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Do you need to do larval cultures?

An LC is when faecal samples are cultured at the lab to see what type of worms are present. They hatch the eggs and count the different types of larvae (e.g. Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Haemonchus) and then let us know what percentage each one represents in the sample.   These parasites lay eggs that are practically the same, so they can’t be differentiated in just a FEC, which simply counts the number of eggs present. Why woul...

Condition counts: Score now for scanning success

Light ewes at mating will have worse lambing performance come spring. Ewes should be at body condition score (BCS) 3-3.5 for tupping.  What does BCS 3-3.5 look like? Well, if there is more than 6 weeks’ wool on the sheep, you will have to FEEL to get the full picture. To do this:  Place your hand with the thumb on top of the spine and fingers along the short ribs (flank area).  With your thumb, you should be able to feel the spine, but not particularly e...

The autumn parasite flush

Over the previous 6-7 months, we have had lots of parasite factories (lambs and calves) grazing our pastures. These young animals do not yet have an immunity to parasites and provide high levels of contamination onto the pastures.  Autumn weather also provides an excellent environment for parasite eggs to hatch and for larval development.    One thing we hear from farmers is that they want to “challenge their replacement stock” so that they develop a g...

Dairy cow nutrition at dry-off

There are a lot of changes that occur in a dairy cow around the time of drying off in order to transition her from a lactating cow into a dry cow, including:Milk production needs to slow down to, ideally, 5-10 L/day in the 1-2 days leading up to dry-off (not always achievable in high producing cows), before completely stopping in the 1-2 weeks after the final milking.The rumen needs to adapt to a dry cow diet, which is often very different in both nutritional quality and quantity.The cow’s req...

Celebrating three vet-erans

During Southern Field Days 2026, we raised a glass for an awesome large animal vet trio, who have collectively stacked up 65 years of service with us.Fleur Barker freed her diary from fondling rams to recognise her 30th anniversary (she started in January 1996), Bianca Mackintosh stepped back from scanning cows to celebrate 20 years with us (she started in January 2006), and Lisa Roberts made it off-farm to mark 15 years working here (she started in January 2011). That’s a pretty amazing innin...

Test trace elements with PP+

Trace element testing can seem like an expensive investment, but it’s an important part of getting the best performance out of a dairy herd.Production Profile Plus (PP+) is our dairy trace element monitoring programme. It aims to simplify the monitoring process, lower the costs, and give dairy farmers the information they need to make more informed decisions around supplementation.Through the programme, we do blood and liver tests at key times of the year to check trace element levels: pre-cal...

Looking closer with videoscopy

Using a thin, flexible tube with a high-definition camera on the end, videoscopy lets us look inside areas such as the stomach, airways, nasal passages, and bowel. The live images appear on a screen in real time, helping us diagnose problems accurately while minimising discomfort for your pet. Because videoscopy avoids large surgical incisions, it often means less pain, faster recovery, and a gentler experience overall. ...

Seeing more with ultrasound

Ultrasound is a safe, radiation-free imaging tool that uses sound waves to create live images of your pet’s soft tissues and organs. It’s commonly used to investigate concerns such as vomiting or diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty urinating, to assess organ health, or to check trauma-related issues like internal bleeding or fluid build up in the chest or abdomen.Because ultrasound shows movement as it happens, it helps our vets understand not just w...

Clear answers with X-rays

X-rays are a fast, non-invasive way for our vets to look inside your pet’s body and understand what might be causing pain, illness, or changes in behaviour. They’re commonly used to investigate things like internal injuries, tumours, fractures, dental disease, and swallowed foreign objects - especially when time matters. Because many problems can’t be seen or felt during a physical exam alone, X-rays help us get clearer answers sooner, so we can make the right deci...

Why an in-house laboratory matters

Our in-house labs allow us to run a wide range of tests without sending samples away. This includes blood and urine testing, cytology, clotting tests, hormone testing, blood gases and more. Because these tests are done in-clinic, results are often available within minutes, not days. External labs can take from 24-72 hours. That speed really matters. In emergency situations, such as toxic ingestion, sudden collapse or serious injury, fast results help our vets make informed de...

