T O W N & C O U N T R Y V E T. airy Diary DRY COW THERAPY / HEIFER TEATSEALING

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1 D airy Diary T O W N & C O U N T R Y V E T WELCOME TO OUR NEW E-NEWS DRY COW THERAPY / HEIFER TEATSEALING It only seems like yesterday when the herds in the area were dried off, but it s getting close to that time of year again when we have to start thinking about it. On some farms it may begin with heifers, while on others it may involve selecting the high SCC cows in the herd. Dry cow therapy is the best method to achieve actual bacteriological cures of mastitis and prevention of new infections during the dry period options for therapy include no treatment, blanket treatment, antibiotic, non antibiotic, long acting, short acting, and any combination of these, no treatment, part herd treatment, blanket treatment etc., for all or part of the herd. The gold standard approach to Dry Cow Therapy is to: Use an antibiotic with the best cure rates. This is particularly important when drying off high SCC cows Follow this with an internal teat sealant Teatseal to prevent new infections New Zealand trial work shows that up to 50% of teats have not formed a teat plug 7 days after dry off, and up to 5% of teats never form a teat plug. 97% of new infections are in open teats, is those in which a teat plug has not formed. Dry Cow Consults this is the time to sort out the best option for your herd s Dry Cow Therapy, helpful information you will require includes: BMSCC Individual herd testing results Mastitis records Milk culture results We are trying to get these consults done earlier (late March / early April) for a number of reasons: To discuss Dry Cow Therapy / Teatseal options for cows being dried off early To discuss additional services available later in the season (Trace Element testing; BVD monitoring etc.) To confirm heifer numbers for teatsealing this season. To help us with stock control issues around Dry Cow Therapy. It allows us to get our orders in early, so we are less likely to be affected by product shortages as well as having your product ready for when you need it. We do appreciate that many of you will not know exactly how many cows will be getting each product until after the final herd test, pregnancy testing and culling list has been completed. Give the clinic a ring to book Roger or Danny in for a Dry Cow Consult, once this is done we can have the product ready for you for when you need it.

2 Leptospirosis Leptospirosis or "lepto" is a disease caused by bacteria known as Leptospira and it can affect almost all mammals. Despite numerous investigations and control efforts, leptospirosis is still the most important zoonosis (animal to human transmitted disease) in New Zealand (NZ). There are around 100 notified cases per year, but the actual number of people that get ill from lepto is estimated to be 40 to 50 times higher than this. The dairy industry has largely confronted the lepto issue by adopting widespread vaccination programs. However, a study of urinary shedding in dairy herds with a history of regular vaccination that was carried out in 2010/2011, showed there was evidence of leptospiral shedding in 30% of the herds and in 13% of animals from positive herds. Age at first vaccination was the only significant factor associated with the probability of shedding at the herd level. The results suggest that leptospiral challenge of calves at an early age and potential human exposure still exists on dairy farms using vaccines. So, in summary, we need to get better at vaccinating! The recommended policy is two initial shots four to six weeks apart with the first being at the time of disbudding (ideally at four to eight weeks of age). This is followed by annual boosters. If the main herd is boosted in autumn, then spring-born calves need their first annual booster in the autumn as well, even though they may be only six to seven months of age. This is because annual boosters must be given within 13 months of each other to be effective. The focus also shifts to sheep, beef cattle and deer as the major source of infection to meat workers and people in other at-risk occupations. While the great risk factor of standing under animals rear ends to milk them is not present, there are plenty of other opportunities for human infection. These include: Shearing/crutching Assisting with dystocia Home slaughter for both for human consumption and/or for dog tucker Pregnancy scanning Tailing/docking Other animal health engagement (e.g. drenching) Changing climatic patterns, wet/dry spring, standing water A recent, as yet unpublished, NZ wide survey (Dreyfus, 2012) from 161 sheep flocks demonstrated that 97% of the flocks had exposure and 51% had ewes currently infected. This is rather sobering and should be a warning to all workers involved in the farming and processing of sheep to be careful with hygiene. It also begs the question - should we be vaccinating these other farm animals for leptospirosis to protect workers? While widespread vaccination may be a step too far at this point, maybe those people that have been directly affected by Leptospirosis, or indirectly affected by a close family member or colleague being infected, may have a different opinion. The importance of trace elements If you notice that, despite feeding them well, your or cattle are "just not doing", it may be an indication that there is a deficiency in one or more trace elements. As well as energy, protein and water, animals need at least fourteen different minerals in order to maintain good health and production. Some of these, such as calcium and phosphorus, are required in relatively large amounts, and as such these are referred to as macro minerals. Whilst others are called trace minerals and these are required in very small amounts, and are often involved with enzymes to aid in the body's chemical reactions. In New Zealand (NZ), the most economically important trace elements are cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), iodine (I) and copper (Cu). Despite our small size NZ has a lot of varied soil types and many of our soils have quite different mineral compositions. With our pastoral-based grazing systems, the minerals available to the animals are determined by the mineral content in the plants that are ingested which in turn is influenced by the local soil composition. As well as soil composition there are climatic factors (such as soil moisture), farming practices (such as fertiliser use - for example molybdenum and application of lime), grazing practices and the use of different plants or crops that can all affect the availability of trace minerals to the plants. Some trace minerals are also affected by the presence of different components of the diet. This can mean that, even though there may be sufficient amounts in the ration, the animal may not actually have access to it and so doesn't absorb it from the feed, which is often the case with Cu. Many farmers are aware of issues with trace mineral deficiencies that exist on their property, but every now and again they can be caught out by one or more of the above factors differing from what they have historically been, so issues certainly arise from to time to time. Diagnosis of trace mineral deficiency can take different forms but will undoubtedly involve taking of samples and having them submitted to a laboratory for analysis. This could involve both live and/or dead animal (blood and/or tissue) and herbage samples. In some cases the use of soil samples may also assist. Production response trials may be indicated when the results are in the "marginal" range. Animal tissue analysis (especially of liver reserves) has a role in the prevention of some deficiencies, particularly over winter. The timing of this sampling is important as animals have different demands in different seasons. Routine sampling of dairy cattle, particularly pre-winter and pre-mating, is recommended as they are especially at risk due to the demands placed on them as a result of milk production.

