Farm First Newsletter February 2012
Treatment of Hypothermia in Lambs
Hypothermia results from a combination of heat loss and starvation. Adequate shelter should be provided outdoors, and indoor pens should be draught-free. Severely affected lambs have an arched back, hollow flanks and a lowered head, with a rectal temperature below 37 °C. If less than 5 hours old these lambs can be dried, warmed to 37°C, fed colostrum, warmed to 39°C and returned to the ewe. However, if they are over 5 hours old they will need an intraperitoneal injection of 20% glucose at a rate of 10ml/kg to help them recover. After this they should be dried, warmed and fed as for the younger lambs.
For further information in this subject, including how to perform intraperitoneal injections, please contact us at the surgery on 01873 840167 or call in for a fact sheet.
Managing the Calf in Cold Weather
Calves which are underfed and energy deficient are at high risk of developing common diseases such as scours and pneumonia. This is because at low or negative growth rates the immune system will no be maturing rapidly enough to provide adequate protection from infectious disease. Calves can be body condition scored (BCS) by feeling for the amount of tissue covering the bones of the back and pelvis. If the BCS of healthy calves 2-3 weeks old is less than a newborn calves, it is likely that they have been energy deficient due to inadequate feeding.
Calves need energy for both maintenance and growth, and energy requirements increase significantly in a cold environment. The Lower Critical Temperature (LCT) is the environmental temperature at which animals start using extra energy to maintain normal body temperature. Calves under three weeks old have an LCT of 20°C, below this they will be using energy to keep warm and when temperatures drop to the 0°C they require 40% more energy for maintenance.
The volume of milk required for maintenance increases significantly as temperatures decline. A calf fed 2l twice-daily at 16°C will gain weight, but below 4°C it will start losing weight. Therefore, more milk must be given during cold weather particularly to younger calves which are only consuming small amounts of solid feed. The energy content of milk depends on the level of milk solids it contains, and the total quantity of milk solids that is fed can be increased in the following ways:
• increase the volume of milk given at each feed or add an extra daily feed
• increase the dry matter content of the milk e.g. mix milk powder at 160 g/l rather than 125 g/l
• feed milk from cows for the first four days after calving to the youngest calves
• use a milk replacer with adequate fat content (20%) in winter
• larger calves require more energy than smaller calves, so feed accordingly
The energy requirements of calves can be reduced with well-designed housing. It is important to strike a balance between providing good ventilation and avoiding excessive air movements at calf level. Provide clean dry straw so that they can "nest" down into it, as body heat is lost rapidly when lying on a damp, poorly-drained bed. Sick calves require additional energy to overcome infection.
Metabolic Profiling of Ewes
If sheep are blood sampled in the last 2-3 weeks before lambing to check their energy/protein and mineral status, the feeding of ewes in the last weeks can be adjusted to better suit energy requirements and avoid problems The BHB levels in groups of 5 ewes carrying singles, doubles and triplets should be sampled to allow increases (or decreases) in concentrates in the last weeks before lambing to be accurately defined. This results in more economic use of concentrates, optimum birth weights and good lamb viability, and allows early identification of ewes at risk of Twin Lamb Disease. Protein feeding in late pregnancy has a significant effect on milk production and therefore lamb health and growth rate. Blood testing will monitor both the longer-term aspects of protein nutrition, and the more immediate question of rumen degradable protein shortages, which are increasingly common in housed sheep.
Blood sampling should be done 2-3 weeks before lambing is due to start so that dietary changes can be made in time. The lab. Fees for testing up to 20 ewes are only £85(including post, packing and interpretation). Magnesium and copper tests are included in this package.
Schmallenberg Virus
This virus has now been reported on four sheep farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex. Congenital defects have been seen in aborted and newborn lambs, calves and goat kids. Affected animals have had twisted joints, limbs and neck and are usually born dead or die soon afterwards. Some animals have shown signs of in coordination, paralysis and dullness due to fluid filled sacs in the brain. In adult cattle, fever and reduced milk yield of up to 50% for a week has been reported, in some cases with severe diarrhoea. If you have animals with the suspicious signs on your farm please contact us at the surgery or AHVLA.
Orf Vaccine
If Orf is a problem on your farm now is the time to consider vaccination. We have been informed by the manufacturers of the vaccine, Scabivax Forte, that there are no supply problems this year. The vaccine should only be used if there is a history of Orf on the farm. The vaccine is administered by a special applicator which scratches the skin and injects. A scab should be formed at the site of vaccination within 14 days – if not then they may have not been vaccinated correctly.
In an infected flock, pregnant ewes should be vaccinated not less than 7-8 weeks prior to lambing. If only baby lambs are vaccinated there is a small risk of spread to un-vaccinated ewes. If Orf is a problem in older lambs they can be vaccinated at turnout, or even later. Immunity lasts 6-8 months so the flock should then continue to be vaccinated once a year. The vaccine costs £27.27 + VAT for 50 doses (includes 10% pay at time discount).
Alamycin LA
If you have not vaccinated your ewes against Enzootic Abortion and have had the problem diagnosed in your flock, Alamycin LA can be given between day 90 and 120 of gestation to reduce the number of abortions and shedding of the organism. The dose is 1ml/10kg and a 100ml bottle costs £11.54 +VAT. There is a 10% discount for payment at the time, with larger discounts applied for the purchase of greater volumes.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Farm First Newsletter January 2012
ARE COWS THIN BECAUSE THEY ARE LAME, OR LAME BECAUSE THEY ARE THIN?
So which do you think is correct?! A recently reported study by Bicalho and colleagues from Cornell used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the digital cushion, which is the pad of fat between the pedal bone above and the horn of the sole below.
They scanned 500 cows and found at high correlation between
1. the fat pad thickness and the presence of sole ulcers and white line abscesses (thin fat pad gave more disease)
2. fat pad thickness and body condition score – thin cows had thinner fat pads
3. fat pad thickness and stage of lactation. By 120 days the fat pad was at its thinnest (as were most cows) and hoof lameness at its highest.
This does not mean that changes around calving are no longer thought to be important. The poorer suspension (and subsequent increased movement) of the pedal bone inside the hoof just before and just after calving increases the risk of coriosis and this leads to the subsequent production of defective horn. A thinner fat pad exacerbates these effects.
Conclusions – take extra care over the comfort of your cows around calving (and yes, thin cows get more lameness!). We at last seem to be getting away from the obsession by some that lameness is primarily a dietary problem (although it is accepted that acidosis can lead to low biotin and subsequently increased lameness). In fact the authors concluded that diet can at most be only a contributory factor in most herds, although they did acknowledge that high yielding cows would lose more weight, lose more thickness of the fat pad and then develop more lamenesss.
Use of Elastrator Rings in Calves
Recent submissions to AHVLA regional laboratories indicate that the illegal practice of applying rubber elastrator rings to the scrotum, particularly of purchased, entire calves aged over seven days, is occurring. Legislation prohibits the application of a rubber ring or other device to constrict the flow of blood to the scrotum of cattle older than seven days of age. The Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966) allows persons over the age of 18 (17 for supervised animal husbandry students) to carry out castrations on calves less than two months of age using for example a burdizzo. Only a veterinary surgeon can carry out castrations in calves over two months of age and an anaesthetic must be used. In all cases the procedure used must minimise the pain and suffering to the animal, be performed in good hygiene conditions, and in accordance with best practice.
