Services Abroad: OUR TRAVELING DocTOR
Dr. Ulmanis works long hours here at home, but we sometimes let him take a "break" to travel and work abroad. His regular annual visits are to Alaska, where he is actively involved in both mission work and veterinary medicine. He has also traveled multiple times to Mongolia and most recently to the Sudan. While Dr. Ulmanis is away, we continue to work regular business hours with a relief veterinarian who is on staff to provide veterinary care for patients.
Alaska
Dr. Ulmanis is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Alaska and a member of the Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association. He has a client base in Southeast Alaska where he regularly sees equine patients. He travels annually to Juneau and surrounding areas and offers equine veterinary services including: routine health examinations, comprehensive lameness examinations, annual vaccinations, de-worming, hand and motorized dental floats, medications, and other services as needed.
In addition to performing equine services for clients in Southeast Alaska, we are proud to support Victory Bible Camp in Sutton, Alaska. They are a great organization with a wonderful ministry. We specifically support their equine program - providing them with veterinary care and supplies year round. Dr. Ulmanis usually takes one trip a year to check on all the horses and perform lameness exams and dental floats and other routine (and non-routine!) medical services for the herd.
If you have any questions regarding our services in these areas, or if you would like to request an appointment with us for a future visit, please give us a call!
Mongolia
Starting in 2009, Dr. Ulmanis has taken regular trips to Mongolia as part of a Christian Veterinary Mission short-term mission. During his trips he travels throughout the countryside training veterinarians and treating animals, while sharing the gospel.
Dr. Ulmanis has had many interesting experiences and always returns home fulfilled after his time away. Life in Mongolia is very different and difficult. Horses, cows, sheep, goats, and camels are the five traditional animals of Mongolia, and the horse to person ratio is 13:1. Many people rely heavily on animals for food, drink, transport, and other raw materials like wool, leather and bones. It is a huge country with changing weather and depending on the time of year, it can be either very hot or extremely cold! It is not unusual to have what appears to be four seasons all in one day, one week, or one month.
Travel is primarily in a Russian van, bumping along dirt “roads" that are riddled with potholes. Smooth roads are VERY RARE and it is usually very dusty. Visitors travel with staff from Christian Veterinary Mission and mostly consist of four to six people, one of whom will be able to translate. Ministry focus is on team members and various types of countryside people, including veterinarians, herders, children, believers and non-believers.
If you are interested in learning more about Doc's mission trips, please feel free to ask him! For more information on Christian Veterinary Mission check out their website.