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Plan to prevent milk fever

Milk fever: it’s something everyone’s familiar with, but something everyone could really do without. Thankfully, most cases can be prevented with good planning. So, what can you do now, to reduce the risk of milk fever at calving time?  First, it helps to realise what a huge change cows undergo at calving. To start producing colostrum and milk, a cow needs a lot of calcium, fast. On the day of calving, she can’t absorb calcium quickly enough from her food, so she needs to mobilise her...

Have you herd the news?

This brings our family of clinics to nine across Southland and South Otago, expanding our reach in the South and making it even easier for local farmers to access trusted veterinary care.  The Milton bricks and mortar might be new on the map, but we’ve got years of gumboots-on-the-ground experience. Whether it’s an on-farm call out or a quick dash in for production animal supplies, practical advice for improving herd health, or a friendly yarn that brightens your day – we’re he...

Sheep vaccination: Maximising results

With the amount spent on vaccines, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on how we use them, to get more ‘bang for our buck’. Avoiding easy mistakes can go a long way in getting the best results from your vaccination programme. ...

Scanning time for deer

Scanning hinds is a useful way to gather information to help you make decisions to improve overall productivity on your deer farm.  It provides insight into R2, MA and stag performance, with pregnancy targets of >90% for R2 hinds and >94% for MA hinds.   Venison prices are strong right now, so dry hinds could be sent to the works to free up feed. A trace element test on these animals can help identify if the wider mob needs copper supplementation ahead of fawning...

Working dogs in winter

It’s very important to maintain high-quality nutrition through the winter because there are higher energy requirements in cold weather to maintain body temperature and still meet the demands for work performance. High-protein diets also reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury in dogs working in cold, slippery conditions. Provide warm, draught-free winter housing to enable more efficient use of the dog’s food. They will waste less energy trying to keep warm (shivering requires muscle a...

You've got cow collars, now what?

It’s been a few years now since wearable technology really took off – and plenty of you have taken the plunge. But once the collars are on and the alerts start pinging, a new question crops up: What exactly are you meant to do with all this information? You’re not alone if you’ve ever opened your app and thought, “Cool... now what?”. Here’s the truth: the tech works. But without a way to connect the dots, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in data and still missin...

Rounding up repro results

Thanks to over 250 of our dairy farmers who came out to celebrate the end of the season at our recent Repro Round Up events in Winton, Gore and Balclutha (a new location this year).It was awesome to have a night off-farm and enjoy a meal together. During each evening, Line Ferriman spoke about the innovative CowSmart data analysis service, and Jess Wallace shared her riveting life story that led her to run Surfing for Farmers in Southland. We provided farmers who’d scanned with us an info...

Investigating the mystery of phantom cows

It’s a cow that has been mated and didn’t return to heat, but did not conceive to that mating. Phantom cows cost dairy farming systems as they either become pregnant much later in the mating period or end up empty. The prevalence of these cows has been estimated as high as 9% in some herds. ...

Urea toxicity in cattle

We recently saw a rare case of urea toxicity on one of our farms. Thankfully only a few animals were affected, and due to the actions of the farmer there were no deaths.Urea toxicity is uncommon in Southland. Knowing why it happens, what to do if you spot signs, and how to avoid it, can reduce risk further. Typically, toxicity in cattle occurs following incorrect feed storage, contamination of feed troughs, or turning stock out onto pasture recently covered with urea. A toxic dose is only 2...

Our antibiotic use

If you recall, there was a lot of noise around the risks of AMR, which could lead to antibiotics potentially not working for routine diseases, as the bugs would become increasingly resistant to the drugs. Things we take for granted – such as routine surgery to replace hips or knees, fix hernias or remove appendices – could become far more dangerous if bugs become resistant. This impacted our vet and farming world because around 80% of all antibiotics used globally are used in animals. A...

A farm store with more

We currently have eight farm stores operating across our clinics in Southland and Otago.  From restricted veterinary medicines to animal health essentials and nutritional supplements, our farm stores stock a full range of leading brands, as well as trusted products for dairy, sheep, beef, deer, and equine.  ...

Setting up for spring

Having ewes in good condition so they can withstand what comes their way needs to be our target at this time of year – and ensuring there's feed available during the hard six weeks they face (four weeks before lambing and two weeks after).   We’re seeing a lot of poor drench performance, with major issues showing up on local farms.  To combat this, we need to farm in a way that reduces the need for drenching.  Acheiving well in spring is an important part of this. Ge...

Bionic Plus returns to our tool box

Managing internal parasites in a sheep flock is challenging for all farmers. We are continually learning new ways to manipulate farming practices to favour sheep (not parasites). A Parasite Management Plan will have many tools being used together to reduce larval exposure and maximize stock production....