In addition to the practice being illegal, it is likely that the calves which had the elastrator rings applied at greater than seven days of age would have been subjected to prolonged discomfort which would have reduced growth rates, and increased their susceptibility to disease.
New bovine and ovine illness in Germany and Holland
What appears to be a new virus has been discovered in the North Rhein Westphalia district of the west of Germany, and in Holland. It has been named Schmallenberg virus after the small town where it was first discovered.The virus was originally seen in cattle, from August to October, when it caused a moderate fever, with temperatures up to 40 degrees centigrade, inappetance, loss of condition, diarrhoea in some cases, and a drop in milk yield of up to 50%. All the cattle recovered, BUT there is a considerable sting in the tale in that in the last few weeks, many of the affected cattle have either aborted, or had stillborn calves. Typically these calves have limb deformities, stiff limbs, crooked necks, sometimes a twisted spine, or hydrocephalus. Numerous calves born alive to affected cows have failed to live longer than a day or two. They have severe brain damage and appear to be “Dummies”, which are unable to suck.
At the same time, there have been numerous reports of similarly deformed lambs being born, mainly in Holland, again put down to Schmallenberg disease. Research is at a very early stage and the virus has yet to be isolated, but DNA sequencing shows it to be an orthobunyavirus. In Australia, the best known of these viruses is spread by midges, but it is yet to be shown whether this will happen in this case.
If you have any lambs or calves born with these typical deformities, AHVLA are interested in sampling affected animals. Equally, if you're experiencing unusually high levels of abortion in either cattle or sheep please contact us to discuss how we should investigate, for either this or more common causes of the problem.MeetingsFarming Connect are sponsoring a meeting to be held on 19 January at 7:30 pm. Subject of the evening's discussions is “Lameness in sheep, the causes, treatment and prevention”. Please contact us nearer the time for details of the venue.
Anyway hope you all had a good Xmas and wishing you all a prosperous 2012!
ARE COWS THIN BECAUSE THEY ARE LAME, OR LAME BECAUSE THEY ARE THIN?
So which do you think is correct?! A recently reported study by Bicalho and colleagues from Cornell used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the digital cushion, which is the pad of fat between the pedal bone above and the horn of the sole below.
They scanned 500 cows and found at high correlation between
1. the fat pad thickness and the presence of sole ulcers and white line abscesses (thin fat pad gave more disease)
2. fat pad thickness and body condition score – thin cows had thinner fat pads
3. fat pad thickness and stage of lactation. By 120 days the fat pad was at its thinnest (as were most cows) and hoof lameness at its highest.
This does not mean that changes around calving are no longer thought to be important. The poorer suspension (and subsequent increased movement) of the pedal bone inside the hoof just before and just after calving increases the risk of coriosis and this leads to the subsequent production of defective horn. A thinner fat pad exacerbates these effects.
Conclusions – take extra care over the comfort of your cows around calving (and yes, thin cows get more lameness!). We at last seem to be getting away from the obsession by some that lameness is primarily a dietary problem (although it is accepted that acidosis can lead to low biotin and subsequently increased lameness). In fact the authors concluded that diet can at most be only a contributory factor in most herds, although they did acknowledge that high yielding cows would lose more weight, lose more thickness of the fat pad and then develop more lamenesss.
Use of Elastrator Rings in Calves
Recent submissions to AHVLA regional laboratories indicate that the illegal practice of applying rubber elastrator rings to the scrotum, particularly of purchased, entire calves aged over seven days, is occurring. Legislation prohibits the application of a rubber ring or other device to constrict the flow of blood to the scrotum of cattle older than seven days of age. The Veterinary Surgeons Act (1966) allows persons over the age of 18 (17 for supervised animal husbandry students) to carry out castrations on calves less than two months of age using for example a burdizzo. Only a veterinary surgeon can carry out castrations in calves over two months of age and an anaesthetic must be used. In all cases the procedure used must minimise the pain and suffering to the animal, be performed in good hygiene conditions, and in accordance with best practice.
In addition to the practice being illegal, it is likely that the calves which had the elastrator rings applied at greater than seven days of age would have been subjected to prolonged discomfort which would have reduced growth rates, and increased their susceptibility to disease.
New bovine and ovine illness in Germany and Holland
What appears to be a new virus has been discovered in the North Rhein Westphalia district of the west of Germany, and in Holland. It has been named Schmallenberg virus after the small town where it was first discovered.The virus was originally seen in cattle, from August to October, when it caused a moderate fever, with temperatures up to 40 degrees centigrade, inappetance, loss of condition, diarrhoea in some cases, and a drop in milk yield of up to 50%. All the cattle recovered, BUT there is a considerable sting in the tale in that in the last few weeks, many of the affected cattle have either aborted, or had stillborn calves. Typically these calves have limb deformities, stiff limbs, crooked necks, sometimes a twisted spine, or hydrocephalus. Numerous calves born alive to affected cows have failed to live longer than a day or two. They have severe brain damage and appear to be “Dummies”, which are unable to suck.
At the same time, there have been numerous reports of similarly deformed lambs being born, mainly in Holland, again put down to Schmallenberg disease. Research is at a very early stage and the virus has yet to be isolated, but DNA sequencing shows it to be an orthobunyavirus. In Australia, the best known of these viruses is spread by midges, but it is yet to be shown whether this will happen in this case.
If you have any lambs or calves born with these typical deformities, AHVLA are interested in sampling affected animals. Equally, if you're experiencing unusually high levels of abortion in either cattle or sheep please contact us to discuss how we should investigate, for either this or more common causes of the problem.MeetingsFarming Connect are sponsoring a meeting to be held on 19 January at 7:30 pm. Subject of the evening's discussions is “Lameness in sheep, the causes, treatment and prevention”. Please contact us nearer the time for details of the venue.
Anyway hope you all had a good Xmas and wishing you all a prosperous 2012!
Monday, 5 December 2011
Farm First Newsletter December 2011
Conception Rates in the Dairy Herd
Conception rates (CR) in dairy cows have fallen from 50% to 25% over the past 25 years. Factors which affect CR include bull fertility, accuracy of heat detection (a cow served at the wrong time will not conceive), and semen handling. Research has shown that 90% of cows served correctly when on heat will be carrying a live embryo 7 days later, but approx. 55% of these will subsequently die. If this occurs at day 6-16 it is seen as a return to heat, after this it will be seen as an irregular heat or an abortion. So, as early embryonic death is a major cause of the low conception rates we currently see, what can we do about it? We know that low progesterone levels are associated with embryo loss by several mechanisms, so we need to manage cows in ways to keep their progesterone levels high. Liver blood flow in lactating cows is 40% higher than in dry cows, and it rises by a further 20-30% after feeding. As more blood filters through the liver, blood progesterone levels fall by 30%. If the feeding interval is extended or extra large meals are fed there will be an even greater rise in liver blood flow, and fall in blood progesterone, reducing the likelihood of producing and maintaining viable embryos.
