News & Articles

Keeping you up to date with our latest news, current job vacancies, save time by filling in forms before your veterinary consultation, and refresh your knowledge on seasonal topics.

LATEST NEWS

Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles and case studies from the Vet Services Team.

CATTLE SCANNING – 2024 BOOKINGS

Happy New Year! The Vet Services team are now taking bookings for pregnancy scanning in cows and heifers. Pregnancy scanning has many advantages when understanding your herd’s reproduction performance and planning ahead for the season. The earliest times for accurate testing following bull withdrawal is 49 days, this is especially important for ageing or identifying…

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Lifestyle Block Services

Vet Services offer personalised lifestyle block veterinary services to small block owners across Hawkes Bay.  These services include emergency veterinary care, annual animal health plans, preventative care, educational workshops and technician assistance with routine drenching, vaccinations, bolusing and foot trimming to keep your animals happy and healthy.   Contact to find out more.  

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Shower Dipping & Jetter Bookings

Any flystrike is bad news for sheep and devastating for production and it’s time to consider your options for treating sheep against external parasites this summer! Our Rural Technicians offer a number of effective and economical ways to eradicate flies, mites, lice & ticks. Jetting off the Sheep Conveyor  Craigco Jetter Shower Dipper The bonus…

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New Graduate group catch up

It was great to have our recent graduate vets in Napier for a group catch up this November! Abbigail, Elise, Reshika and Bailey spent some of the day with our industry partners at the National Aquarium and Save The Kiwi – such a fantastic opportunity to get up close with some pretty incredible animals. Our…

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Veterinary Nursing Scholarships 2024

Veterinary Nurse Scholarship. Name(Required) First Last Student ID(Required)Date of Birth(Required) MM slash DD slash YYYY Phone(Required) Email(Required) I am studying a(Required)Please select what you will be studying the year of this scholarship NZ Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5)Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (Level 6)Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing (Level 7)OtherI study(Required)Full-TimePart-TimeName of your education provider. There…

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Vet Services Napier Open Day!

  VIEW PHOTOS FROM OUR OPEN DAY HERE.   This is your invitation to tour behind the scenes and check out everything Vet Services Napier has to offer! We will have lots of fun and excitement along the way. Fun and interactive activities with the veterinary team. Face painting SPCA kittens A sausage sizzle FREE…

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VS Equine Winter Seminars

VS Equine Winter Seminar Contact DetailsName(Required) First Last Email(Required) PhoneAre you bringing along anyone else? (for catering and spot prizes) Which seminar will you be attending?(Required)Hastings. Wednesday 19 JulyWaipukurau, Tuesday 18 JulyDannevirke, Thursday 20 July Δ

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Shockwave Therapy

What is it, and why are we using it in horses? VS Equine recently purchased a portable Radial Pressure Wave device so that our veterinary team can offer shockwave therapy for treating musculoskeletal problems, soft-tissue and bone injuries in horses. Radial pressure shockwave offers non-invasive treatment solutions for both acute and chronic, long term insertion…

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Croeso’n ôl Steve!

  Sheep pregnancy scanning has become an annual pilgrimage for Welshman Steve.  Steve Lloyd has been pregnancy scanning ewes for over 25 years. He has scanned in the UK, Norway and across New Zealand for the last 20 years. 2023 is his 6th season with the Vet Services team. Steve loves returning to Hawke’s Bay…

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white and black cow during daytime

DAIRY SEMINAR

Join us for our annual Spring Dairy Seminar. We are hosting a Dairy Seminar around the topic of spring calving, transition management, metabolic issues, and setting your farm up for spring performance. Free to attend with morning tea provided. We encourage you to bring along your workers, neighbours and mates (just remember to RSVP for…

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Hind Scanning 2023

It’s that time of year again – time to see if the boys are more than just talk! As an integral part of the rural community, we are all acutely aware of the toll that Gabrielle took on many HB Deer Farms with slips, missing bridges, escaped deer and boxed mobs – a tricky time…

