Eltham Vet
Eltham Vet Services is a 10-vet practice that has served the farms and family pets of Central and South Taranaki with distinction since 1937. For your pet’s healthcare & your peace of mind contact or visit us.
Welcome to our February newsletter!
We’ve just wrapped up our first Twilight Cockies Golf Tournament, which saw around 100 people gather at the Eltham Golf Club for a fantastic summer afternoon of social golf, great food, and plenty of good yarns. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the day a success and to those who joined in. We’re hoping to make this an annual event, so be sure to mark your calendars for next year!
While sunny days are perfect for golf, this stretch of dry weather is starting to take its toll on many farms. Hopefully, most of you have some feed stored away to get through any shortages. Maintaining your herd’s body condition is crucial at this time of year—it may mean reducing milking frequency or drying off any cows that are struggling. Taking care of them now will pay dividends next season. We’re also in the thick of scanning, and our days are filling up fast. If you haven’t booked in yet, expect a wait of several weeks. If you’re looking to cull, consider scanning suspect cows early, as we can more easily squeeze in smaller mobs.
On the team front, we’re excited to welcome Atraides, our new vet nurse, who joins us after working at Massey University Vet Hospital. She’s eager to get back to working in a small community practice, so be sure to give her a warm welcome when you see her in the clinic or chat with her on the phone. We’re also thrilled to have Johanna back after her summer in Northland—many of you met her in spring, and she enjoyed it so much she’s decided to stay on permanently! Don’t forget to check our website or Facebook page for all your animal health updates, including weekly F.E. spore counts.
Welcome to our new Vet Nurse Atraides. As a welcome special, we will be offering FREE Dental Checks from Atraides in the month of March for our exisiting clients. Call the clinic the arrange your appointment
Kia Ora, I'm Atraides, I'm your new vet nurse for Eltham Vets. I have been vet nursing for 10 years ranging over a variety of clinics across the North Island. I'm from Taumarunui, recently moved from Palmerston North but Raglan is home. I'm looking forward to calling Taranaki my new home. I come from a farming background growing up on drystock farms and I have also worked on many dairy farms throughout the years. I have a special interest in avian patients, I'm no expert but I have nursed and hand reared all sorts of birds. Aside from birds, I can't wait to meet and get to know all the beautiful pets of Eltham.
Prevention
This season, we will be offering Restricted Veterinary Medicines (RVMs) and Animal Health Plans(AHP) for 2025/2026 season, and Dry Cow Therapy (DCT) consults at the same time to improve efficiencies and the service we are providing.
To help us to be able to provide this service we ask that you book in well before you require your DCT and send us all the required information in advance of your consultation.
These bookings will be made with your Key vet. We will need access to your herd test and mastitis records as well as bulk SCC information. Please double check that we have permission to access your Dairy Company records and animal database provider.
Our animal health plans are tailored to meet the unique needs of your livestock, focusing on preventive care and overall health management. These are required if you are trying to achieve Fonterra’s Co-operative difference, but they are also a worthwhile management tool for all our clients. Topics covered include reproduction, mastitis rates, bulk SCC, calf rearing and health, mortality rates, lameness and metabolic issues.
We encourage you to take advantage of the time spent in these consults. The more information you provide and the more questions you ask mean a more detailed plan can be made to support the health, production and well-being of your animals.
If you have not yet had a consult for your AHP plan for this seasons shed inspection please contact the clinic ASAP.
Calves need quite a number of vaccinations, and it can be confusing about what needs doing when
See below for table of up coming suggested vaccination schedule for calves
Please contact your vet to discuss calf vaccinations if you have any questions.
Previously we had vaccinated your cattle with Lepto-3-Way. A new vaccine has now been developed in response to the emergence of a new Lepto serovar- ‘Pacifica’. Pacifica has been linked to the highest rate of human lepto infections in New Zealand. By using Lepto-4-way we are improving protection against lepto for you and your family, your staff and farm visitors eg vets, AB technicians.
To get the full protection of the new vaccine, cattle will need two vaccinations 4 weeks apart. We have rolled this out for calves already, but heifers and cows will need two shots to get this protection.
To make this more appealing, this year you will only have to pay the price of the vaccination for the booster shot, and not the call out or time that is usually included. Once the whole herd is synced up they will only require one shot in subsequent years.
