One condition we saw frequently during wet conditions in late 2020/early 2021 was cattle and sheep lameness. Antibiotic treatment is a common first line treatment however it may not fix the problem if the cause is a broken toe.

OVH vet Ryan discusses why amputation may be a recommendation and offer the best outcome.

"With the on-going high levels of moisture into the later part of 2020 and early 2021, OVH vets were heavily involved with many cases of lameness in cattle that were nonresponsive to Anti-biotics.

This warranted a more in-depth investigation with several cows undergoing radiography of the lame feet. Radiographs revealed that these non-resolving lameness’s were never going to heal due to the fact that the bone/s of the toe (similar to the ones in our hands) were infected and or fractured; xray image above shows the fracture. The importance of this diagnostic tool then allowed the vets to decide to amputate the infected toe.

This procedure had to be undertaken in order for a complete resolution of the lameness to occur, as a simple ‘shot of anti-biotics’ will not fix this issue. The procedure may seem slightly gruesome to some however out of the 10 or so amputations completed in the past 8months all animals recovered extremely well with no complications noted.”

Given the current mouse infestation going on in many parts of Australia, we have put some time into researching the most common issues that occur in livestock during mouse plagues.

• The most common infectious diseases we consider are leptospirosis, botulism and salmonella. These can be vaccinated against to offset some risk.
  
  
• It has been noted that sheep may reject or have very low consumption of affected grain. This puts them at greater risk of energy deficiency and associated pregnancy toxaemia - read more here.
  
  
• NSW Local Land Services put out an interesting article this year highlighting the risk of contaminated hay. This includes the human risk of leptospirosis when handling contaminated hay.
  
  
• An Australian Veterinary Journal article published in 1994 outlined the bacterial infection (‘lumpy tail’), that is thought to be what limits and often ends most mouse plagues - so, if you see mice with lumpy tails, fingers crossed that it may be the beginning of the end.
  
  
• Toxoplasma can be a cause of ewe abortion if sheep eat grain contaminated by cat faeces. Toxoplasma may circulate between cats and field mice. Although people love cats to be their mice killers, this is beyond the capacity of any old house cat.
  
  
• Listeriosis is another potential cause of abortion and death in ewes eating mouse-contaminated grain. The condition is possibly potentiated by sheep worms, causing ingestion of Listeria bacteria from the soil as pointed out in this article.

While these risks may sound like doom and gloom, there are a number of ways to offset this risk:

• Vaccinate with Ultravac 7-in-1, a botulism vaccine like Longrange and consider salmonella vaccines.
  
  
• Inspect hay before feeding it. If it is highly contaminated, don’t feed it.
  
  
• Keep grain feeders clean, consider ordering small quantities per order if this is feasible.

Pneumonia is a frequently occurring disease in calves. It is often seen in calves four-to-six weeks of age and post-weaning. The disease is characterised by:

The risk of a calf developing disease depends on several factors which relate to either the chance of exposure to a pathogen or the immunity of the individual. Cold weather, poor air quality, mixing of age groups and overcrowding increase the chance of exposure. While immunity from colostrum, stress, ventilation and husbandry influence a calves’ ability to fight disease.

Prompt treatment of calves is essential for good outcomes. The lungs can become permanently damaged following a bout of pneumonia. In fact, a calf that develops pneumonia pre-weaning is 2.4 times as likely to suffer from calving difficulties as a heifer. This indicates the lifelong impact that pneumonia has on dairy cattle.

If you are having trouble with pneumonia in calves, please call us. We can help with both a treatment plan, and a preventative care program including pneumonia vaccinations, colostrum management and housing recommendations.                                                            Image Beefmagazine.com 

Paraboss, Australia’s premier source of integrated parasite management information, has just launched a cattle edition. The site, produced by MLA, QLD Government and the University of New England has been a long-standing source of parasite information for sheep and goats. The new addition of cattle will serve as a great guide for beef and dairy producers.

The information is broken into four sections:

1. Wormboss focuses on internal parasites. Topics include deciding which cattle to treat for worms, assessing worm burdens and managing drench resistance.
   
   
2. Flyboss focuses on buffalo fly, stable flies, mosquitoes and midges and the diseases and conditions spread by flies.
   
   
3. Liceboss has topics on how and when to treat cattle lice, biting versus sucking lice, checking for mites and treatment product searches.
   
