I felt fairly certain we were dealing with pink eye. However, eye problems aren’t something I like to gamble with.

When Livestock Veterinary Care Is Hard to Find

Our regular farm vet is more than an hour away and couldn’t see Rudy until late in the week. Unfortunately, veterinarians who treat goats are scarce in our area. The closer options often charge prices more typical of companion-animal practices.
In fact, USDA currently lists Buncombe and Haywood Counties as a veterinary shortage area for rural food-animal medicine, specifically including small ruminants.

Waiting several more days worried me. Pink eye and other eye problems can worsen, and an untreated eye injury or infection can lead to ulcers or permanent damage.

Therefore, I made the expensive choice and took Rudy to the closer veterinarian.

The visit cost $172, and that was after I declined several additional tests. The lowest estimate with those tests was around $400.

The visit ended with a prescription for Terramycin, which was the treatment I expected. Five days later, Rudy’s eye looks almost completely normal. Soon, he should rejoin the rest of the boys.

The Economics Don’t Always Work

Here is where small farm livestock care gets complicated.
Rudy might be worth about $100 based on live weight. As a pet wether, he might bring even less, assuming we could find someone who wanted him. So, purely on paper, spending $172 on a $100 goat makes no sense. But Rudy isn’t a number on a spreadsheet. He is an animal in my care, and I refuse to let an animal suffer from something treatable simply because treatment costs more than his market value.
At the same time, bills like this show why turning a profit with livestock can be so difficult.

Regulations Meet a Veterinary Shortage

Veterinary access has also become more important since federal changes moved medically important livestock antibiotics that farmers once bought over the counter under veterinary oversight. The FDA completed that transition in 2023 as part of its effort to improve antibiotic stewardship.

There are good reasons to protect antibiotics from misuse. However, the system creates a real challenge when farmers cannot easily find or afford a livestock veterinarian.

Why I Check Everyone Every Day

Experiences like Rudy’s are why I do a quick visual check of every animal each day and a more thorough hands-on check about once a week. I watch eyes, feet, coats, body condition, appetite, udders, and behavior. Catching something early can prevent suffering. It can also stop an illness from spreading through the herd and sometimes prevent a much larger veterinary bill.

This time, Rudy’s cloudy eye cost us $172.

Seeing him looking back at me with two clear eyes again? That part doesn’t fit neatly into the farm accounting ledger.