Sheep Industry News May 2025

Vet Has Big Plans for Small Ruminants

A nyone who’s needed a veterinarian to work on their sheep flock will tell you vets are almost as hard to find as a good shearer. But the sheep industry is one veterinarian richer thanks to Maryland’s Aislinn Latham, DVM. A graduate of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022, Latham’s first stop out of college was at a large animal clinic in western Massachusetts working on mostly dairy cows and horses. Looking to get closer to the family farm – and find a few more sheep to work on – she made a move to the Walkersville (Md.) Veterinary Clinic earlier this year, where she hopes to help the clinic expand its small ruminant clientele. “There are three other veterinarians besides myself that do large animal cases, including small ruminants,” Latham said. “I’m not starting their small ruminant practice, but I am hoping to build it. There are a couple of other vets in the area that work on small ruminants, as well, but I think there’s plenty of work for all of us when it comes to sheep and goats.” Latham developed her passion for sheep when she started with market lambs in 4-H at 8 years old. Breeding sheep fol lowed and each of her three younger siblings have continued to work with the family’s small flock, which includes Border Leicesters, Lincoln Longwools and a meat-specific line of mostly Hampshires. “We sell freezer lamb, and we’re trying to work on doing things with the wool, like getting it processed and selling it. We also take sheep to the shows, but mostly just local shows,” Latham said. “I think we’re pretty good with where the flock is right now. Not really looking to expand.” That small flock sparked Latham’s childhood dreams as she watched intently anytime vets came to assist with the family’s sheep. “That’s what inspired me to become a veterinarian with a big interest in small ruminants,” she said. COMING HOME With family roots tracing back to the Buckeye State, Latham headed to Ohio State University, where she majored in animal sciences and benefited from the school’s required sheep production class. Then it was off to Purdue for vet school. But she always envisioned finding her way back to Maryland. And her parents, Jim and Kristan Latham of Sunset Springs Farm in Thurmont, Md., certainly welcomed her return.

“They really enjoyed having a veterinarian around all the time during lambing this year,” Latham said. “There’s defi nitely a need for large animal vets in the area. I know that a lot of the sheep community around here was just as excited as my family to have me back in the area.” As every sheep producer knows, there’s a comfort level in working with a veterinarian that you know and trust. In Latham’s case, area producers benefit from her years of expe rience as a producer. “The really important thing about having raised sheep for much of my life is that it has given me a lot of practi cal experience in handling sheep and being around sheep,” Latham said. “The more you’re around them, the more you’ve seen and know what to expect. But I’ve had sheep for 20 years, and every year I see something that I haven’t seen before. “My background gives me a lot to draw on – in conjunc tion with my veterinary training – that can help me to come up with practical answers to the problems that I might see in small ruminants.” No surprise, most of Latham’s work in the spring revolved around lambing issues, such as dystocia or lambs that just needed some extra help to thrive in their first few days of life. As she’s settled into the new practice, she’s also working to build her small animal skills, covering the clinic’s appoint ments and surgeries some days while visiting farms and monitoring flock health on others. “It really just depends on the day,” she said. “I’m just get ting into the small animal side of the practice, so I’ve got a lot to learn. But it’s always fun to learn new things and expand my practice abilities.” As a young veterinarian still working to establish herself in the industry, Latham is content with her new practice and the opportunities it presents for the future. But when pressed on long-term goals, she envisions a time when she can work exclusively on small ruminants. “I don’t even know if there’s enough work out there with small ruminants to make that possible,” she admits. “But that’s the dream. It would take a lot of planning and work, so even if it did happen that’s pretty far in the future. When I was looking for a new practice, I wanted something where I could do sheep specifically, because that’s just what I’ve always enjoyed.” The sheep industry could use a few more Aislinn Lathams in its ranks.

20 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org