Caring for cows

November/December 2022 California Bountiful magazine

Veterinarian tweaks childhood
dream and treats livestock

Interview by Linda DuBois
Photos by Steve German

Maia Laabs grew up in suburban Ventura County dreaming of becoming a veterinarian so she could work with dogs and cats and other cuddly animals. In preparation for vet school, she began undergraduate studies in animal science in 2012 at the University of California, Davis, and got her first real-world experience at a veterinary practice. She soon realized treating people’s pets wasn’t for her. She still enrolled in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine but turned her focus to livestock. After graduating in the spring, she joined Swinging Udders Veterinary Services, a practice in the Sacramento County community of Galt that treats a variety of Central Valley livestock, mostly dairy cows.

How many of the 160 vet school graduates last May were in
farm-animal medicine?

Very few. In third year, there were only 13. Then, in fourth year, when we’re out of the classroom and in the clinics full time, about half of those ended up tracking mixed (livestock and small animals) and a lot who did track livestock are now in mixed jobs. A lot of these practices are in rural towns where there’s only one veterinarian and they just see whatever walks through the door, from a dog to a bearded dragon to a donkey.

Why did you decide to treat livestock animals instead of pets?

I feel there are a lot of times when pet owners want to keep going with care and it’s at the expense of the animal’s wellbeing. They’re just not ready to let go. I get it. We love our companion animals. But it was really hard for me for a lot of years to watch so many animals get put through so much excessive treatment. A lot of the livestock producers I’ve met on the other hand can tell when an animal is suffering and they are willing to make what I would consider to be the right decision.

What do you spend most of your time doing?

I work mostly with dairy cows, but a few other things here and there.… In dairy practice, our bread and butter is pregnancy checks. We determine if they’re pregnant, how far along and if they’re experiencing issues. But I also do other random things. So, like, if they get a really bad case of pink eye, sometimes you’ll need to remove the eye. Or if they get an abscess, you’ll need to lance it. Or sometimes cows will lacerate themselves if they, say, try to jump over a fence or get cut on a wire. So, you clean the wound and sew it up and start them on antibiotics. Sometimes there are difficult calving situations that can get really messy.

Are the hours difficult?

It’s definitely not for people who want a regular 9-to-5 day. We can start as early as 4 in the morning and the dairy might be an hour away. So, I might be leaving home at 3. We also have on-call duty, so there are middle-of-the-night phone calls. But there are five of us, so we’re each on call only one weekday and about every fifth weekend.

Would it have been more lucrative to focus on pets?

In most cases it’s much more lucrative to do companion-animal medicine, like dogs and cats, than it is to do livestock. It’s definitely something I thought a lot about, but I can’t practice that kind of medicine if my heart isn’t in it. I’m willing to accept a little lower pay for what I really want to do.

Did the idea of living in a rural area after graduation bother you?

Not particularly. I think once I knew that this was something I wanted to pursue, I just sort of accepted that as part of the lifestyle. Plus, the clinic’s only like 30 to 40 minutes south of Sacramento and it’s right off the freeway. The town (Galt) is pretty small, but it’s close to other suburbs.

Do you see yourself working with dairy cows for your whole career?

I’m not sure. I’m trying to keep all my options open. I had a pretty strong interest in research throughout school. And, while I like dairy practice, I absolutely love goats and I’ve done a lot of research with them. So, I’m considering maybe someday going back into research when my body can no longer handle the demands of being a large-animal practitioner.

How do you feel you are contributing to agriculture?

I think one of the most important ways is in preventative medicine—preventing health problems from occurring rather than treating them after the fact. I work to build a relationship with (the farmers) so that they call when they want vaccines done or they want me to test for a disease.

Linda DuBois