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World Veterinary Day 2023

World Veterinary Day – The last Saturday of April is a special, unique day created by the World Veterinary Association to celebrate the veterinary profession and to promote the amazing work that veterinarians do. We couldn’t be prouder of our dedicated and talented team of veterinarians who demonstrate resilience, embrace each others differences, and work…

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Pre-lamb Planning Day

Bionic Sheep Capsules are unavailable for 2023 – What does this mean for you pre-lamb? Join Vet Services for an interactive planning workshop covering the available options and some important points to consider when developing a pre-lamb protocol. Our production animal vets will be on hand for information and advice as you work through the…

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Community Day competition winners

Congratulations to the winners of our Community Day ‘Name the Kitten’ and ‘Colouring’ Competitions   The winning kitten name was “Digger lightspeed” – entered by Ben and his sisters. Freya Cameron won the 5 years and under Colouring Competition Addison Jones won our 6-12 years Colouring Competition                …

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Hawkes Bay Together!

HAWKES BAY TOGETHER The Vet Services team joined the sea of black and white across Hawkes Bay on Thursday 6th April. Wearing our local colours to show our support for the regions recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle. If you would like to support Hawkes Bay Together please text GIVE to 2923 to make an instant $3…

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Easter Weekend Clinic Hours

  EASTER WEEKEND HOURS Our clinics will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday and we will not be taking online bookings during this time. Emergency care will remain available 24/7. For urgent assistance please phone your local clinic and you will be directed to our on duty veterinary team. Hastings: 06 876 7001…

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Waipukurau Community Day

HAD A GUTSFUL OF THE WEATHER AND JUST NEED A BREATHER? This is your invitation to tour behind the scenes and check out everything Vet Services Waipukurau has to offer.  Catch up with other farmers while your children are kept busy. Tour behind the scenes with lots of fun and excitement along the way. Chat…

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Vet Nursing Scholarships Application

Veterinary Nurse Scholarship. Name(Required) First Last Student ID(Required)Date of Birth(Required) MM slash DD slash YYYY Phone(Required) Email(Required) I am studying a(Required)Please select what you will be studying the year of this scholarship NZ Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5)Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (Level 6)Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing (Level 7)OtherI study(Required)Full-TimePart-TimeName of your education provider. There…

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Dairy Technician Services

WOPA Hoof Trimming Faster, Safer Hoof Trimming with the WOPA cattle crush, Teatsealing, Disbudding, Pregnancy Scanning and Reproduction Services. Fill in your details below and we will be in touch to make a booking Name* First Last Farm* Rapid number of yards* Street Address Address Line 2 Phone*I want to book or find out more…

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Sheep Technicians services to manage parasites on the outside

Any flystrike is bad news for sheep and devastating for production. With tupping fast approaching in one of the wettest summers in memory, it’s timely to consider the options for treating sheep against external parasites.   Prevention of flystrike is always preferable to treatment. Vet Services sheep technicians offer jetting off the conveyor, a craigco…

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Christmas Hours

EMERGENCY CARE AVAILABLE OVER HOLIDAYS. Christmas is fast-approaching and our clinics have been busy as most people get ready to enjoy a few days off with friends and family.   Our clinic doors will be closed on the public holidays (25 – 27 December and 1-3 January) but our on duty team are just a…

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short-coated black and brown dog lying down on brown surface

Highly Contagious Kennel Cough in our Community

  Kennel Cough or Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease is a highly contagious airway infection that is rarely life threatening but does make dogs feel lethargic and have a hoarse “honking” cough for 1- 3 weeks. The infection is spread via airborne particles from another dog. There are vaccine options already widely used that will reduce the…

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B+LNZ Wormwise Workshops

   B+LNZ Wormwise Workshops – Hawkes Bay 2022 Sheep and Cattle Parasite resistance is the number one animal health issue facing farms across New Zealand. B+LNZ Wormwise Workshops provide the latest information and research on internal parasite control and outline how an integrated pest management system can help farm sheep and beef cattle into the…

