Welcome to the Custom Livestock Solutions newsletter! Every other month, you’ll receive an e-newsletter chock-full of updates from the CLS team. We hope this will serve as a new way to stay connected to your large animal vets. Going forward, newsletter subscribers will be the first to hear about upcoming service specials, promotions from industry partners, and opportunities to connect with our team. You may also hear from us in-between issues for important animal health updates! We appreciate you trusting us to care for your animals, and help you meet your farm goals in 2026 and beyond.
Cold weather is about to strike once again! The CLS vets recommend livestock owners consider these suggestions to keep animals safe when winter weather hits:
Ensure animals have access to shelter, such as a barn or windbreak, and deeper bedding for those in calving, lambing, or kidding.
Activate heat lamps in sheltered areas, but be mindful to not place them near flammable material.
Check water supplies frequently to break up any ice, and offer electrolytes if necessary to encourage animals to drink.
Make sure quality feed, hay, and grains are available.
Stock up on recommended medications and birthing supplies beforehand so you’re prepared in the event of an emergency.
Please note, depending on weather conditions, CLS emergency coverage may be limited and office hours may be affected. We will update our Instagram and Facebook with this information as decisions are made.
As we move more toward spring, Dr. Strickland recommends offering high magnesium minerals to cattle to help prevent grass tetany.
FOR EQUINE … enjoy 50 percent off the annual wellness exam fee with the purchase of a Spring Equine Package by March 31! This includes:
Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, rabies, tetanus, and flu/rhino vaccines
Fecal exam
Coggins
At this time, the equine special is not available through the CLS Northwest satellite truck. If you are an equine owner outside of the CLS headquarters primary service area (check the map on our website!), please call our office to discuss the possibility of bringing your horses to Comer.
FOR CATTLE … Save 50 percent on your trip fee when you hold a calf processing appointment by March 31! At this appointment, your CLS vet will administer:
Respiratory vaccines
Clostridial vaccines
Dewormer
PLUS
Castrate bull calves that are not intended to be raised for breeding
Disbud horned calves, if desired, per veterinarian recommendation
For additional details and to schedule appointments, give us a call at 706 783 8128! Please mention the applicable special you’re interested in when you reach out.
EQUINE
Boehringer Ingelheim's Signature Savings Program is now open for the first quarter of the year! Save on Equioxx and Gastrogard purchased between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2026. Ask your CLS vet or click here for more details on how you can save on these products.
Zoetis celebrates the Year of the Horse in 2026 with up to $300 in savings on equine vaccines all year long. Save on Quest Gel, Quest Plus Gel, Core EQ Innovator, Fluvac Innovator, and West Nile-Innovator. Ask your CLS vet or click here for more details about how you can save on these products through the Zoetis Rebate Center.
Keep an eye on the Rebate Programs page on our website for additional savings from our industry partners!
Dr. Strickland spent much of last week representing CLS and our sister clinic, Comer Veterinary Hospital, up in Chicago for the American Veterinary Medical AssociationVeterinary Leadership Conference!
This event focused on topics including clinic culture, fostering staff personal + professional development, incorporating mentorship, supporting client relationships, embracing workplace diversity, improving communication skills, and more.
Dr. Josey represented CLS earlier this month at the Three Rivers Invitational Bull Riding at the Forum in Rome! She even ran into her former boss, Kevin Ellis, whom she worked with while in undergrad at the Berry College horse barn. He’s now the event’s promotor.
Dr. Strickland also attended the Georgia Dairy Conference in January, representing CLS as well as serving in his role as 2026 Georgia Veterinary Medical Association president!
COMING SOON …
On Feb. 11, CLS will be at the UGA Beef Short Course in Athens as an event sponsor. Please stop by and say hello!
Calling all UGA Cattlemen’s Association members! Dr. Strickland will be speaking at the upcoming February meeting. We’d love to see you there.
Rarely a week goes by that the Custom Livestock Solutions phone isn’t ringing with calls for a vet to please come out and see downed cows, bulls, or calves. Because bovines can go down for a number of reasons, and the longer cattle are down, the more detrimental a case can become, the CLS team considers these emergency cases.
Read “When Cows Go Down” on our blog to learn more!
From the Appointment Log of Dr. Scout Josey, DVM
Please note, the following case discusses fetal calf loss.
A first-calf heifer was noted to be demonstrating vaginal discharge and signs of labor over the weekend, but no calf was delivered. Early the next week, she was able to be moved from the pasture and penned in a working facility to be examined. On vaginal palpation, I discovered the full-term calf had passed inside the uterus. Given the lapse of several days between labor activity and examination, the calf was now distended with subcutaneous emphysema (air under the skin) as a result of the overgrowth of gas-producing bacteria following the death of the fetal calf. The uterus had also lost its usual volume of amniotic fluids that normally facilitates delivery. Attempts were made to deliver the deceased using OB lubricant and chains, but due to these post-mortem changes were unsuccessful. There existed no physical space in the uterus to pass a cutting wire to perform a fetotomy (postmortem dissection to remove deceased tissue without causing further trauma to the dam). A cesarean section was quickly ruled out as a viable option due to the conditions in the uterus causing a high risk of abdominal infection, which could result in death for the heifer.
After discussing multiple options with the producer, we agreed on a plan to give her several days to allow for further decomposition of the remains that may permit extraction. Sometimes these cows pass tissue on their own as the decomposition becomes advanced. Working against us was the risk of the heifer becoming systemically sick before the deceased remains were extracted or passed. To mitigate this risk, antibiotics were administered as well as anti-inflammatory pain medications. The heifer was kept in a pen with feed, water, and daily monitoring.
She did end up passing some tissue over the next few days, but it took two additional visits in order for me to perform the full fetotomy and remove the entire contents of the uterus. The uterus was then flushed with antiseptics.
For many reasons, this process is extremely hard on a cow’s overall health. However, our efforts and interventions did end up paying off, as this heifer survived and did well. Due to concern for possible scar tissue and chronic damage to her uterus from all of the infection and trauma, she will not remain a part of the productive cow herd.
Ultimately, the experience reminds us that things can and do go wrong in the labor process that prevent successful calving (especially in heifers!). Being able to detect the issue early, get the cow restrained safely for exam, and provide appropriate intervention often mean the difference between life and death for the calf — and sometimes for the cow too!
The CLS team would like to thank the interns and externs who rode with us during the holiday season and through January 2026:
Haley Sweat, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine
Grace Needham, University of Georgia
Sofia Batista, University of Georgia
Isabelle Burch, Middle Georgia State University
Litzy Delgado, University of Georgia
Oliva Vanderwalt, University of Georgia
Haylee Hutchens, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine
Interested in applying for an internship or externship? Visit our Careers page for details!