The FE risk season is approaching as environmental conditions for sporulation of the fungus optimize in the coming months. The first indication of disease can be transient diarrhea and a sudden drop in milk production. This can be 8-14 days before other clinical signs such as photosensitization.
Zinc binds the sporidesmin molecule – disrupting the toxin's ability to release free-radicals and damage the bile ducts. Usually, we are not getting enough zinc into cows to provide protection. Here is what you should be keeping in mind when considering preventative treatment with zinc.
A recent talk by Emma Cuttance, who is a lead epidemiologist on FE, discussed that long term use of zinc is unlikely to be sustainable. Breeding for tolerance through your breeding company (CRV at this point have bulls expressing genes for tolerance) is the most sustainable future pathway to reducing the impact of this disease.
DanMix Zinc is a loose lick supplement, containing zinc oxide and trace minerals. It uses salt to moderate intake. It could be used in the following situations
-Dried off cows who have no access to in-shed or feed pad zinc
-R1s, R2s, holdovers which are unable to be bolused
-Use before and/or after zinc boluses to cover the shoulders of the facial eczema season.
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) is one of the most common viral infections in cattle, and it poses a significant challenge for farmers. The disease, caused by the bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1), affects primarily the upper respiratory system, but can also cause lesions in the reproductive tracts of both males and females, it also decreases milk production, and impacts overall herd health. Infected cattle can show symptoms ranging from mild respiratory signs (coughing, nasal discharge, and fever) to more severe conditions like pneumonia, abortions, and infertility. Even when animals don't show obvious symptoms, they can still spread the virus through direct contact, aerosol droplets, or even contaminated equipment. The most troubling aspect of IBR is, as IBR is a herpes virus, once cattle are infected, they may carry the virus for life, shedding it intermittently and potentially exposing other animals in the herd.
Look for the following signs in your herd:
How to Manage and Prevent IBR
1. Vaccination
Vaccination is one of the most effective tools for preventing IBR. There are vaccines available for IBR, which can help reduce the severity of infection and prevent the spread of the virus within your herd. Vaccinating your cows and heifers before breeding can be particularly important in preventing reproductive issues.
2. Biosecurity Measures
As IBR can spread easily between farms and herds, implementing strong biosecurity measures is essential. Limit the introduction of new animals into your herd, ensure proper quarantine protocols for incoming livestock, and thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment, vehicles, and facilities.
3. Management of Infected Animals
Early testing and isolation of animals showing clinical signs of IBR will help to prevent the virus from spreading to other cattle. Infected animals may shed the virus intermittently, so managing their health and reducing stress is vital.
IBR can be a costly disease for dairy farmers, but with proactive management and the right preventative measures, it’s possible to significantly reduce its impact. By employing measures such as vaccination, strengthening biosecurity, and maintaining vigilant herd health monitoring, you can protect your herd, improve productivity, and ultimately, safeguard your farm's profitability.
Cows affected by turnip (brassica) photosensitization or facial eczema share many common features such as skin lesions, drop in milk production, increased liver enzymes and weight loss. Brassica associated liver disease (BALD) is caused by glucosinolates that are found in the leaves; it is believed the levels accumulate when the plant is grazed prior to maturity, the plant has had excess N application, excess S, is under stress from low rainfall or turns reproductive (flowers, seed heads).
We can take a blood sample to confirm liver damage, however the best way to tell the difference between the FE and BALD is to take a spore count (or multiple) from your farm at grazing level. Transitioning cows onto turnips over 10-14 days, by increasing slowly at 1kgDM/cow every 2nd or 3rd day, providing fibre in the diet and limiting the intake of turnips to no more than a 1/3rd of the diet will help reduce BALD. There is a risk of milk taint feeding cows turnips before milking (does not seem common especially under 5kgDM/cow/day) however there is also a benefit to rumen function by putting cows onto turnips with a full rumen and 'not hungry'. We can look for milk fat depression and changes to FEI on the docket as one way to assess transition. It takes at least 2 weeks for rumen fermentation to adjust to brassica feeding.
