Dear Client News and Views for Farmers March / April 2012 NOTE This is a private newsletter for clients of The Vet Centre. No part may be reproduced without the permission of The Vet Centre. This summer certainly has not been typical for Marlborough. While it has meant we are seeing stock in better than average condition it has also provided us with some different problems as we have discussed in this newsletter. Intestinal parasitism and footrot have been major problems on some properties but we suspect because of the cool February and often windy conditions flystrike has not been too bad. It is a great season to be a cow. The spin offs from having cows going into the winter in very good condition can be long term on calf growth rates and pregnancy rates in the following spring. Cattle Pregnancy Testing Just a reminder to please book ahead for your cattle pregnancy testing. The best time for pregnancy testing is a minimum of 6 weeks after the bull has been taken out of the mob. If the cattle are earlier than 6 weeks at scanning, then these late pregnancies can be missed or very late pregnancies can be aborted with the act of ultrasound scanning. However, if you are wanting an idea of the stage of pregnancy or an indication of late pregnancies; it is easier to do this with younger pregnancies. The best time for aging of pregnancies is 6-12 weeks gestation. Once cows are over 3-4 months pregnant, it is harder to determine the stage, and therefore it is just whether or not the cow is in calf. To ensure we are able to scan your cattle at a time that suits you, please ring the clinic ahead of time and book your herd in. That way we can avoid disappointment if we are busy the day you would like cattle pregnancy tested. Don t forget to check our website for current and past news. www.vetmarlborough.co.nz Ram Fertility Checks and Teaser Rams It is not too late to have the rams checked before tupping. There are a number of causes of infertility in rams including; Brucella ovis, mange, hernias, testicular atrophy and infections in the testes usually due to shearing cuts. Lameness can also cause problems. If you require any teaser rams, then you must get these done sooner rather than later. You need to allow 6 weeks after the vasectomy surgery before going out with the ewe flock. You can use recently vasectomised rams earlier but you do risk the chance of getting a few early lambs. Dog Vaccinations In the last few months we have had outbreaks of both Parvovirus and Kennel Cough in dogs. Parvo can be fatal and although Kennel Cough is not usually fatal unless pneumonia develops, it is a debilitating disease and can last for several weeks. We have included information about these common diseases and to remind you about the importance of vaccination. See Page 2 for more details. Page
Kennel Cough Kennel Cough is a highly contagious disease caused by a number of viruses and bacteria. Bordetella bacteria are regarded as the principal causative agent and are closely related to the cause of whooping cough in humans. Kennel cough is transmitted by social contact with other dogs. Farm dogs are at greatest risk when mustering on different properties or going to dog trials. What are the signs of Kennel Cough? Kennel Cough causes a severe, hacking cough often described as "a goose honk. Bouts of coughing can last for several weeks and may be exacerbated by exercise. Kennel Cough also causes a loss of appetite, lack of energy and retching. Having a pack of dogs all with hacking coughs that can t work in the middle of the busy mustering season can be a major problem! Treatment involves prolonged rest and a course of antibiotics will hasten recovery and helps prevent pneumonia developing. Can vaccinated dogs still contract Kennel Cough? Just like the human flu vaccine, Kennel Cough vaccination doesn t prevent all dogs from contracting the disease. However the risk of becoming infected with Kennel Cough is greatly reduced and vaccinated dogs that develop symptoms generally have a mild form of the disease and recover a lot faster than unvaccinated dogs. There are two types of vaccines for Kennel Cough; injectable and intranasal. Intranasal vaccination has the advantage that a booster is not required after the initial vaccination. Both vaccines require annual boosters. We recommend vaccination against Kennel Cough for all farm dogs that have social contact with dogs from other properties and it is essential for dogs competing at dog trials. If you chose not to vaccinate the whole team then we strongly recommend that you at least vaccinate your top dogs. Where would you be if they contracted Kennel Cough and could not work at a critical time of the year? It is cheap insurance! Parvovirus Parvovirus (viral diarrhoea) is a highly contagious and often fatal disease causing sudden vomiting and diarrhoea. Loss of fluids, dehydration and septicaemia causes severe disease especially in young dogs. The diarrhoea from an infected dog contains millions of viral particles, so the disease spreads easily via the environment. The virus can persist in the environment for months, and requires strong disinfectants to destroy it. Carrier animals can spread parvo without showing any ill effects so it is important to ensure that your dogs, or others that may come onto your farm, are up to date with their vaccinations. Modern vaccines will give up to three years of protection. Treatment is expensive requires isolation from other dogs and intensive supportive care with IV fluids, electrolyte replacement and antibiotics to help prevent secondary bacterial infection and septicaemia. Even with treatment there is still a relatively high mortality rate. Remember this disease can be fatal, but it is easily prevented by vaccination Canine Vaccination Protocol Pups: At least 2 vaccinations a month apart with Vanguard Plus 5 against Parvovirus, Distemper & Canine Hepatitis. They must be over 14 weeks of age for their final shot. A single intranasal Kennel Cough vaccine is recommended Page 2