To avoid a negative effect on progesterone concentration cows should eat a meal every 2 to 2½ hours or 10 meals a day, each comprising of 2 to 2.5kg of DM. This requires good levels of cow comfort to allow the cow to express normal patterns of behaviour. This means adequate nutrition, feed access, ventilation, light, water, feed push-ups, good mobility, correct stocking density and only short periods away for milking (1hour).Patterns of cow behaviour are established early in lactation, so good transition cow management is vital.
Mobility Scoring
Many of our dairy clients have contracts with their milk buyers which require them to have Locomotion Scoring done by an independent person. We can now offer you this service at a cost of £35 per hour (+visit), and it will be carried out by Simeon or Ferenc, our TB testing vets. A summary report will be provided following the visit. The scoring can be carried out at an afternoon milking, when the vet will want to see all the cows on their way into, or out of the collecting yard or milking parlour. If you are interested in this service please ring us to discuss a suitable time and date.
Agger’s Proliver – Treatment for Fatty Liver Disease
We have a new product on the shelf designed for the prevention and treatment of Fatty Liver Disease. This is commonly seen in dairy cows, usually within a week of calving, when too much fat has accumulated in the liver. This impairs liver function and these cows lose condition rapidly and may be unresponsive to treatment of other diseases. It is often seen in “runs”. Agger’s Pro-liver contains mono-propylene glycol as an energy source, vitamins, enzymes and minerals which support liver function, promote fluid intake and provide energy. The product comes as a drench and costs £7.14 +vat per bottle. The suggested protocol is 1 bottle every 12 hours for 4 days, for 2 days before calving, to 2 days after calving. If handling is an issue, 1 bottle administered every 12 hrs for 2 days will significantly benefit the cow. For cows with Fatty Liver disease one bottle should be given every 12 hours along with half a bottle of Agger’s Glycerol.
Kling on Blue – Long Acting Footbath for Sheep
This is now available in an easy-to-mix form which is ready in minutes. The product contains copper sulphate, zinc sulphate and organic acid in thick solution which sticks to the foot, and gives increased zinc penetration to the hoof. It is effective in the control of scald, footrot and CODD. As the solution sticks to the foot, sheep only need to be bathed once for scald, 1-3 times for footrot, and once weekly for CODD, for a minimum of 3 times. Good footbathing facilities are required for any treatment to work well. Ideally sheep should walk through a bath of clean water first. One 7kg bucket costs £60 + vat will mix into 120 litres of footbath, and is sufficient to treat 250 sheep once. The costs drops to £55+ vat if 2 or more buckets are purchased at once.
Closamectin Pour-On
Although we do not often promote the use of combination products (a targeted approach to parasite control is better), this is the time of year when there is a place for this combined flukicide and wormer. The closantel in it will kill adult fluke and immature fluke from 7 weeks of age, and the ivermectin is effective against most worms, lice and mange. Beef cattle can be treated at housing, but may need a second dose if housed early, or if pasture contamination is high. If outwintered, a treatment should be given in late autumn and possibly repeated in early January. The withdrawal time is 28 days for meat, and it can be used in dairy cattle which are more than 60 days away from calving.
Farming Connect Meetings
We have been approached by Farming Connect to give a series of talks at meetings in this area. The first of these is on the topical subject of “Pneumonia in Cattle –Causes, Control and Prevention”, and will be held at Alice Springs Golf Club on 8th December at 7.30 pm. The subject of the following one will be “Lameness in Sheep”, to be held on 18th January.
Merry Christmas
Finally, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The opening times over the holiday season are as follows:”
Friday 23rd December- office closes 1pm.
Monday 26th December – office closed.
Tuesday 27th December – office closed.
Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th - normal office hours
Friday 29th December – office closes 1 pm.
Monday 2nd January – office closed.
Tuesday 3rd January – normal opening hours resume.
During the holiday period we will of course provide our normal 24 hour emergency cover. If you require drugs urgently (that is veterinary drugs!) during the holiday period please ring the emergency number and the duty vet will arrange for them to be dispensed.
Conception Rates in the Dairy Herd
Conception rates (CR) in dairy cows have fallen from 50% to 25% over the past 25 years. Factors which affect CR include bull fertility, accuracy of heat detection (a cow served at the wrong time will not conceive), and semen handling. Research has shown that 90% of cows served correctly when on heat will be carrying a live embryo 7 days later, but approx. 55% of these will subsequently die. If this occurs at day 6-16 it is seen as a return to heat, after this it will be seen as an irregular heat or an abortion. So, as early embryonic death is a major cause of the low conception rates we currently see, what can we do about it? We know that low progesterone levels are associated with embryo loss by several mechanisms, so we need to manage cows in ways to keep their progesterone levels high. Liver blood flow in lactating cows is 40% higher than in dry cows, and it rises by a further 20-30% after feeding. As more blood filters through the liver, blood progesterone levels fall by 30%. If the feeding interval is extended or extra large meals are fed there will be an even greater rise in liver blood flow, and fall in blood progesterone, reducing the likelihood of producing and maintaining viable embryos.
To avoid a negative effect on progesterone concentration cows should eat a meal every 2 to 2½ hours or 10 meals a day, each comprising of 2 to 2.5kg of DM. This requires good levels of cow comfort to allow the cow to express normal patterns of behaviour. This means adequate nutrition, feed access, ventilation, light, water, feed push-ups, good mobility, correct stocking density and only short periods away for milking (1hour).Patterns of cow behaviour are established early in lactation, so good transition cow management is vital.
Mobility Scoring
Many of our dairy clients have contracts with their milk buyers which require them to have Locomotion Scoring done by an independent person. We can now offer you this service at a cost of £35 per hour (+visit), and it will be carried out by Simeon or Ferenc, our TB testing vets. A summary report will be provided following the visit. The scoring can be carried out at an afternoon milking, when the vet will want to see all the cows on their way into, or out of the collecting yard or milking parlour. If you are interested in this service please ring us to discuss a suitable time and date.
Agger’s Proliver – Treatment for Fatty Liver Disease
We have a new product on the shelf designed for the prevention and treatment of Fatty Liver Disease. This is commonly seen in dairy cows, usually within a week of calving, when too much fat has accumulated in the liver. This impairs liver function and these cows lose condition rapidly and may be unresponsive to treatment of other diseases. It is often seen in “runs”. Agger’s Pro-liver contains mono-propylene glycol as an energy source, vitamins, enzymes and minerals which support liver function, promote fluid intake and provide energy. The product comes as a drench and costs £7.14 +vat per bottle. The suggested protocol is 1 bottle every 12 hours for 4 days, for 2 days before calving, to 2 days after calving. If handling is an issue, 1 bottle administered every 12 hrs for 2 days will significantly benefit the cow. For cows with Fatty Liver disease one bottle should be given every 12 hours along with half a bottle of Agger’s Glycerol.
Kling on Blue – Long Acting Footbath for Sheep
This is now available in an easy-to-mix form which is ready in minutes. The product contains copper sulphate, zinc sulphate and organic acid in thick solution which sticks to the foot, and gives increased zinc penetration to the hoof. It is effective in the control of scald, footrot and CODD. As the solution sticks to the foot, sheep only need to be bathed once for scald, 1-3 times for footrot, and once weekly for CODD, for a minimum of 3 times. Good footbathing facilities are required for any treatment to work well. Ideally sheep should walk through a bath of clean water first. One 7kg bucket costs £60 + vat will mix into 120 litres of footbath, and is sufficient to treat 250 sheep once. The costs drops to £55+ vat if 2 or more buckets are purchased at once.
