WVC Vegas Education: From Barnyard to Backyard

From Meows to Moos: When Livestock Crash Your Small Animal Schedule

It was a normal Tuesday morning in my suburban small animal clinic. The dental cleaning on a geriatric Yorkie named Muffin had gone exceptionally well. I was finishing up an annual visit with Mr. Whiskers, a 4-year-old cat who clearly resented my existence and was mentally preparing myself for an afternoon rush of itchy dogs and suspicious lumps. All in all, the day was going… normally. As I took a quick bite of some lunch, I glanced at my afternoon schedule. Itchy dog, puppy’s first visit (the normal I expected), pet potbellied pig & chicken, sick cat, and show goat. Wait What? I had to do a double take.

“Client bringing in a PET PIG & CHICKEN. And a Show GOAT!?”

Excuse me?

I rushed to the reception area and checked in with Misty, my number one receptionist, who had scheduled these appointments. She was as surprised as I was but had remembered me saying on her first day of work two years ago, “We don’t send clients away”.

Boy oh Boy!

The New Reality of The Suburban Veterinarian

Let’s be honest, most of us small animal doctors didn’t sign up for this. Sure, I did a few mixed animal rotations in vet school. I mean, I had to, it was required for graduation. I palpated a cow or two, treated a goat with GI parasites, and once got jumped by a sheep named Barbara. But my heart, and my student loans, were firmly committed to cats and dogs.

And yet, here I am, fielding occasional calls about balding chickens, constipated pigs, and whether a backyard cow can be vaccinated alongside the family’s schnauzer.

The day moves on past my normal small animal appointments into barnyard central.

Then in comes Little Jimmy. He stands at the front door beaming with pride, clutching a folder of paperwork and a bag of goat treats. Clover, his hopefully award-winning show goat, is waiting patiently in a trailer outside because let’s be real, my clinic was built for golden retrievers, not goats. Jimmy is headed to his first county stock show and needs assistance to be able to show Miss Clover. Not to mention a pep talk to calm his excited nerves for Clover’s big debut. And I’m standing there thinking, “I was trained for pancreatitis in poodles… not pageantry in Boers.”

And when I try to phone a friend? My nearest mixed animal buddy is on a farm call, knee-deep in a calving pen and probably covered in something that smells worse than anatomy lab. He’s the only livestock veterinarian within 120 miles. These clients do not want to drive further because I’m a veterinarian too. So, unless I want to wait until he’s done playing bovine midwife, I’m on my own with a pig and chicken in the lobby and a goat waiting for me outside in her cozy little trailer.

Welcome to the new frontier of veterinary medicine: where barnyard meets backyard, and my small animal clinic becomes a surprise petting zoo.

The Rise of the Suburban Livestock Pet

At this year’s veterinary conference, the “Barnyard to Backyard” sessions are tackling this exact phenomenon. As more suburban families embrace pet pigs, backyard chickens, stock show animals, and even honeybees (yes, bees), small animal practitioners like me are finding ourselves face-to-snout with species we never thought we’d treat outside of our veterinary school clinicals.

And let me tell you. There’s nothing quite like trying to auscultate a goat while it attempts to eat your stethoscope.

Why It Matters!

This isn’t just a quirky trend; it’s a real evolution in how people interact with animals. Livestock are becoming pets. Veterinary medicine is being asked to adapt in ways that blur the lines between small, large, and exotic.

The “Barnyard to Backyard” sessions are more than just educational. They are a call to action. A reminder that our role as veterinarians is expanding, and that with the right knowledge (and maybe a pair of coveralls), we can rise to the occasion.

What’s on the Agenda?

These sessions are a lifeline for those of us who didn’t take “Chicken Charming and Goat Whispering 101” in veterinary school. Here’s a taste of what’s being covered:

So next time you see “GOAT, or CHICKEN, or SHOW COW” on your schedule, don’t panic. Just breathe, grab your boots, stethoscope (and maybe a snack for bribery), and remember those informative necessary sessions you took while attending WVC Vegas 2026. You’ve got this!

Join Us at WVC Vegas for 'From Barnyard to Backyard'