Veterinary Agri-Health Services Ltd.

Veterinary Agri-Health Services Ltd. VAHS is a beef cattle specialty veterinary practice that takes pride in servicing Western Canada. Veterinary Agri-Health Services Ltd.

is a dedicated team of individuals who bring a wealth of experience to beef veterinary practice and strive to deliver excellent customer service.

Hey all you aspiring 'Cow Vets'! It's that time of year again! We are accepting applications for our 10th annual Advance...
09/01/2026

Hey all you aspiring 'Cow Vets'! It's that time of year again! We are accepting applications for our 10th annual Advanced Beef Production Medicine Rotation taking place July 19-30th, 2027!

Head to our website (www.vahs.net/students) for details on how to apply for this once in a lifetime externship experience!

Feel free to message Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky if you have any questions. Applications are due October 15th for both US and Canadian students. Student membership in AABP, AVC, WCABP, CABV, or equivalent organization is required.

Congratulations to RVT Lauren who participated in the next stage of selections for the 2026-2027 CYL program year, yeste...
08/19/2026

Congratulations to RVT Lauren who participated in the next stage of selections for the 2026-2027 CYL program year, yesterday - the roundtable discussions!

Thank you American Association of Bovine Practitioners and Dr. W. Mark Hilton for this incredible opportunity! It was an...
07/30/2026

Thank you American Association of Bovine Practitioners and Dr. W. Mark Hilton for this incredible opportunity! It was an honor and a privilege to host so many veterinarians from across North America with a shared interest in providing consulting services to their cow-calf clients. Thank you also to our amazing clients for opening your gates to us and trusting us with your businesses. It was such a unique and inspiring experience and we couldn’t be more grateful!

We can’t believe it is over already!After an amazing two weeks, we wrapped up the 10th and final day of our 9th Annual A...
07/27/2026

We can’t believe it is over already!

After an amazing two weeks, we wrapped up the 10th and final day of our 9th Annual Advanced Beef Production Medicine rotation with celebration, competition, and a whole lot of pride in this amazing group of future veterinarians.

The students spent the morning giving their individual and group presentations, which included topics such as rotational grazing using virtual fencing, heat stress, beef by-products and traceability.

After a BBQ lunch, it was all fun and games in the afternoon! Kicking it off, we were introduced to everyone’s competitive side with a spirited round of Beef Cattle Jeopardy. Congratulations to our winning team (Buzzed Like A Bull).

The students received their very last lecture and demonstration on how to (safely) utilize dart guns, courtesy of Dr. Tommy.

To finish the day, the group came head-to-head for Cow-Vet Olympics! Congratulations to our 2026 “gold medalist”, Chloe!

To all the students: you brought enthusiasm, curiosity, and passion to every single day. It was an absolute pleasure to work with you, and we have no doubt you’ll go on to become phenomenal cow vets. Best of luck in the rest of your clinical year—we can’t wait to cross paths again soon!

One last thank you to our guest speakers, hosts, and sponsors. Your generosity and expert knowledge make this rotation possible and impactful year after year.

We are already looking forward to next year!

Day 9 kicked off with Dr. Cameron Olson from Elanco Animal Health who taught our students all about medicated feed addit...
07/24/2026

Day 9 kicked off with Dr. Cameron Olson from Elanco Animal Health who taught our students all about medicated feed additives and followed up by an interactive session on writing feed prescriptions. We then visited a feed mill and Micro Beef machine that is used to deliver precise dosages of vitamins, minerals, monensin, and other products!

Building onto the morning's discussions, Dr. Cameron Olson reviewed feedlot cost of gain and carcass evaluation before passing the torch to Ryan Copithorne from Cows in Control who shared with us their expertise on risk management and marketing.

The day concluded with a session from Telus Ag’s Virgil Lowe who discussed the future of technology in the beef industry!

Day 8: Bovine Field SurgeryToday’s focus was all about putting practical skills to the test with a deep dive into field ...
07/23/2026

Day 8: Bovine Field Surgery

Today’s focus was all about putting practical skills to the test with a deep dive into field surgery for feedlot cattle. To start the day, the esteemed Dr. Mike walked the students through some of the most common surgical conditions encountered in feedlot settings and discussed how to manage them efficiently and humanely in the field.

In the afternoon, the students had the chance to roll up their sleeves and apply their surgical skills on cadavers at a feedlot. Under the guidance of experienced instructors, they practiced key procedures, including:
- Rumenostomies to relieve chronic free-gas bloat
- Claw amputations to address severe lameness and arthritis
- Enucleations for eye cancer, trauma, or infection
- Perineal urethrostomies for managing urolithiasis ("water belly")

A big thank you to Dr. Eugene Janzen and Dr. Natasha Kutryk and the Merck team for their mentorship and steady hands. We’re also grateful to Merck for keeping our students dry and protected in their new Udder Tech gear.