Closamectin Pour-On
Although we do not often promote the use of combination products (a targeted approach to parasite control is better), this is the time of year when there is a place for this combined flukicide and wormer. The closantel in it will kill adult fluke and immature fluke from 7 weeks of age, and the ivermectin is effective against most worms, lice and mange. Beef cattle can be treated at housing, but may need a second dose if housed early, or if pasture contamination is high. If outwintered, a treatment should be given in late autumn and possibly repeated in early January. The withdrawal time is 28 days for meat, and it can be used in dairy cattle which are more than 60 days away from calving.
Farming Connect Meetings
We have been approached by Farming Connect to give a series of talks at meetings in this area. The first of these is on the topical subject of “Pneumonia in Cattle –Causes, Control and Prevention”, and will be held at Alice Springs Golf Club on 8th December at 7.30 pm. The subject of the following one will be “Lameness in Sheep”, to be held on 18th January.
Merry Christmas
Finally, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The opening times over the holiday season are as follows:”
Friday 23rd December- office closes 1pm.
Monday 26th December – office closed.
Tuesday 27th December – office closed.
Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th - normal office hours
Friday 29th December – office closes 1 pm.
Monday 2nd January – office closed.
Tuesday 3rd January – normal opening hours resume.
During the holiday period we will of course provide our normal 24 hour emergency cover. If you require drugs urgently (that is veterinary drugs!) during the holiday period please ring the emergency number and the duty vet will arrange for them to be dispensed.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Farm First Newsletter – November 2011.
TB Testing
If you are aware that you need a TB test of any sort, please can you contact as early as possible, so that we can fit you in at a time to suit you. We are still very busy testing and have employed Simeon as an extra full-time TB tester, but many slots are still fully booked weeks in advance. We will try our best to accommodate your needs, but to do this we do need some notice. On the same topic, if your test is to take place at more than one site please can you give us the details of this when you book the test in, including the time taken to move any equipment. This will help us to be on time for the next call, as we try not to keep people waiting around.
Pneumonia Meetings
We will be holding two meetings on farms on 22nd November kindly sponsored by Pfizer. In the morning we will hold a meeting for dairy clients at Greenmoors Farm, Llanddewi Skirrid, at the kind invitation of David and Mandy Jones. In the afternoon we will move to Doug and Greg Willis’ beef unit at North Fleet, Penperlleni where we will welcome our beef clients. The emphasis of the meeting will be risk factors for pneumonia and assessment of the environment. Please contact us at the office if you would like to attend either session.
Pneumonia Vaccines The table below shows the options available and the costs for vaccinating calves against pneumonia this year. Is it worth it? The answer is yes but do not expect vaccines to prevent all pneumonia. They are a significant advantage only if the conditions are right. Nothing will overcome poor housing, feeding and ventilation.
Vaccine
Past
IBR
RSV
PI3
BVD Earliest age for vaccine No. doses Cost per dose(10% disc) I/m, S/c or I/n (nasal) Duration of protection
RISPOVAL INTRANASAL - - + + - 9 days 1 £6.06 I/n 9 weeks
RISPOVAL P + - - - - 3mths 1 £5.03 I/m 17 weeks
BOVIPAST RSP + - + + - 2wks 2 £5.41 S/c
BOVILIS IBR - + - - - 3 months
(4 weeks) 1
(2) £2.44 I/n or I/m 6 months
RISPOVAL 4 - + + + + 3 wks.
(>3mth) 2
(1)
£6.77 I/m
6 months
RISPOVAL RS - - + - - 7 days
(> 4mth) 2
(1) £5.99 I/m 4 months
Funding for Bull and Ram Fertility Testing
Did you know that one in every three bulls don't come up to the mark when it comes to fertility? Bull fertility problems are not as unusual as you might think. If a bull under performs this can affect the number of calves born as well as the calving pattern. Farmers can reduce the risk of poor results by doing some simple checks on bull fertility before mating gets underway. To get cows in calf a bull has to be ready (good physical shape), willing (good libido) and able (good semen quality). You will be able to observe all of these points except for the semen quality which can only be done under the microscope. HCC are offering £70 towards the cost of semen testing your bulls (only one claim per year). To claim this funding you will need to arrange a date with Rob to complete the fertility test and then send in the claim form( on HCC web site) with a receipt from us and the results of the test.
HCC are also offering £50 towards the cost of semen testing your rams (only one claim per year). It is probably too late for most of you to take this up this year, but it is worth remembering for next year. If you do have disappointing results at ewe scanning or lambing, please contact us, as there are several possible causes that we can investigate.
Cat and Dog Flea and Worm Treatments
In response to requests from some clients we are now keeping a range of routine dog and cat treatments on the shelf. It especially important that farm dogs are regularly wormed with a product effective against the tapeworms involved in hydatidosis, and we will continue to stock Drontal Plus for this. We will stock Frontline Combo as the main product for flea and tick control. As well as killing the fleas this product has an extra active ingredient in it, which breaks the flea life cycle by acting on the life stages which survive in the animal’s bedding.
On request we will also order Profender, a spot-on flea treatment and wormer for cats, and also medication for arthritic dogs, which would benefit many older working dogs. If you have a dog which you think would benefit from this type of medication, please speak to one of the vets. You may be able to give your old dog a new lease of life.
Prices for these products are listed below. A 15 % discount will be given if you purchase a year’s supply.
Drug Dose Rate Price ( ex VAT)
Drontal Plus Tablet 1 per 10kg £1.99
Drontal Cat Tablet 1 per 4 kg £2.04
Frontline Combo Large Dog £20.50 ( for 3 pack)
Frontline Combo Med Dog £18.95 ¨
Frontline Combo Small Dog £17.20 ¨
Frontline Combo Cat £13.41 ¨
Vicki Scoops Stock Judging Award
Last week our new vet Vicki, much to her surprise (and Andrew's, who when told appeared incredulous), won a YFC fat lamb stock judging competition. She didn't do much for client relations, when prior to the competition starting she exclaimed to fellow competitors 'If I win anything in this, you lot must be crap'.
Rob has awarded Vicki another prize this month, it’s the 2011 FF Public Relations award!
TB Testing
If you are aware that you need a TB test of any sort, please can you contact as early as possible, so that we can fit you in at a time to suit you. We are still very busy testing and have employed Simeon as an extra full-time TB tester, but many slots are still fully booked weeks in advance. We will try our best to accommodate your needs, but to do this we do need some notice. On the same topic, if your test is to take place at more than one site please can you give us the details of this when you book the test in, including the time taken to move any equipment. This will help us to be on time for the next call, as we try not to keep people waiting around.
Pneumonia Meetings
We will be holding two meetings on farms on 22nd November kindly sponsored by Pfizer. In the morning we will hold a meeting for dairy clients at Greenmoors Farm, Llanddewi Skirrid, at the kind invitation of David and Mandy Jones. In the afternoon we will move to Doug and Greg Willis’ beef unit at North Fleet, Penperlleni where we will welcome our beef clients. The emphasis of the meeting will be risk factors for pneumonia and assessment of the environment. Please contact us at the office if you would like to attend either session.
