Articles

Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay.

corn fields during golden hour

Barley Grass

Summer is nearly here which means our vets are starting to see an increase in grass seed related problems.  Barley grass has bristly seeds which stick to anything, anywhere, anytime! Because of their shape these seeds can burrow into fur and skin where they might become lodged. They can also enter nose or ears, get…

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black and white cow on brown field during daytime

Cattle Scanning – Bookings now open!

It’s that time of year again! Time for us to come out and scan your cattle with our BCF ultrasound scanners. 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…

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two white cows during daytime

Common Diseases in Weaned Calves

Weaning is one of the most stressful event a calf will go through, which is why it can be the period when we see many disease related issues as the associated stress leads to immune compromise. Young cattle at weaning may also be going from a situation of being regularly observed to a less intensive…

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white sheep on brown grass field near body of water during daytime

Drench Checks

Do you know whether that drench you just gave your stock is working? They may look to be free from signs of parasitism, but a drench can have lost a significant amount of its efficacy before you will notice any clinical impact. Continued use of a poorly effective drench is a perfect recipe for building…

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Equine HYSTEROSCOPY

We have an exciting new method of diagnosing problem mares at our fingertips this season and for seasons to come, with one of our vets attending a course 2022 and bringing back with her a technique that we can utilise – Hysteroscopy. Hysteroscopy is a procedure whereby our endoscope is passed into the uterus of the mare…

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Facial Eczema and Alpacas

Alpacas are very susceptible to the toxic effects of facial eczema spores and high risk periods occur during the summer and autumn. The spores, produced by the fungus Pithomyces chartarum, are broken down in the digestive tract releasing the sporidesmin toxin. The toxin is absorbed into the circulation and reaches the liver where it is…

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FACIAL ECZEMA MONITOR – 12 FEBRUARY

This week’s pasture spore counts – Week ending 12 February 2021 The majority of this Hasting’s spore counts were in the 0,000-5,000 (low) range this week. The average count across the region were 3330, and remains unchanged from the last 3 weeks. One of the sites on Ocean Beach Road remained at 15,000. Spore counts…

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Facial Eczema Monitor – 19 February

Hastings pasture spore counts – Week ending 19 February 2021 The majority of this week’s spore counts were in the 0,000-5,000 (low) range. The average count across the region were 6250, a slight lift on last week. One of the sites on Ocean Beach Road remained at 17,500. Spore counts match last year’s trend at…

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Facial Eczema Monitor – 28 Feb

This week’s pasture spore counts – Week ending 26 February 2021 Hastings Clinic Results  There is a big range in spore counts this week from 0 to 230,000 (highly toxic), whilst some farms remain low the district average counts have double from last week. One of the sites on Ocean Beach Road was 80,000, one…

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Facial Eczema Monitor – January Week 3

This week’s pasture spore counts – Week ending January 24, 2021 Not unexpectedly with so much long, rank grass beginning to build we are seeing our first FE spores of the year. The warm, humid weather is also a concern. However counts at this stage are thankfully low and so not require any immediate intervention. Nonetheless the…

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Festivity Season Hazards for Your Pets

Christmas is fraught with potential dangers to your pets.  Items safe and enjoyable for humans can be dangerous for our furry friends. Here are the most common potential hazards. Chocolate. Wrapped up easily accessible under the Christmas tree, the festive season is the most common time to see chocolate toxicity in dogs. Containing theobromine, which…

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