11/27/2023
Dr. Sarah's Essentials
Tribute to Dr. Paul Dettloff
1942-2023
Thankful for you always...
This year I lost a mentor, dear friend, and father-like figure when Dr. Paul Dettloff breathed his last. As I look upon this year with Thanksgiving and gratitude, he is, was, and forever will be high on the list of people I’m grateful for.
Before he was my friend and mentor, he was my veterinarian. Well, first, he was my parents’ veterinarian, but they were never quick to call him because in our large family love was abundant but finances were tight.
As a scrappy, determined, middle school entrepreneur, I began buying 40, 60, up to 80 calves at a time from sale barns and raising custom calves for people. Unsurprisingly, these cute little calves that all gathered together in one big auction building would inevitably spread their germs faster than a room full of toddlers in daycare.
Though my parents were hesitant to call Doc in any more often than absolutely necessary, I just couldn’t stand to see these poor little calves suffer, so I called him.
Dutifully, Doc would come to our farm, treat my calves, and send me the bill. Through my early entrepreneurial years, I continued to call on Doc because he was patient, happily imparted his vast wisdom to me, and inspired me to love and care for animals. And also, I’m not sure what my parents were thinking because I thought his bills were always very reasonable!
It wasn’t until many, many years later that I would hear him fondly tell stories of how much money he lost off of me. I had no way of knowing as a young teen that I was being way undercharged for antibiotics, medication, and farm calls—that was just the kind of man he was!
Dr. Paul referred to me as his fourth daughter because he took me under his wings at such a young age. I looked up to him and was inspired to become a veterinarian just like him. It was an honor to shadow him during vet school, and it just so happened to work out that I graduated the same year he retired as a farm vet to go work for Organic Valley. I was able to take on many of his former clients and continue the amazing work he had been doing for so many years.
In early ‘retirement,’ Doc was very busy with Dr. Paul’s Lab where he made a lot of herbal tincture products, herbal treatments, and organic veterinary products to serve farms around the country and throughout the world. At the time, he predicted that there was going to be explosive growth in two areas in the future. First, in immunotherapy, and second, in essential oils. He nailed them both. Twenty years ago, people would have thought you were crazy for using essential oils, and now they are commonplace.
With Dr. Paul’s insistence and support, I began to do research and experiment with essential oils for mastitis treatment. I created my first product called Savvy Udder and began using it on the cows I was treating with great results. Then I created another product and named it ABC Relief. Dr. Paul began to spread the word about this new mastitis treatment that worked so well and started ordering it and shipping it to clients. He implored me to create a label and start selling these products. Then he insisted I get back to work and make some more products for organically treating livestock. So we did research together on the best essential oils to use, and I created Shoo-Fly, an all-natural insect repellent. And then I created another product and another, and another until I eventually had a whole line of products dedicated to providing natural livestock solutions using only the highest quality natural ingredients.
Without Dr. Paul, there would be no Dr. Sarah’s Essentials.
Dr. Dettloff was everybody’s best friend. He was humble, yet down-to-earth, and sought after as a well-known speaker and author. He would spend hours a day on the phone doling out free advice to farmers calling from all over the country, and I had the privilege of having him just a few miles down the road. I feel so blessed.
On hard days, I would complain to him, and he would dish out his favorite piece of advice, “This too shall pass.” He was gifted at spinning a negative into a positive and was encouraging in that way. There will never be another Dr. Dettloff.
As a founding figure in the world of sustainability and organic farming, he gave back to his community and the land he loved so much. He loved people, loved animals, and absolutely treasured his family. He put his whole heart into anything he set his mind to and that made him the amazing man that he was. He will be dearly missed, not only by me but by the whole world.
In February of this year Doc hilariously shared his side of the story as to how Dr. Sarah's Essentials got started.
What a gift it was to me to have this captured while filming an episode of "World's Greatest..."
Dr. Dettloff's Books
Dr. Paul Dettloff's Complete Guide to Raising Animals Organically
$35.00
Dr. Paul's book with Megan Dettloff-Meyer, L.Ac., MSOM
Raising Animals Organically includes much of what is in the previous version, Alternative Treatments for Ruminant Animals written by Dr. Paul. Some of the treatments in the previous version are updated and included in this book.
Limited Supplies
Shop now
Alternative Treatments for Ruminant Animals
Alternative Treatments for Ruminant Animals
$35.00, Book written by Paul Dettloff D.V.M.
Shop now
Musings of an old country vet Book, Musings of an old country vet. A collection of thoughts, usings, poems and cartoons from over 45 years of being a country vet.
Shop all of Dr. Paul's livestock products and all products for people, pets, & livestock at Dr. Sarah's Essentials at Critter Apothecary in Careywood. By appointment. 208-610-2960