Pneumonia Vaccines The table below shows the options available and the costs for vaccinating calves against pneumonia this year. Is it worth it? The answer is yes but do not expect vaccines to prevent all pneumonia. They are a significant advantage only if the conditions are right. Nothing will overcome poor housing, feeding and ventilation.
Vaccine
Past
IBR
RSV
PI3
BVD Earliest age for vaccine No. doses Cost per dose(10% disc) I/m, S/c or I/n (nasal) Duration of protection
RISPOVAL INTRANASAL - - + + - 9 days 1 £6.06 I/n 9 weeks
RISPOVAL P + - - - - 3mths 1 £5.03 I/m 17 weeks
BOVIPAST RSP + - + + - 2wks 2 £5.41 S/c
BOVILIS IBR - + - - - 3 months
(4 weeks) 1
(2) £2.44 I/n or I/m 6 months
RISPOVAL 4 - + + + + 3 wks.
(>3mth) 2
(1)
£6.77 I/m
6 months
RISPOVAL RS - - + - - 7 days
(> 4mth) 2
(1) £5.99 I/m 4 months
Funding for Bull and Ram Fertility Testing
Did you know that one in every three bulls don't come up to the mark when it comes to fertility? Bull fertility problems are not as unusual as you might think. If a bull under performs this can affect the number of calves born as well as the calving pattern. Farmers can reduce the risk of poor results by doing some simple checks on bull fertility before mating gets underway. To get cows in calf a bull has to be ready (good physical shape), willing (good libido) and able (good semen quality). You will be able to observe all of these points except for the semen quality which can only be done under the microscope. HCC are offering £70 towards the cost of semen testing your bulls (only one claim per year). To claim this funding you will need to arrange a date with Rob to complete the fertility test and then send in the claim form( on HCC web site) with a receipt from us and the results of the test.
HCC are also offering £50 towards the cost of semen testing your rams (only one claim per year). It is probably too late for most of you to take this up this year, but it is worth remembering for next year. If you do have disappointing results at ewe scanning or lambing, please contact us, as there are several possible causes that we can investigate.
Cat and Dog Flea and Worm Treatments
In response to requests from some clients we are now keeping a range of routine dog and cat treatments on the shelf. It especially important that farm dogs are regularly wormed with a product effective against the tapeworms involved in hydatidosis, and we will continue to stock Drontal Plus for this. We will stock Frontline Combo as the main product for flea and tick control. As well as killing the fleas this product has an extra active ingredient in it, which breaks the flea life cycle by acting on the life stages which survive in the animal’s bedding.
On request we will also order Profender, a spot-on flea treatment and wormer for cats, and also medication for arthritic dogs, which would benefit many older working dogs. If you have a dog which you think would benefit from this type of medication, please speak to one of the vets. You may be able to give your old dog a new lease of life.
Prices for these products are listed below. A 15 % discount will be given if you purchase a year’s supply.
Drug Dose Rate Price ( ex VAT)
Drontal Plus Tablet 1 per 10kg £1.99
Drontal Cat Tablet 1 per 4 kg £2.04
Frontline Combo Large Dog £20.50 ( for 3 pack)
Frontline Combo Med Dog £18.95 ¨
Frontline Combo Small Dog £17.20 ¨
Frontline Combo Cat £13.41 ¨
Vicki Scoops Stock Judging Award
Last week our new vet Vicki, much to her surprise (and Andrew's, who when told appeared incredulous), won a YFC fat lamb stock judging competition. She didn't do much for client relations, when prior to the competition starting she exclaimed to fellow competitors 'If I win anything in this, you lot must be crap'.
Rob has awarded Vicki another prize this month, it’s the 2011 FF Public Relations award!
Monday, 3 October 2011
Farm First Newsletter October 2011
Liver Fluke Treatment in Milking Herds
We have recently been made aware that Trodax should not be used at all in milking cattle, not even at drying off, as it can be detected in the milk post calving. Listed below are the products which are available for use in milking cows. Recently, one of our farmers had a bulk milk sample taken from his tank by an Animal Health veterinary surgeon whilst retesting an inconclusive reactor on farm. This was then tested for the presence of fluke medication. Please ensure that you use them according to the data sheets.
Drug Name
Active
Agent Milk
withhold Meat
withhold Stages of fluke effective against
Fasinex 240 24%
Drench Triclabendazole 60 days 52 days Immature to adult
Ovispec S &C
10%
Drench
Albendazole 60 hours 14 days Adult
Virbamec
Super
Injection
Ivermectin
And
Clorsulon 60 days 80 days Mature and
late mature
Closamectin
Pour-on
Ivermectin
And
Closantel 60 days 28 days Mature and
late mature
Closamectin
Injection
Ivermectin
And
Closantel 60 days 49 days Mature and
late mature
Ubro Yellow
We are pleased that one of our most popular antibiotic tubes for treating mastitis has returned to our shelves. The product is unchanged and the recommended treatment regime of 1 tube daily for 3 days has a milk withhold of 132 hours. The cost of a box of 24 tubes is £52.57 + vat. If you would like to discuss treatment of cows with mastitis, or your choice of antibiotic tube, please ring the surgery and ask to speak to one of the vets.
Staggers
The current weather conditions are conducive to grass growth and we may well see a flush of autumn grass. At this time we often see a few cases of staggers (hypomagnesaemia). Remember that cattle cannot store magnesium in their body, so need access to it daily. Magnesium boluses, in-feed minerals or magnesium chloride in the water are supplementation methods which ensure each animal gets some daily, whereas blocks work in many cases, but risk some animals not taking in their daily requirement. At this time of year always have a bottle of magnesium ready to treat any affected animals.
Flutter valves that do not work are a constant headache and the introduction of the new silicone version seemed to be a massive improvement. However there are problems with the silicone tubing accumulating crystals of calcium causing blockages. Be sure and flush the tube out with clean water immediately after use to remove calcium/magnesium residue.
TB testingWe have just received new instructions from AHVLA which require us to record the reason why an animal listed on CTS system has not been tested. Usually this happens because animals have been sold, died or tested within the last 60 days and the CTS system has not been updated. To help us comply with this and to save you time on testing days, please could you try to ensure that your herd details are up to date with CTS before we come to TB test. Remember Deb usually prints out the charts for us about 1 week prior to your test date.
Students
Please note that you will not be charged for any extra time which results from us bringing a veterinary student along with us to your farm. The experience these students gain whilst “seeing practice” is invaluable to them, and the only way that we are going to train the farm vets of the future in the practical skills that they will need when they qualify. We are very grateful to you for allowing them to gain experience with your livestock, and make sure that we take any extra time off the visit when booking the work.
Staff News
By now, many of you will have met Vicky, our new vet, who we introduced in the August newsletter. In the very near future we will be joined by Simeon Konsulov, a Bulgarian vet who will be carrying out TB testing duties. He has worked for a number of years on a dairy farm in the UK, and most recently has been working for the Meat Hygiene Service.
FF Joke of the month.