***Note: All procedures were performed on cadavers from animals that had been humanely euthanized due to chronic conditions or died of natural causes. These opportunities are invaluable to student learning, and we recognize it is a great privilege. ***

Day 7 of our Advanced Beef Production Medicine rotation focused on animal care and feedlot management.Thanks to the awes...
07/23/2026

Day 7 of our Advanced Beef Production Medicine rotation focused on animal care and feedlot management.

Thanks to the awesome team at Namaka Farms, our students had the opportunity to shadow and work alongside experienced pen checkers, feed truck drivers, and hospital crews. This immersive experience offered a deeper understanding of the day-to-day operations and responsibilities that keep a large commercial feedlot running smoothly.

Animal care at this scale comes with significant responsibility, particularly when managing sick or injured cattle. In the afternoon, students participated in necropsies on animals that had been humanely euthanized due to chronic illness. Necropsies not only help determine the cause of illness and death in individual cases but also offer valuable insights into disease prevalence across the herd. This information is incredibly valuable in influencing herd health strategies to improve long-term outcomes.

We are so appreciative of Namaka Farms and their owners, managers, and staff, for giving our students this incredible opportunity to make them better veterinarians and feedlot consultants. Additional thank you to Dr, Eugene Janzen, for lending his expert guidance and advice!

It’s hard to believe it’s already the start of week 2!Day 6 was a perfect blend of practical skills and critical thinkin...
07/21/2026

It’s hard to believe it’s already the start of week 2!

Day 6 was a perfect blend of practical skills and critical thinking; deepening our understanding of the decisions that shape feedlot health and performance. Starting us off, Dr. Bruce Kostelanksy from Zoetis presented on growth promotant technologies. This acted as a great segue to the annual implant lab instructed by the Zoetis team and someone a lot of you may recognize…Dr. Craig!

That’s right, we were able to convince him to step away from his retirement activities for a day to teach the students about feedlot processing protocols; an exciting new topic for most of the attendees!

Thank you to Zoetis and Dr. Craig for spending the day with us!

***No cattle were harmed during the implant wetlab. VAHS is thankful to have access to cadaver ears from cattle presented for necropsy to use for teaching purposes

Day 5 of our Advanced Beef Production Medicine rotation featured two very different learning experiences, each offering ...
07/20/2026

Day 5 of our Advanced Beef Production Medicine rotation featured two very different learning experiences, each offering valuable insight into the beef industry.

Our morning began with a behind-the-scenes look at AVL/Solvet Canada, where students explored the journey of animal health products from research and development through regulatory approval and manufacturing. Learning about the rigorous quality control measures involved gave everyone a new appreciation for the work that goes into producing safe and effective pharmaceuticals.

Next, we travelled south to Chinook Ranch Ltd,where Stephen Hughes - McDonald's first flagship farmer - shared their approach to management-intensive grazing and sustainable beef production. Inspired by the natural movement of the bison that once roamed these grasslands, their cattle graze year-round using frequent rotational grazing to promote healthy forage, while solar-powered watering systems support both livestock and environmental stewardship. It was an excellent example of how innovation and conservation can go hand in hand.

We wrapped up the week with a stop at Twin Cities Saloon in Longview, where the group reflected on everything learned during the first 5 days of the rotation.

A sincere thank you to our wonderful hosts at Solvet, Chinook Ranch Ltd., and Twin Cities Saloon!

Check out McDonald’s flagship farmers at https://www.flagshipfarmers.com/en/profile/stephen-hughes/

Day 4 of our Advanced Beef Production Medicine rotation took us on another exciting field trip! Emphasis on field.We wer...
07/17/2026

Day 4 of our Advanced Beef Production Medicine rotation took us on another exciting field trip! Emphasis on field.

We were warmly welcomed by Scott and Glenn of Regehr Land & Cattle, who led an engaging site visit. Under the guidance of Dr. Brittany, along with Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - University of Calgary - UCVM faculty member Dr. Karin Orsel, the students gained valuable insights into maximizing their time on the ranch. They emphasized the importance of asking the right questions to spark meaningful conversations with producers. A key part of our discussions centered on the veterinarian’s role in biosecurity, and the economics around performing diagnostic testing for disease surveillance – to test or not to test?

Keeping with our theme of supporting local gems, they recharged with a stop at our favourite coffee and sandwich shop, Linden’s own High Seas Coffee Co.!

We wrapped up the day touching grass…literally. Jim Bauer of Anchor JB Ranch generously shared his knowledge on forage varieties and grazing strategies.

A heartfelt thank you to Regehr Land & Cattle, High Seas Coffee Co., and Anchor JB Ranch for your generous hospitality and for helping make it another unforgettable day of learning! Also, a special shout-out and thank you to our friends at Vetoquinol Canada for joining us for the day and for their valuable contributions to the discussions!

Address

Crossfield, AB

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+14039482253

Website

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