Montana 4-H Clover
is produced by
Montana State University Agriculture and Extension Communications

and funded by
Montana 4-H Foundation.

Agriculture and Extension Communications is part of MSU Communications Services
416 Culbertson Hall Bozeman, MT 59717
publications@montana.edu
(406) 994-2721

Edited by: Karen Johnson, Marla Goodman, Suzi Taylor

Contributors: Rae Lynn Benson, Wendy Gerky, Chery Ann Weatherell, Jennifer Wells, The Livingston Enterprise, The Great Falls Tribune

What is MSU Extension?

MSU:
The Extension program is a fundamental part of Montana State University's land grant mission, developed to ensure that all Montanans benefit from the University.

Public access:
The program extends university knowledge to the people who need it, even if they never set foot on a campus. It gives every Montanan access to useful information and expert help via workshops, demonstrations, community meetings, publications, videos, the internet and other sources. Montana 4-H is MSU Extension's youth development program.

Educational outreach:
Extension links a network of MSU facultytopic specialists on the MSU-Bozeman campus and agents in 53 counties and seven reservationsto the people. Its role is to extend practical knowledge to the public about agriculture, natural resources, youth development, community development and family and consumer sciences.

Free information:
MSU Extension provides resources on topics that range from raising livestock, growing crops and protecting the environment to raising a family, managing finances, starting a business and protecting your family's health and well-being.

For everyone:
You can use Extension by calling your local agent (listed in the county section of the phone book), by taking advantage of workshops and demonstrations in your area, or by clicking on "Extension and Outreach" at www.montana.edu.

For a catalog of free and low-cost publications, call (406)994-3273 or browse the Extension catalog online.

Is there an animal doctor in the house?

Billings area 4-H'ers learn about animal health from the experts

Left: Veterinarians Jody Anderson and Nancy Belk operate on Fluffy the dog as 4-H'er Trista Wyble watches.

The veterinarians at the Lockwood Veterinary Service in Billings have opened their doors to 4-H' ers enrolled in the vet science project. Nancy Belk and Jody Anderson, veterinarians and 4-H project leaders, meet twice a month with about 15 kids from local 4-H clubs who want to learn about animal care.

Throughout the year, the veterinarians cover topics like vaccinations, parasites, spaying and neutering, animal dentistry, nutrition and various diseases. But the carefully-planned agenda is tossed aside when an interesting case occurs at the clinic on meeting day.

" They never know when they walk in the door if we' re going to be doing what we said we were going to do, or if we' re going to be doing something completely different," says Belk. " We just try to fit it in with whatever we' re doing from day-to-day. If we have some cool x-rays, we' ll put them up or if we have an autopsy or a particular case that we think would be interesting to them, we' ll do that."

The kids not only listen to lectures and watch movies, they also get to do hands-on activities. " We teach them how to do physical exams on their own animals and they' re supposed to go home and do it," says Belk. She says the coolest part for most kids is helping with autopsies.

Lockwood Veterinary Service is a mixed practice, meaning they treat large animals, such as horses, as well as smaller companion pets. As a result, the kids learn a lot about many different animals.

The vet science project is a good place to start for kids who are thinking about becoming veterinarians. But most kids enroll in this project because they own pets and they want to learn how to keep their animals healthy.

" We' re not trying to make them all veterinarians -- we' re trying to give them a feel for what veterinary medicine is. We' re trying to make them better pet owners, so we really stress the good care of their animals," says Belk. " We enjoy the kids. They generally are very polite and attentive and they want to learn."

Montana 4-H Clover 2003
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The programs of the MSU Extension Service are available to all people regardless of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, LeRoy Luft, Interim Vice Provost and Director, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.