That “Damn” Vet
He drives a powder blue 1968 Chevrolet El Camino with a box of doughnuts for his customers sitting on the passenger seat, a trunk full of veterinary medicine supplies for the cattle and the motivation to get a job done.
Randy Wallstrum, D.V.M is That “Damn” Vet cowmen and women across Northern Nevada and California have beyond have depended on for decades.
That “Damn” Vet isn’t the only name the tall, slim man with a full, unforgettable mustache is called. He has gained a handful of nicknames over time such as Doctor Doughnut, Doctor Dirty Dog and Doctor Dirtbag to name a few.
However, That “Damn” Vet, Wallstrum’s most widely referred to nickname, came about many decades ago when he first joined the profession of veterinary medicine. He said people were always talking about how they couldn’t get ahold of the damn vet, no matter which one they were trying to reach. Being the playful and comical person Wallstrum is, he decided to play off the phrase and embrace becoming That “Damn” Vet.
Wallstrum was raised around farm animals and participated in 4-H and the Future Farmers of America. When college came around, Wallstrum attended the University of California, Davis, and was on the livestock judging team. It was during his time on the team the idea of becoming a veterinarian first sparked in Wallstrum’s mind.
“I got along well with the critters, so I pursued it,” Wallstrum said.
After finishing his undergraduate and making it through veterinary school, Wallstrum started practicing as a vet.
He is still practicing 43 and a half years later.
During his time as a vet, Wallstrum has worked on small and large animals, in teams and alone, and in the United States and New Zealand. In the early years of his career, he was called to work in Gardnerville, Nev.
Although Wallstrum worked for a mixed practice for two years in Gardnerville, eventually he decided to go out on his own. After many years, the vet decided cows and the occasional cowman or woman were the only clients he wanted to work on.
“I enjoyed the cow people, and that made the hook for me,” Wallstrum said.
Today, Wallstrum still owns his private veterinary practice dedicated to primarily working on cows. He doesn’t have an office, but instead travels about 40,000 miles year in his El Camino to cattle ranches in Nevada and California, all the way up to the Oregon and Nevada border — and anywhere in between.
“I cover a huge area and spread myself really thin,” Wallstrum said, “but I enjoy the people and enjoy helping.”
The people are what make it all worth it to Wallstrum, and what he considers to be the best part of his profession.
“Nobody goes to college for nine years to stick their hand up the back end of a cow,” Wallstrum said.
Wallstrum says he particularly enjoys working with the commercial cattlemen and women that do it for a living and are in the business for the long-haul.
But Wallstrum’s career has been more than just playing doctor, and he has become more than just the cow vet to people.
Cyndie Facciolla D.V.M. shadowed Wallstrum before she decided to pursue a career as a veterinarian. From riding along with Wallstrum, she was able to get a glimpse at what makes his work relationships unique.
“He invests deeply in his clients, is extremely personable and knows how to tailor his knowledge to certain people,” Facciolla said.
Being a veterinarian, Facciolla is aware of the challenges that Wallstrum faces in the profession.
“The financial burden is a huge crisis,” Facciolla said. “It’s now the highest suicide rate of any profession in the country.”
In addition to the cost of tuition for veterinary school surpassing the salary of the job, Facciolla said the way people perceive veterinarians as in it for the money is tough, especially in emotional situations such as customers animals dying.
“You [veternarians] do care, but clients see you as a money-hungry person that doesn’t care,” Facciolla said.
Wallstrum isn’t in it for the money, Facciolla said, and joked about how he hasn’t raised his prices in years. She believes there are additional reasons why Wallstrum remains successful.
“He has personal friendships with people and it’s more of a community thing than generating income,” Facciolla said.
The sense of community where everyone is helping each other that Wallstrum has built is why the majority of his clients are people he has worked with for multiple decades.
“His clients keep coming back because it’s part of a family,” Facciolla said. “You can’t replicate that with a business plan.”
Einen Grandi, a cattle rancher in Northern California, has been a client of Wallstrum’s for decades and doesn’t plan on changing doctors anytime soon.
“If I had another choice I wouldn’t use them,” Grandi said.
Grandi and many of the ranches neighboring his first scheduled Wallstrum to come out to the valley they live in many years ago and have been using his skills ever since.
“He’s got a lot of experience,” Grandi said. “He’s good at what he does, and he’s fun to be around.”
“His motto is to have fun,” Facciolla said. “Even when it’s a crappy situation he finds a way to make work fun.”
Kathleen Sharkey, administrative assistant and veterinarian technician at the Department of Nevada Agriculture Veterinary Services said Wallstrum has one of the best senses of humor and working with him is not like work.
“He has experienced so much and is willing to give so much,” Sharkey said. “It’s more like an extended family than work.”
Sharkey says the way Wallstrum’s fun and joking character translates into his work makes his relationship with his clients stronger.
Everyday as a vet is a “kick in the pants,” and working with cattle sometimes the kick is quite literal Wallstrum said.
Some the biggest challenges in the job are physical. When you are working with cattle, there are a few days you get ran over Wallstrum said.
“I’m constantly nursing a few owies,” Walstrum said, “and I’ve had to sew myself up once or twice.”
Beyond his job, Wallstrum has already proven not much will stop him from doing what he loves such as traveling with his family, hunting, fishing, camping and hiking.
Not many can say custom shirts of their face on a Wheaties box exist. But That “Damn” Vet can.
After having a wolverine take a bite out of his face while on a hunting trip in Alaska, getting his jaw wired shut and making a fully recovery, Wallstrum not only proved he is strong enough to be on a Wheaties box, but lives to tell the stories of his crazy life adventures and continues to make people laugh while doing so.
“After I got chewed up [by the wolverine], I went back [to Alaska] the next year, and I got charged by a bear.” Wallstrum said. “I learned a valuable life lesson that day. It takes longer to crap your pants than you think.”
Although many don’t see retirement in Wallstrum’s near future, he cares enough about his clients to ensure they will continue being successful once he is no longer able to keep up with the physical demands of the job. He is working actively at training people in Nevada and Northern California to prevent leaving long-time customers like Grandi hanging.
“I know I can’t do this forever, but I don’t want to leave people high and dry,” Wallstrum said.
Wallstrum, who will be 70 in December, will continue working with the people he loves and hold these relationships for as long as he can.
