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability – including those related to greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and biodiversity,” said Craig Lehr, the Beef Cattle Research Council chair and Alberta beef producer. “This new Chair will focus on viable solutions for Canadian beef cattle producers with innovations that improve economic sustainability while reducing environmental footprint.” The beef industry faces mounting challenges, including volatile input costs, climate-related risks, and limited access to equitable risk management tools. These pressure

University of Manitoba honours agricultural leaders with 2025 Certificate of Merit

The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences celebrated the 45th anniversary of its Certificate of Merit by recognizing three outstanding alumni for their exceptional contributions to Manitoba’s agricultural sector and rural communities. Since its inception in 1981, the Certificate of Merit has honoured over 95 individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in agriculture, agri-food, and community service. This year’s recipients — Cathey Day, Fred Greig, and Kim McConnell — were celebrated at a special ceremony on June 19 for their lasting impact on the province’s farm and food landscape. “We are proud to honour these three remarkable leaders in this milestone year,” said Martin Scanlon, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. “We know that our alumni have deep and lasting impacts – not only within their professions, but also in their communities. These honourees are a true inspiration for young people who are considering studies and career

Saskatchewan government announces support measures for producers amid dry conditions

The federal government, alongside the Saskatchewan government has announced new measures by the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) to support producers facing this year’s challenging dry conditions. SCIC will implement the double low yield appraisal process, encouraging acres of low-yielding eligible crops to be diverted for grazing, baling, or silage to make additional feed available. Under this initiative, severely damaged crops with appraised yields below an established threshold will have their yield reduced to zero for crop insurance claims. SCIC is doubling the low yield appraisal threshold values, allowing producers to salvage their eligible crops as feed without negatively impacting future individual coverage. All qualifying acres for double low yield appraisals must be diverted to livestock feed and cannot be left to harvest. Producers are advised to contact their local SCIC office before putting damaged crops to an approved alternate use. Daryl Harrison, Saskatc

Bioenterprise Canada Announces Round 2 Participants in the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub

Bioenterprise Canada is pleased to announce the successful applicants from round 2 of the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub (GOAH). Twenty (20) Ontario-based companies have been selected to receive advisory, mentorship, and support services through our growing national network, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine. 

AGCO Announces Agreements Reached with TAFE on Key Commercial and Other Issues

AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology,

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service