DAVID RETHORST, DVM

Beef Health Solutions

Wamego, Kansas

Dr. Dave Rethorst has been in veterinary practice for more than 44 years and has owned and operated Beef Health Solutions for the past 5 years. Based in the northern end of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Dr. Rethorst travels the northern half of Kansas plus small portions of eastern Colorado and south-central Nebraska. His practice is centered on four core values: caring, serving, leading, and empowering.

Dr. Rethorst shared, “My practice is unique in that I spend time in four practices, in addition to having a cow-calf clientele that I call my own. The time spent in the four practices is centered around mentoring young veterinarians in beef cattle production and population medicine. This takes on several forms including face-to-face mentoring, mentoring via numerous phone calls, helping with herd work, or in some cases, relief work so they can get some time away from the practice. At the end of the day, it is about helping young veterinarians with knowledge and skill sets that they were not comfortable with coming out of veterinary school.”

In many ways, Dr. Rethorst is following in the footsteps of his mentors in veterinary school: Dr. Dan Upson, Dr. Horst Leipold, and Dr. Al Edwards. He reflected, “All three were very willing to share their knowledge, told you what they really thought, and exhibited common sense and practicality.”