Paddy is passing by Mick's hay shed one day when through a gap in the door he sees Mick doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of an old blue Ford Dexta. Buttocks clenched he performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right welly, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move lets his braces fall down from his shoulders to dangle by his hips over his corduroy trousers. Grabbing both sides of his checked shirt, he rips it apart to reveal his tea-stained vest underneath and with a final flourish he hurls his flat cap on to a pile of hay."What the feck are you doing Mick" says Paddy." Jeez Paddy, ye frightened the livin bejasus out of me”, says an obviously embarrassed Mick, "but me and the Missus been having some trouble lately in the bedroom department, and the therapist suggested I do something sexy to a tractor"
Liver Fluke Treatment in Milking Herds
We have recently been made aware that Trodax should not be used at all in milking cattle, not even at drying off, as it can be detected in the milk post calving. Listed below are the products which are available for use in milking cows. Recently, one of our farmers had a bulk milk sample taken from his tank by an Animal Health veterinary surgeon whilst retesting an inconclusive reactor on farm. This was then tested for the presence of fluke medication. Please ensure that you use them according to the data sheets.
Drug Name
Active
Agent Milk
withhold Meat
withhold Stages of fluke effective against
Fasinex 240 24%
Drench Triclabendazole 60 days 52 days Immature to adult
Ovispec S &C
10%
Drench
Albendazole 60 hours 14 days Adult
Virbamec
Super
Injection
Ivermectin
And
Clorsulon 60 days 80 days Mature and
late mature
Closamectin
Pour-on
Ivermectin
And
Closantel 60 days 28 days Mature and
late mature
Closamectin
Injection
Ivermectin
And
Closantel 60 days 49 days Mature and
late mature
Ubro Yellow
We are pleased that one of our most popular antibiotic tubes for treating mastitis has returned to our shelves. The product is unchanged and the recommended treatment regime of 1 tube daily for 3 days has a milk withhold of 132 hours. The cost of a box of 24 tubes is £52.57 + vat. If you would like to discuss treatment of cows with mastitis, or your choice of antibiotic tube, please ring the surgery and ask to speak to one of the vets.
Staggers
The current weather conditions are conducive to grass growth and we may well see a flush of autumn grass. At this time we often see a few cases of staggers (hypomagnesaemia). Remember that cattle cannot store magnesium in their body, so need access to it daily. Magnesium boluses, in-feed minerals or magnesium chloride in the water are supplementation methods which ensure each animal gets some daily, whereas blocks work in many cases, but risk some animals not taking in their daily requirement. At this time of year always have a bottle of magnesium ready to treat any affected animals.
Flutter valves that do not work are a constant headache and the introduction of the new silicone version seemed to be a massive improvement. However there are problems with the silicone tubing accumulating crystals of calcium causing blockages. Be sure and flush the tube out with clean water immediately after use to remove calcium/magnesium residue.
TB testingWe have just received new instructions from AHVLA which require us to record the reason why an animal listed on CTS system has not been tested. Usually this happens because animals have been sold, died or tested within the last 60 days and the CTS system has not been updated. To help us comply with this and to save you time on testing days, please could you try to ensure that your herd details are up to date with CTS before we come to TB test. Remember Deb usually prints out the charts for us about 1 week prior to your test date.
Students
Please note that you will not be charged for any extra time which results from us bringing a veterinary student along with us to your farm. The experience these students gain whilst “seeing practice” is invaluable to them, and the only way that we are going to train the farm vets of the future in the practical skills that they will need when they qualify. We are very grateful to you for allowing them to gain experience with your livestock, and make sure that we take any extra time off the visit when booking the work.
Staff News
By now, many of you will have met Vicky, our new vet, who we introduced in the August newsletter. In the very near future we will be joined by Simeon Konsulov, a Bulgarian vet who will be carrying out TB testing duties. He has worked for a number of years on a dairy farm in the UK, and most recently has been working for the Meat Hygiene Service.
FF Joke of the month.
Paddy is passing by Mick's hay shed one day when through a gap in the door he sees Mick doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of an old blue Ford Dexta. Buttocks clenched he performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right welly, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move lets his braces fall down from his shoulders to dangle by his hips over his corduroy trousers. Grabbing both sides of his checked shirt, he rips it apart to reveal his tea-stained vest underneath and with a final flourish he hurls his flat cap on to a pile of hay."What the feck are you doing Mick" says Paddy." Jeez Paddy, ye frightened the livin bejasus out of me”, says an obviously embarrassed Mick, "but me and the Missus been having some trouble lately in the bedroom department, and the therapist suggested I do something sexy to a tractor"
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Farm First Vets Newsletter September 2011Join us for Colostrum Awareness Month
We are participating in XL Vets Colostrum Awareness Month which is sponsored by Locatim®. Locatim® is the only licensed standardised immunoglobulin treatment proven to reduce mortality in the calf.
As you are already aware the acquisition of high quality colostrum is a very important factor influencing neonatal calf health. Studies have shown that as many as 38% of calves have insufficient levels of immunoglobulins to offer protection in the face of an infectious challenge. A wide range of maternal and neonatal factors may affect the passive transfer of immunity. Calves of high yielding, intensively managed dairy cows are likely to ingest an inadequate quantity or quality of colostrum if left to suckle from the cow. . In beef herds, large calves which have had a difficult calving may be slow to get up and suck, while heifers may be reluctant to stand still for a calf. Large teats and low udders on older cows can also prove awkward for calves, and therefore reduce their colostrum intake. Current advice is that a calf should take in 3 litres of colostrum within the first 6 hours, split into two feeds if necessary.
Managing colostral intake can be tricky for farmers. Most cows calve at night, and few herdsmen relish the thought of helping a batch of newborn calves suckle, or stripping cows out and bottle or tube feeding at four in the morning before milking. Even on farms where calves do drink enough colostrum, quality may be an issue. Solutions include keeping a store of frozen colostrum from healthy cows which have some to spare, and the use of artificial colostrum replacers.
It is useful to remember the four Qs of colostrum feeding – Quantity, Quickly, Quality and Quietly – it has been shown that stressed calves absorb the antibodies in the colostrums less efficiently.
The concentration of IgG in good quality colostrum from a fit, healthy cow at calving is about 60g/litre. However, if she had mastitis when dry, or suffered a peri-parturient metabolic disease, the concentration could be much less. First lactation heifers produce less colostrum while high yielding Holstein Friesian cows tend to produce more dilute colostrum.
What does colostrum awareness month involve? We are offering a colostrum management audit on your farm. One of our vets will do a visit and have an in-depth discussion on how colostrum is currently managed on-farm and discuss any improvements that could be made. The vet will complete a colostrum management audit and take a colostrum sample(s). The colostrum quality will then be tested using a refractometer. This will be followed up by a discussion on how the colostrum management could be improved. We will also be holding a farmer meeting on the 20th September at 7.30pm to be held in the King of Prussia for a session on ‘Colostrum Management in the Newborn Calf.’
How do I get involved? If you think colostrum management is an area that could be improved on your farm, please ring the surgery today to arrange an on-farm audit or to book your place at the farmer meeting.
Price Restructure
As a result of listening to feedback from some of our clients, we have restructured our fees in two areas.
1. There will now be a single rate for veterinary time of £77/hour + vat, regardless of which vet is carrying out the work.
2. The charges for emergency call-outs remain unchanged, but they will be categorized as follows:
Emergency call-out - any out-of-hours visit to farm before 11pm
Emergency call out after 11pm - out-of-hours visit to farm after 11pm
Emergency call back to surgery – again, will cost more if after 11 pm.
