Welcome to our monthly newsletter, covering the latest large animal care advice and tips‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
 
Orange Veterinary Hospital
   
 
 
57 Molong Rd
Orange, NSW, 2800
orangevet@orangevet.com.au
 
   
 
Large Animal News
November 2021
 

It is hard to believe that summer is on the horizon with the weather we have had. The ongoing wet conditions are causing issues with horses and livestock. Meanwhile, we are enjoying having consults and Molong largely back to normal!

 
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Rain, rain and more rain
 

The ongoing heavy rains mean you need to check livestock condition and feed supply. Check for lameness issues relating to soggy feet, and skin issues for all types and classes of stock, including cattle, sheep, goats and horses.
With the heavy rain, metabolic issues may start rearing their head.

Producers are reminded to check that management actions are completed, in particular for animals at risk. At risk animals include, late pregnancy and early lactation, newly shorn sheep, animals in low condition and sick or injured animals. Remember to pay particular attention to animals that have bandages on as soggy bandages seldom do much good. 

 
Laminitis
 

The good season that we are having, the grass is about as green as it gets, and some animals, especially horses and ponies have been engorging themselves. As such, we are seeing horses and ponies with laminitis.

Laminitis is a multi factorial problem, and requires a multi factorial management plan. 

Risk factors can include:

  • foot pathology or severe lameness
  • severe illness, like retained membranes, or blood poisoning
  • engorgement of feeds, especially sugars and carbohydrates
  • hormonal imbalances, for example Equine Metabolic Syndrome or PPID
  • medication reactions

Your veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination, and may recommend further tests, including x-rays and blood tests. 

Management recommendations from your veterinarian may include combinations of the following:

  • diet changes
  • grazing management 
  • exercise plan
  • pain management 
  • medications to control the underlying disease

It is important to remember that laminitis is a condition that your equine friend will need managed long term to prevent it flaring up in the future. Between yourself and your veterinarian, you can work on a long term.

 
It's never too late to vaccinate
 

Vaccines are getting all of society thinking at the moment. When it comes to vaccinating your horse, there are a few important diseases to think about- we are yet to hear of a vaccine that'll get your horse into pubs and clubs though!

Tetanus

Tetanus is an obvious one. As this is a relatively rare disease, most horse owners don’t think about it much, and many are unknowingly playing roulette with their horse’s life. There are some areas in Australia where tetanus is more common, but the decision to vaccinate is based on a simple equation. Sure, the likelihood of your horse getting tetanus is low, but the consequences are catastrophic, so the risk is high.

We used to think that any tetanus vaccination was enough. I have heard some horse owners say that a vet told them that the tetanus vaccination was so good that if you tore the lid off the vaccine box and threw it in the yard, your horse would be covered. Recent research has shown that, the better the vaccination program, the milder any tetanus symptoms will be and making them therefore easier to treat. It is also much easier and less stressful to know that your horse is vaccinated if it is to injure itself, rather than extra vaccinations if an accident does occur. Tetanus in unprotected horses can be treated, but it’s rarely successful, always expensive and devastatingly painful for your horse. It’s really a simple decision. Get your horse vaccinated with the right program. These vaccines are available over the counter in reception, or a vet can administer it for you if you are uncertain. 

Strangles

Strangles is also a bacterial infection but, unlike tetanus, it causes abscesses in the throat and neck and can cut off the airways (hence ‘strangles’). This disease is more common than tetanus and, although it is rarely fatal, horses catch it from other horses or the environment. Some horses can even carry and transmit strangles without being clinically sick. This makes it very important for all horses that get out and about at shows, competition and pony club to be vaccinated. 

Vaccinations can be combined with Tetanus to make protection easier, but strangles needs three initial doses, unlike tetanus. Again, prevention is much easier than treatment for this distressing disease. These vaccines are available over the counter in reception, or a vet can administer it for you if you are uncertain. 

Equine Herpes Virus (EHV)

This family of viruses affect many animals, including people. A vaccine is available to prevent EHV1 and 4. These viruses can cause upper respiratory tract infections similar to colds, as well as abortions and occasionally but more seriously neurological symptoms. Ask your vet about appropriate vaccination protocols for your horse. As with other diseases, it will depend on the risk profile of your horse.

