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Are lice a problem on your farm?

As we head into the colder months on the West Coast, lice infestations can become an increasing concern. While common across New Zealand, the West Coast’s unique climate – cool, moist, and often wet – creates ideal conditions for lice to thrive....

Down cow prevention

“Down cows? That’s something that I don’t need to worry about happening until spring...” you might be thinking, but now is the time to start planning how to prevent the impacts of those down cows.  Not only will there be many costs and potential losses, cows who go down with milk fever also have a higher chance of having metritis, mastitis, and reproductive issues going forward. So, if you treated more than 2% of your herd for milk fever last spring, or you just want to have less pr...

Rounding up repro results

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Repro Round Up dinner and discussion.It was an enjoyable evening with fantastic food, cheerful company, and some striking stats. There was great interaction throughout the presentation, and the audience asked some really insightful questions. Overall, it was a poorer season on-farm from a reproductive standpoint, with a median empty rate of 12% (compared to 10% last season) and a six week in calf rate average of 66% (compared to 69% last season). ...

Protect your future herd

Teat sealing has become an increasingly popular and effective method to reduce the risk of clinical and subclinical mastitis in heifers. Heifers are particularly vulnerable to mastitis before they even enter the milking herd. Studies show that up to 50% of heifers may already have a teat infection at calving, often caused by environmental bacteria like Streptococcus uberis. These early infections can impact future milk production and increase somatic cell counts, affecting both animal welfa...

Preparing them for dry-off: Multimin Evolution

Zinc and manganese are two essential microminerals for dairy cows and calves. Animals deficient in these trace elements can have problems with health and immunity, making them more susceptible to disease.  Zinc is often associated with the prevention of facial eczema, but it’s also very important outside the eczema season for growth, production, reproduction, and hoof health. Because most feeds contain at least a marginally adequate level of manganese, we don’t often see clini...

Can you vaccinate against mastitis?

Both clinical and subclinical mastitis impact animal welfare, have significant costs, and lower sustainability. There are now two vaccines available to help boost cow immunity to mastitis, with the aim of reducing the usage of antibiotics and the amount of milk down the drain. The UBAC® vaccine targets Gram-positive bacteria, including Streptococcus uberis. It was introduced to the New Zealand market in 2024. Streptococcus uberis is the predominant cause of mastitis on New Zealand dai...

An AB tech’s wishlist

The major reason why AB technicians are not allowed to work in herringbone pits anymore is health and safety. The risks include: trip/fall hazards (vertical bars and concrete don’t have any give, bones do!) and machinery dangers (someone can be scalped if the plant is still running!)....

What the FEC?

FEC (faecal egg count) testing is the method for determining the number of internal parasite eggs in a poo sample. We use FECs to assess the burden of roundworms in a cattle herd and to determine if deworming, otherwise known as drenching, is needed.A few months ago West Coast Vets acquired a Parasight machine that allows us to do a FEC in-clinic in just a few minutes. We have previously had to send samples away to Christchurch, or spend a long time preparing and then manually counting the sampl...

Autumn parasites: Liver fluke & Ostertagia

Liver fluke is a parasite that is pretty common on the West Coast. The life cycle of the parasite (properly called Fasciola Hepatica) is slightly different from other parasites as it involves a small snail as a host. The adult fluke ‘graze’ on the lining of cattle and sheep bile ducts and livers, creating an inflammatory reaction and scarring. This results in protein loss and anaemia, which can cause chronic wasting.Fluke snails live in areas with reasonably clean, slow-moving water sou...

High cell count cows

This season has been a challenging one, starting out so wet and then really drying up from Boxing Day. One issue that is occurring on quite a few farms this season is elevated cell counts and an increase in clinical mastitis. If this is happening to you, you're not alone. Here are a few ideas to help as milking winds down:...

Out of sight, out of mind: Facial Eczema

It can be hard trying to focus on what we don’t see! For every clinical case of facial eczema (FE) there are 10 subclinical cases.FE is caused by a fungus, pithomyces chartarum, which grows on dead pasture litter. In late summer and autumn, when periods of warm humid weather are common, the fungus can multiply rapidly producing large numbers of spores which contain a toxin called sporidesmin.  When livestock ingest pasture with high spore loads, the toxin can cause severe liver damage and...

Summer is here! But do cows like warm weather?

When summer arrives, we finally find ourselves taking those extra layers off and our bodies are enjoying warming up. But what about cows? They cannot take a layer off and often have a black coat... Cows feel hot sooner than we do. Dairy cows need to maintain a constant body temperature of around 38-39°C. They are sensitive to any factor which influences the thermal exchange with the environment – like air temperature, wind, and humidity. When an animal’s heat load is greater than ...

