This 3-county area (18,231 sq miles) is home to 485,000 total cattle (approx. 400,000 beef) (NASS 2024) and two livestock saleyards. The recent expansions of large scale dairies in western Idaho has drawn nearly all area large animal vets to become solely dedicated to dairy. As a result, all manner of beef operations are struggling to find veterinary care without having to trailer livestock long distances or go out-of-state. Only one practice in each of Owyhee and Malheur Counties that offers routine care for production animals. Canyon county has a large number of production animal practices, but most are dedicated to dairy. Vacancies created by recent retirements have yet to be replaced and 5 of the still-active production vets in Canyon are over the age of 60. In the last year, one of the mixed animal clinics in the area has stopped accepting new clients. Producers in the area range from large beef feedlots with multiple thousand head to registered beef herds of a few hundred head to a few cattle on a couple acres...of which all badly need veterinary support. As this area is predominantly an agriculture based economy, it is vitally important that veterinary services remain readily available to both large and small beef producers.
This area requires large animal practitioners that will be proficient in: Routine Beef (cow/calf and feedlot) Herd Health and veterinary medical/surgical services. This joint shortage area also is home to the primary two (2) livestock saleyards in the region. The activities of a veterinarian in this area would include but not be limited to consultation with producers on basic management techniques, animal handling and herd health work including pregnancy testing, bull soundness examinations, brucellosis vaccination, setting up vaccination protocols, and emergency treatment of individual animals (sickness, dystocia, etc.) Weekly veterinary saleyard work at both locations is critical to retain as there has been recent turnover of saleyard vets that is damaging to saleyard business and commerce each time a vet is lost. While an important aspect of the veterinarian's life is built around one's day-to-day practice, it is equally important to be involved in the community. During the "business" part of the day, a rural mixed animal practitioner can be found providing a variety of veterinary services expected with a rural lifestyle.
It is very difficult to recruit new veterinarians to this shortage area because the practice area is excessively large as well as very remote. Advertisements in professional magazines such as JAVMA and Bovine Practitioner • Advertisements in State VMA newsletter and website • Postings on job boards at veterinary meetings & veterinary colleges • Networking within veterinary community, allied (pharmaceutical) and animal industry personnel • Contacting veterinary colleges • Offering externships to veterinary students
Idaho’s agriculture industry is estimated to generate $20 billion annually. For a state with a population of only 1.8 million people, agriculture is both directly and indirectly the economic backbone for the majority of Idaho citizens and businesses and especially integral to the local economies, comprising 17% of total economic output and 12.5% GDP. Idaho ranks as the #3 dairy state in the nation (NASS 2024) for cheese and milk production, as well as number of dairy cattle. For overall cattle numbers, Idaho ranks 11 (NASS 2024). Due to the state’s infrastructure, that includes food animal veterinarians, Idaho enjoys a strong export market for dairy products ($474 million) and beef products ($191 million). Food animal veterinarians are critical to maintain Idaho’s safe and wholesome food supply. Many communities in this region, however, are being forced to make due with self-treating their production animals or trailering them long distances to get the care they need, but then may be turned away by practices that have a caseload that is already too big to manage. Their efforts with the livestock industry are integral in preventing disease and early detection in the event of a disease outbreak for areas that include the extensive grazing lands utilized within this shortage area. An example would be Idaho's annual Trich surveillance program. Proper management of these programs allow our trading partners states to maintain the confidence that Idaho cattle continue to be disease free. Food animal veterinarians are a trusted resource in rural communities throughout the state. They also play an important role in educating youth to develop the next generation of livestock producers and animal health professionals. Without the cooperation of federally accredited and state certified food animal veterinarians, state and federal regulatory agencies could not maintain a safe and wholesome food supply for the public and for our domestic and international trading partners.
Home to the state’s capital, Boise, southwest Idaho offers the best of both worlds for visitors. From hiking and biking trails, rushing rivers and sand dunes to historical sites, top-notch wineries, local craft breweries and entertainment, this region showcases a variety of easily accessible adventures. Boise's lively, clean, artistic, vibrant, tree-lined city is just steps from mountains, a river and hundreds of trails. Walkable downtown Boise boasts beautiful views of the Boise Foothills, with modern amenities, 31 versatile meeting and event spaces to suit groups of up to 2,000 attendees. Boise has 210 days of sunshine and over 100 unique restaurants downtown and is home to some of the best outdoor recreation in the Northwest, with more than 90 parks, the 25-mile Greenbelt, 200+ miles of trails and endless miles of open space. Just to the South, Mountain Home was once a desert oasis along the Oregon Trail and, even today, it remains a central location for travelers exploring southern Idaho. Within a short drive, hot springs, Anderson Ranch Reservoir, and Crater Rings offer unique outdoor adventures while around town, the local history museum and farmers markets, along with plenty of parks and hiking trails, make this place one of the best ways to experience Idaho’s high desert. Nearby Grandview, located on the south side of the Snake River, offers all of the charms of many Southwest Idaho small towns, and is billed as the “Gateway to the Owyhee County Outback,” Grand View is a great base for viewing wildlife and exploring the vast Southwest Idaho desert and also plays host to the Owyhee County Fair and Rodeo. For more information on SW Idaho, go to: https://visitidaho.org/regions/southwest/