If removed from turnips straight away, the acute liver damage and regeneration of biliary ducts can mean a positive outcome for an affected cow, as shown by a reduction in liver enzymes after 8 weeks. Other immediate treatments include drying off, providing shade, anti-inflammatories, zinc creams and supplementary feed. Keep in mind that cows with previous liver disease are more likely to succumb to facial eczema/BALD in seasons to come. If you suspect a cow has suffered the effects of BALD and you are seeing more than a few cases per season, have a chat to us about both your transition management and FE prevention options.
Are your animals fit enough to travel to the works? There is an App that can help you decide called “FIT for Transport”. This app can help you sort through conditions that may need to be seen or talked through with your vet before booking a truck.
Pregnant animals should not be transported to the works within 4 weeks of their due date. The environment at slaughter premises is not considered appropriate for heavily pregnant animals and if you choose to transport them to the works you are opening yourself up to scrutiny from MPI due to welfare concerns during transport. You may transport pregnant animals between farms eg. from grazing back to the milking platform in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy but the journey should be less than 2 hours and cows should be given magnesium no more than 24 hours before transport. No animal that is likely to give birth on the truck should be transported, if this occurs prosecution may result.
Animals with discharges, dead tissue, ingrown horns, blood, thick scabs that may bleed, mastitis, very thin cows (
Animal welfare prior to transportation to the works is now also a concern. Black mastitis cases where the affected quarter has died and udder has subsequently healed, bulls with damaged penises, traumatised or diseased eyes, severely or chronically lame animals all raise animal welfare concerns about pain and suffering prior to the point where the animal can be certified. We need to be thinking about levels of suffering and the animal’s wellbeing rather than just the end point of getting them to the works in a few months time.
Euthanasia early in the disease process may be a better outcome for the animal. Record details of the animals issues, date and any treatments given. If you are unsure call a vet. When a vet comes to consider writing a transport certificate for an animal it makes the job easier if it has been documented that the animals welfare has been considered from the beginning and even better if a vet has seen the case early in the process.
Dairy Antibiogram is a test that is performed on bulk milk tank samples which detects and monitors antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis mastitis bacteria on your farm. Bacteria are cultured in the lab in the presence of different concentrations of all the mastitis antibiotics available in New Zealand. From this you get a resistance level for your bacteria to every antibiotic.
Why Dairy Antibiogram?
Antibiotic resistance is a serious animal AND human health problem. It occurs when bacteria are exposed to repeated antibiotic treatments and become harder to kill/control. The end result is a situation where we are powerless to treat infections which were once very responsive to antibiotics. Antibiotics are a valuable tool in the dairy industry, and when used responsibly, they are vital for the maintenance of good animal health and welfare. Bacterial resistance to these valuable treatments is a threat to the viability of dairy farming and is perceived as a threat to human health. Dairy markets are conscious of the development of antibiotic resistance and are nervous about the impacts on consumers.
Who is responsible for preventing antibiotic resistance?
Everyone who is involved in the use of antibiotics. In the dairy industry this includes FARMERS, FARM WORKERS, VETERINARIANS, and PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.
The value of Dairy Antibiogram to YOUR farm:
A Dairy Antibiogram will give you valuable information which, with the direction from your vet, will help you:
1)Plan to use effective mastitis treatments
2)Avoid using expensive broad-spectrum treatments when other cheaper options are shown to be effective
3)Know the resistance status and how this rank compared to other farms in the country
4)Develop biosecurity plans to protect a “good” resistance status
5)Identify threats to your herd which can be investigated further and managed or removed
6)Monitor if your resistance status is changing over time
7)Help the dairy industry demonstrate that it is using antibiotics responsibly
Knowledge of the resistance status in your herd is the key to choosing the right treatments for your cows, and monitoring and preventing the development and spread of resistance.
The recommendation is to get two tests done per season. One in early lactation and one in late lactation. This allows us to capture an accurate picture of what is happening on your farm. Once we have this picture you shouldn’t generally need to do another test for a couple of seasons.
Have a chat to one of us if you want more information or to book a test in.
Most of you will be familiar with melanoma, a malignant cancer of the pigment (melanin) cells of the skin, as NZ has one of the highest rates of human melanoma in the world. It is rare in cattle and – in contrast to us – up to 80% of cattle melanomas are harmless single benign lumps. Cows do get the other common skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, which usually develops from keratoses.Also known as sunspots in humans, plenty of you will have had these little white lumps frozen off your face. In cattle, as in us, keratoses are caused by sun damage and if ignored can progress to malignant squamous cell cancer.