It's scanning season

Aged pregnancy diagnosis (scanning) allows for clearer expectations and better management in spring, as you will accurately know when cows will be due to calve. Scanning also allows the mating season to be evaluated through conception rates, which may influence how you look to improve in the future. We age scan by measuring biometrics of the foetus, either body length, trunk diameter or head length. Based on how long these are we calculate the equivalent days. To accurately age a pregn...

Copper and selenium in calves

We talk about trace elements a lot for your dairy cows, but sometimes youngstock can be forgotten about!When trace element status is in the optimal range, it gives animals the best chance at fighting off other diseases and parasites. Along with excellent nutrition, trace elements like copper and selenium should be at the top of your mind for ensuring the ideal growth and health of your youngstock....

Careful with pets and Christmas treats

Christmas treats are something we all look forward to, but for our furry friends, some of these can be extremely toxic, so it is important to keep them out of reach. If you have a pet with a penchant for opening gifts, this may mean not putting wrapped treats under the tree!Some festive foods to be cautious of around pets include:1. ChocolateWhy it's toxic: Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are stimulants of the central nervous system and heart. They also act as diuretics, which...

Caring for pets over the holidays

The Christmas holidays are fast approaching. If you are heading away, now is a good time to start thinking about what plans you need to make for your pets.  Will you leave them at home and get someone to come and care for them?  Is booking them into a cattery or kennel a better option?  Or, can you take your pet away with you? Leaving your pet at home You may decide to leave your pet in the comfort of its own home, with a neighbour or friend either house-s...

Lepto vaccine update

There has been a lot of communication from Westland lately regarding supply of the lepto vaccine. In the end, we were never approached for a 5-year tender for the vaccine and we turned down the option of the whole West Coast as a logistical impossibility for the timeframes Westland were after, and the legal aspect of treating animals that are legally not under our care.Following last Friday’s communications, we will be continuing to p...

Caring for cows' hooves

Hoof care in dairy cattle is a critical aspect of herd management, particularly in regions with challenging environmental conditions. The high rainfall and rugged terrain in our area presents unique challenges for maintaining cattle hoof health. Proper hoof care is essential for animal welfare, production efficiency, and reducing costs related to lameness.  ...

Keep an eye out for coccidiosis

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease that can occur in calves from as young as 4 weeks of age, but normally between 3-8 months. Infection is by ingestion of coccidia oocysts, from contaminated pasture, feed, water or grooming each other. Paddocks that are used by calves each year are at a higher risk for contamination. The oocysts survive well in moist environmental conditions. The incubation period is about 2-4 weeks for clinical disease, depending on environmental conditions. It is a parasi...

Quick in-clinic FEC testing available

We are pleased to announce that we have invested in a Parasight faecal egg count (FEC) machine, which will enable us to quickly test samples in-clinic.  Created and developed in Australia, this machine can give a FEC for a calf sample in less than 6 minutes. We have previously had to send samples away to the laboratories in Christchurch, or spend around 20 minutes preparing and then manually counting the samples. The machine, which works for cattle, sheep, horses and poultry sampl...

Mastitis testing: Mastatest vs Jupiter

We now have two machines in-clinic that we can use for milk sample testing. The Mastatest machine, which has been around a few years, can run up to four cartridges for clinical mastitis and eight samples of subclinical mastitis in a 22-hour turnaround period. It can also identify bacteria as well as antibiotic sensitivity. The Jupiter machine, which has been available for around a year, uses more traditional agar plates and an incubator, however, uses AI to detect what species are present.&...

Taking mastitis milk samples

We know that this season to date has been particularly challenging with mastitis levels and SCC higher than usual. For clinical and subclinical mastitis (diagnosed either via paddle or herd testing), we can test these to determine which bug is causing the mastitis and give recommendations for the best treatment options. We now have a couple of different testing options available, both in-clinic or sent to the lab, so if you are wanting to get some milk samples tested, please make sure ...

This season's passive transfer results

This season, we had a few farms do passive transfer (PT) testing on their calves to check for absorption of immunoglobulin from colostrum. Below is a quick comparison of the results: ...

Choosing the right pet

Pets bring so much joy to a family. They give affection and love, make us laugh, and have a positive effect on our mental health. However, before choosing a new furry addition, it is important to put thought into what kind of pet is the most suitable for your household.  Things you need to consider are:  Your lifestyle Do an honest assessment of your lifestyle and think about how a pet will impact this. Your daily routine with children, work hours and other commitments, as well as...

Itchy dogs

Is your dog scratching, biting, licking, rubbing his skin, or rolling on the ground? Allergic skin disease can cause significant discomfort to companion animals and is a common reason for dog owners to seek care for their pets. The cause of the itchy problem will most commonly be due to: ectoparasites (usually a flea allergy); food allergy; bacterial infection, or an environmental allergen, such as tree and grass pollens, moulds and dust mites. This condition is known as...