These changes will come into place from the September 1st 2011 and we hope that they will make our fees structure easier to understand. Please note Saturday mornings are not categorised as out-of- hours. If you require drugs to be left out on a Saturday morning, please ring the emergency number and the duty vet will arrange to call in and leave the drugs out (at no extra charge).
Booking TB tests
Debbie has asked that you book your TB tests as soon as you are aware that you require one. TB testing will get very busy now in the next few months so book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Usk Show 10th September
We will be at Usk Show once again this year and look forwards to welcoming to the stand. Please come and find us for a chat and a cup of tea.
Robert’s Festival Experience
Many of you may have noticed that Robert is going through a midlife crisis. He decided recently he should attend the Green Man festival in Crickhowell. Thursday afternoon he went down and pitched his tent and went off to enjoy the bands. Unfortunately, Tim who was on duty, got into trouble with a calving so rang Rob for assistance. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, Rob decided he would have to go and help. The problem was, Rob had parked his car some distance from the concert, as he had to work the next day. It was after 9pm but he decided he would leave the concert and run along the road to his car. He hadn’t got very far along the dark lane when an old transit van from the festival pulled up and the occupants asked Rob if he needed a lift anywhere. ‘Yes’ he replied and got into the back of the van, disappearing into a haze of marijuana fumes. The driver and his friends asked why he was jogging along the road after dark and he replied that one of his colleagues was having trouble with an emergency calving so he was on his way to collect his car to go and give him a hand. This obviously bemused them and after a few odd looks, one of them said ‘what do you mean, an emergency carving? Is he having problems with a sculpture?’ These boys were road crew for a London band and thought Rob was rushing to an ornament emergency!
We are participating in XL Vets Colostrum Awareness Month which is sponsored by Locatim®. Locatim® is the only licensed standardised immunoglobulin treatment proven to reduce mortality in the calf.
As you are already aware the acquisition of high quality colostrum is a very important factor influencing neonatal calf health. Studies have shown that as many as 38% of calves have insufficient levels of immunoglobulins to offer protection in the face of an infectious challenge. A wide range of maternal and neonatal factors may affect the passive transfer of immunity. Calves of high yielding, intensively managed dairy cows are likely to ingest an inadequate quantity or quality of colostrum if left to suckle from the cow. . In beef herds, large calves which have had a difficult calving may be slow to get up and suck, while heifers may be reluctant to stand still for a calf. Large teats and low udders on older cows can also prove awkward for calves, and therefore reduce their colostrum intake. Current advice is that a calf should take in 3 litres of colostrum within the first 6 hours, split into two feeds if necessary.
Managing colostral intake can be tricky for farmers. Most cows calve at night, and few herdsmen relish the thought of helping a batch of newborn calves suckle, or stripping cows out and bottle or tube feeding at four in the morning before milking. Even on farms where calves do drink enough colostrum, quality may be an issue. Solutions include keeping a store of frozen colostrum from healthy cows which have some to spare, and the use of artificial colostrum replacers.
It is useful to remember the four Qs of colostrum feeding – Quantity, Quickly, Quality and Quietly – it has been shown that stressed calves absorb the antibodies in the colostrums less efficiently.
The concentration of IgG in good quality colostrum from a fit, healthy cow at calving is about 60g/litre. However, if she had mastitis when dry, or suffered a peri-parturient metabolic disease, the concentration could be much less. First lactation heifers produce less colostrum while high yielding Holstein Friesian cows tend to produce more dilute colostrum.
What does colostrum awareness month involve? We are offering a colostrum management audit on your farm. One of our vets will do a visit and have an in-depth discussion on how colostrum is currently managed on-farm and discuss any improvements that could be made. The vet will complete a colostrum management audit and take a colostrum sample(s). The colostrum quality will then be tested using a refractometer. This will be followed up by a discussion on how the colostrum management could be improved. We will also be holding a farmer meeting on the 20th September at 7.30pm to be held in the King of Prussia for a session on ‘Colostrum Management in the Newborn Calf.’
How do I get involved? If you think colostrum management is an area that could be improved on your farm, please ring the surgery today to arrange an on-farm audit or to book your place at the farmer meeting.
Price Restructure
As a result of listening to feedback from some of our clients, we have restructured our fees in two areas.
1. There will now be a single rate for veterinary time of £77/hour + vat, regardless of which vet is carrying out the work.
2. The charges for emergency call-outs remain unchanged, but they will be categorized as follows:
Emergency call-out - any out-of-hours visit to farm before 11pm
Emergency call out after 11pm - out-of-hours visit to farm after 11pm
Emergency call back to surgery – again, will cost more if after 11 pm.
These changes will come into place from the September 1st 2011 and we hope that they will make our fees structure easier to understand. Please note Saturday mornings are not categorised as out-of- hours. If you require drugs to be left out on a Saturday morning, please ring the emergency number and the duty vet will arrange to call in and leave the drugs out (at no extra charge).
Booking TB tests
Debbie has asked that you book your TB tests as soon as you are aware that you require one. TB testing will get very busy now in the next few months so book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Usk Show 10th September
We will be at Usk Show once again this year and look forwards to welcoming to the stand. Please come and find us for a chat and a cup of tea.
Robert’s Festival Experience
Many of you may have noticed that Robert is going through a midlife crisis. He decided recently he should attend the Green Man festival in Crickhowell. Thursday afternoon he went down and pitched his tent and went off to enjoy the bands. Unfortunately, Tim who was on duty, got into trouble with a calving so rang Rob for assistance. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, Rob decided he would have to go and help. The problem was, Rob had parked his car some distance from the concert, as he had to work the next day. It was after 9pm but he decided he would leave the concert and run along the road to his car. He hadn’t got very far along the dark lane when an old transit van from the festival pulled up and the occupants asked Rob if he needed a lift anywhere. ‘Yes’ he replied and got into the back of the van, disappearing into a haze of marijuana fumes. The driver and his friends asked why he was jogging along the road after dark and he replied that one of his colleagues was having trouble with an emergency calving so he was on his way to collect his car to go and give him a hand. This obviously bemused them and after a few odd looks, one of them said ‘what do you mean, an emergency carving? Is he having problems with a sculpture?’ These boys were road crew for a London band and thought Rob was rushing to an ornament emergency!
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
FARM FIIRST NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2011
Nil Milk-Withold Painkillers for cattle
Anti –inflammatory drugs, such as Metacam and Flunixin are now commonly used in cattle as the benefits of their effects are recognised more widely. They reduce pain, swelling and bring down temperatures, enabling livestock to return to normal feed intake more quickly after an illness or injury. We have recently heard of farmers who have had these drugs detected in their bulk milk tanks and had penalties applied. For this reason we have decided to stock Rimadyl LA, a similar drug to Metacam and Flunixin, but with nil milk withhold. A single dose is given under the skin or I/V and costs £16.75+vat for a 700kg cow. This compares with £16.59 for Metacam and £19.47 for 2 doses of flunixin(30 ml/day). It is most likely to be useful when treating animals which need pain relief, but no antibiotics, such as lame cows
Zolvix – a new class of wormer for sheep
This wormer is in a different group (orange) to the white (bz), yellow (lm) and clear (avermectin) drenches that we are familiar with. It has been shown that worm resistance to some, or all of these existing wormers is present on many sheep farms in Wales. The strategic use of this new product will help to prevent resistance becoming a problem on your farm, as currently it kills 99.9% of the roundworms in sheep. It should be used as a quarantine drench, in conjunction with Cydectin, for all purchased sheep. The other time to use it is in lambs at weaning, when it will remove their entire worm burden and help to maximise growth rates to finishing. The meat withhold is only 7 days, and the cost is 56p/dose for a 40 kg lamb. At the moment we have an offer running which means that if you purchase 2 litres or more of Zolvix, you get a free Zolvix Optilive Drenching Gun worth £53.30. Please contact the office if you want more information about the use of this drug or the special offer.
