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Mastering mastitis with Mastatest

Mastitis is the most common disease in New Zealand dairy cattle and it is known that the two weeks either side of calving is when a cow is most at risk.DairyNZ agrees that rapidly finding and treating clinical cases in the calving period reduces the likelihood of infections being passed to other cows and the development of chronic infections.The cost of mastitis across the New Zealand dairy industry is estimated to be around $180 million per year. So, being able to test milk samples, identi...

Keep an eye out for pink eye

Pink eye is the most common eye condition in cattle, affecting all breeds and ages, with calves being especially vulnerable. Although most animals recover, serious cases can lead to permanent blindness. Pink eye is also economically important to cattle farmers as disease incurs significant costs, including:treatments costs;disruptions to seasonal management of stock;production losses through reduced growth rates in young animals, and losses of milk production, weight gain and mating perform...

Slips: how many is too many?

You’ve probably all experienced the odd cow that slips once she gets to the runoff after a truck ride and maybe a couple who slip over winter, but how many is too many and what should you do about it?The short answer: Slips are very frustrating, not only for you, but for us as vets. As a general rule of thumb, if you have greater than 2% slips from when you dried off, then you should be concerned. It can be hard to assess how bad the problem is, especially when slips are just tr...

Improving cow fertility with MULTIMIN

The pioneer multiple trace element injection in New Zealand, MULTIMIN is a unique concept of supplementation for cattle, used by farmers throughout the country.Contains copper, selenium, zinc and manganese for immune support.Chelated formulation that is safe and tissue friendly.Absorbed into blood within 8 hours and transferred to the liver within 24 hours.Scientifically proven in New Zealand conditions to enhance reproductive performance....

Successful repro takes a team approach

Establishing a pregnancy is a step-by-step process that begins in the previous lactation. Fresh cows are uniquely challenged by the stress of calving and a suppressed immune system, at a time when their energy intake cannot keep up with demands. The result is a negative energy balance and a greater risk of metabolic and reproductive diseases such as metritis.Transition cow management is critical to prepare cows for calving, as well as providing the nutrients they need to improve their ...

A tech’s guide to calf rearing

Winton tech Alice shares her many years of experience with calf rearing.Many of you will recognise Alice as one of our techs from the Winton clinic, but she's also got 9 years of calf rearing experience under her belt. Now contract milking on a local Winton farm with her partner, she raises 200 replacements each year, as well as 50-60 beefies. We caught up with her to find out her top tips and tricks for a successful season....

Johne's disease in ewes

Vet Emily looks at ways to reduce the threat of this chronic wasting disease.Johne's disease is an important cause of ewe wastage on sheep farms. It is a bacterial disease of domestic ruminant species, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. In sheep, it results in a chronic wasting disease....

Calf rearing Q&A

You asked, we answered. Vet Keryn tackles your calf rearing questions....

Winter nutrition for working dogs

Some key points for looking after your team through the winter and having them ready in the spring for another busy season.With another busy spring looming large in the farming calendar, your working dog team will need to be in optimum condition. Here is some key nutritional information to help you look after your dogs through the winter months, so they are ready for action when you need them....

A case of nitrate toxicity

Last winter, we were called out to a farm in Southland after a farmer found several dead sheep and others staggering around, as if drunk, on a kale crop.Suspecting nitrate toxicity, the farmer moved the rest of the mob off the kale and onto grass. Unfortunately, as they were being shifted, the ataxic (uncoordinated) ewes all proceeded to pass away within minutes.The 700-strong mob was made up of two tooths scanned with triplets and twins and they had been transitioned onto the crop a week before...

Liquid gold

Find out how good colostrum management can set your calves up, with lifetime benefits.Good colostrum management is the NUMBER ONE factor in your calves' health. This is your best opportunity to prevent the nightmare that is a shed of scouring or sick calves, and the amount of work and devotion that goes into their care.Its benefits extend well beyond the first week of life, bringing reduced risk of pre- and post-weaning mortality, scours and disease, improved weight gain, and even greater milk p...

Hate that feeling of food stuck in your teeth? So does your horse!

Just like us, horses can have gaps in their teeth and, just like us, food can get stuck in them! It is so important for horses to have a complete, sedated oral examination at least once a year to identify problems and remove any nasty, smelly grass or feed that has gotten stuck.Why? When food is left stuck between your horse’s teeth, known as diastema, it packs in over time and creates painful pressure on their gums. It also acts as a great breeding ground for bacteria!  Once th...

