"At OVH calf scours is the most common sign of illness that we see in calves, particularly in the first month of life. The diarrhoea can be of a different consistency and colour, and may even be blood stained. There are many causes of calf scours but the most common is infectious, these include bacterial (E. coli, salmonella), viral (rotavirus, coronavirus) or protozoal (cryptosporidia, coccidia). Although the colour of the scour and the age the calf presents, can give us an idea of the cause, we strongly recommend diagnostic testing to try to confirm the cause of the scour.

Due to the dry period extending into the calf rearing period, we are seeing a larger than normal number of scouring calves. This is mainly due to more intensive feeding practices causing more faecal contamination and stress in the calves. We have seen a number of cases of coccidiosis this year and without laboratory testing to confirm the diagnosis we would not have been able to treat these calves with the appropriate antibiotics and more losses would have occurred.

Whatever the cause of the scour, the lining of the bowel is damaged, resulting in the loss of large amounts of body fluid into the gut. As a result, the calf quickly dehydrates, electrolytes become unbalanced, energy reserves are depleted, and the calf may develop shock and die.

The treatment of scours in calves should aim to replace lost body fluids, correct the electrolyte imbalance, and supply energy, as well as treating the causative agent.

Please contact OVH if you have any questions regarding the treatment, diagnostic testing or prevention of calf scours."

Bladder worm is the name of a tapeworm which lives and breeds in dogs (both domesticated and foxes) and is picked up by sheep grazing contaminated pastures.

Economic consequences

+ There are usually no production or health consequences for the sheep.

+ Sometimes production losses occur and rarely the parasite causes sudden death due to severe liver damage with secondary bacterial infection. Black disease (one of the clostridia vaccinated against in 5-in-1 vaccine) can be triggered by parasites migrating through the liver. This generally only occurs in un-vaccinated sheep.

How do sheep get it?

+ Dogs and foxes are the definitive hosts. They are infected by eating raw offal containing cysts.

+ The tapeworm then takes up residence in their intestine and produces eggs which are passed out in faeces, contaminating pastures.

+ Goats/cattle/pigs are an intermediate host. They are infested when they graze pasture contaminated with the tapeworm eggs.

+ Once ingested, the eggs hatch and the larvae migrate through the liver to the liver surface (and on to other organs) where they form cysts.

At the abattoir

+ Infected livers are trimmed if individual cysts are detected OR condemned if multiple cysts are present or the line is significantly affected.

Treatment and prevention

+ There is no treatment for bladder worm, you must break the lifecycle.

+ Worm your dogs: Worm all dogs on the property monthly with a product containing praziquantel. This includes all dogs coming onto the property with contractors etc.

+ Don’t allow dogs to eat sheep or goat meat: Feed commercial dry dog food to your dogs, prevent them from scavenging or roaming and clean up and dispose of dead animals.

Australia imports around 700 tonnes of antibiotics annually. One-third is for human use, 8% is used for veterinary use and the remaining quantity (over 50%) goes into stock and poultry feed. This is a similar story in the USA where 80% of all antibiotics sold are for use in poultry and stock. Given these facts, it is no surprise there is growing public concern about the use of antibiotics in the animal and agriculture industry.

Did you know: If you have resistant bacteria on your farm, the greatest risk is not down the food chain, it is you, your workers and their families. They are the ones directly in contact with the resistant bacteria.

So for farmers using antibiotics, how do we use them prudently?

1. Do not use antibiotics as growth promoters. This has been done, and does work, however using antibiotics in this fashion would have Alexander Fleming (the inventor of penicillin) rolling over in his grave! There are much more sustainable ways to increase production than using antibiotics.

2. Use antibiotics for prophylaxis (disease prevention) sparingly – turn to alternatives like diet modification, strategic vaccination and environmental management to lower our reliance on antibiotics.

3. Therapeutic use (treating sick cows) is not an overall issue. The welfare of sick animals is a high priority and using effective medications is important. However, you need to be discussing treatment protocols with us to ensure you are using the right drug, at the right dose, for the right amount of time and applying the correct withholding period to that animal.

Q. I have just bought a new gelding from a horse sale. I have very limited information on his health history. What should I consider before bringing him home?

A. 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 visit from your vet 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

Lice irritate cattle, causing them to scratch, bite and rub themselves. This constant irritation is a welfare problem, especially in severe infestations. The may also damage fencing, gates, trees or anything they can find to rub themselves against.

There are 2 types of lice:

+ Biting lice feed on skin debris and can cause severe irritation.

+ Sucking lice pierce the skin and suck blood. In large numbers, they can cause anaemia.

The lifecycle & spread

+ Adults glue eggs to the hair shaft. They hatch and then take 8-19 days to go through several growth stages before becoming adults. The entire life cycle takes 3-6 weeks.

+ Lice are spread by direct contact between cattle. Adult lice and their eggs only survive a few days once removed from cattle.

+ Cattle lice only live on cattle and do not spread to other farm animals.

+ Infestations are worst during winter.

What else influences the burden on the cattle?

+ Lice numbers seem to increase on cattle in poorer condition. They don’t seem to be the cause of a poor condition.

+ Cattle with chronic disease also carry heavier infestations.

Treating lice, why and how?

+ Treating light to moderate infestations is generally not economically viable from a production and body condition standpoint. However, if hide quality is important, it may be as hide damage occurs with scratching.

+ It is also necessary for some QA programs

+ There are four treatment types available – spray and pour on are frequently used, but there are also ear tags and injectable options. Please call to discuss which suits you best.

Eradication

+ Eradication is possible as lice do not live in soil or on fence posts for long.

+ Your biosecurity must be in order to prevent re-introduction.