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
December - 2021
Merry Christmas!
 

As December rolls to a close, we wish all of our clients a very Merry Christmas! We hope that you are able to spend time with those near and dear to you through this time, and wish safe travels to those on the roads. 

An on-call veterinarian will be available for emergencies through the public holidays. Routine appointment availability is limited but appointments are being prioritised by the hard working reception team. 

 
Contact us
 
Fare well from Kimbo
 

They say all good things must come to an end and after 20 years at OVH my time as ended.
I have had the joy of working with some great staff during my time, and have been a part of a huge family. Friendships have been formed that will stand the test of time.
Vets and nurses are a very special group of people who choose to work in a very demanding profession which brings joy but also a lot of sadness and stress. They deserve more gratitude and understanding than they receive.
2021 has been a challenging year for many but one way or another we have made it through. I know 2021 would of been much harder without the love and support I have received from my OVH family.
Merry Christmas to you all, thanks for making each day so very different and being wonderful, loyal clients of OVH.
Regards
Kim

 
 
 
Update on Meat & Livestock Australia's CN30 initiative
 

Meat & Livestock Australia's initiative 'Carbon Neutral by 2030' (or 'CN30') sets an ambitious target for the country's red meat and livestock industry to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The initiative aims to achieve carbon neutrality through the reductions of emissions from grazing management, lot feeding and processing, in addition to increases in carbon storage in soils and vegetation.

Doug McNicholl, Meat & Livestock Australia's Program Manager for Sustainability Innovation, recently shared a video update on the CN30 initiative which is well worth watching. You can also read more about the CN30 roadmap here.

 
Watch the CN30 update on YouTube
 
Worming horses
 

What should I look for?

Worms in horses are a problem that’s not always easy to get your head around. While some heavy worm infestations in the gut can lead to weight loss and even gut obstructions, this severity is rare. However, one of the most serious risks is from large red worms migrating through blood vessels that supply the gut and disrupting blood supply, leading to serious colic or even death.

Types of worms

The most significant worms are large red worms (strongyles), small red worms (small strongyles), threadworms and large roundworms.

Large red worms are the biggest enemy to your horse. As their most serious effects can occur before they become adults in the gut, you may not be aware of any signs of infection before it’s too late. That’s why the best strategy is prevention.

Small red worms are the most common worms of horses. Horses take in the larval stage of worms with pasture. These larvae then burrow into the gut wall and hibernate over winter. They can then emerge in large numbers in spring and cause gut damage leading to weight loss, diarrhoea and colic.

Roundworms can cause serious problems for foals. Most adult horses develop good immunity to these worms that can reach up to 50cm. Again, the larvae can cause problems as they migrate through the liver and lungs. The most common signs are a cough or other respiratory signs in foals or, less commonly, diarrhoea and weight loss.

Threadworms can also cause anaemia and diarrhoea in foals. Pinworms are known for causing damage to horses, fences and property as horses become incredibly itching and damage things trying to scratch themselves. 

Lifecycle

Large and small red worms lay eggs that are passed in poo. These eggs hatch and then grow to a stage where they climb grass and are eaten by an unsuspecting horse.

Large roundworms produce many eggs that stick around the horse’s hind end or other objects in the environment. Foals often take in the eggs during suckling from their dam. Threadworms are taken in by the foal in the mare’s milk.

Control

For an effective worm control program, you need to drench to remove worms from your horse. Drench can be purchased at reception. It is a good idea to acclimatise your horse to the idea of having tasty pastes in their mouths first, like molasses or apple sauce. Regularly removing poo from your horse’s environment and monitoring worm burdens using testing kits can also assist in worm control.

If you have questions about setting up an effective worm control program, give us a call.

 
Introducing Dectomax V
 

Dectomax V is Australia’s first dual active injectable drench for cattle. It harnesses the trusted power of Dectomax, with the added strength of levamisole, in a single injection.