Haemonchus Parasite Barbers Pole-Not Just a North Island Problem! This parasite is seldom seen in Marlborough. It is typically a North Island problem as it requires a higher range of temperatures for larval development. However, this year, due to our abnormal weather patterns and humid conditions this summer, we have seen a couple of outbreaks of Barbers Pole, and after talking to farmers have suspected others. This parasite resides in the abomasum along with Ostertagia and Trichostrongylus (the normal sheep parasites we see here) and is part of the group of Strongyles we talk about with FEC s and FECRT results. Haemonchus is different in that this parasite sucks blood and causes anaemia in the sheep and is not necessarily associated with diarrhoea. When large numbers of larvae infect sheep, deaths can occur suddenly while the sheep still appear to be healthy. This may occur when stressing sheep such as moving them into yards or moving to new paddocks. Chronic infections with smaller number of worms can produce bottle jaw (oedema), progressive weakness, wool breaks and death. The worm itself can produce a large number of eggs very quickly so parasite contamination of pasture will increase very rapidly. One case seen this summer was a lifestyle block in Rapaura Rd; the ewes had not been drenched since prelamb 2011, so they probably had a high worm burden anyway. With the increasing high humidity and cloudy overcast days, haemonchus survival on pasture and challenge to the ewes would have been high eventually causing half of this farm s small flock to die. The second outbreak occurred in was fattening lambs up the Waihopai that had been drenched four weekly with Matrix and suddenly started dying when brought into the yards for the next drench. Examination and post-mortem revealed very pale anaemic gums and conjunctivae and a very heavy worm burden. These worms are relatively large and can be easily seen with the naked eye in the abomasum. Because the prepatent period for Haemonchus is only 19-21 days, and intake can be so high, the drench interval of 4 weeks was too long and was enough time for the worm burden to build up. In most cases the best treatment for Haemonchus is a product with persistent activity. There are several product options. If you are concerned at all, give us a ring, it is quickly diagnosed with a history and examination and/or postmortem. Money cannot buy you happiness but it s more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle. Alcohol does not solve any problems, but neither does milk. Startect Pfizer Combination Drench-Now Vet Only Startect one of the more recent anthelmintics on the market, is a combination of a novel active ingredient; derquantel with abamectin. As of 5 December 2011, Startect is only available for sale to farmers exclusively through vet clinics. This ensures better product stewardship and advice around the use of Startect and anthelmintics in general. For more information about Startect and the most effective way of using it in your farming system please give The Vet Centre a ring. Page 3
Genesis & Eclipse Pour-on Powerbuilt Tools or 2.5 Tonne Jack Purchase 2.5 or 5 Litre Packs and choose a 19 Piece Spanner set or 2.5 Tonne Jack. Covexin 10 Cloxtridial Vaccine for Seep & Calves - Sensitiser Dose at Calf Weaning or Replacement Ewe Lambs Selpor 2.5 or 1 Litre Ease and Convenience of Selenium Pour-on Application for Cattle. Switch 20 Litre Ideal pre-vineyard Grazing Sheep Drench Free Powerbuilt Torch or Multi-Tool with 20 Litre Purchase Vetdectin plus Selenium 10 Litre 35-Day Persistent Activity Against Barbers Pole Worm $ 283.96 incl gst Net per 10 Litre New Eclipse E Combination Eprinomectin & Levamisol Injection for Cattle Parasites in Calves. Eukanuba Working Dog Premium Performance 20Kg New Purchasing Discount Offer 1-2 Bags $ 131.75 ea 3-5 Bags $ 126.67 ea 6 Bags $ 116.50 ea Net Incl GST Page 4
Facial Eczema As it has been a funny season with respect to weather, this is another disease that we may see this autumn. Facial eczema is caused by Pithomyces chartarum- a fungus. With warm, moist conditions the spores of this fungus can proliferate and if stock graze these pasture with lots of spores, they can become affected by the toxin contained in the spores sporidesmin. This toxin is rapidly absorbed from the intestine and concentrated in the liver where it causes damage. The only obvious clinical sign you may see is stock that are not growing very well or you may see signs of photosensitivity. If you think facial eczema could be a problem on your property, then we can do pasture spore counts or blood tests on animals. The reproductive performance of ewes with some degree of liver damage, whether or not they show signs of photosensitivity, may be affected. Of all the species we deal with Llamas and Alpacas seem the most susceptible. Sheep Scanning can help improve the reproductive performance of your flock Most of you do scan your ewes to sort out dry ewes and singles and multiples and to roughly determine lambing dates. However there are still a few sheep farmers that haven t scanned ewes for various reasons. For those that don t scan there are numerous benefits to ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis. Scanning