Becoming a Bison Veterinarian: Why Bison Need Veterinary Champions
By Dr. Robert Stenger – DVM – West Fork Veterinary Services
As a bison producer, you've probably lived some variation of this story:
"We called six veterinarians before we found one willing to come out."
Bison producers often find it difficult to find veterinary support, while veterinarians
often are apprehensive to face a species, they were never formally taught to handle
during veterinary school. The result is a gap that leaves producers frustrated and
veterinarians missing a unique opportunity to build lasting relationships and provide
services.
As a veterinarian who has worked with a bison herd for a few years now, I understand
the veterinarian’s hesitancy. Yet, I also see a great opportunity to provide care for
animals and support a unique food supply producer. The good news is that bison
medicine is not some mysterious specialty that is reserved for only a select rare expert.
Like any facet of veterinary practice, bison medicine starts with curiosity, a
foundational understanding of veterinary medicine, and a willingness to learn.
The First Lesson: Bison Are Not Cattle
Let's address the elephant in the corral: "They're basically cattle."
Usually, that statement lasts right up until someone walks into a handling facility for the
first time and watches a 1,500-pound animal clear a gate, spin around in a chute on a
dime, or demonstrate athletic abilities the envy of the worst rogue cow. Bison and
cattle share many biological similarities. Many diagnostic approaches, disease
processes, nutritional principles, and pharmaceutical considerations overlap. However,
their behavior and stress response are dramatically different - these differences
matter.
In cattle practice, success often comes from controlling animals and bending them to
your will. In bison practice, success often comes from understanding how animals
respond before you ever apply pressure or get them in the chute – convincing them
that it is their idea to run into the corral or down the chute. The veterinarians who
recognize this distinction can quickly gain the trust of a bison producer. The ones who
ignore it, and insist on treating them like cattle, often receive an unforgettable lesson.
Why So Few Veterinarians Work with Bison
Most veterinarians graduate with little or no significant experience working with
livestock. Estimates vary, but only about 3–5% of veterinary graduates enter
predominantly livestock-based practices. As bison producers, you face additional
challenges in securing veterinary support, but this is a serious issue across the entire
livestock industry. Even among the small minority of veterinarians pursuing careers in
livestock medicine, exposure to bison-specific training in veterinary school is virtually
nonexistent.
This unfamiliarity can create understandable hesitation when a veterinarian is asked to
take on a bison client. If you, as the producer, can help mitigate some of these
concerns, you are more likely to find a veterinarian interested in building a relationship
with you and your operation.
Veterinarians worry about:
Personal and staff safety
Facility limitations
Drug dosing uncertainties
Regulatory requirements
Liability concerns
Return on time investment
The bison industry needs to find a way to get more practitioners willing to dip their toes into
Bison medicine. The North American bison industry continues to grow (Velazco, et al,
Benchmarking the United States bison meat industry, 2024). Herds are becoming larger, more sophisticated, and increasingly focused on health management, genetics, reproduction, and production efficiency.
Common Herd-Health Challenges
Modern bison operations would benefit from veterinary support in the same areas as cattle
producers:
Herd health/vaccination planning
Reproductive management
Disease investigations
Biosecurity
Regulatory testing
Necropsy and diagnostics
Animal welfare consultation
Veterinarians entering bison practice often discover that many health issues are familiar
from cattle.
Parasite management is of prime importance especially in the wetter, Eastern climates
and as producers seek sustainable/organic approaches that limit the use of synthetic
dewormers.
Reproductive performance is a major area where veterinary involvement can improve
profitability. Nutrition-related problems, trace mineral deficiencies, and body condition
concerns are also commonly encountered which impact fertility and overall animal
health. In some regions, veterinarians may encounter diseases such as brucellosis,
tuberculosis, or other surveillance requirements. Even if not a reportable disease,
leptospirosis, clostridial diseases, and many others can have a terrible cost to bison
producer. The diseases themselves are often not what make bison practice unique as
most cattle veterinarians would understand the common diseases of bison. The
challenge is obtaining diagnostics, collecting samples, administering treatments, and
managing cases while minimizing stress and maintaining safety.
