A breed apart

CAYUGA - Dr. Thomas Gill can tell a lot about a cow just by flicking its side.

Like most large-animal vets, Gill works from the road without the luxury of X-rays and examination rooms. So he's learned to trust his hearing to diagnose problems such as cows whose stomachs have become twisted or flipped.

Using a stethoscope, he listens for a distinct noise similar to a bouncing basketball.