BORDERR VETERINARY NEWSLETTER CLINIC June 2013 Congratulations Sue! The Wakool Shire Businesss Excellence Awards were held early last month, celebrating excellence in our local community. The Border Veterinary Clinic received two nominations this year The Best Trades or Professional Services Award (which we won at the previous awards in 2011) and also an individual award for Sue Harrison for the Customer Service Award. Several staff members including Jason and Sonia, Kate and Sarah were there to see Sue collect her award as the WINNER in this category. Sue has been the receptionist att the Barham branch of the Border Vet Clinic for the lastt 7 years and has become an invaluable team member excelling in customer relations, dealing with fractious animals, and supporting the young vets as they start out. All the staff at the Border Veterinary Clinic would like to congratulate Sue on her wonderful achievement. SMALL ANIMAL TALK ARTHRITI S Winter is again upon us, and with the t cold and miserable weather, youu may notice that you aren t the only one struggling to get out of bed in the morning! Arthritis, or degenerative joint disease, is a condition in which onee or more joints in the body deteriorate. Arthritis may develop as a result of trauma, natural ageing, or conditions in which thee joints do not develop properly. Arthritis causes progressive stiffness and pain in the affected joints. Is Your Pet At Risk? Overweight Over 7 years of age Weighing more than 25kg Breedd predisposed to joint problems (e.g. Labrador, L German Shepherd) Previous joint trauma/surgery Showing early signs of arthritis Being overweight is a major contributor to arthritis, as the t joint must carry a greater load than that for which it was designed.
How can I tell if my pet has arthritis? Early Symptoms include: Reduced activity Reluctance to walk and play Difficulty standing up, climbing stairs, jumping into car Limping or stiffness especially in the morning or after sleep Advanced Symptoms include: Yelping when touched Change in character or aggression Licking or self- injury Scraping of nails Difficulty standing or sitting The symptoms of arthritis may develop gradually. Because of this, many dogs have advanced arthritis by the time these symptoms are first noticed. Limping on the affected limb is the most common symptom. Animals may have a stiff gait that is more prominent in the morning, after sleeping, during cold weather or after exercise. Arthritic animals are often less willing to undertake exercise and have prolonged periods of sitting or lying down. Prevention The most important preventative measure involves controlling you pet s weight. Overweight dogs have a much greater risk of developing arthritis due to the increased load bearing placed on their joints. Keeping your pet lean will also help in the management of arthritis for the same reason. Another important factor is proper management of growing dogs. We have a lot of large breed dogs in the area, and it is particularly important to ensure they are given a balanced diet at this time. Restricted jumping and excess exercise should also be implemented to minimise risk of developmental conditions leading to degenerative joint disease. MANAGEMENT TOOLS 1. Weight Loss Changing foods weight loss diet Cutting back on unhealthy treats 2. Exercise Regular controlled walks Swimming 3. Environment Elevated, comfortable bedding Heat pad/warm bed Non-slip floor Ramps instead of stairs 4. Pet Neutraceuticals Cartilage builders Large breed dogs/at risk animals Animals displaying early signs of arthritis 5. Pet Neutraceuticals Pain relief Advanced cases of arthritis 6. Anti-Inflammatory drugs Advanced cases of arthritis Following an injury Cartrophen is a disease modifying osteoarthritis drug that has anti-inflammatory effects as well aiding in maintaining the integrity of the joint cartilage. The majority of owners notice a significant improvement in their dog s mobility and demeanour with the use of this drug. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) work as a painkiller while also reducing inflammation. These drugs may have side effects particularly on the liver, kidneys, gastric lining and blood so a blood test is a good idea prior to starting this medication. Specialist medical treatment may involve arthroscopy of affected joints, bone operations or total hip replacement for dogs.