can help monitor your reproductive performance on farm and also help with the diagnosis of any reproductive problems or unexplained embryonic losses. Identifying pregnancy status and whether lambing early in the season or later allows for better feed allocation, especially during late pregnancy and early lactation. This is critical for good lamb birth weights, survival and growth rates. The average lamb loss between scanning and tailing is 17%. Anything above that suggests you could have a problem that might be easily rectified. Identifying the causes of high lamb losses is what we do and usually requires doing a few lamb postmortems The usual time for scanning is 90 days after joining but can be done accurately by good operators anywhere from 40-100 days. If you have any queries re scanning or the information provided from scanning please give us a ring at the clinic. Cancer Eye in Cattle (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) This is the most common tumour that affects cattle. It occurs in the poorly pigmented areas of mucocutaneous junctions, particularly around the eye and less commonly the vulva. It is thought that increasing levels of UV light and decreasing amounts of pigment around the eye increase the chance of a mass forming. It is more often seen in white faced cattle such as Herefords and Friesians. The tumour is relatively slow growing but is invasive and eventually will metastasise to the regional lymph nodes. Early stages commonly start as small growths on the third eyelid. If left, these can progress to become irregular and necrotic tumours that usually involve the entire eyeball. These masses often bleed when bumped and these cattle are in a lot of pain. They can t be transported either. However there are treatment options for this condition. If the lesion is noted early enough, then surgery can be done to remove the affected part of the eyelid. If the tumour has spread to the eyeball then we can remove the eye under sedation and local anaesthetic. This does seem like a drastic measure, but the cow gains huge relief from having the cancerous eye taken out. She can then remain in the herd or she can go to the works once the eye has healed from surgery. The cost of eye enucleation is not as much as you think and worth considering with the current beef prices. So if you see a cattle beast with a growth or changes around her eyes then give us a ring and we can advise on the best option. However don t delay notifying us because what may be a simple quick surgical procedure one day may in a month or two become a full enucleation or more advanced to the stage where she cannot even be worksed. A Nutritional Supplement for Sheep, Calves and Dairy Cows containing Iodine, Vitamins A, C, D and E, Selenium and Chromium. The time is right for Pre-tup treatment. NEW lower cost per treatment. Page 5
Things We Have Been Seeing... Parasitism. Conditions have been great for larval survival on pasture and as discussed Haemonchus (Barbers Pole worm) has been a problem. Footrot. This has persisted well where total control has not been achieved. True scald which responds very well to a relatively quick bathe in Zinc Sulphate has also been an issue on some properties that do not have footrot. Rye-grass staggers. Another good year for rye grass staggers. Sheep especially have started showing signs. Staggers will not help scanning percentages if ewes and hoggets become affected between now and tupping. Shift off affected pasture at the first sign of staggers. Pink Eye in sheep. Not good timing with mating occurring on some properties. Facial eczema will we see it? Kennel Cough in dogs. Cows and sheep in great order. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people seem bright until you hear them speak. If I agreed with you then we would both be wrong. To be rehomed Miniature Ponies A selection of miniatures require new homes. If you are interested please ring Chris Wells on 021302709 Huntaway Pups for Sale Both Parents Good Working Dogs. Can Be Viewed. Dogs & Bitches Available Born: Early February Contact: Moston Wadsworth 572-2532 Things To Do This Month 1. Weigh ewes pre-tup. Set target weights for mating. A good year to achieve good mating weights. 2. Try and keep the ewes on an above maintenance plain of nutrition for the first 5 weeks of tupping. Keep them moving. Some ewes may be almost too heavy at mating, because mobs of heavy ewes losing weight during mating will have disappointing scanning %s. 3. Consider a pretup drench for ewes. It may be necessary this year. 4. Hogget mating? Are they well enough grown? Will you be able to give them preferential treatment through to mating as a 2T. Have they had their Toxovax and Campyvax 4 vaccinations? 5. B12 to hoggets?? 6. Pink Eye treat bad cases if yarding, but don t yard to treat. 7. Tetanus vaccinate foals and mares if about to foal. 8. Pregnancy Test cows. Scanning cows early allows a more accurate estimation of calving dates. Scanning can be done as early as 35 days after bull removal. 9. Do a Mineral Check on dry cows. Either bleed at time of pregnancy testing or get a works check done. 10. Weaner calves drench, lice treatment, Se, Copper?? 1st Shot Covexin. 11. Hoggets into vineyards. Make sure they get a quarantine drench on and off. 12. Deer farmers return your record book, filled in and signed please, plus all unused drugs. 13. Fly strike. An outbreak of flystrike and having to treat ewes while the ram is out will have significant effects on conception rates. Make sure ewes are protected prior to tupping if there is any chance of it becoming a problem. Page 6