A Smillie face joins the equine team

Anna Smillie is the latest new graduate to join our Invercargill clinic as a mixed animal vet, looking after our equine and small animal clients.Whilst she was born and raised in urban Dunedin, she spent all the time she could out in the paddocks riding horses.Anna originally studied at Otago University and gained a BSc in Microbiology, before deciding to change direction and apply for vet school. She has since spent the last 5 years studying Veterinary Science at Massey University; graduating i...

Triple drench resistance remains high

Another faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) season has come to a close and we have had some interesting and concerning results, showing continued high levels of resistance to triple combination drenches.We performed 11 reduction tests in 2023 - three from the west and 8 from the east. Below is a graph showing the results:...

Barber’s Pole worm found in Southland

Haemonchus contortus, also known as Barber’s Pole worm, has been found in sheep in Southland this autumn. Previously, it was believed that the region was Haemonchus-free, until I headed out to visit a group of sick mixed age ewes back in March....

Pregnant ewe management to reduce bearings

We are not going to be in your letter box again with Field Notes until November, so here are some key points to be aware of to help minimise your risk of bearings this season....

Opportunities at scanning time

Scanning is a great opportunity to plan and review in the lead up to lambing. There are also lots of things that you can do while the ewes are handy to the yards - making the most of their time off feed....

Managing worm larval challenge in your paddocks

With the prevalence of drench-resistant worms on the rise among sheep and cattle in Southland, there is no time like the present to work on a sustainable parasite management plan for your farm.As well as ensuring drenches are used effectively, we can utilise pasture management plans to control the larval challenge that our animals are exposed to. Preventing the consumption of high larval burdens is critical to limiting the effects on animal health and productivity....

Dog vaccinations

A healthy working dog team makes life much more enjoyable and less stressful. Vaccination plays a key role in this. There are two key vaccines that we recommend your team stays up to date with. These are what we call the ‘core’ vaccine and canine cough. The ‘core’ vaccine helps to protect against:Canine distemperInfectious canine hepatitis Adenovirus respiratory diseaseParainfluenzaCanine parvovirus enteritis (parvo).Of the above, parvo is of most concern. A young pup that beco...

Horse vetting: the pre-purchase examination

Having a horse checked out, or "vetted", before buying is an age-old tradition in equine circles. It is a good idea, especially where you can't get to see the horse and you would like an independent set of eyes to check it over.It's also helpful if the horse has something you are not quite sure about and need an opinion on; like a melanoma in a grey horse.A pre-purchase examination by a vet can be reassuring to people who are risk averse, have had a bad experience with a purchase in the past, an...

The four pillars of optimal horse health

Teeth care is essential for horses to optimise chewing of their food. We recommend an oral examination at least once a year, unless you are advised to do this more regularly after your first visit. Horses’ teeth continually erupt throughout their life and due to chewing in a figure eight motion, as well as the greater quantities of concentrated feed horses consume these days, they can develop sharp points which can cause discomfort during riding. This can also lead to an unbalan...

The naughty pony - is it pain or just a game?

Over the last few months, we have been seeing an increasing number of horses and ponies that have started to display naughty behaviour. Some of these animals are newly acquired and therefore their ‘quirks’ are unknown. Others, however, are good, honest horses that have been in their owner's possession for some time, before gradually or suddenly developing untoward behaviour that is completely out of character for that animal. ...

Hoof abscess season is nigh!

There are several proactive measures we can take to help minimise the risk of hoof abscesses occurring in our equine friends.Important measures that aid in the prevention of hoof abscesses include maintaining excellent hoof health, and creating better environmental conditions for the feet.Many horses have shoes removed over the winter, but it is important that the feet continue to have regular trimming to prevent long toes, stretched white lines, and cracks - all of which provide paths of entry ...

Autumnal tones before the winter blues

It is a rare treat for Southland to have had two warm, dry summers in a row. Like last year, this summer seemed to never want to end...but then came a cold front, and the realisation that winter is approaching. The last few weeks have seen horses quickly grow their winter coats and after some much welcome rain, the mud has unfortunately made its return.Like other livestock species in the region, the dry summer has presented many challenges for horses from both a health and performance point...

Meet the new grads

Demand for vets is nothing new and it has been increasing annually.Our recruitment team is working relentlessly to ensure that our clinics continue to provide the excellent health care and services that we all expect for our animals.Each year, we welcome fresh faces to our veterinary teams. So, let’s meet the latest tranche of graduates who have joined our teams across Winton, Gore and Invercargill:...