About Dectomax V

  • New dual active drench technology - resistance breaking
  • High efficacy, broad spectrum parasiticide
  • Easy injectable administration for highly-reliable dosing
  • Treats gastrointestinal worms, cattle ticks, sucking lice
  • Safe for use in pregnant animals
  • 28-day re-treatment interval
  • No long-term adverse effects on dung beetle populations
  • Prevents the development of viable ticks for 30 days
  • Treats and controls sucking lice for up to 56 days

Dectomax V is ideal for producers who:

  • Have resistance
  • Have emerging resistance
  • Want to stay ahead of resistance
  • Want a premium performance drench with outstanding efficacy against key gastrointestinal parasites, as well as treating cattle ticks and sucking lice

To read more about Dectomax V, see the Beef Central article or head to the Zoetis website.

 
Do cows think grass tastes good?
 

In a recent TEDx talk, associate professor in cattle medicine and animal welfare scientist, Dr David Beggs, spoke about the animal welfare implications which arise in modern-day farming systems.

A fascinating insight into the difference between animal welfare and animal ethics, Dr Beggs delves into the common juxtaposition of wanting to both look after animals in farming systems, ensuring they have a life worth living, while also raising them for food.

 
Watch the TEDx talk here
 
Stomach ulcers in horses
 

Gastric (or stomach) ulceration in horses is relatively common. Many factors contribute to ulceration of the equine stomach, including feeding (type and frequency of feed), “stress” and medications (in particular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as phenylbutazone or “Bute”).

Two Locations

There are two groups of gastric ulcers based largely on their location in the stomach. Squamous ulcers occur on the lining of the top of the stomach, which is poorly protected by the secretions produced by the lower (or glandular) part of the stomach. Feeding small, low-fibre feeds with excessive exercise can cause stomach acids to come into contact with the squamous epithelium, which causes irritation and can eventually lead to these ulcers.

Glandular gastric disease refers to ulceration of the lower part of the stomach and is less-well understood. Their significance is still being questioned, and the severity of the ulcers and clinical signs are sometimes poorly correlated. Clinical signs can include weight loss and other, less specific signs, such as poor performance or even being 'girthy' and resenting the girth being tightened. These ulcers are also more varied in their appearance, which can also make managing them more difficult.

Treatment

Treatment of squamous gastric ulceration is relatively successful and relies on the same medications used in human ulcer treatment (e.g. Omeprazole) given daily as a paste or in feed. Changes to diet and exercise programs are often also required if these are implicated in the ulcers returning after treatment. Treatment of glandular gastric ulcers can be a bit more challenging, with weekly intramuscular injections of the Omeprazole sometimes being the only option. Newer oral medications are currently being tested and should improve the success rate of treatments.

 
Identifying the poll gene
 

Whether cattle have horns or not is down to a single gene. The poll gene is dominant, therefore providing an animal possesses at least one copy of the gene, they will not grow horns.

This means that an animal who is homozygous poll will always produce a polled calf, no matter who they breed with. Horns conversely are a recessive characteristic. Therefore, the progeny must receive two copies of the horn gene in order to grow horns. If they receive one copy of the poll and one of the horn gene from their respective parents, the poll will always win. This is why homozygous polled bulls are in high demand. They will always produce polled calves, no matter what the female is carrying.

Commercial testing is available in Australia by providers such as Zoetis genetics. This will inform you if your bull is homozygous (PP) or heterozygous (PH).

 
How ewe can ride the summer heat wave
 

It is understood that fertility is affected when sheep experience temperatures over 41°C for greater than nine hours on the mating day, or for three days after mating. This reduced fertility is due to early embryonic mortality. Hopefully the Orange district will not hit such temperature highs. 

Every ewe that slips one cycle because of heat stress needs another cycle to conceive. When heat waves occur during the mating period, mating periods can be extended to use a third or additional mating cycle as risk insurance.

After an extended period of heat stress, producers should have their flock’s pregnancy scanned to identify non-pregnant and twin-bearing ewes, and plan re-joining the empty ewes in autumn.

Once producers have established which sheep have remained pregnant during this hot period, the producers should consider the effects of heat stress on growth of the foetus.

If ewes are exposed to heat stress experimentally for the last 15 days of gestation, then the weight of the placenta and the foetus are reduced, resulting in reduced rearing rates.

It appears that improving nutrition after heat stress is unlikely to improve the birth weights of growth-restricted lambs, although there will be improvements in lactation quality and in early post-natal growth. In the case of growth-restricted lambs, improved lactation is important for growth to weaning and subsequent weaner survival.

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