The large quantity of sub-soil moisture present across the Central West along with the return of the warm days has led to rapid growth of lush pasture growth.

The majority of this feed source, whether it be native or improved pasture, provides a large amount of carbohydrate along with little fibre content. These two factors of feed composition predispose livestock to Pulpy kidney as this composition of feed allows for the accumulation of Clostridium Perfringens in livestock’s digestive tract.

Simply, this bacteria produces a toxin that in turn can rapidly kill livestock. Often, affected cattle (sheep, goats and other ruminants are included) are simply found dead. There are generally no prior signs of sickness and no evidence of struggling.

The symptoms to look out for however with the acute form of the disease relate to nervous changes like sudden bellowing and mania followed by convulsions. Adult livestock may develop severe bloat before dying, which usually occurs 1–2 hours after the onset of convulsions. Treatment is unsuccessful and the disease can lead to large loss of stock numbers in very short periods of time.

For this reason vaccination is vital in your herd health program & it is very important to seek veterinary advice with any acute deaths in livestock during this time of year.

Laminitis (also known as founder) is a potentially crippling condition of horses and ponies which can be fatal in severe cases.

By definition, laminitis is inflammation of the ‘laminae’ of the foot – the sensitive soft tissue structures that attach the pedal bone of the foot to the hoof wall. Inflammation and damage to the sensitive laminae causes extreme pain and can lead to instability of the pedal bone in the hoof. In severe or chronic cases, it can lead to irreversible rotation and/or sinking of the pedal bone within the hoof capsule. All four feet can be affected, although the fore-limbs are more frequently and severely affected than the hind-limbs as they support around 60% of the horse’s weight, while the hind-limbs support the other 40%.

What does laminitis look like?

In the initial stages, laminitis may present with signs such as:

• Reluctance to move about
• Sore-footedness, especially on hard ground
• ‘Leaning back’ stance
• Weight shifting from foot to foot
• Excessive lying down

Horses or ponies which have suffered chronic (ongoing) laminitis may have signs of abnormal hoof growth such as hoof wall ‘rings’ and long, dished toes.

It is important to note that laminitis can affect all breeds of horses, not just fat ponies.

What causes laminitis?

Laminitis is a complex condition with a range of potential causes and underlying conditions:

• Nutritional causes – e.g. over-feeding
• Metabolic conditions – e.g. Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Cushing’s disease
• Toxins – e.g. grain poisoning, retained placenta in broodmares
• Traumatic causes – e.g. over-trimming, repeated concussion on hard surfaces

Diagnosis and treatment

We will be able to make a diagnosis based on medical history and examination, and with the aid of X-rays. Treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause but is generally aimed at reducing the inflammation in the feet to prevent or limit irreversible structural changes.

In sheep, mastitis often occurs in a gangrenous form. Often the first signs of mastitis present as a lameness. Producers may also notice that the ewes go off their feed and the lambs may appear hungry from the ewe not allowing them to suckle. There is overt pain and the teats may appear to be swollen and hot then cold and clammy to touch. If there is any damage to the teat end, this allows bacteria easy access and often leads to the expression of clinical disease.

Cases can be seen before lambing - especially in high milk producing breeds. Most commonly, cases occur after lambing and are often associated with udder lesions including scabby mouth and dermatitis. In these cases, the lambs carry the organism orally or in their respiratory system and can act as a source for cross contamination through cross-suckling. Spectacular outbreaks can occur at 4-6 weeks of age when the feed supply is dropping. Dusty conditions predispose to nasal infections and the aggressive suckling of the lamb on a diminishing reservoir sets up the right conditions for infection.

Early treatment of any cases is imperative, as most ewes left untreated for 3 days will die. Both organisms normally involved in mastitis are susceptible to the most commonly used antibiotics.