 
Q fever
 
On the subject of vaccinations…
Q fever is a nasty infection caused by a bacteria called Coxiella burnetii. Humans are typically infected from animals- especially cattle, sheep, goats and kangaroos. Q fever and it’s side effects can last a long time.
Humans typically come in contact with this bacteria via birthing fluids, milk, urine and even faeces. The bacteria can survive in air, soil, water and dust.
Farmers, stock workers, veterinary staff and wildlife carers are at highest risk. It is helpful to discuss this with your doctor if you are an at-risk group as testing and vaccinations are available for humans.
 
Unpacking- normal birth of alpacas
 
Alpacas are South American camelids, closely related to the llama, guanaco and vicuña. These animals are closely related and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. These animals evolved in the South American Andes. Alpacas are more related to camels than sheep or goats.

Alpaca pregnancies vary in length- averaging 11months, but 10-12 months can be normal. In the wild, some herds are noted to synchronise birthing which seems to be an evolutionary advantage to minimise predation. One of the things that make it difficult to predict when a female (a hem bra) may birth, is that there is very little to note about any udder development, unlike a cow. Further, that udder is difficult to see due to fleece in the way! 70% of births occur in the morning.

Just prior to birthing time, the female may separate from the herd, urinate more frequently as the Cria (baby alpaca) moves into the birth canal, and the hembra (female) be heard humming for between 1-6 hours prior to contractions. 

A cria (baby alpaca) should be delivered within 30 minutes of contractions starting. Like most birthing animals, you might notice abdominal contractions and frequent position changes during this time- like standing then sitting and then standing again. It is uncommon for an alpaca to have twins.

A placenta should be delivered within 4-6hours after the cria, but keep in mind that it may not be found. Retained placentas are rare in alpacas, unlike in horses. 

After all of this fun, the uterus contracts and females can conceive within 2-3weeks after birthing. In coming newsletters, we will identify factors contributing to male and female alpaca reproduction. 
 
How to resuscitate a calf
 

You may have come across calves which require resuscitation after delivery. These are calves which have become stressed and depleted of oxygen during the delivery process. They may have swollen heads, blue gums, slow/weak or absent breathing, a flaccid/floppy body and a poor or absent suck reflex. Without mechanical ventilation, many of these calves will die soon after birth.

We do not recommend ‘mouth-to-mouth’ in the calves due to OH&S issues, however there is a very good device on the market which is specifically designed to resuscitate calves.

The McCulloch Medical Aspirator / Resuscitator works to first remove mucus from the calf's airways, then deliver air to its lower airways.

The resuscitation process is as follows:

Aspiration

  • Attach the aspirator mask on the wide end and place over the muzzle

  • A vacuum is created when the unit is pumped to remove mucus or fluids that may be blocking the airway

  • Tilt head back to open the airway

  • Use four or five pumps to draw the mucus or fluids into the aspirator mask

  • Remove the aspirator mask from the pump and follow resuscitation instructions

Resuscitation

  • Attach the resuscitator mask to the small end of the unit and place over the muzzle

  • Hold push down over the oesophagus (just above the trachea) to prevent air going into the stomach

  • Pump resuscitator every five to ten seconds to allow full exhalation

  • Breathing should be stimulated with as few as five to ten pumps, and check for breathing every few pumps

  • If not breathing after four to five pumps, turn the calf over and repeat

  • This will allow the lung previously closer to the ground and weighed-down by internal organs to inflate more easily

  • Continue while the heartbeat remains

Please contact us if you are interested in more information on this product. 

 
Controlling scours in beef herds
 

It’s common to see outbreaks of calf scours in beef herds. The risk becomes greater when there is rain, which we have had plenty of lately.

When faecal testing is undertaken, Rotavirus and Cryptosporidium are some of the common culprits. Fortunately, timely vaccination of cows can provide a good level of protection. This works by ensuring that the colostrum made by the cow have higher levels of antibodies against these sorts of pathogens.
Inadequate colostrum quality and intake can also be associated with other issues, like septicaemia (blood poisoning), and respiratory disease. Underfed cows tend to make poor quality colostrum- though that’s not much of an issue this year!