Caesarian Sections
We are finding that, as a practice, we are carrying out more and more caesarean sections in cattle. We are currently running a clinical audit to look at which techniques are most successful and which factors may lead to more post- operative problems such as wound infections, or failing to pass the cleansing. So if you have a caesarean section on one of your cows, please do not be surprised if you receive a series of phone calls from Tracy, asking a list of questions. We want to know about whether these cows breed again, as well as their short term recovery, so if you can make a mental note of any details that may be useful to us, please do so and pass the information on to Tracy when she contacts you.
Farming Connect
As many of you will know, we have been carrying out Whole Farm Plan visits for Farming Connect under the umbrella of Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers. We have carried out advisory work such as Health Plans, mastitis investigations and lameness investigations, and our clients have been able to claim back 80% of the cost from Farming Connect. We have heard that there may be a problem with us getting future funding through these channels, so if you want to register for us to carry out any of this type of work for you, and to take advantage of the 80% grant, you need to return the registration form to Farming Connect before the 31st August 2011. Please contact Jane or Rob if you want more information about this scheme.
Staff news
We are pleased to announce that a new permanent member of the veterinary team Victoria Fisher will be joining us in the middle of August. Victoria comes from a dairy and sheep farm in the south-west of Scotland and has just graduated from the University of Glasgow with honours. She has a particular interest in calf rearing and has carried out a study in this area. She lists her hobbies as horse riding, football and Young Farmers (in that order), so sorry Rob – yet more horse talk in the office.
Congratulations
We would like to congratulate one of our dairy clients, Alun Thomas from Upper Pendre Farm in Llangorse on winning the Welsh section of the National Grassland Management Competition. We wish him luck as he now goes forward to represent Wales against the other regions of the UK.
Congratulations are also due to two of our office staff, Natalie and Tracy who both won gold medals with their horses at the Royal Welsh Show, and to our clients (too numerous to mention) who also had a successful time at the show.
And Finally...
At a recent practice meeting some of our female veterinary staff were complaining about the position of the Farm First logo on practice clothes. It was felt that the present position of the logo meant that clients (especially short sighted or new ones) spent a great deal of time staring at ladies' chests trying to read what it said. For future reference the logo says ' Farm First Vets' and has a picture of a cow's head. I hope this clears up any confusion. A discussion then followed as to where on the uniform the logo should be placed or moved to. One suggestion (from a male member of staff - mentioning no names Jon) was that the logo should be placed on the rear trouser pocket. Discussions are ongoing!
Nil Milk-Withold Painkillers for cattle
Anti –inflammatory drugs, such as Metacam and Flunixin are now commonly used in cattle as the benefits of their effects are recognised more widely. They reduce pain, swelling and bring down temperatures, enabling livestock to return to normal feed intake more quickly after an illness or injury. We have recently heard of farmers who have had these drugs detected in their bulk milk tanks and had penalties applied. For this reason we have decided to stock Rimadyl LA, a similar drug to Metacam and Flunixin, but with nil milk withhold. A single dose is given under the skin or I/V and costs £16.75+vat for a 700kg cow. This compares with £16.59 for Metacam and £19.47 for 2 doses of flunixin(30 ml/day). It is most likely to be useful when treating animals which need pain relief, but no antibiotics, such as lame cows
Zolvix – a new class of wormer for sheep
This wormer is in a different group (orange) to the white (bz), yellow (lm) and clear (avermectin) drenches that we are familiar with. It has been shown that worm resistance to some, or all of these existing wormers is present on many sheep farms in Wales. The strategic use of this new product will help to prevent resistance becoming a problem on your farm, as currently it kills 99.9% of the roundworms in sheep. It should be used as a quarantine drench, in conjunction with Cydectin, for all purchased sheep. The other time to use it is in lambs at weaning, when it will remove their entire worm burden and help to maximise growth rates to finishing. The meat withhold is only 7 days, and the cost is 56p/dose for a 40 kg lamb. At the moment we have an offer running which means that if you purchase 2 litres or more of Zolvix, you get a free Zolvix Optilive Drenching Gun worth £53.30. Please contact the office if you want more information about the use of this drug or the special offer.
Caesarian Sections
We are finding that, as a practice, we are carrying out more and more caesarean sections in cattle. We are currently running a clinical audit to look at which techniques are most successful and which factors may lead to more post- operative problems such as wound infections, or failing to pass the cleansing. So if you have a caesarean section on one of your cows, please do not be surprised if you receive a series of phone calls from Tracy, asking a list of questions. We want to know about whether these cows breed again, as well as their short term recovery, so if you can make a mental note of any details that may be useful to us, please do so and pass the information on to Tracy when she contacts you.
Farming Connect
As many of you will know, we have been carrying out Whole Farm Plan visits for Farming Connect under the umbrella of Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers. We have carried out advisory work such as Health Plans, mastitis investigations and lameness investigations, and our clients have been able to claim back 80% of the cost from Farming Connect. We have heard that there may be a problem with us getting future funding through these channels, so if you want to register for us to carry out any of this type of work for you, and to take advantage of the 80% grant, you need to return the registration form to Farming Connect before the 31st August 2011. Please contact Jane or Rob if you want more information about this scheme.
Staff news
We are pleased to announce that a new permanent member of the veterinary team Victoria Fisher will be joining us in the middle of August. Victoria comes from a dairy and sheep farm in the south-west of Scotland and has just graduated from the University of Glasgow with honours. She has a particular interest in calf rearing and has carried out a study in this area. She lists her hobbies as horse riding, football and Young Farmers (in that order), so sorry Rob – yet more horse talk in the office.
Congratulations
We would like to congratulate one of our dairy clients, Alun Thomas from Upper Pendre Farm in Llangorse on winning the Welsh section of the National Grassland Management Competition. We wish him luck as he now goes forward to represent Wales against the other regions of the UK.
Congratulations are also due to two of our office staff, Natalie and Tracy who both won gold medals with their horses at the Royal Welsh Show, and to our clients (too numerous to mention) who also had a successful time at the show.
And Finally...
At a recent practice meeting some of our female veterinary staff were complaining about the position of the Farm First logo on practice clothes. It was felt that the present position of the logo meant that clients (especially short sighted or new ones) spent a great deal of time staring at ladies' chests trying to read what it said. For future reference the logo says ' Farm First Vets' and has a picture of a cow's head. I hope this clears up any confusion. A discussion then followed as to where on the uniform the logo should be placed or moved to. One suggestion (from a male member of staff - mentioning no names Jon) was that the logo should be placed on the rear trouser pocket. Discussions are ongoing!
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