You’ll be seeing a new doctor at Howard County Veterinary Service. We are happy to welcome Dr. Cody Lewis, and this is a good way to explain my long absence from the blog. We’ve been busy! So, we’re very excited that Dr. Lewis has joined the mayhem. You may have met Dr. Lewis already. He’s been at the clinic helping out for a while, so he knows what he’s in for (I hope). I handed him these questions and gave him a few days to finish it up and he finished it up in a few minutes, so he’ll be in charge of making coffee every morning. It is necessary for the office to get our coffee ASAP. Just kidding, Dr. Lewis. You don't have to get everyone coffee, but I like mine with two tablespoons of sugar. Thank you, Dr. Lewis! Where are you from and what is your background? I am originally from Harrisburg. Our family had a beef farm a few miles north of Roanoke while I was growing up which meant there was a lot of driving through Fayette on the weekends. Aside from cattle, we also seemed to always have a few horses, chickens and the occasional pig or goat. When I was a senior in high school, I started working as a veterinary tech assistant at a high-volume, small animal and exotic practice in Columbia. I worked there until I began my clinical courses during the third year of veterinary school. I spent many weekends and days off of work shadowing a local equine veterinarian as well. Where did you do your preceptorships at and what have you gathered from those experiences? I spent two weeks at a small animal practice in Jefferson City then immediately headed to a very busy, haul-in cattle practice located in Bolivar, Missouri, where I spent a month and a half in total. After my second stint in Bolivar, I spent around a month here at Howard County Veterinary Service. The time spent at the small animal practice in Jefferson City was great for keeping my surgical skills sharp. I was able to manage cases and make my own decisions (which were then approved by the doctors before being followed through) which I think is an important step a student should take prior to graduation. It was also good exposure for participating in and observing staff/client communication and management. At the Bolivar practice I was able to perform many procedures such as cesarean sections and left displaced abomasal corrections. We also had weekly visits to a local dairy which involved pregnancy examinations via palpation and ultrasonography. I spent time there during both fall and spring calving which provided an abundance of scouring calves to manage and prolapses to replace. My time spent in Bolivar was an excellent opportunity to participate in practical production medicine. Next, I came to Howard County Veterinary Service and was able to bring together and utilize knowledge I had gained from the other two practices. I was able to use surgical techniques acquired at both the college and my prior preceptorships in both the small and large animal aspects of the business. I hear you have a particular interest in equine medicine. How would you utilize your experience in this field and what other interests do you have? I have an appreciation for the ambulatory facet of veterinary medicine, partially due to the shadowing experiences I had as well as the equine ambulatory rotation offered at the college. In the spring, most of the routine work involved vaccinating, pulling blood for a Coggin’s test, and floating their teeth. However, lameness and laminitis, or founder, were common issues we would address and because of this we often worked closely beside various farriers to provide sedation and took radiographs to determine severity. I am looking forward to providing a variety of equine services to the local area including dentistry, vaccination, laceration repair, colic management and working alongside your farrier if veterinary services are required. My favorite aspects of veterinary medicine are surgery, dentistry, and cattle reproduction. I also have a strong interest in proper hoof care in both cattle and equine. What excites you the most about practicing at Howard County Veterinary Service in Fayette? Growing up, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Vroman were my grandparent’s veterinarians. I have a lot of good memories with my grandpa that are associated with this practice and the services they provided. It is an honor to follow in their footsteps and continue on the legacy of quality veterinary care. What are your hobbies/interests/activities you enjoy when you’re not working? I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors. Hunting, fishing, marksmanship and archery are activities I could do endlessly. I enjoy trail riding, playing guitar, cooking, and performing my own motorcycle and automotive repairs. I’d enjoy having my own small forge/foundry someday so I could do some amateur blacksmithing. I went to vocational school during high school for autobody and collision repair which is where I discovered a passion for metalwork. What do you think a veterinarian’s role is in the community? I believe that veterinarians provide the important service of improving animal health in the community. I also believe a common facet that is often overlooked or ignored is the role as an educator. I think that we should encourage our clients, students, and community members to desire a better understanding of why we do what we do and how it improves the lives of their pets and livestock. Are you prepared to work with an office full of loud-mouthed extroverts? And if not, what are your coping mechanisms going to be? Put simply, yes. Though I am a fairly direct, level-headed, “to-the-point” introvert myself, I have spent almost ten years working alongside some incredibly knowledgeable, sometimes boisterous, and always confident extroverts. From my experiences, I am often a good balancing personality.
1 Comment
Charlotte Perry
5/29/2019 02:28:10 pm
Congratulations, Cody! It's exciting to hear that you'll be working near home.
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Jessica Stroupe, DVM
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August 2017
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