LARGE ANIMAL TALK Drying off is the time of year when a number of key animal health issues need to be considered to ensure we set cows up for the following lactation. These include: 1) Improving body condition during late lactation 2) Dry Cow treatment 3) Drenching Programs 4) Vaccination Programs 1) Preparing for Drying Off One of the very important issues which impacts on how well your cow will produce next season and on how they will perform reproductively, is the body condition in which they calve: It has been shown that for each additional body condition score (CS) in which a cow calves, there is likely to be a production increase equivalent to around 10kg butterfat over the lactation. The InCalf study convincingly demonstrated that cows which calved in CS 4.5 or above had significantly better 6 week in calf rates than their herd mates who calved in CS below 4.5. Cows with CS above 4.5 had significantly better first service pregnancy rate, and better 21 day submission rates, than their herd mates whose CS was below 4.5 at the time of calving. It is best to put condition on cows whilst they are still being milked than when they are dry. There are two reasons for this: 1. A cow that has a dry period of 6-8 weeks cannot physically eat enough to put on more than one CS during this period. 2. Dry cows need to be fed just as milking cows do. If the cows are still milking you will get an immediate effect (ie an increase in production) and what is called a carry-over effect which translates to an increase in production in the next lactation. Cows in late lactation are more efficient feed converters than dry cows by increasing the amount of concentrates being fed some of the extra feed will go towards milk production, the remainder towards increasing body weight. While the feed bill with increasing the amount of concentrates can be painful, much of this will be balanced by the returns from the extra milk production. If the alternative approach of drying off cows is taken, these cows will still require feed over the dry period and during this time will produce no return. Having said that, we recognize that cows in poor body condition may need to be dried off early and given preferential feeding. This will allow them to put on some weight so that they are in reasonable condition at the time of calving. 2) Dry Cow Treatment The two main functions of Dry Cow Therapy (DCT) are curing subclinical mastitis infections and reducing the number of new infections in the dry period and at calving time. It is important to remember that often when we treat a clinical case of mastitis during lactation we don t knock the bacterial infection out completely. Instead, the infection becomes subclinical and it is only when we use DCT at drying-off that we have the best chance of achieving a cure. Choosing a Dry Cow Product There are several DCT products available, varying in price and effect. The product that best suits your herd and farm is a decision that can be made in conjunction with our vets and using the following information: 1. BMCC results for the past 12 months. 2. Clinical case records. 3. Herd test ICCC summary for all cows in herd. 4. Results of any milk cultures taken from your herd (on file at clinic). It is important to adhere to the minimum dry periods of each product, bearing in mind that some cows may calve up to 2 weeks prior to their due date.
Blanket versus Selective DCT Blanket Dry cow is strongly recommended if Your BMCC is greater than 250,000. You have more than 30% of cows with an individual cell count of over 250,000. You have 2 or more clinical cases of mastitis per 100 cows per month during the season You have 5 or more clinical cases per 100 cows per month at calving. If milk cultures on your herd indicated Strep agalactiae or large numbers of Strep uberis are present. Those choosing to selectively Dry Cow really need to be herd testing to allow individual cow assessment. Selective Dry Cow is used on: Cows with ICCC greater than 250,000. Any cow that has had clinical mastitis during the season. Cure Rates We are often asked if DCT will cure all subclinical infections. This is certainly not the case and the likelihood of achieving a cure depends on a number of factors, including: More likely to be Less likely to be cured cured Younger cows Older cows 1 infected 2 or more infected quarter quarters Infection with Cows with 3+ clinical strep cases in 1 lactation Infection with staph Continued high ICCC post DCT last season Cows with lumps and scar tissue from repeat mastitis. TEAT SEAL Teat seal is an artificial sealant for the teat which works to provide a physical barrier prior to formation of the keratin plug. It is a NON-antibiotic treatment for prevention of mastitis in dry cows. Why do we need Teat Seal? o Intramammary infection rate is highest in the dry period o Teat closure is not always reliable In some cases, the keratin plug fails to adequately close the teat canal. Up to 50% of teat canals remain open up to 10 days after drying off. o Teat canal closure prevents infections Up to 97% of clinical mastitis in the dry period occurs in quarters with open teat canals. When Do We Use Teat Seal? Teatseal can be used in several situations: Combination therapy - mastitis prevention when used in combination with a dry cow product Heifers - Reduction of calving mastitis in heifers when administered 30 days prior to calving Teatseal alone - Protection against new infections when administered to low cell count cows at drying off. Teat Seal in Heifers: When used before calving in heifers, Teatseal has been shown to: reduce rate of new intramammary infections reduce clinical mastitis in early lactation Teatseal should be administered to heifers approximately 30 days prior to calving. Strict hygiene must be observed to prevent introduction of infection. Teat Seal in Low Cell Count Cows: Reduce treatment costs of mastitis Reduce milk discard Minimise cull rates due to mastitis Maximise lifetime production efficiency Recent studies have shown that Teatseal, when used in combination with antibiotic dry cow therapy, can lead to a reduction in clinical mastitis by as much as 70%. SUMMARY Teatseal: Provides a barrier against organisms entering the teat Minimises milk wastage Reduces new infections Lasts for up to 100 days Can be used without dry cow therapy in low cell count cows May prevent heifer mastitis around the time of calving