   
4. Tickboss has topics ranging from how to identify ticks, when and how to treat cattle for ticks, managing tick fever with vaccination, moving cattle through tick zones and also a product search function.

Given the ongoing need to manage parasites by understanding their lifecycles, production and welfare impact, and strategic chemical and non-chemical interventions - this site will be a great resource for cattle farmers.

With winter approaching, we are tempted to fall into the trap of assuming that our horses will be beginning to feel the cold just as we are, but piling those rugs on may not be in your horse’s best interest!

Consider the brumbies in the Victorian high country, or the Icelandic horses in the North Atlantic - our equine friends are much better adapted to the cold weather than we give them credit for.

Horses differ to us greatly in their thermoregulatory abilities. For a start, they are able to grow a thick winter coat, which provides an insulative barrier keeping them warm and dry down to the skin. The digestive system of the horse also contributes greatly to their ability to cope surprisingly well in cold conditions. Roughage is digested by a process of fermentation in the horse’s oversized caecum, or “hind-gut”, and releases heat which is highly effective at keeping the horse warm.

There are certainly some instances where rugging may be considered necessary. For example, illness, poor body condition, a clipped coat, or those lacking adequate shelter from extreme elements. Some horses may need to be rugged in order to maintain a clean and tidy coat for competitions.

Horses that are rugged must be checked daily. Rugs can slip and cause serious injury, so it’s important to remove the rug regularly to thoroughly inspect your horse and also to assess body condition. In prolonged wet weather, rugs should be swapped or taken off to dry on a regular basis, as they can become saturated leading to moisture beneath the rug and subsequent skin problems.

How to keep your horse warm this winter:

• Feed plenty of roughage
  
  
• Provide good shelter in the form of tree breaks or paddock shelters
  
  
• Encourage activity:
  • Give your horse room to move about
  • Position their feed, water and shelter in separate locations
    
    
• Groom regularly to help keep their coat clean and insulative

Rain leads to wet pastures that lead to wet feet that lead to sore feet that lead to lameness - and lameness is the bane of all sheep farmers in the southern climes!

Lameness is one of the most significant and widespread welfare problems in the southern states, and is a major source of economic loss to the sheep industry.

An animal suffering from lameness is less able to graze and compete for feed. The consequences of lameness include:

Lameness at this time of year can progress into spring as warmth adds a complicating and accelerating factor to the equation! Lame rams develop poor testicular tone and therefore lower fertility, leading to poor conception rates, and poor doing ewes that have been limping away from their poor doing lambs.

Most lameness is due to foot abscess, either toe or heel and the ubiquitous scald. Foot abscess can be confused with footrot as both develop from scald (or interdigital dermatitis) and both can cause severe lameness - and they love it when conditions are wet! Another common cause is Erysipelas arthritis, which most commonly occurs in young lambs around birth, post marking and post weaning.

Zoetis have released a combined vaccine GlanEry 7-in-1 B12 which provides protection against Erysipelas arthritis. This vaccine is a simple and effective way to prevent Erysipelas arthritis in lambs and needs to be administered to ewes pre-lambing to provide lambs with protection in the colostrum.

As the temperature starts to drop, we should be aware of the effect cold weather can have on our horses.

Horses tend to drink far less in cold weather, but they need to eat enough to meet their normal energy requirements and stay warm. If your horse has not been drinking enough and is consuming large amounts of dry feed, they could be at increased risk of impaction colic.

What is impaction colic?

Impaction colic is caused when digested feed becomes lodged in the large intestine, usually just in front of the pelvis, where the large intestine does a 1800-degree turn.

An impaction is one of the less severe causes of colic and, if recognised early, it can usually be treated successfully. Treatment for an impaction colic consists of anti-inflammatory pain relief and fluid therapy provided as electrolyte solution via a stomach tube, or intravenously in severe cases.

The symptoms of impaction colic are:

• Slight increase in heart rate
• Dry gums
• Intermittent mild colic signs, such as pawing and lying out flat
• Reluctance to drink water, resulting in dehydration

Providing access to green pasture where possible, constant access to clean water, soaking dry feedstuffs, maintaining good dental health and keeping your horse warm with shelter and rugs are good ways of minimising your horse’s chance of developing impaction colic this winter.

Call us immediately if you notice any signs of colic in your horse.