Startvac: A New Vaccine to Reduce Mastitis

The good news:

Helps prevent mastitis caused by E. coli, coliforms, Staph aureus, Staph spp.

Reduces clinical and sub clinical infections

Reduces severity

Reduces SCC

The not so good news:

It is not effective against Strep uberis.

 A course consists of 3 vaccinations, two before calving and one around 52 days post calving.

Where there is significant mastitis caused by Staph or Ecoli type organisms it is likely that Starvac will help. Vaccination should be considered as part of an overall assessment of mastitis and SCC on farm.

DairyCo Mastitis Investigation

Now is an ideal time to review your approach to mastitis, its treatment and prevention.

CLOSAMECTIN Pour On for Cattle

First 4 in 1 pour on:

Effective against mature and late immature fluke

Effective against worms

Controls lice

Easy Application

Safe with only 28 day meat withdrawal

Can be used in Dairy Cows at drying off (Not with in 60 days calving)

Use as part of parasite control strategy.

Are you using the best strategy for parasite control on your farm?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

New drug: CLOSAMECTIN injection for sheep

First 4 in 1 injection:

Effective against mature and late immature fluke

Effective against worms

Controls sheep scab

Use as part of parasite control strategy.

Are you using the best strategy for parasite control on your farm?

Sheep are at risk of acute fluke in early summer if grazed on contaminated pasture.

Speak to us about your fluke (and other parasite) risks and when to treat.

Lambing Checklist

• Lubricant, arm length gloves, ropes/snares
• Stomach tube,
• Frozen Colostrum (200ml lots) plus emergency dried colostrum.
• Iodine Navel Dressing
• Antibiotics Inj. & Spray, Ophthalmic Ointment
• Watery mouth treatment/prevention
• Energy drench (e.g. Propylene Glycol
• Calcium (Calciject no.6)
• Needles/syringes
• Thermometer
• Rings, marker sprays
• Chocolate!

Metabolic Disease Around Lambing

Twin lamb disease, hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia all occur around lambing and are often inter-related. As ever prevention is always better than cure.

Prevention:

Avoid changes especially in last 3-4 weeks.

Appropriate feeding is vital in reducing the risk of twin lamb disease. Good quality concentrates (ideally CP 18% and energy 13MJ/kg DM) should be supplemented according to number of lambs and condition score.

Allow 45cm (18 inches) of trough space per ewe.

Good quality forage should be available at all times with any rejected forage being cleared daily and replaced with fresh forage.

To prevent hypocalcaemia, stress and handling should be minimised and extra care should be taken when ewes are gathered for vaccination or housing, hay and concentrates should be provided before leaving and on arrival at housing.

Hypomagnesaemia usually occurs after lambing in ewes rearing twins usually on lush grass. Watch the flock after movement onto lush or bare fields.

Signs to look out for:

Refusal to eat- can appear interested in feeding but ‘turns nose up’ when at the feed trough- Twin lamb

Separated from flock-Twin lamb

Tremors- Twin Lamb/hypomagnesaemia

Depression/ Recumbency- Twin lamb/hypocalcaemia

Bloat- hypocalcaemia

Death- twin lamb/ hypomagnesaemia

Treatment:

Propylene glycol oral drench given as soon as ewe shows refusal to eat, this can be repeated after a few hours.

50-100ml of Calciject no.6 under the skin

Offer high energy palatable feed and tempt to eat

Give electrolyte and energy drench such as Lifeaid

A pre-treatment blood sample is useful in determining which diseases are involved and hence allows appropriate treatment

Contact one of the farm animal team for further advice on managing and preventing these conditions.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

Call us for all your veterinary requirements.

01560 485193

01563 530775

Coccidiosis in Sheep: Baycox

Second most common cause of scour in sheep.

Causes significant production losses.

Typically seen aged 4-6 weeks but can be seen as early as 2 weeks and in older lambs.

Sub clinical disease is also important.

Lambs pick up coccidial oocyts from a contaminated environment ( especially around feeds/water troughs and bedding if inside). The organism causes damage to the gut as it matures. Once mature it begins to excrete large numbers of oocysts into the environment which then sets up a new round of infection.

Once cycles of infection begin the environmental load quickly increases. The amount of gut damage will depend on both the strain of the coccidia and also the level of challenge.

The symptoms are familiar to most peoples and include scour, inappetance, pain, weight loss, anaemia and ultimately death. If there is also a worm challenge symptoms will be more severe.

Sub clinical infections with coccidiosis will also causes ill thrift /sub optimal growth without outright symptoms.

Diagnosis

Dung sample at least 3 and preferably 6 animals. Include some apparently healthy lambs.

Flock history and symptoms also help.

Treatment

Treat now.

Plan to prevent.

Why Consider Baycox

Effective.

Stop environmental build up.

Allows development of immunity.

Improves growth rate.

Managing coccidiosis is an investment in flock health and ultimately profitability. For more information on coccidiosis and it’s treatment and prevention in your flock speak to one of our vets.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>