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Abortions: How many is too many?

It can be disheartening when you see your cows slipping, especially after all the effort you put in over mating. The reality is, a certain number of slips are inevitable. But it’s still worthwhile keeping an eye on how many you have and trying to avoid those that can be managed out of the equation.  So, what’s normal? It’s common to see about 2-5% of your cows abort, and another 3% may abort unseen.   Some possible causes of abortions in cattle include:Nitrate poisoning....

Acorn poisoning

This poisoning is caused from a substance called ‘tannins’ contained within acorns themselves, but also found in oak tree leaves, young shoots, and even the bark. Stock usually get ill from eating the acorns. Unripe acorns are a lot more toxic, so pay close attention to strong winds bringing down crops of acorns before they’re naturally ready to drop. Cattle and sheep are more likely to ingest acorns in an area when feed is tight, however, any exposure to acorns or oak trees coul...

Salmonella cases locally

We currently have a few herds with confirmed cases of Salmonellosis.  The Salmonella Bovismorbificans strain of this disease causes severe diarrhoea and has been linked to abortions. Other clinical signs of Salmonella in a herd can range from a mild drop in milk production, to deaths from toxic shock in more severe cases.  Changes in diet or stressful events (e.g. transport, calving, or overcrowding) can cause changes in a cow’s gut flora, leading to clinical disease. It’s also bee...

A look at Leptospirosis

Lepto can cause sickness and abortions in some dairy cows, and in others it may cause no symptoms and they simply carry the bacteria and pass it to others. Lepto is likely to be contracted by unvaccinated calves from their first autumn onwards, and can be shed by an infected animal in their urine for years.   As a zoonotic disease, it’s easily spread from animals to humans. There are plenty of people who have had Lepto if you ask around – and they don’t recommend it!  Mild cases ...

Nitrate poisoning in cattle

In the coming months, as plants grow rapidly after a hot, dry summer - while mornings remain chilly and overcast - conditions are ideal for nitrate toxicity. Young, fast-growing grass and recent nitrogen fertiliser application increase the risk. If you’re concerned that a pasture coming up in your rotation may be high in nitrates, it’s best to test it. A cow can die within one hour of eating a high level of nitrates, so prevention is a lot better than trying to deal with the disastrous ...

New DairySmart milk testing machine

We now have a milk culturing incubator with AI reading capabilities in our clinic! This new machine can accurately identify many causes of mastitis after only 1-2 days incubation. It significantly reduces the time lag for results, as there’s no need to send the milk samples to a lab.It also offers a cost-effective test for high somatic cell count (SCC) cows, helping distinguish between Strep and Staph – which could be a real advantage when making decisions coming up to dry-off....

Did you know we rehome kittens?

Here at Vet Clinic Morrinsville, we're determined to help reduce the population of unwanted cats and kittens. That's why we've rehomed close to 60 kittens to date.As part of this commitment, when you adopt a kitten from us, we also include desexing as part of their adoption price, along with a few other goodies essential for a great start in your kitten's life.Our adoption fee of $250 includes: Desexing Microchip (including registration with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register)&n...

Protect your puppy from Parvo

Parvovirus, or 'Parvo', is a highly contagious viral disease that affects dogs, especially puppies under six months old. The virus affects the gastrointestinal tract (the gut) and in some cases, also affects the heart.Parvo is a serious condition that can be fatal in up to 90% of cases. It's contacted from the faeces of an infected dog. The viral particles are extremely hardy and can survive in soil and on inanimate objects such as clothing, shoes, and surfaces for up to 12 months. Hence, a...

Meet our new vet George

George is a 2024 Massey University Bachelor of Veterinary Science graduate and will be working with us as a mixed animal veterinarian.He has a passion for both large and small animal medicine, making him well-suited for this role. Having previously volunteered with the SPCA, he will be well-equipped to care for your furry friends. And having also previously worked as a relief milker he will be right at home in the dairy shed as well! In his spare time, George enjoys running and tramping –...

Let's talk about pet dental health

Just like humans, our pets benefit greatly from regular dental care.Oral hygiene is extremely important for their overall health. Without proper care, dental disease can lead to infections and even damage internal organs. ...

Drying off technique

Dry cow season is almost upon us. It’s crucial for the udder health of your girls that the correct technique is used when applying dry cow therapy and teat sealant.  It’s a process that requires a high level of sterility and a lot of patience – especially with those heifers!  Here are some instructions for a gold standard approach to drying off each cow, with the aim of preventing mastitis this dry period....

Controlling Johne’s disease

Given its prevalence, most farmers will have Johne’s disease in their herd at some stage. The first sign of a problem is often watery, green diarrhoea that bubbles after it touches the ground or chronic wasting seen in older cows. If you discover a Johne’s problem in your replacement heifers, it’s likely that your farm has a high burden of the disease bacteria. The more heavily infected cows you have, the more they will continue to shed the bacteria and infect your younger stock. Al...