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Make Drenching Count

Farmers should target worm control in cattle at young animals and use oral drenches as long as they can. Article by Sara Sutherland, Vet Services Wairarapa. Sheep and cattle systems have some subtle differences with respect to drenches and drenching. For example, worm species are (mostly) different, the availability of pour-on drenches for cattle, the…

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World Veterinary Day – 29 April 2022

Join us in celebrating our incredible team and their mahi for our community and animals. Saturday 30 April is World Veterinary Day 2022 – a special day created by the World Veterinary Association to celebrate the veterinary profession and to promote the amazing work that veterinarians do. To our superhero veterinarians – thank you! You…

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Sheep scanning 2022

BOOKING FORM AT BOTTOM OF PAGE Last year we were surprised by our results due to the condition of our ewes. Scanning last year many people were surprised by the performance of their flock considering the condition the ewes were in at the time of scanning. On the back of the drought many ewe flocks…

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white and brown dog wearing santa hat

Holiday Hours

Christmas is fast-approaching, our clinics have been busy with people getting ready for the holidays and it won’t be long before most people enjoy a few days off with friends and family. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need assistance with your animals over the break – we have an holiday team…

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gray scale photo of horse

SELENIUM DEFICIENCY IN HORSES

Selenium supplementation is a very topical issue for all horse owners. An essential component in all diets, Selenium plays a vital role in a horse’s metabolism. Together with Vitamin E it is a powerful antioxidant, protecting their cells from damage. The soil in NZ is naturally very low in Selenium, as a result, so are…

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Post Foaling Checks

Great your foal has arrived! That’s one stressful part over for your mare and new-born. We now recommend that you book a post foaling check with your vet to help you keep an eye on any post foaling complications which can occur in the first four days of life.  Your veterinarian will offer a thorough…

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Dog Run

We organise our annual dog run between the months of September and November. These visits are offered at a discounted rate. This is a great opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have with your working dogs health. Book in your team of working dog’s annual health check examination and vaccination below.

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Eyes Wide Open

Join us for this Workshop Name* First Last Farm Name Email* PhoneAny others coming with you?Let us know how many people from your farm are coming so that we can keep track of the number of people attending.CAPTCHAPhoneThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Δ

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Guidelines for use of long acting anthelmintics in sheep: pre-lamb

While long acting anthelmintics have a role in the management of parasites in lambing ewes and the subsequent levels of pasture contamination, their use contributes to the onset and extent of anthelmintic resistance. With growing concern over the number of farms in NZ now showing clinical and subclinical issues with anthelmintic resistance, the following should be considered…

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Winter Feeding Seminar & BBQ

We are hosting a series of seminars around the topic of winter feeding and setting your farm up for spring performance. Our vets will talk about lambing in tough feed times, winter feeding of cattle, and some of the winter animal health issues to watch out for. The seminar will be followed by a free BBQ &…

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Facial Eczema Monitor – Hastings Results

This week’s pasture spore counts – Week ending 7th May 2021 Regional average spore counts have dropped back to low levels, and hotspots have reduced, the highest being 65,000 at Ocean Beach. The dry conditions and cooler overnight temperatures have slowed up spore growth significantly. Known hotspots still pose some risk to grazing stock, especially…

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Pete The One-Eared Sheep

Peter was rushed to our clinic a couple of weeks ago after being attacked by a dog, and suffering horrific wounds to his left ear.   Kathryn, Libby & the Companion Animal team attended to Pete’s injuries under a general anaesthetic and found that unfortunately his ear was too damaged and would need to be…

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Chickens & Red Mites

Red mites are small external parasites of chickens that live in the cracks and crevices of poultry housing.  They are blood feeders and mainly feed at night but if there are large numbers they may be seen during the day.  They then return to the housing during the day where they lay their eggs.  They…

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tan pug on brown wooden stool

Overweight Pets

Podgy Pooches & Curvaceous Cats Every pet has an ideal weight but almost 50% of animals coming into the clinic are overweight. This problem can be difficult to manage and is often overlooked, despite the well-known health risks including diabetes mellitus, arthritis, cancer and respiratory and heart disease. The first step to helping podgy pooches…

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golden retriever puppy on snow covered ground during daytime

Epilepsy in Dogs

What is epilepsy? Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes dogs to have sudden, uncontrolled and recurring seizures. Dogs can have seizures because of trauma, exposure to toxins, brain tumors, genetic abnormalities, issues with the dog’s blood or organs, or for a number of other reasons. Other times, seizures may sometimes occur for unknown reasons…

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How to collect a sample for facial eczema pasture spore counting.

