Large animal practice is physically demanding work. Long days in barns, repetitive movements and awkward positioning can take a toll that many practitioners feel within the first few years of practice.
Dr. Tracy Potter, a recent veterinary graduate working in dairy practice, has already begun thinking carefully about how those physical demands can shape a career.
“And when I was first riding around with veterinarians, I quickly realized that the rate of chronic injuries is super high,” Potter says.
That observation pushed her to think differently about longevity in the profession.
“I really value this body that I was given, and I want to make it last so that I can be a vet for a really long time — but also so that I can enjoy my life outside of being a vet,” Potter says.
Early in her career, she noticed another message circulating among veterinarians: The idea that injuries are almost inevitable.
“I was really encouraged to have a back-up plan and like, ‘Oh, you should really think about doing mixed animal so you can fall back by doing small animal when you get injured.’ And I didn’t really like that answer,” Potter says.
Instead of assuming injury was unavoidable, Potter began focusing on practical ways veterinarians could protect their bodies and extend their careers. Drawing from her early experiences in dairy practice, she outlines several habits that can help reduce strain and support long-term career sustainability.
1. Train Both Arms
One of the simplest strategies for reducing strain is also one many veterinarians overlook: learning to palpate cows with both arms.
Relying exclusively on a dominant arm can place repeated stress on the same muscles and joints, increasing the risk of fatigue and injury. Developing ambidextrous skills allows veterinarians to alternate arms and distribute that workload.
However, training the non-dominant arm requires patience. It took two to three months of work for Potter to feel like her non-dominant arm was useful, and six months for her to feel like it was as good as her dominant arm.
“These muscles that you use for palpating take a really long time to grow. They’re really small muscles, and they are really prone to injury,” Potter says.
Gradual progression is key. Starting with easier examinations and slowly building toward more demanding palpation work allows those muscles to develop safely.
Over time, alternating arms between cows can reduce fatigue during long palpation sessions while helping protect against overuse injuries.
2. Improve Palpation Ergonomics
Body positioning and technique also play a major role in preventing strain.
One important factor is leverage. When palpating, a veterinarian’s shoulder should ideally be positioned above the cow’s rectum. That alignment allows larger muscle groups in the shoulder and back to contribute to the movement rather than forcing smaller arm muscles to do all the work.
“This is just physics. You can get a lot better leverage when your shoulder is above the cow’s rectum,” Potter says.
Achieving that position often requires using a stool, particularly when working with taller cows. Some practitioners hesitate to do so, but avoiding it can lead to unnecessary strain.
“Get your ego in check and just get a stool,” Potter says.
While it may seem like a small adjustment, proper positioning can significantly reduce stress on the shoulder, wrist and back during repetitive procedures.
Potter also stressed the importance of protecting your shoulder joint while entering and exiting a cow.
“Instead of just ripping your arm out of the cow, I always think about retracting my shoulder blade down my back first. That protects your joint,” says Potter.
3. Train Like an Athlete
Another key lesson Potter emphasizes is that the work itself should not be considered sufficient physical conditioning.
“Speaking of strength training, our job is not strength training,” Potter says. “I think about it like we’re athletes.”
Athletes train deliberately to prepare their bodies for the stresses of competition. Veterinary professionals, she says, should think about their physical preparation in the same way.
“You can’t imagine a professional soccer player saying ‘I don’t need to train. I just go to the game and that’s my workout,’” Potter says.
Regular strength training — even just a few sessions each week — can help veterinarians build the stability and resilience needed to handle the physical demands of practice.
The goal is not perfection but consistency. Even short workouts can make a difference when maintained over time.
4. Make Expertise the Priority
Protecting the body also means thinking about the long-term shape of a veterinary career.
Procedures such as pregnancy diagnosis will always be a core part of dairy practice, but many veterinarians are also developing consulting and advisory roles that rely more heavily on expertise than physical labor.
“Make your brain more valuable than your arms,” Potter says.
Services such as employee training, milk quality consulting, nutrition management and on-farm research can expand the value veterinarians bring to clients while reducing the amount of repetitive physical work required.
Building a sustainable career
Dairy practice will always involve physical work. But injury does not have to be accepted as an inevitable part of the profession.
Potter’s advice reflects lessons learned early in practice: small habits and deliberate preparation can help veterinarians protect their bodies while building careers that last.
