Veterinarian joins TF clinic

Thompson Falls Veterinary Clinic has acquired a new large animal veterinarian in Stephanie McIntyre, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. An Ohio native, raised on a farm that "raised foals and started young horses," McIntyre said as a kid she "spent more time in the barn than anywhere else," leading her to her current position in the world of large animal care.

While growing up, McIntyre competed in horse shows across the U.S. and Canada. "It seemed we always had a horse that had an injury," she commented. "As devastating as they were, I always really enjoyed working with the veterinarians to come up with a treatment plan." This was the time her dream of becoming a veterinarian took hold. "I couldn't imagine doing anything else!" she emphasized.

McIntyre recalls her days at Ohio State University, commenting that she took as many large animal college courses as possible. While continuing her schooling, she worked at the university's large animal intensive care unit and the large animal internal medicine research lab studying diseases in critically ill foals. Additionally, she travelled to Kentucky, Texas, Florida, Indiana, and Montana gaining knowledge from "a lot of very talented doctors that have helped me become the vet that I am today."

In 2014 McIntyre worked a short, four-month stint with beef cattle for the United States Department of Agriculture in Miles City, Montana. "That is when I fell in love with the state!" she exclaimed. In 2017, she returned to the Big Sky to do an externship in Hardin. When her time there ended, she worked for a year and half at a "mixed-animal clinic in Ohio." She continued to keep her vision on the west, and when "several large animal opportunities came up in Montana I knew I couldn't pass them up!"

Having handled cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, and even an Arctic fox, a most memorable veterinary experience for McIntyre is when she doctored a pygmy goat with multiple fractures in her front leg. "We tried to save the leg at first," she said, "but it wouldn't heal. We finally made the decision to amputate the leg to get rid of the pain, unsure of how well she would get around after." McIntyre made a visit to the goat's farm months later and saw her "hop all the way up the stairs in the barn and leap on top of a round bale." McIntyre said the goat's owner told her "that while we took off one of her legs, she 'grew a spring in her [backend]!'"

Making the decision to accept a position in Thompson Falls seemed effortless for McIntyre. "When we drove up to Thompson Falls, my husband and I looked at each other and, in that moment, we knew we needed to make this our new home," she said. "While the area is beautiful, the kind and caring people of this area make it truly special." She is looking forward to spending time riding "Kenny," her horse, and spending time with Dustin, her husband, and pit bull mix dog, "Hank" exploring outdoor adventures. Although, she emphatically said she reserves Saturdays in fall for college football.