Welcome

Browse through our site and you'll see that livestock health is the core of our mission and the basis for all we do. Our emphasis is on animal health and production, as well as disease.

Our department is unique in its structure. We integrate a variety of disciplines to effectively address the research needs of producers and consumers, provide veterinary students with knowledge, skills and problem solving abilities needed in production agriculture, and offer professional practice skills to the livestock industry of the state and nation.

The results include new ways to quickly identify diseases, the development of vaccines or other strategies to prevent disease, improved production programs for livestock operations of all sizes, and new veterinary graduates who are well prepared to serve the livestock industry with animal health and production strategies for the 21st Century.

Dr. Patrick Halbur
Professor and Department Chair

Specimen Drop-off Tuesday, July 22 or Wednesday, July 23 

Dropping off animals or specimen samples July 22 or 23rd may be complicated by RAGBRAI riders in Ames. 

Bike riders will be arriving in Ames Tuesday afternoon and camping in Hilton/Stadium parking lots.  They will be leaving Ames Wednesday morning, July 23rd, via S. 16th Street past the Vet Med driveways.  This is an area you will want to avoid!  Most riders are expected to be out of town by 10am, so things should be back to normal shortly after.

Directions for Wednesday AM drop-offs:

• Use U.S. Hwy. 30,
• Exit at University Blvd. / ISU / Stadium (Exit 146).
• Turn North onto University Blvd.
• Turn right at the VMRI entrance, which is the first turn.

Call the lab at 515-294-1950 if you have any questions.

Get more information and maps at:

• ISU map 
• RAGBRAI maps 

Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine's mission is to attain the highest standards of excellence in veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine through teaching, research, extension and professional practice programs that benefit animal health and welfare, support livestock and poultry production and enhance the environment shared by animals and humans.

• View the current VDPAM informational flyer. 
• View the Faculty Brochure 
• ISU VDL seeking cases of erysipelas in swine 
  Diversity of Erysipelothrix found in swine is not well studied. Dr. Opriessnig, et al, from Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory are seeking to investigate cases of erysipelas from either pigs that have been previously vaccinated or from market swine that may have individual animals condemned at slaughter.  Should you become aware of such, please contact Dr. Tanja Opriessnig tanjapor@iastate.edu or Dr. Kent Schwartz kschwart@iastate.edu at Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (515-294-1950).  Please share this with your colleagues as well.  The diagnostic work-up to confirm or rule out Erysipelothrix will be performed at no charge.