Meet the vet herd: Chanté

We’ve got a new large animal vet in the herd…Born and raised in South Africa, Chanté Kritzinger always wanted to be a veterinarian – although she worried whether she was clever enough for the job. Luckily, she realised that hard work and diligent studying were really the key, and she successfully qualified as a vet.One year after graduating, she set off overseas in search of adventure and new experiences! Her first destination was Scotland, a place she’d wanted to visit since she was a ...

Drench onto winter crop

A paddock that is 100% crop, fence to fence, with no gullies or unworked knobs, will only host worms if there’s grass in the crop. Any rough areas provide a great environment for parasites to thrive. However, if the paddock has been ungrazed for many months, parasite levels may be lower. Though this isn’t always the case, as with grazing practices changing, many lambs are now being put onto crop earlier. ...

Protect your calves from Rotavirus

Scours is one of the leading reasons for sickness and death in calves in New Zealand, and Rotavirus is a very common cause. This highly contagious virus can infect calves from birth onwards, with symptoms normally seen around 1-4 weeks of age. The main sign is a watery, pale yellow diarrhoea. The virus can spread very quickly through calf sheds, leaving a trail of sick, infected calves.   Affected calves should be rapidly quarantined and tested to confirm if it’s Rotavirus or a ...

Lepto: Why vaccination is key

A whole range of livestock can be infected by Lepto, including cattle, sheep, pigs, and even horses. Wild animals such as rats and possums can also transmit the disease.The bacteria that causes the disease thrives in wet environments and is often spread via direct contact with urine or a contaminated water source. It can enter through cuts, but also through the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth.The impact Lepto can have on farm is considerable – both on livestock and on human health...

Hoggets in winter

Hoggets can often struggle in the colder months, especially if they're pregnant. They should still be growing well to ensure they hit their full mature weight as early as possible. For this reason, your hoggets must be considered priority stock. Now is the time to assess and plan for things like feed quality, any changes in feed, parasite burdens, and trace element supplementation. The product Vitamin ADE (containing vitamins A, D, and E) is a good supplement option – it’s sometimes nic...

Heifers in winter

Preparing dairy youngstock for wintertime is crucial for maintaining good growth rates and overall health. Here’s a few things to consider when thinking about your plans for your heifers this wet season:...

Tech talk: Teat sealing

Heifers lose the natural keratin plugs in their teats when they come into milk before calving, making them susceptible to picking up bacteria through their open teat canals.When our teams teat seal a mob of heifers, we insert an internal teat sealant called Dryzen into their teats. This forms a physical barrier that will stay in place until it is stripped out after calving, providing better protection against bacteria.Our teat seal teams cover a large part of the South. We are running four trail...

Drench check FECs

At this time of year, with weather still warm and plenty of moisture around, conditions are ideal for parasite growth. We provide quick in-house faecal egg count (FEC) testing. Faecal samples can be dropped off to any VetSouth clinic to be analysed by our ParaSight machines in Winton, Gore and Tapanui.   Two of the main FECs we run are: Post-Drench Checks – a FEC given around ten days after use of an oral drench.Drench Interval Checks – a FEC given 28 days after the last ...

Working dog studies

Massey University is undertaking a research project called ‘Right Dog for the Job’.They will learn more about the DNA make-up of our New Zealand Huntaway and Heading dogs, with the objective being to develop breeding options to enhance the health and performance of working dogs.The researchers are collecting data such as physical measurements, working attributes, and DNA samples from a selection of working dogs. This will be used to produce their genotypes, to better understand which ge...

Let's talk about pet dental health

I've been a veterinarian for 35 years, and during that time, there have been many significant advancements in animal healthcare. Among these, the most notable is in the field of animal dentistry.When I graduated, we had little to no dental care training; consequently, oral diseases were often overlooked. Thankfully, those days are behind us. We now understand that dental disease causes discomfort and can affect vital organs and systems in the body. Advancements in dental facilities and technique...

Championing mares in the Southern Belle harness racing series

But while the sport is often dominated by male horses, the Southern Belle Speed Series shines a well-deserved spotlight on the females. Not only does it provide a platform to showcase their talent and prove they can compete at a high level, it also enhances their future breeding value. We sat down with our senior equine veterinarian, Brendon Bell, to talk about the prestigious series, its connection with VetSouth, and what it means for the region.  Brendon has been involved with t...

Building immunity in hoggets

Our hoggets are now around seven months old and building their immunity to parasites. The faster they do this, the quicker they’ll handle parasites and not require drenching. We need this to happen as quickly as possible.     Immunity develops when an animal is well fed and has all their important trace elements at adequate levels (Selenium, Vitamin B12, etc.). A high-protein diet will aid immunity development.   The trigger for any immunity is the presence of the p...