So… watch out for uncomfortable ewes with swollen udders post-lambing. Remove these ewes with their lambs from the flock and treat immediately with antibiotics (and an anti-inflammatory). Spread any feeders as much as possible as Mannheimia in particular can survive well in the environment. Match your feed supply to milk production. Over-feeding can result in excess milk production, leaving the teat open and susceptible to infection; underfeeding can lead to more vigorous activity from the hungry lamb.

Some things should be stopped before they start, and pinkeye is definitely one of them. It’s nasty for your cattle, painful for your wallet and it can be a real pain to treat. In serious outbreaks, 80% of the mob can be affected. It can severely reduce the growth rates, especially of weaner cattle, with some losing up to 10% of their body weight when infected.

A single preventative dose of Piliguard should be administered three-to-six weeks before the pinkeye season. In combination with:

• Reducing the spread of the bacteria by controlling fly numbers. This is best done using pour-ons.
• Prompt segregation of affected animals for treatment and isolation.
• Avoiding unnecessary yardings during the dusty months.

Pilligard is an effective way of reducing the risk of pinkeye seriously taking hold in your cattle mob. Some producers strategically vaccinate the most susceptible animals only, this is the calves and weaners. This is one approach which has a lot of merit. Calves can be vaccinated from one week old on.

Don't wait for pinkeye to appear. Vaccinate early and give yourself one less thing to worry about this season.

Regardless of the extent of information you have on your new horse’s health history, any new additions to your property should always be placed in quarantine for at least 14-21 days. This reduces the likelihood of spread of disease and weed seeds onto your property and gives you an opportunity to assess and consider your new horse’s health program.

It is a good idea to arrange a vet visit for a thorough check-up, including a dental exam, to decide on the most appropriate health program for your new horse. Factors to consider include hoof care, dental care, parasite control, vaccination and nutrition.

Quarantine areas are certainly important for new introductions, but they can also serve to isolate and prevent the spread of disease when you have a sick horse.

Some tips for utilising a quarantine area on your property:

• The quarantine area should be away from the main herd, and out of the way of horse traffic
• Assign designated quarantine area equipment including feed and water buckets, halters and leads, and grooming equipment
• Reduce the risk of cross-contamination by limiting the number of people in contact with quarantined horses, and handle quarantined horses last for the day
• Practice good hygiene, especially when caring for sick horses in quarantine – wear disposable gloves, use footbaths, wash hands, and change and wash clothes

There are two common diseases that need to be vaccinated against before breeding – vibriosis and pestivirus. Given the spring joining is just around the corner, this is a timely reminder.

Control pestivirus using Pestigard

There is only one vaccine, Pestigard, to prevent pestivirus infections in your herd. However, there are a few ways to utilise the vaccine.

1. Full vaccination program: Vaccinate all breeding stock annually with Pestigard. Two doses for heifers and an annual booster for cows 2-4 weeks prior to joining. Don’t forget to have your bulls on the same schedule.
   
   
2. Vaccination of heifers, (+ / - first calvers) + bulls: Target vaccination with Pestigard to the highest risk groups. This is an excellent and effective starting point and can be used prior to implementing a full vaccination program especially for those conscious of their animal health spend.
   
   
3. Strategic vaccination programs: Speak with us regarding vaccination programs based on antibody testing results. This is an effective way of understanding the infection status of your herd and targeting vaccination towards naïve groups of cattle.

Control vibriosis using Vibrovax

Vibriosis is a major cause of poor fertility and abortions across Australia. Infection does not impair the fertility of bulls but has a significant impact on females.

1. Vaccination of bulls: In yearling bulls, the vaccine should first be administered 8-12 weeks prior to joining, with a booster dose 4-6 weeks prior to joining. Annual boosters should be given 4-6 weeks prior to joining.
   
   
2. Vaccination of females: Vaccination of heifers and cows with Vibrovax may also be necessary to eradicate vibriosis from herds confirmed through testing to be infected. Heifer vaccination is a cost-effective addition to bull vaccination in extensively managed beef herds, where bull control is difficult.