UNHS Hooves & Hands Mobile Rural Health

03/31/2026

Even though National Nutrition Month is about to end, making healthy food choices is a year-round activity!

Dr. Reale is a huge fan of helping people find the healthiest, most sustainable way to eat that makes sense for them because he believes a healthy lifestyle is THE foundation for a healthy and happy life. That's why he's a certified Precision Nutrition Coach -- both to help people figure out what to eat and how to make changes feel gradual and easy!

Healthy eating can be simple, affordable, and delicious! Check out this info-packed guide to get started and give Dr. Reale a call with any questions or to set up an appointment to collaborate on your situation at 435-320-0511.

03/25/2026

***GRAPHIC PICTURE WARNING, especially if you hate bugs***

For anyone who’s been hearing about New World Screwworm coming to the US, here are four important facts to know:
1. Screwworm is NOT in the US at this time and its arrival here would be a national event.
2. If you’re worried about or suspicious of your animals having Screwworm, call your state veterinarian (or any veterinarian) right away.
3. Screwworm only feeds on LIVING tissue (unlike other maggots) and the wounds usually have an INCREDIBLY horrible smell.
4. There are treatments for Screwworm infestation but the first step is to notify a veterinarian for confirmation and so that the spread into the US can be contained :)

Here are two links with additional information: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm (contains actual photos of infested wounds)
https://extension.arizona.edu/publication/preparing-livestock-producers-new-world-screwworm-reemergence-united-states

03/18/2026

Hard relate, except it's your horses 🥰

Shedding season is right around the corner! 🌸

However, you notice that your equine friend is clinging to their winter coat longer than they should, it might be time to give your veterinarian a call — especially if your animal is 15+.

A long haircoat that fails to shed according to normal seasonal patterns is the most classic sign of Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), also known as Cushing’s disease. This disorder of the pituitary gland results in hormonal imbalances and is one of the most common diseases of middle-aged and geriatric equines.

Early diagnosis and treatment are key to helping animals with PPID live long, happy lives. Without treatment, symptoms tend to worsen over time, and many equines are euthanized as a consequence of laminitis, recurrent foot abscesses or complications related to bacterial infections.

It is also important to note that donkeys and mules tend to shed later than horses, so keep this in mind before getting too worried about other underlying causes. As always, if you have concerns about if your equine companion is shedding appropriately, contact your veterinarian.

03/17/2026

Let's talk about 💩!

As of 2022, colorectal cancer ranked 4th for new cancer diagnoses and 2nd for number of cancer deaths per year. These numbers have been getting better for decades, but they're actually getting WORSE for young people. About 10% of colon cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50 and that number is RISING by about 1-2% each year. James Van Der Beek just died at age 48 from this disease, Chadwick Boseman died from it at age 43, and it's on track to be the DEADLIEST cancer in people ages 20-49 in just FOUR years!

We get it, p**p is gross, but testing it could literally save your life. EVERYONE* should start screening at age 45 (*sooner in some cases). If caught early (stage 1 or 2), the five-year survival rate is about 91% but that drops to 13% for stage 4. There are many different screening options available that could put you in the clear for anywhere from 1 to 10 years depending on the test.

Here at UNHS, many people choose an at-home stool DNA test called Cologuard where you p**p in a container at home, mail back the prepaid box, and boom, 3 years in the clear if it's negative. Check out the options in the picture and give Dr. Reale a call if you have questions or want to set up a time to talk about this or anything else at 435-320-0511.