3 Teatsealing Heifers What you need to know In recent years, using Teatseal in heifers has become common place. The reduction in heifer mastitis in the field, as well in research studies, has exceeded expectations. Trial work shows that using Teatseal in heifers pre-calving reduces clinical mastitis in early lactation by 50%. Most farmers are now aware of these benefits and every year there are more and more farmers using Teatseal. As Teatseal does not contain any antibiotics, it is essential that Teatsealing is done under strict hygiene conditions. Most farmers have Teatseal inserted by our team at Town and Country Vet who work according to a strict hygiene protocol. If assisted by farm staff these protocols will be taught at the commencement of teatsealing of the heifers. For smooth and safe teat-sealing of your heifers, there are a few preparation guidelines that you should be aware of: Most importantly, the heifers need to be trained to go to the shed. This means you will need to start getting them in 2 weeks before teatsealing. Try running them through the shed initially and work up to either shutting the gate on them or loading onto the platform and get the heifers to stand in the shed for a minute or two. It is best to train heifers through the herringbone on the wall side. Heifers should ideally be fully fed the morning of teatsealing. If at all possible, try to keep them on a clean paddock overnight to minimize faecal contamination of the udder. If you can move your breast rail in and pack the heifers in tightly, this will make it easier to insert the Teatseal. Try to minimize waiting time on the concrete as this may damage the heifer s feet. If you have more than 80 heifers to treat, split the mob into two groups. As a requirement of work place safety we will give a small amount of sedation to each heifer prior to teatsealing. The shed environment should be as clean as possible, especially on all platform areas where heifers stand and teatsealing equipment is placed. Hot water must be available at all times. Extra clean hand washing buckets should be available for hand washing between treating heifers. Teat spray product to me mixed and available for application after teatsealing has been completed. Once teatsealed each group of heifers should be removed from the shed area and put into a clean paddock to element heifers lying down on dirty concrete or exit races which could contaminate treated heifers. If you are able to follow these guidelines, we should be able to complete a proper and hygienic teatsealing job, with minimal complications. Creating a safe environment for your heifers and technicians and staff is paramount.

4 DRY OFF HYGIENE Mastitis causing bacteria are found everywhere and the drying off process presents a perfect opportunity for these bacteria to flourish. Ensuring cleanliness prevents opportunities for bacteria to enter the teat canal, when using dry cow therapy or internal teat sealants. Everyone on the farm should understand what good hygiene looks like. Have a good process set up for ensuring tubes are kept clean and once cleaned that the teat is not brushed with a dirty tail or arm. Working quickly and confidently helps with hygiene so inexperienced team members may require a bit of extra support with cow restraint, training or verbal encouragement. Inserting tubes immediately after cups come off without cleaning the teats is risky. Best practice recommendations exist around diluted methylated spirits and wipes for preparing the teat for insertion. Part insertion of intramammary tubes (no more than 2-3mm) reduces the potential for damage to the teat canals and bacteria to be carried on up into the teat. Wearing clean disposable gloves ensures the risk of bacteria transfer between cows is low and makes it easier to clean hands between cows. A warm bucket of teat spray mix and clean paper towels is an easy way to sterilize and dry hands between cows for optimal hygiene. After dry cow or teat seal treatment has been applied, effective teat spraying with a quality product is important. This is the last opportunity you have in the season to kill bacteria on the teat skin surface and to promote healthy teat skin. Hand spraying every cow to ensure full coverage, and also by adding a suitable emollient to your teat spray mix will aid in teat conditioning as well as acting as an adhesive for the teat spray. ABAPOR 5 Ltr Pour-On $ Inc.GST Active Ingredient: Abamectin (10mg/ml) Dose Rate: 1ml per 20kg With holding periods: Meat 35days, Milk - nil A low cost treatment option for the control of internal and external parasites of cattle.

5 REFLEX 20Ltr Pour-On $ Inc.GST $0.91 cents / 500kg cow Inc.GST Active Ingredient: Abamectin (10mg/ml) Dose Rate: 1ml per 20kg With holding periods: Meat 35days, Milk - nil A low cost treatment option for the control of internal and external parasites of cattle. LIVE WEIGHT DOSE 20L PACK TREATMENTS COST / DOSE Inc. GST kg 10ml cents kg 12.5ml cents kg 15ml cents kg 17.5ml cents kg 20ml 1000 $72 cents kg 22.5ml 888 $82 cents kg 25ml 800 $91 cents Call the clinic and get Mike to order your Reflex Pour - On 20Ltr Ph

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