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An unusual sight in theatre...

It's not every day we have a ram in theatre at OVH!

The challenge of anaesthetising and then transporting a 100+kg patient up the ramp and into theatre was embraced by our team last week. 

The ram presented for abdominal surgery and vet Genevieve and our willing nursing team, worked together to ensure a successful operation, recovery and discharge home the following day. 

Great job everyone. Life is always interesting at Orange Vet Hospital!

Geb and sheep sx
Contents of this newsletter

01  Lousy sheep – 7 facts you need to know

02  Stomach ulcers in performance horses - the facts

03  Berry farmer loses 250 cows to botulism

04  DrenchCheck’s - what’s the value?

05  Weaning foals

06  Are your bulls ready for joining?

01 Lousy sheep – 7 facts you need to know
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1. 43% of flocks in the pastoral zone and 29% of flocks in the wheat/sheep and high rainfall zones are infected with lice.
This number was increasing due to resistance of lice to older chemicals and the ban on diazinon in 2009, however currently it is believed that the prevalence is stable due to effective chemicals being able to control and eradicate lice.  

2. Sheep lice infestation can reduce clean wool cut by up to 1kg per head.
This results from lice reducing yield, causing the fleeces to become cotted and yellow and increasing the losses during processing. This results in fleece values being reduced in the range of $3-$10/hd

3. There is little economic impact in the first year of an infestation.
In studies where infected sheep have been introduced into flocks, there has been little effect in the first year, but reductions of up to 30 to 40% in the subsequent year’s fleece value occur as lice numbers build up in the flock. 

4. The estimated annual cost of lice to the Australian sheep flock is $81 million
This includes the treatment, prevention and production cost. 

5. Lice have no effect on body weight, lambing percentage or growth rate.
However, sheep with low weight gains because of poor nutrition or other stress may be more susceptible to lice and develop heavier infestations.

6. Spread of lice between sheep occurs almost exclusively by sheep to sheep contact.
Therefore, if lice ban be eradicated from a flock and other lousy sheep excluded, the flock will remain lice free. 

7. The best way to monitor for lice is to look for rubbing sheep.
However, you must actually see lice to be sure they are not scratching for other reasons. 

We will discuss lice in more detail in upcoming newsletters. Remember the best source of information is liceboss.

02 Stomach ulcers in performance horses - the facts

Stomach ulcers is a nasty condition that may affect a whopping 50-90% of performance horses! That can include racehorses, showjumping, eventing, dressage and endurance horses, and even pony club mounts.

Fact 1: A horse with stomach ulcers may show no outward signs. Many of us are aware of some of the common signs of gastric ulcers: irritability, poor body condition, girthiness – to name a few. Interestingly, the majority of horses suffering from stomach ulcers may not show any of these signs!

Fact 2: The ONLY way to definitively diagnose stomach ulcers is to have a gastric scope performed by a vet. A “treatment trial” can be useful – this involves administering a proven ulcer medication for a period of time and assessing for any improvement in clinical signs.

Fact 3: The most effective and proven treatment for stomach ulcers is a medication called Omeprazole. This medication needs to be obtained through your vet by prescription. Weaker (and therefore cheaper) omeprazole formulations found at your feed store or online are unlikely to solve your horse’s stomach ulcer problem.

03 Berry farmer loses 250 cows to botulism

A farmer near Berry, on the South Coast NSW, lost over 250 cattle to botulism after feeding home grown silage in a total mixed ration. Botulism grows readily in decaying organic matter of both plant and especially animal origin, and this outbreak was believed to be caused by a dead rodent in the silage.

Botulism is caused by a toxin produced by a bacteria that grows in decaying organic matter. A small dead mouse could harbour enough toxin to kill a substantial number of animals.

Factors that increase the risk of botulism occurring in your herd include:

  • Dead animals or birds in silage or hay.
  • Rotting hay or silage.
  • Mixer wagons - cows would usually not eat the dead item, but do once all mixed in.
  • Some nutritional deficiencies that cause depraved appetite. Phosphorous deficiency will cause "bone chewing".
  • Lack of immunity to botulism. This can be overcome by vaccination.

While the risk of botulism occurring in a herd is relatively low, the consequences are so serious it is worth vaccinating if any of the risk factors mentioned are present on your farm.

