a brown horse standing on top of a dirt field

Strangles: What Horse Owners Need to Know

Vet Services is encouraging horse owners to remain vigilant following the recent Strangles outbreak in parts of the North Island. While there are currently no reported cases in Hawke’s Bay, the situation is evolving, and horse owners are encouraged to take sensible precautions to protect their horses and help prevent the spread of disease. What…

Lifestyle Farming – FREE Winter Seminars

Thinking about raising lambs or calves this spring? Whether you’re new to lifestyle farming or just looking to brush up on the basics, we’d love you to join us for a free evening of practical advice. Our experienced farm vets will share simple, hands-on tips to help you get the best start to the season,…

Register for our Working Dog Performance Partnership

Introducing our Working Dog Performance Partnership. For many years, our Dog Vaccination Run has been a trusted and practical service for our farmers. Over time, we’ve listened to feedback, learned more about the unique demands placed on working dogs, and seen opportunities to do more. In response to what you’ve told us, we’ve also reviewed…

Facial Eczema – What to Watch For

Written by Isabel Simpson We’ve recently seen a spike in clinical cases of facial eczema across the region. This disease is caused by a fungus that damages the liver, mainly affecting sheep and cattle. Although spore counts dropped last week, we’re not out of the danger period — and we’re now seeing the effects of…

Dairy Scanning 2025

These days it is routine to use our ultrasound scanners for pregnancy testing. We can check all cows that are scanned empty by manual palpation to maximise accuracy and check for problems. Our scanners work well either in the dairy or down races with a catwalk in cattle yards. During milking works fine in most Rotary sheds. Heifers are best done in cattle yards, or they will need training to run through the shed. Having good facilities and plenty of help ensures the job run smoothly on the day.
Earliest testing times after the end of the mating period:
Manual: Heifers 42 days | Cows 56 days, Ultrasound Scanning: Heifers & Cows 35 days
Best aging window: 35–100 days from conception (earlier is more accurate)

Zoonotic diseases

July 6th was World Zoonosis Day so it seems timely for a reminder on some of the common Zoonosis Diseases we have in New Zealand which we should be aware of when around pets and livestock. What is Zoonotic Disease? A zoonotic disease, or commonly named zoonosis, is a disease that can be transmitted between…