Innovation & Research

When we talk about Innovation & Research at VetSouth, we're talking about VetQuest. VetQuest exists to provide trust to Veterinarians, farmer and other clients, commercial clients and others that our science is robust, our decisions are evidence-based, and our training and systems are rigorous and thorough. Indeed, VetQuest isn't just a department or something within VetSouth. It's at the core of the company and what we do. It's wrapped around our service delivery, threaded through our advisory capability, backs up our training and development, and informs decisions made on farm or in the clinic. More than that, VetQuest undertakes large, complex research projects with the aim of improving the industry and positively influencing the future of farming and animal welfare. It's not finding the new thing or new treatment for the sake of it. This is research with a purpose and meaning. Research that will bring real help and deliver real results. It's research that will help you and your animals.

FURTHER READING

Latest news

Feeding hinds and fawns

Unweaned fawns can gain anywhere from 220–700g/day, but with top-quality feed at least 400g/day or more is common.  Lactating hinds require almost twice the energy of non-lactating animals – aroRead more

Beating B1 deficiency in youngstock

Vitamin B1 (or Thiamine) deficiency in calves and lambs causes a neuro disease known as polioencephalomalacia (a.k.a. swelling of the brain).  In New Zealand, this is most commonly seen inRead more

Many methods of calf drenching

When treating youngstock for parasites there are many product options, but also different delivery methods. Oral administration of drench is the preferred method for young animals. Calves must beRead more

Data helps us see it, advice helps us fix it

We all know that the first few weeks after calving can set the tone for the whole season. Cows that transition well go on to milk strongly and are better positioned to reach reproductive targets.Read more

Staff focus: Vets from across the ditch

Farmers around the world talk about the New Zealand dairy industry being the best, in terms of feed efficiency, pasture utilisation, and quality of production. Interestingly, it also has a dairy cow Read more

Caring for pets over the holidays

The Christmas holidays are fast approaching. If you are heading away, now is a good time to start thinking about what plans you need to make for your pets.   Will you leave them at home and getRead more

Careful with pets and Christmas treats

Christmas treats are something we all look forward to, but for our furry friends, some of these can be extremely toxic, so it is important to keep them out of reach. If you have a pet with a penchantRead more

Cardiac calf case

Please note, this article contains links to graphic medical photographs of a calf's heart taken during post-mortem examination.Read more

Benchmarking pre-mating cycling rates in herds with wearables

In the lead up to mating this year, we took a look at how cycling rates were tracking on some of our farms in Southland and South Otago that are using wearable technology.  These graphs show theRead more

Assisted calvings stats

With calving now over for another year, let's look at the numbers! This season (2025-26), between July and November, we were called out to assist with a total 624 calvings. Of these, 612 were forRead more

Managing parasites in calves

Once calves start eating grass and consuming less milk or meal, they’ll also start picking up parasites – and this will begin to impact them. Traditionally, drenches have been our go-to tool forRead more

Sid the working dog

On the day he was brought in, his owner noticed he was trying to cock his leg to urinate but wasn’t having much success. Despite this, Sid had still been pulling his weight on the farm and wasRead more
 

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