Our Services
Advice at the surgery and over the phone
As a first point of service we are happy to help with any enquiry to help plan the best course of action. We will always give impartial advice and recommendations whenever required. There is a charge associated with this service.
FERTILITY
Female
The majority of our dairy farmers have routine visits, using ultrasound scanning to monitor the fertility of their herd. This combines pregnancy diagnoses (PDs) with treatment of other breeding problems. We encourage the use of PDing in beef herd as a monitor of fertility and to organise calving periods.
In conjunction with routine dairy visits we use Interherd plus and CIS computer software to help monitor and aid herd fertility
Male
We offer breeding examinations for both Bulls and Rams. This can be as a guarantee for sale (complete with a certificate), a pre breeding exam or an investigation for fertility problems. We recommend yearly routine examination prior to breeding, to help reduce the risk of low fertility on the farm. For more details on its use and the requirements before the exam can be performed please contact us at the farm branch.
HERD & FLOCK HEALTH
We can provide advice and written documents to create a valuable plan tailored to your individual farm. This can be for farm quality assurance purposes or to help create a protocol as an aid for routine treatments.
MASTITIS
Monitoring
As a control of mastitis on your farm, we have a cell count monitor to help you identify problem cows or quarters. To prevent antibiotic residues entering the tank we have an inhouse Delvo antibiotic machine giving a quick result, reducing chances of loss or wastage. Bacteriology and antibiotic sensitivity are available using our local veterinary laboratory. Free advice on treatment is given within days of receiving your sample.
Investigation
In depth mastitis problems can be fully investigated, combining on farm examination at milking time with the Dairy Co Mastitis Plan and utilising the Interherd programs.
STRESS FREE DISBUDDING
Do you ever struggle to find time to disbud the calves on your farm? Do groups get missed and you only realise once calves are too big to handle? Is disbudding one of those jobs that keeps getting put off? If you answered yes to any of those questions then we may be able to help: we are pleased to launch our Stress Free Disbudding Service—reducing stress on calves and farmers!
What is involved? A vet (plus nurse / student depending on numbers) will come to your farm and use a drug called xylazine to sedate your calves. Within 5 minutes the calves will all lie down, and then we will go round and give a local anaesthetic, a dose of long acting pain relief (Metacam) and clip the hair off the buds of the calves.
After this we will use a portable hand held disbudding iron to disbud the calves, and finish by using oxytetracycline spray on the exposed buds. For dairy heifer calves, this is also the perfect opportunity to remove any supernumerary teats! The calves will wake up after a couple of hours and by 12 hours later back to their normal bouncy selves! The sedative we use is very safe but if there are any sick calves we would not sedate them and they would need to be disbudded once they are fully healthy.
What are the advantages?
- Time saving for you, the farmer! All you need to do is point us in the direction of the calves and we can crack on.
- Minimum stress for the calves—by being sedated they don’t know what is going on, and once the sedative has worn off, they are back to normal behaviour without any long term pain effects from disbudding.
- Lower risk of problems after disbudding. Stress causes the release of the hormone cortisol which has a side effect of dampening down the immune system and making a calf more susceptible to disease.
- For dairy heifer calves, we can remove supernumerary teats at a young age when there is little / no risk of complications.
- Speed— we can disbud a lot of calves very quickly (at least 20-25 per hour). • For block calving systems, it takes away a job at an already busy time of year and we can do big groups of calves efficiently. This method is widely used in NZ for this reason.
- If calves need vaccinating, this can be performed quickly while they are asleep!
LAB ANALYSIS
We have a range of in house tests available to give quick results where possible. These include metabolic profiles of down cows to aid quick treatment decisions and scour profiles for young calves. Faecal egg counts to measure fluke and worm burdens are available in the practice, either as a routine monitor or as an investigation of suspected problems. Results are communicated along with advice and an appropriate treatment plan.
NUTRITION
We encourage close working relationships between farmers, nutritionists and ourselves to achieve optimal production for the herd. Metabolic profiles, routine ketone and energy testing allow nutrition to be assessed at cow level.
LAMENESS
Our farm team is fully equipped to treat individual cases on farm. This can range from trimming to claw amputation where necessary. On a herd level we offer investigations and advice on treating problems and routine monitoring. We have a qualified Dairy Co lameness mentor to aid on farm training of locomotor scoring.
CAMELIDS & CAPRINE
With a large number in our area we have in depth knowledge in their management and treatments. We are very happy to provide routine treatment, preventative advice and emergency aid.
SURGICAL THEATRE
With a purpose built facility at Summerleaze we are able to offer an excellent location for emergency and routine surgical operations in a sterile environment. We regularly perform surgery on sheep, goats, alpacas and calves, ranging from caesarians, abdominal hernias and exploratory laparotomies.
DEDICATED FARM RECEPTION TEAM
We are fortunate to have a very experienced farm reception team who can answer a lot of queries and direct you to the right person. Alison has worked at the practice since 1992 and is a qualified veterinary with a management qualification. Emma is also a qualified veterinary nurse and has an SQP qualification in Farm Animal. Fo Jones is also a qualified SQP in Farm Animals. They are both able to advise and prescribe medicines for fly control, worming and other management issues. Their qualification is maintained by attending conferences, webinars and reading. They are governed by Amtra. Nicky and Sally are local to the area and are very happy to help arrange any visits or dispensing any medication required.
FREE ADVICE AT THE SURGERY AND OVER THE PHONE
We will always give free impartial advice and recommendations whenever required.
