By Anna Irwin
Caring for ranch animals is quite a social activity. Anyone
traveling with Dr. Charlie Tobias, a well-established local
veterinarian, would observe that half the town gives him a friendly
wave. Even if his patients may not necessarily look forward to a
checkup, the cowboys and ranch owners appreciate not having to
preg-test hundreds of cows on their own. With such a busy schedule,
Tobias has sometimes had to work on more than 400 cattle in a
single day.
Caring for ranch animals is quite a social activity. Anyone traveling with Dr. Charlie Tobias, a well-established local veterinarian, would observe that half the town gives him a friendly wave. Even if his patients may not necessarily look forward to a checkup, the cowboys and ranch owners appreciate not having to preg-test hundreds of cows on their own. With such a busy schedule, Tobias has sometimes had to work on more than 400 cattle in a single day.
“It is not an easy job,” said a client and friend who knows how hard he works.
Tobias has been caring for animals as a vet for about 20 years. Growing up on his family’s cattle ranch in San Benito County, he has been familiar with large animals since his early childhood. He decided to become a veterinarian when he was in high school.
“I enjoyed working with horses and cattle on the ranch, and also enjoyed my schoolwork,” Tobias said. “It seemed to be a good combination of the two. I enjoy the medicine, the variety of work – both cattle and horses – and also working with people that have these types of animals, whether it is the ranchers, horse trainers, or even the horse enthusiast.”
He attended UC Davis for his undergraduate and veterinary degrees. This proved a fortuitous choice, considering he met his future wife, a medical technician, at the graduate school.
Having to cover a large rural area is both a challenge and a benefit. Although this involves hours on the road, Tobias is able to tour beautiful landscapes and appreciate the local flavor of family life on local ranches.
The diverse requirements of his job ensure a stimulating experience. There is a large range of medical procedures involved in caring for horses, cattle, sheep, goats and the occasional llama. His tasks include vaccinating, assisting with pregnancies, performing surgeries that can take up to four hours, excising cancerous growths and much more.
One challenge of being a large animal vet is that the animals’ owners have to consider the economic cost of a given procedure. Farm animals are generally considered economic entities, and owners generally like to avoid spending more on medical care than an animal is worth.
One of the many rewards of caring for animals is being able to witness the beauty of Mother Nature: the first steps of a newborn calf or the successful healing of a wound or broken bone. In addition, vets are witness to the strange aberrations of nature, such as a two-headed stillborn calf.
Tobias is lucky that his wife and two daughters are able and willing to help out. As a family, they raise some or their own farm animals, including several sheep, horses and cattle.
“My family has assisted me with minor procedures and surgeries if the need arises, such as a C-section on a sheep or goat, or in suturing up a laceration,” he said.
One change Tobias has witnessed is an increase in the amount of recreational horses to care for, given the greater number of smaller ranches. Because some of the owners have not grown up raising horses, one of his tasks is to give educational advice about animal care.
Nonetheless, the ranching tradition is still very much alive, and Tobias is always in demand. The government requires that a certified veterinarian vaccinate each cow for certain diseases to ensure that uniform records exist.
Tobias keeps up to date with medical advances by attending continuing education classes, reading medical journals, communicating with pharmaceutical companies, and staying in touch with his university professors. There have been interesting technological improvements since he has become a vet. For instance, in addition to ear tags with identification numbers, buttons that hold electronic information can now be inserted into the ear.
Tobias has been a director of the San Benito County Saddle Horse Association since 1993 and has served as the president of the association for the past three years. He maintains one of the longstanding events and traditions of the county by helping to run the Horse Show and Rodeo. He has also been a 4-H leader for approximately 18 years and has led a project in veterinary science for 4-H members from throughout the county each year.
“This also allows me to give back to my community, help educate youth and hopefully help another young person get a start in being a veterinarian,” he said.