Facial Eczema Pasture Spore Counting Facial eczema is a disease caused by the fungus Pithomyces chartarum; which produces a toxin (sporidesmin) resulting in liver damage and photosensitivity. It grows on dead plant material at the base of the sward and thrives in warm, humid conditions. A good way to determine the risk level of your…

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brown and white short coated dog

Kennel Cough

Central Hawkes Bay has had an outbreak of kennel cough. This disease can and will spread very fast between dogs and we recommend a vaccination to help protect your dogs. What is kennel cough: Kennel Cough (also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis) is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Dogs commonly contract kennel cough at places…

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short-coated tan and white dog

Ear Disease

Ear inflammation and infection is one of the most common conditions we encounter at Vet Services, especially in dogs. The ear is divided into three sections, the external ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Inflammation/infection can affect any one of these three compartments separately or combined. Dr Neil Stuttle explains the cause &…

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Facial Eczema Workshop

Facial Eczema Workshop Join our vets for a Facial Eczema Workshop on Thursday 11 February to hear about the prevention, monitoring, and management of this potentially devastating disease. Waipukurau Clinic 10am – 12pm Vet Services will be providing light refreshments Name* First Last Farm Name Email* PhoneAny others coming with you?Let us know how many…

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Sheep Scanning

Sheep Scanning is used to ascertain whether or not a sheep is pregnant (“wet” vs “dry”, known as WD) and/or how many lambs she is carrying (single vs twin vs triplet, known as TSD or Triplets). We strongly encourage investing in pregnancy scanning as the scanning data allows you to maximise your flock performance with…

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Toxovax Order Form

Sheep Performance Vaccines reduce the risk from deadly sheep diseases across most New Zealand farms. These Vaccinations need to be timed around the date you plan to introduce the ram to your flock. Please fill in the order form below so that we can schedule vaccinations for your farm. Name* First Last Farm Name Email*…

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A Change At The Top

At the end of November, Vet Services General Manager Richard Hilson, and Senior Veterinarian Roger McKinley will hang up their stethoscopes after providing Central Hawke’s Bay with over 30 years’ veterinary care. Richard has made an enormous contribution to Vet Services over the last 30 years, as a Vet, Director and latterly General Manager. His…

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Roger McKinley’s Retirement

Last month Roger McKinley saw his last ever patient, hung up his stethoscope and left our Hastings Clinic to begin a happy retirement after providing our community with a whopping 37 years of veterinary service! When Roger began working in our original Hastings Clinic in 1983, he was one of just two veterinarians. (Vet Services…

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lamb on a pathway

Flystrike in Sheep

What is Flystrike? Flystrike is the most significant ectoparasitic disease of sheep in New Zealand, both from an economic and animal welfare perspective. The main flystrike challenge is during warm humid conditions, normally from November through to March, however this can vary seasonally and in some cases the challenge period can occur from October through…

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three brown sheep on grass land

Ewe Mastitis

Mastitis in ewes is something I’m sure many of you have battled with over the years, it is a condition we are very familiar with in cattle, especially in the dairy sector, but we are less accustomed to treating it in our ewe flocks. This season we have had a few more cases presented to…

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black and white cow on green grass field during daytime

Dairy Cow Lameness

Cows are amazingly stoic creatures, hiding their pain well from us.   Lameness is one of the ways they will show pain, and most of the time it has stemmed from a foot issue.  The corium is the layer of tissue inside the hoof that the hard hoof grows from, and when it becomes damaged it…

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Unusual Hind Limb Gait Abnormalities

There are a number of conditions of the hind leg in the horse that cause very specific, atypical type lameness and gait abnormalities. These include stringhalt, shivers, upward patella fixation, fibrotic myopathy and rupture of the peroneus tertius muscle. Dave Kruger outlines each of these medical conditions and what to look out for below. STRINGHALT…

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COLIC – WHAT A PAIN!