Trace element testing

With zinc season ending and winter approaching, now is a great time to test your herd’s mineral status, and copper levels in particular.    Cows in late pregnancy and youngstock have the greatest demand for growth, and so are most negatively affected by low trace element levels.   ...

Calving in autumn

Autumn calving is becoming increasingly popular in the Waikato for many reasons, including longer, warmer days and improved hygiene conditions as cows calve. However, along with the benefits come certain challenges and key considerations that need to be accounted for, particularly when milking through the winter. ...

Tips for reducing heat stress in cows

Water  Cows require 100L of water each per day in summer and can drink at a rate of 20L per minute! Make sure your water troughs can keep up with demand – both the flow rate to refill troughs and the size of troughs matter for this. Clean water troughs to keep palatability of water up.  Cooling  Wet down the yard surface prior to cows coming in to cool it down.  Water sprinklers over the yard are a good idea, however they need to spray enough water to wet cows through to th...

Feeding out in dry weather

Rain is in short supply at the moment, and grass even shorter. Most farmers have been feeding out for a while, so here are a few things to consider as this dry period stretches. ...

Getting up to calving weight

It is more efficient to put weight on cows when they are milking than when they are dry, and it’s easier to put it on with higher quality feed. So now is a great time to set them up to be in good condition for calving. When on leafy summer pasture with 10 megajoules metabolisable energy per kilogram of dry matter (MJME/kgDM), on top of daily requirements for digesting food, walking, producing milk and maintaining a pregnancy:A lactating cow would need to eat 4kgDM to gain 1kg.  A dry...

Managing a late season increase in your BMSCC

Here are some tips when dealing with a late season increase in your bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC):  Strip the herd (manually milking the teats) to check for clinical cases of mastitis. Regular stripping (e.g. one quarter each milking) can help you quickly detect new cases. Use herd test information to identify subclinical mastitis/high SCC cases. When considering how to manage these cows look at: - Age,- Pregnancy status,  - Udder/teat conformation,  - H...

Tackling facial eczema

You’ve probably all seen cows with facial eczema (FE) damage; poor animals with peeling skin desperately seeking shade.The fungal spore that causes facial eczema requires dead vegetable matter, warmth and moisture to thrive. Once eaten, the spores produce mycotoxins that cause the cow to process Chlorophyll (the green pigment in plants) differently, resulting in liver damage and photosensitivity – think English tourist on a Spanish beach levels of sunburn! The best way to prevent facial...

Getting prepped for scanning

With calving not long over and mating still very much in full swing, it may feel like it’s too early to start thinking about scanning. However, planning your scanning now will make it easier to secure the dates that suit you best, so that you can get the most out of it. In cows, we ideally want to be scanning between 40 and 100 days after mating in order to provide the most accurate dating. Beyond 100 days, calf size has increased to the point where it becomes much more difficult to take ...

All things trace elements!

As calves go out to graziers, it is important to ensure that they have enough building blocks to support their growth into the 2025 season. With so many products available, it can be difficult to determine which are best for your calves. Below is a quick summary of three main trace elements that may affect their growth rate and some supplementation options: ...

Teat scoring

Maintaining a Bulk Milk Somatic Cell Count (BMSCC) under 150,000 cells/ml is a sign of a healthy productive herd. To keep BMSCC down, there needs to be low levels of mastitis in the herd. Mastitis is the end result of complex interactions between the cow, bacteria, the environment, milking machine and the farmer. The aim of mastitis control is to limit the number of bacteria on the cow’s teats and to reduce the risk of bacteria entering the udder through the teat canal.Checking (or ‘sco...

Careful with pets and Christmas treats

Christmas treats are something we all look forward to, but for our furry friends, some of these can be extremely toxic, so it is important to keep them out of reach. If you have a pet with a penchant for opening gifts, this may mean not putting wrapped treats under the tree!Some festive foods to be cautious of around pets include:1. ChocolateWhy it's toxic: Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are stimulants of the central nervous system and heart. They also act as diuretics, ...

Caring for pets over the holidays

The Christmas holidays are fast approaching. If you are heading away, now is a good time to start thinking about what plans you need to make for your pets.  Will you leave them at home and get someone to come and care for them?  Is booking them into a cattery or kennel a better option?  Or, can you take your pet away with you? Leaving your pet at home You may decide to leave your pet in the comfort of its own home, with a neighbour or friend either house-s...

Calf weaning tips

Weaning your calves based on weight and meal intake ensures their successful transition towards becoming healthy heifers.  To meet their weaning weights, calves need the appropriate amount of feed and to be properly prepped. Weaning can be quite a challenging, transitional time for calves since their main source of food changes from liquid (milk) to solid (pasture) and they are going to be exposed to new bugs when they go into new areas of the farm. Before weaning, some factors ne...