Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay.
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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An update from each of the Vet Services Regions. WAIPUKURAU Camille Flack, Production Animal Veterinarian Group Leader We start the year quite differently compared to this time last year. Last year the first cases of Covid-19 were being confirmed in New Zealand and we were starting to get concerned about the dry. This year while…
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Monitor drenches used on farm annually by completing a faecal egg count check at 10 days after drenching. Do this for each different drench family that you use during the season. Try to complete as early in the season as possible. Quarantine drench: On arrival at the farm, drench all stock with a…
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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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Dogs do not perspire the way humans do; in fact, the only sweat glands that they have are on the pads of their feet. Dogs pant to cool themselves. If the surrounding air is not considerably cooler than the animals’ body temperature – as in the case of a hot, stuffy automobile – the cooling…
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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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Drench Resistance is the number one animal health issue facing farmers and their vets in the sheep & beef industry. We are very concerned – here’s why • We have no new tools in the box to tackle this issue. No new knowledge, no new drench families, and we have to work with what we…
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Drench Resistance is the number one animal health issue facing farmers and their vets in the sheep & beef industry. We are very concerned – here’s why. We have no new tools in the box to tackle this issue. No new knowledge, no new drench families, and we have to work with what we currently…
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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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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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It’s that time of the year again! We expect many of our vets to spend a good chunk of November behind large numbers of rams, palpating testicles to ensure they are fit for mating. Rams should be palpated and tested for Brucellosis at least 6 weeks prior to mating. Our Ram Run visits will…
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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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