Iowa livestock farmers are building an even closer relationship with their veterinarians as they face stricter regulations and battle difficult diseases, such as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), to keep their herds healthy.

"The veterinarian-client relationship becomes more important as medication regulations and residue testing tightens," said Dr. James McKean, Iowa State University (ISU) swine extension veterinarian. "Veterinarians can supply needed information about the changes in drug availability and economical applications on farms, as well as tips on residue prevention and drug selection for a given disease or production-retarding event." 

In that relationship, which veterinarians call veterinary-client-patient relationship or VCPR, the vet works to know the farmer’s livestock operation well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions in animals before they ...