Pipestone Veterinary Services News

Practice these safety protocols to prevent pathogen transmission to the United States As the world swine population continues to grow domestically and internationally, this opens doors to producers and veterinarians to visit production locations away from home. In some cases, this may involve going to a location with diseases that aren’t present in the United States. Knowing this, it’s good...

Staying focused on their strengths, but being willing to change has been the foundation of the growth and evolution of the Dumoulin family’s farm for more than six decades. Bill and Pat Dumoulin began farming together in 1954 near Hampshire, Illinois, about 60 miles west of downtown Chicago.  Pat currently farms with two sons Mike and Pat – and a...

Fact: Using antibiotics responsibly is an important part of the welfare of our animals, food safety, and sustainability. Science is an amazing tool that helps us to understand how AND WHY things work throughout the universe.  Science uses standardized methodologies, a strict level of testing, and enforces repeatability.  But science can be a difficult topic to communicate. Unfortunately, some try...

Everyone who works with pigs is likely aware of the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) across Europe and Asia. This seemly unstoppable sweeping of disease is a concern for swine farmers worldwide. Even with a vast ocean separating North America, it only takes one failure in biosecurity for ASF to reach our soil. The most significant risks for spread...

In 1984, a “shingle” was hung and Orange City Veterinary Clinic on the west edge of Orange City opened.  In 1997, Orange City Veterinary Clinic and Pipestone Veterinary Services began what has become a 20-year plus relationship of collaboration and joint ventures.  Several sow units were established and coordinated with joint management, which provided opportunities to our swine clients that...

It’s time again that we start pumping manure out of our pits. With this comes the risk and responsibility of ventilating barns properly. Different barns require different strategies for ventilation. Understanding your scenario and proper planning can be all the difference in avoiding asphyxiation events or flash fires. Below are some guidelines to think about as you agitate and remove...

In the midst of dismal hog markets, trade wars, and the recent news of African Swine Fever (ASF) and its impact in China and Eastern Europe, it may seem off-topic to discuss biosecurity.  However, the argument can be made that just the opposite is true.  In fact, given the current market and trade conditions, the impact of disease breaks within...

This year, PIPESTONE has teamed up with local grocery stores this holiday season with “Give a Helping Ham” initiative with one goal in mind: Help Fight Hunger. One out of every five kids in America struggle with hunger.   “There are an astounding number of families in our community that are food insecure.  Give a Helping Ham is a simple way...

Scott Dee DVM MS PhD Dipl;ACVM, Director, Pipestone Applied Research On Friday August 3, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) reported that African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) had been identified in a northeast Chinese pig herd. This is the initial report of this disease in the country of China, although it had been reported in Russia and Eastern Europe. ASFV...

Weaned pig sourcing has the potential to affect the profitability of an enterprise greatly.  Here are 4 things to keep in mind when considering your pig source. #1 Health When evaluating a “one time” purchase of weaned pigs you will want to know the current health status of the sow farm and weaned pigs.  However, when evaluating a long-term source...