Building Productive Veterinarian Client Patient Relationships (VCPR)
Success in bison medicine depends heavily on communication, understanding
limitations, and humility. Veterinarians often feel placed in a position where they, as the
expert, should have all the answers. I learned quickly in my education that it served me
and the patients much better if I admitted my ignorance and talked to clients frankly
rather than give a false sense of assuredness. The best veterinarian client relationships
are built on mutual respect rather than emergency-only interactions or serving as a
pharmacy without consultation.
Producers can help veterinarians become more comfortable with bison by:
Inviting veterinarians to visit facilities before emergencies occur
Sharing herd history and management practices
Discussing handling capabilities honestly
Maintaining safe, functional handling systems
Including veterinarians in herd health planning
Likewise, veterinarians should recognize that experienced producers often possess
decades of practical knowledge regarding animal behavior and handling. The most
successful outcomes occur when veterinary expertise and producer experience
complement one another.
There is nothing that irks me more, well at least in this context, than a producer calling and telling me what medicine they need without asking my opinion or having a conversation about the issue at hand. A quick way for me to be too busy to add your farm on as a client is to come into the relationship thinking the only thing I can add, as a veterinarian, is a prescription pad.
Advice for Veterinarians Interested in Bison
For veterinarians considering bison work, my advice is simple: Start.
You do not need to become a national expert before accepting your first bison client.
Be honest about your experience and limitations. Learn from experienced producers,
visit their facilities, attend bison association meetings, and, above all, remain humble
and willing to learn. Most importantly, recognize that low-stress handling principles are
not optional in bison practice—they are fundamental.
Veterinarians should also develop relationships with colleagues who already work with
bison. Nearly every experienced bison veterinarian can recall someone who answered
questions, shared protocols, or provided guidance early in their career. That mentor
may be a veterinarian with bison experience, an established bison producer, or ideally--both.
Safety Must Always Come First
No discussion of bison medicine would be complete without mentioning safety.
Bison are powerful animals capable of causing severe injury. Good facilities, proper
planning, clear communication, and realistic expectations are essential. Veterinarians
should never feel pressured to perform procedures when adequate restraint or safety
measures are unavailable. Likewise, producers benefit from recognizing that veterinary
care becomes more effective when facilities are designed with both animal and human
safety in mind. A well-designed handling system protects everyone involved.
An Opportunity for the Next Generation
Rural veterinary medicine faces significant workforce challenges, and many
communities struggle to attract and retain large-animal practitioners. Federal and state
grant and incentive programs may be available to veterinarians willing to serve
livestock producers in designated areas of need.
Contact your state veterinarian and collaborate with other local livestock producers
and agricultural organizations to advocate for your area’s inclusion in one of these
programs. Be sure to request that bison be listed as a required species to serve in the
program application.
For young veterinarians seeking meaningful, rewarding production animal careers,
bison medicine represents an opportunity to develop expertise in a growing sector that
genuinely needs professional support. The work is challenging. The animals demand
respect. The learning curve can be steep. Yet few areas of veterinary medicine offer
the same combination of production medicine, conservation heritage, animal behavior,
and producer relationships.
Final Thoughts
Every veterinarian who becomes comfortable working with bison helps strengthen the
future of the industry. The bison community does not need every veterinarian to
become a specialist; it simply needs more practitioners who are willing to learn.
For producers, patience and a genuine interest in building a partnership—rather than
simply seeking a “prescription pad”—will help veterinarians feel more connected to and
invested in your operation.
We need more veterinarians to champion bison production: practitioners willing to ask
questions, gain experience, and provide professional support to producers who care
deeply about their animals. The next great bison veterinarian may already be practicing
in your community. They simply may not have worked with enough bison yet to realize
it!
References:
Velazco DM, Hess A, Edwards-Callaway LN, Nair MN. Benchmarking the United States
bison meat industry: stakeholder perceptions, production parameters, and live animal
factors affecting meat quality. J Anim Sci. 2024, Jan 3.
Want to get a hold of Dr. Stenger?
Comments