Cancer Eye: The commonest of these keratosis/squamous cancers that we see is cancer eye in its various forms - It usually begins as a benign smooth plaque anywhere on the white surfaces of the eyelids, occasionally directly on or in the centre of the eye, but most often on the margin of the third eyelid (the flap in the corner of the eye that comes across when they blink.) It can progress to a knobbly wart like lesion which then breaks open and ulcerates, leading to bleeding and/orinfected discharges – this is often the stage we are called. By then it has usually gone from a keratosis to a malignant cancer which can spread into the eyeball itself, the eyelids, the bones of the eye socket and to the lymph glands of the head and neck. Any spread into these deeper structures means condemnation of the whole animal at the works.
If seen early when it is a small lesion on the third eyelid, it can usually be removed before it spreads anywhere else. Delaying treatment increases the chance that your cow is only fit for dog tucker, not slaughter. Another important point is welfare – it is not acceptable to leave these until they are a real mess, when early intervention could prevent unnecessary pain and discomfort.
Other Places: Squamous cell cancer can also occur elsewhere in the body, especially on pale or unpigmented skin at the junction between ordinary skin and mucous membranes - eg at the lips, nostrils, or the vulva and anus where they present as non healing crusty or wart like bleeding lesions which often end up ulcerated and infected with a foul smell. Quite slow to invade or become full metastatic cancer; they are often solitary lesions which can be surgically removed.
Not (Normally) Cancer: Eczema Damage – sunburnt or facial eczema damaged areas of skin often end up with large areas of dry and hard horn like lumps or scales of keratin (‘stegosaurusoma’).Large and unable to be removed, these rarely go cancerous, but can have complications like trauma, infection, flystrike, and bleeding that prevent slaughter at the works. A ‘combo’ - I recently saw a cow which had lots of these over her back and sides, but at the bottom of one long line on her shoulder was a single large warty squamous carcinoma which was surgically removed.
It’s pregnancy testing time again. Depending on what you decide to do and how you decide to do it you could get a lot more out of what is a necessary task for most farms.
Options for pregnancy testing are:
1. Ultrasound scanning with the pregnancies aged and these ages recorded
2. Ultrasound scanning but without the pregnancies aged (yes/no scanning)
3. Testing the milk sample for a marker of pregnancy during herd testing
4. Relying on collar/wearable data for those farms that have them
Milk testing will only give you a pregnant, empty, or suspect results. Collars can provide a list of empties and in theory can give conception dates for the pregnant cows but results seem to be quite variable so far. Doing aged scanning is the only way to get an accurate idea when cows are going to calve the following spring. Knowing when cows calve can be very helpful in both planning dry-off and calving management. Matching up calving date with a cow’s body condition score in late lactation and splitting the herd into multiple dry-off groups can be a very effective and efficient way to get a herd to hit calving BCS targets. For example you would dry-off your early calving skinny cows first so that they have enough time to put on weight before the next spring and milk on your later calving fat cows, drying them off last, with perhaps one or two more groups in between. DairyNZ trial work shows that any milk you sacrifice by drying skinny cows off early you will gain back the following lactation PLUS you will get all the benefits of those cows hitting their calving BCS target.
Another benefit of aged scanning is that the accurate conception dates allow you to analyze your mating and to pinpoint what went well and what needs work. Did cows come on heat quickly but not hold when you put them up for AB? Did they not submit well but the ones you did submit held? Did the young cows struggle? Was it the bull that let things down? Without good aged scanning data we can’t really answer these questions and make a plan to improve things next mating.
Even if you scan and get your pregnancies aged the timing of your scan is important. Leaving it too late in the season means that the earliest prengnacies are too big for the vet to age accurately. It’s really difficult to differentiate between a 15 week and a 17 week pregnancy so booking your herd in as close to 6 weeks after the end of mating is key.
So, if you have to pregnancy test anyway why don’t you think about a) switching to getting your pregnancies aged, b) booking your scanning in earlier and c) talking to your vet about going through your (nice and accurate) mating data to see how everything went this season and making a plan for next season.
Eltham Vet Services is a 10-vet practice that has served the farms and family pets of Central and South Taranaki with distinction since 1937. For your pet’s healthcare & your peace of mind contact or visit us.