Colic, a word that strikes fear into the heart of every horse owner! But what is it and what can we do? In the simplest sense, colic is a broad term used to describe abdominal pain and the behaviour that we see associated with that pain. This is most commonly associated with the gastrointestinal tract,…

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WOLF TEETH IN HORSES

Wolf teeth are technically known as the first premolar teeth in horses.  They usually erupt into the mouth at between five and twelve months of age, but do not continue to grow or erupt into the mouth as do the rest of the cheek teeth.  It has been estimated that approximately seventy percent of horses…

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COUGHING AND WHEEZY HORSES

The classic ‘coughing horse’ is a common sight and sound at this time of year, and often transient viral respiratory disease is to blame. But as much as we love to blame a virus, they are not always the cause! This year has seen an influx of allergy associated disease in all classes of stock…

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ENCYSTED STRONGYLES – SMALL WORMS, BIG PROBLEMS

Johnny Atkins BVSc Vet Services Dannevirke ‘Small Strongyles’ or ‘Cyathostomes’ are the terms used for a group of over forty different species of parasites affecting horses. They tend to be the most prevalent parasite within the horses’ gastrointestinal tract and although small, heavy burdens can result in big problems! Unlike their cousins the ‘large strongyles’,…

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Lice in Sheep

A common winter issue, lice are prevalent at this time of year due to their preference for cooler, darker and drier weather conditions. Infestations develop as a slow burn on healthy animals, with numbers gradually increasing on individuals. The entire lifecycle of lice is spent on sheep, so transmission between individual animals can only occur…

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Pet Insurance

Many people know the importance of insuring their items, their house or car, even their own health.  Fortunately we are also able to insure pets, for not only medical and surgical care but in some cases routine visits can be covered (including vaccinations and wellness checks/blood tests).  Like any insurance, the hope is that you…

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white and gray cat

Hyperthyroidism

To be skinny despite continuously eating, is that not the dream for a lot of people? Unfortunately for our furry friends it can be a sign of something more sinister lurking beneath the surface – hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is a disease that we mostly see in cats over the age of 10, although it can happen…

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Arthritis

General stiffness, slowing down, difficulty rising…  Is it just old age? Our senior pets may show subtle signs or be quite obvious in their attempts to tell us about their problems.  One of these problems that we commonly see is arthritis.  Signs may include lameness in one or more legs, difficulty getting up in the…

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Ear Disease

Duck shooting doesn’t seem to cause many concerns for our canine companions, usually only a few cuts and bruises that are insignificant compared to the enjoyment derived from the exercise. However getting damp in water for long periods can give rise to a flare up of ear disease (otitis externa). Some dogs seem prone to…

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Healthy Teeth

Dogs, like us, have two sets of teeth during their lives. The deciduous (baby) teeth appear shortly after birth and are replaced by the permanents at around four to six months of age. Deciduous teeth cause few problems except where they are retained beyond about eight months of age. If this occurs, displacement of the…

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Ticks in Deer

Ticks thrive in warmer climates and so are commonly distributed across the North Island, although they are becoming an increasingly widespread issue. During their lifecycle they move on and off a host three times. Eggs are laid on the soil in summer, hatching to larvae in late summer/early autumn. The larvae migrate up the pasture…

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Hoof Health

Incidence of lameness varies between herds and varies during the season. Smaller herds still have an incidence of 10% lame cows in the herd, larger herds often show higher incidences: up to 30%. Wet periods will boost the number of clinically lame cows, due to gravel being pushed into existing white line defects, softening of…

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