3) Drenching Programs Fluke and intestinal worms can both cause major economic losses. In the case of heavy fluke burdens, loss of body condition, anaemia and bottle jaw can result. Heavy worm burdens are characterized by weight loss and diarrhoea. In the case of both types of infection, decreased milk production occurs. Any cow that has had access to green pasture from spring until now is likely to have a worm burden, especially given most cows will have been grazing close to the ground. Liver fluke is reliant upon an intermediate host snail to complete its life-cycle. In this district, wherever water can be found, so too can the snails (water troughs, re-use drains, pasture following irrigation and natural rainfall). Which drench? Ideally a drench that kills worms and all 3 stages of liver fluke should be used. There are two basic types of treatment oral and injectable. The newly released fluke Pour-on products cannot be used on dairy cattle even at dry-off time. Oral treatments that kill both worms and fluke include Fasimec and Flukazole. These products contain the active ingredient triclabendazole. Triclabendazole is highly effective against all stages of liver fluke (early immature, immature and adult stages). Their disadvantage is they cannot be used in lactating dairy cattle. Hence, drenching at drying off represents the only real opportunity when these effective drugs can be used in dairy cows. products are only effective against fluke that are 6 weeks of age or older. Trodax has a milk with-hold period and hence can only be used at dry-off time. Noromectin Noromectin Plus and Baymec Gold, which are also highly effective against stomach and intestinal worms, are approved for use in lactating dairy cows without the need for milk with-holding following treatment. Developing a Drench Program for your Farm Development of an appropriate program for your farm may require consultation with out vets. The following are some general principles: All dairy cattle on irrigation should be treated with effective fluke treatments at the time of dry-off every year. Oral fluke treatments are recommended when fluke infestation levels are high. If injectable fluke treatments are used routinely we recommend that adult cattle receive an oral fluke treatment at least every 3 or 4 years. Dry-off time is extremely important. For example, if cattle are dried off at the end of June a single treatment with Noromectin Plus or Baymec Gold will achieve similar results to using an oral flukacide. Treat all calves at 6 months of age and then every 6 months until they calve. Because of the greater susceptibility of young cattle to acute fluke disease, it is important to use a product that is effective against both mature and immature fluke (Products containing triclabendazole are my choice). Injectable fluke treatments include products such as Trodax, Noromectin Plus and Baymec Gold Injection. These
Vaccination Programs There are 3 commonly used vaccines that should be considered at dry-off time. 7 in 1 Vaccination Bovilis S Vaccination Rotavec Corona Vaccination Protects against: Recommended for: When vaccinate? to Blackleg Tetanus Pulpy Kidney Black Disease Malignant Oedema Leptospirosus (L.hardjo & pomona) ALL FARMS Calves: from 4 wks of age If 6 weeks + give 2 doses 6 weeks apart then annual booster Breeders/heifers: For colostral protection of calves, pregnant cows should be vaccinated at dry-off time and again 3 weeks prior to calving. If previously vaccinated, a single injection of vaccine should be given at the time of dry-off. Salmonella infections Species: S. typhimurium S. dublin Herds where outbreaks of salmonellosis have occurred either in milking herd &/or replacement calves Cows vaccinate twice with 2ml injection 3-4 weeks apart. Booster every 12 months. Colostral protection: Vaccinate pregnant cows at dry off & 3 weeks prior to calving Calves: Should be fed colostrum from vaccinated cows for at least 5 days after birth E. coli (K99 strain) Coronavirus Rotavirus Clostridium perfringens type C & D Properties with recurrent E coli infections. Any farm experiencing neonatal scours due to infectious causes Cows 2 shots: One 10-12 weeks prior to calving and again 4-6 weeks before calving Annual booster 4-6 weeks prior to each calving following this Calves: Should be fed colostrum from vaccinated cows for at least 5 days after birth Notes Reduces risk of transmission of leptospirosis to humans. All dairy cattle should be vaccinated. OH&S regulations require that farmers provide a safe environment for their employees. With these two vaccines, colostral feeding of calving is critical to maximise efficacy of the vaccine. Protection of calves depends on the physical presence of colostrum antibodies from vaccinated cows within the gut for the first few weeks of life. New born calves must receive at least 2L of colostrum in the first twelve hours (ideally 6) and a further 2-3 L by 24 hours. Calves will benefit from ongoing colostrum feeding.