Not Just Cute Puppies and Kittens
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Ryan Wiramidjaja
Team Chapnick
Dr. Ed Powell runs the Nodaway Veterinary Clinic in Maryville, Mo. with his father, Joe, and his daughter, Natalie. All three are veterinarians. In his 34th year of practice, Ed continues to provide the best care possible to the animals of Nodaway County. The job is demanding, the hours are long and Ed is always on call, but his passion for animal welfare keeps him going.
“People will look at the job and think it’s just cute puppies and kittens," Ed says, "but it’s hard, messy work. It becomes your lifestyle more than just a job.” He spends his days running between farms, checking on cattle and making sure local farmers can sell the best product possible. “You always want your clients to be successful because it’s their livelihood," he says. When he's not out, he's back at the clinic treating the pets in need. He needs to be there to help owners make tough decisions about what comes next for their pet — or even whether there is a next. Despite all the challenges, Ed says he feels energized by the job.
Dr. Ed Powell, 63, exits a cattle shoot after performing cervix exams on cattle at the Nodaway Veterinary Clinic in Maryville, Mo.
Ed loads a syringe with antibiotics to treat cattle on a farm outside Maryville. Ed spends much of his time traveling to his clients farms to treat their livestock around Nodaway County.
Ed and his daughter Natalie check ultrasounds of cows at a farm outside of Maryville to see how each cow’s pregnancy is developing Ed says, “You always want you clients to always be successful because it’s their livelihood.”
Ed uses ear tags to differentiate between artificial inseminated cows and bull-bred cows at a farm outside Maryville. Cows need to be identified so that the veterinarians can properly track the cows’ pregnancies.
Ed measures the cervix of a heifer at the Nodaway Veterinary Clinic to help farmers to determine when it is safe to have their heifers breed. Despite the job being messy and unpredictable Ed says the job keeps him energized.
Ed stops for a moment to take a break after treating a group of cows at the Nodaway Veterinarian Clinic in Maryville, Mo. Ed travels between appointments all day. Breaks can be hard to find, and many last only for a few seconds.
Ed, center, works with his father Joe and his daughter Natalie to treat a dog in critical condition at the Nodaway Veterinary Clinic in Maryville, Mo. The dog, was brought into the clinic after she was found pinned underneath a fertilizer container.
Ed prepared an injection site for a dog that was brought in outside regular office hours at the Nodaway Veterinary Clinic. The clinic holds regular office hours but Ed is always on call in case of an emergency.
Gizmo the dog receives a shot of antibiotics from Joe at the Nodaway Veterinary Clinic.
Ed considers his schedule for the next day at the clinic. He says they need more vets to make the work load more manageable but it is hard to find people suited for the work.
Ed leaves his clinic after hours to check on the livestock he is treating. Even after the clinic closes for the day, Ed stays for hours after to make sure he has seen every animal at the clinic.
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