03/11/2026

They're coming! What to have on hand for lambing/kidding:

A small pen for newborns:
- Wire walls can allow moms to feel they are still “part of the herd”
- Well-bedded with shavings/straw
- Warm for newborns
- Potential safe area for babies, possibly with a safe heat lamp depending on season

In case you need to do a vaginal exam, you will want:
- very clean, warm water
- clean bucket
- gentle soap (like Ivory) or betadine scrub
- gentle lubricant
- gloves (to protect yourself and mom)

For birth and after:
- towels
- 7% Iodine for dipping the navel (the umbilical cord) to prevent infection
- banamine or meloxicam for mom’s pain/discomfort (prescription anti-inflammatories, do require a relationship with a vet)

These are all general guidelines to get you started with a “toolbox.” If you have questions about your herd or hooved-animal pregnancies, please don’t hesitate to reach out 🙂 435-320-0277

03/05/2026

We made a weekend trip to Vegas for the Swine Spectacular: a super cool combinations of lectures and labs to learn the best medical recommendations from the pig experts of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. And we got to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time! 😋

02/25/2026

Only 49% of Americans know the #1 cause of death in the US. Do you? Hint, it's been #1 since 1921.

The answer is heart disease! Heart disease has also been the #1 killer in the WORLD since the 1990s, even bigger than COVID!

Heart disease kills someone in America every 34 seconds on average. That's why February is American Heart Month, to raise awareness about this disease and what to do about it.

The American Heart Association created Life's Essential 8 to highlight 8 ways to help lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other major health problems. They are: Be More Active, Get Healthy Sleep, Quit To***co, Control Cholesterol, Manage Blood Sugar, Manage Blood Pressure, Manage Weight, and Eat Better.

Check your score in under 5 minutes with AHA's My Life Check Calculator by clicking on the picture below.

How did you do? What do you need to work on?

Give us a call if you want help working on any of these! 435-320-0511

How healthy are you? Use the Life’s Essential 8™ My Life Check Calculator to find out and get personalized tips to set your own health goals now.

02/19/2026

With a chill returning to the air this week and some of us seeing snow fly, here are some tips to keep our livestock warm and safe in the colder weather:
- Try to make sure animals have hay or other forage available at all times. This keeps animals' guts moving and fermenting (both ruminants and horses), which provides internal body heat.
- If possible, a 3-sided shelter can offer a place to get out of the wind and is maybe even better for airflow than a fully buttoned up barn.
- Always make sure animals have water available that is both clean and thawed.
- Blankets can be necessary if animals are repeatedly visibly shivering or if the animal does not grow an appropriate fuzzy winter coat.

If you have any questions or concerns with your hooved animals, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer at 435-320-0277.

02/10/2026

HELPING PREVENT COLIC IN HORSES

While colic can have many different causes, keeping horses well-hydrated is one of the things we actually CAN do to help prevent it (specifically by preventing clogging (AKA impactions) of dry feed in the gut). But even though you can lead your horses to water, we've all heard the old saying that you can't make them drink!

If your horse doesn't seem to want to drink, here are a few tricks that might help:
- Always make sure the water is clean and thawed
- If feeding grain, consider adding a tablespoon of table salt per day as this will encourage more drinking (you’re not going to cause any issues with this amount and it’s very cheap)
- If you're traveling or have to change your water source, consider offering a second bucket of water and adding some apple juice, electrolytes, molasses, or a handful of sweet feed to one. Not all water tastes the same and this trick can encourage them to drink from the new water source.

02/05/2026

Hello and welcome to the official UNHS Hooves & Hands Mobile Rural Health page!

We are Magdalena Niedermeyer, a hooved-animal (livestock) veterinarian, and Stephen Reale, a board-certified family doctor, and we drive our equipped truck to peoples’ homes and other public locations for human and hooved animal medical appointments.

We want to use this space to share helpful, bite-sized, informative medical posts for humans and hooved critters, as well as some logistical updates, and the occasional photos of our adventures (with permission, of course).

Speaking of logistics, we schedule appointments on weekdays between 9am and 5pm and answer our phones on weekdays between 8am and 8pm. We practice throughout San Juan County, Utah, and people are welcome to drive/trailer veterinary patients from anywhere and meet us.

Feel free to call us directly with any questions: Dr. Niedermeyer (the vet) at 435-320-0277 and Dr. Reale (the family doctor) at 435-320-0511.

Thanks for checking us out and please let us know in a comment what kind of human or large animal medical topics you want to learn more about!