Useful tips for preventing an outbreak

  1. Target a tight joining period (ideally under eight weeks)

  2. Use a new calving paddock every year - this paddock should not have been used to calve cows for over 18 months, and ideally has some pasture cover

  3. Avoid manure build up in the calving area - move hay and grain feeders around and have multiple water troughs, do not put cows into the calving paddock until two weeks before the expected start of calving

  4. Maximise colostrum intake to maximise calf immunity - the major reason that calves miss their colostrum is when they experience calving difficulty, if dystocia exceeds 10% in heifers and 2% in cows, you will need to correct this

The essentials for treating a scouring calf

  1. Free access to water - calves need to be able to access water in troughs, ideal trough height is around 70cm

  2. Electrolytes - if you can catch them, or you bring them into a hospital pen for treatment

  3. Anti-inflammatories may be helpful if the calf is hydrated - these help relieve pain to maintain their drinking. Talk to your veterinarian.

  4. Antibiotics - in some, but not all instances, calves require antibiotics to treat scours- speak to us about the need for antibiotics for your specific scenario 
 
Jab sheep the right way
 

A study commissioned by Zoetis has found that using a ¼ inch needle and injecting at a 45-degree angle when vaccinating sheep will limit the risk of infection site reactions and carcass trimming at the abattoir.

Most vaccines in Australia are designed to be injected under the skin, not into the muscle. However, the recent study found that many experienced farmers and contractors are unintentionally administering the vaccine into the muscle.

The issue with intramuscular injections is that the site must be trimmed in the abattoir while processing the meat, reducing the carcass value. In unfortunate circumstances, it can also lead to painful abscesses, loss of condition and even neurological damage or ‘staggers’ in certain cases.

The study’s conclusions were:

  • Use a ¼ inch only when vaccinating sheep and lambs

  • Inject all vaccines approximately 5cm from the base of the ear (the orange circle in the above image is the ideal location), this helps to avoid hitting structures including bone, ear cartilage and glands whilst minimizing the risk of damaging valuable cuts of meat

  • The only exception to the 45-degree rule is adult sheep with 80m of wool or more, in this instance, a ¼ inch needle at 90 degrees is the most successful way of administering the vaccine
 
Hendra recharged
 

New form

In 2015, a horse died of a syndrome which at that time was unrecognised. Subsequently, the cause of death has been attributed to a new form of Hendra virus. We’ve known about Hendra and its devastating effects since 1984. It has killed four people (including two vets) and over 100 horses. About 80% of infected horses and 60% of infected humans die from this virus. The new variant is 99% similar to the original strain. The good news is that the existing vaccine is expected to be equally effective against the new strain.

Flying fox risks

The original strain of Hendra was only known to occur within the range of the black flying fox which has a large range from northern Australia down the NSW coast, and its rarer spectacled cousin which only inhabits a small range in Northern Queensland. Hendra has also been detected in the little red and grey-headed flying foxes, but these have been thought to be low excretion hosts. Until recently, Hendra in horses has never occurred outside black flying fox range, so the risk of disease in horses from these other flying foxes was thought to be low. The new strain of Hendra has also been found in the grey-headed flying fox as far south as Adelaide.

Hendra vaccination

Advice from vets up until now has mainly been based on the risk of Hendra infecting a horse and included its location (both geographic and living environment) and possible exposure to horses which may have travelled from a Hendra risk area. These areas were the range of the black flying fox.

It may be time to reevaluate this risk, and that should be done with your vet. The grey-headed flying fox’s range extends down the east coast and across to Adelaide, and the little red down the west coast to Carnarvon, and occasionally further south. The new strain may have a higher risk of disease spillover in these species, so reevaluating your horse’s Hendra protection is a prudent strategy, especially if you travel with your horse, for example, with competitions.

 

This email contains comments of a general nature only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice. It should not be relied on as the basis for whether you do or don't do anything. 

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Orange Veterinary Hospital
57 Molong Rd
Orange, NSW 2800