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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...

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...

A look at internal parasites

Internal parasites take up some time and energy to manage in calves and cattle, so here is a little bit of information to help you understand what you are treating. In general, worm larvae are swallowed from contaminated pasture once calves start grazing it. The larvae have overwintered in the pasture or cowpats, from the previous cattle/calves on the pasture. They then complete their lifecycle inside the calf, either in the gastrointestinal tract, or, in the case of lungworm, they burrow i...

Choosing the right pet

Pets bring so much joy to a family. They give affection and love, make us laugh, and have a positive effect on our mental health. However, before choosing a new furry addition, it is important to put thought into what kind of pet is the most suitable for your household.  Things you need to consider are:  Your lifestyle Do an honest assessment of your lifestyle and think about how a pet will impact this. Your daily routine with children, work hours and other commitments, as well as...

Itchy dogs

Is your dog scratching, biting, licking, rubbing his skin, or rolling on the ground? Allergic skin disease can cause significant discomfort to companion animals and is a common reason for dog owners to seek care for their pets. The cause of the itchy problem will most commonly be due to: ectoparasites (usually a flea allergy); food allergy; bacterial infection, or an environmental allergen, such as tree and grass pollens, moulds and dust mites. This condition is known as...

Using technology to combat antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is becoming an increasing concern in both human and veterinary medicine. Since many drugs are used in both sectors, it's crucial for all of us to use antibiotics responsibly.  To help guide treatment choices, antibiotics are classified into three categories, based on their risk of resistance and importance to human health: Green - first-line choice Orange - second-line choice Red - last resort. For most cases of mastitis, penicillins like Intra...

Optimising non-cycling cow programmes

Synchrony programmes play a key role in helping you improve reproductive performance and animal efficiency and reduce on-farm emissions. Treating non-cyclers is one tool in the toolbox.  Over the last 12 months, new studies have looked at tweaks to the standard non-cycler programmes, adding some confusion around what the best programme looks like. Profitability from using non-cycling programmes comes from getting your cow in-calf early, through Generating more days in milk;&n...

Wishing you a successful mating

There was a significant range in our clients’ mating performance last season and, despite the reduced use of CIDR’s, the mating results actually showed a slight improvement - as they did right across the country. Nevertheless, there are still gaps in most mating programmes that can always be improved upon. Here are some of the basics to focus on: Attention to detail Dedicated heat detection and monitoring (experience counts here); Accurate execution of synchronisation protocol...