Watch this video for the full story ...

Please discuss the with us the risk of botulism in your herd, and the steps necessary to mitigate the risk.

04 DrenchCheck’s - what’s the value?
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A DrenchCheck provides a simple, fast and low-cost indication of possible drench resistance. It is the use of two WormTests—one used before and one after a drench—to see how the drench reduces the worm egg count.

The first WormTest within the DrenchCheck is done up to 10 days before a mob is drenched with a short-acting drench and the second is done exactly 14 days after the mob is drenched (testing earlier or later than 14 days can be inaccurate). The second WormTest should be based on individual samples and not the bulk collection method.

Sheep or goats do not need to be yarded for either of the dung sample collections; dung is collected in the paddock as for a WormTest.

If you wish to test mid-length or long-acting drenches, additional follow-up tests should be carried out; seek professional advice on when to do these.

The DrenchCheck is an ideal starting method to check for drench resistance in a single or combination short-acting drench; however, it has limitations and a DrenchTest (Worm Egg Count Reduction Test/WECRT) should then be used to correctly determine the presence and extent of drench-resistance in any suspect drenches.

We can assist with the testing, and formulation of effective parasite control programs. Please get in touch. 

Republished from www.wormboss.com.au, Australia’s leading parasite control resource.
05 Weaning foals

With the cooler Autumn months soon approaching horse breeders are likely to be contemplating the weaning of foals. Large scale breeders and those that have been in the game for some time may have already established tried-and-tested weaning approaches. For many first-time breeders, this can be a very new and daunting chapter. There is no “textbook” right or wrong way to go about weaning – approach can vary greatly from breeder to breeder depending on a whole range of factors - it is just a matter of deciding what will work best for you, your horses, and your circumstances.

Q. At what age should a foal be weaned?
A.
Age of weaning can vary greatly. From around four to six months of age foals are usually becoming more independent, and are consuming more roughage, relying less on the mare’s milk. Weaning earlier than 4 months can be performed however should be done in consultation with your vet.

Q. What is the best method of weaning?
A:
There are a range of methods of weaning varying from complete and abrupt separation (“no contact”) to slow and gradual separation. Deciding on a weaning approach should involve careful consideration of factors such as; your facilities and paddock layout, scale of operation, season or feed availability, and breed and size of your foal. Your vet can help guide you in what may work best for your individual scenario.

Q. How can I reduce the stress of weaning?
A:
Preparation is key. You should carry out some basic handling and halter training of the foal pre-weaning. Ensure that the appropriate vaccinations and drenches are up to date, and that the foal is in good health. Nutrition is another big consideration - creep feeding is a good way to help ensure a smooth transition to the weanling diet.

06 Are your bulls ready for joining?
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Now is the time to organize a pre-mating BullCheck

Just like football players, bulls benefit from pre-season training and assessment. If you are planning on joining cows and heifers in spring, now is the time to work through the check list to ensure they are ready and to give you time to find replacement bulls for those that don't make the grade this year. Sorry boys!

Bulls should be on farm and grouped 2-3 months before joining. This allows time for their social order to be determined and will reduce the amount of fighting once joining starts. 

Nutrition
The greatest importance when feeding bulls is the overall energy and protein content. Sperm production is impaired by gross deficiencies of either, particularly when bulls are breaking down body reserves to meet maintenance requirements. If feed is limited for bulls, supplementary feeding is important. This said, overfeeding mature bulls leads to them becoming excessively fat and heavy. Therefore it is important to aim for a condition score of 3/5 at start of joining. 

Care and husbandry
It is important they get their routine vaccinations. All bulls should get 5-in-1 OR 7-in-1 and Vibrovax®. It is strongly recommended to vaccinate bulls with Pestigard® pre joining as well.  Also remember routine drenching for bulls. 

Feet
Lame bulls = lame pregnancy rates. It is common for bulls to become lame or develop mal-conformed feet during the non-breeding season. If bulls have mal-conformed feet have them trimmed. If bulls are currently lame, it’s unlikely they will be suitable for the upcoming joining. 

BullCheck - Breeding soundness examinations. This is a test we perform to check the critical appendages are functioning well for joining. This is critically important to prevent you putting sub-fertile, or infertile bulls in for joining.