Tina, an unusual kitten

During her examination, the vet noticed a few unusual signs. Tina was unusually subdued, and her body shape wasn’t quite right for her age. Her legs were shorter than expected, and her head was broader than normal.  The vet was concerned that Tina might have a congenital condition, meaning something she was born with. With assistance from a local pathologist, the vet suspected congenital hypothyroidism – a rare condition in cats where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid ho...

What's inside a cow's hoof?

At our recent on-farm lameness training sessions, we’ve been inspecting some live cows’ feet – and also looking at some dead cows’ ones!Being able to look inside a cow’s foot really helps grow your understanding of how to trim a hoof. Done right, trimming helps restore the balance of the foot, but done wrong, it can cause more harm than good.Here’s what a cow hoof looks like inside:...

Discussing Johne’s disease

At the end of last year, VetSouth teamed up with LIC for two workshops in Winton and Gore about Johne’s disease. Local farmers at various stages of their ‘Johne’s journey’ joined some of our large animal vets and Kara Dawson – LIC’s Johne’s specialist – to learn about practical ways to control the disease and the testing options available.We heard from farmers who have tackled high levels of Johne’s in their herd and managed to bring the disease under control. All agreed that c...

Delivering to your farm

We know being a farmer is busy work. Our friendly Farm Distribution drivers are on the road every weekday to help get you the products you need without having to leave the farm.Our two main drivers, based out of our Winton and Gore clinics, head in a different direction each day. A weekly schedule of runs to the different farming areas we service ensures we’ll be past your farm’s gate once a week.Keira, our Winton driver, takes her delivery van up to Lumsden and Mossburn, across to Tuatapere...

Reducing lambs’ pneumonia risk

One of the most common issues seen in lambs around weaning is chronic, non-progressive pneumonia (commonly known as ‘viral pneumonia’). This can be caused by bacteria, mycobacteria and certain viruses. Symptoms are often subclinical, but lambs may have trouble breathing, pant excessively, cough with exercise, and die. Sometimes dead lambs are the first indicator of this on a farm. Lambs with pneumonia are more likely to develop pleurisy (when lungs stick to the chest wall...

Vitamin B12 for lambs

Lambs low in vitamin B12 can have reduced growth rates, ill-thrift, dull coats, and reduced appetite. Although they may not appear clinically unwell, these lambs often fail to reach their growth targets, resulting in lighter weights and longer finishing times. Severe B12 deficiency (not often seen in our modern farming systems) results in runty lambs in extremely poor condition, despite good feed levels. In simple steps, the cobalt-vitamin B12 relationship can be described as:&...

What causes Yersiniosis?

Yersiniosis is a highly infectious disease that affects deer. It is characterised by scours that rapidly leads to death if untreated. Early clinical signs of the disease include a green, watery, smelly diarrhoea which soon becomes bloody.Yersiniosis is caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, which can be carried by wildlife (birds, rodents, rabbits and hares) and domestic animals (cattle, sheep, pigs and goats). Carrier animals usually remain healthy while they spread the bacte...

Arthritis in pets – how we can help

Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes chronic pain. It affects one in five adult dogs and is more common in older dogs. Cats can also develop arthritis as they get older, with around 90% of cats over 10 years of age developing arthritis in at least one joint!Many cases go undiagnosed because the gradual, initially subtle changes in their pet are often misinterpreted as "slowing down" or "getting old".Unfortunately, arthritis is a progressive condition with no cure. However, ...

Keep your furry friend smiling

Nothing warms your heart more than your happy, smiling dog welcoming you home at the end of the day. Just like us, to keep that happy smile, cats and dogs rely on healthy teeth and gums for their overall health and wellbeing.The build-up of dental plaque (a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth) can lead to oral health issues in your pet, such as gingivitis, periodontal disease and tooth loss....

Preparing your pet for stress-free vet visits

Getting any sort of treatment can be stressful for your pets, no matter how great our vets are!Travelling to the clinic and being exposed to a new environment can be challenging for some of our animal companions. While we work hard to ensure your pets are at ease in the clinic, there are also several things that you can do to prepare them and make vet visits a more positive experience....

Preventative testing

When you take your pet to the veterinarian for a check-up, they may suggest tests or procedures to ensure your pet is in optimal health. This type of testing is called preventative testing.Preventative testing establishes an individual baseline for your pet, which can be compared to future tests to identify changes. It helps catch underlying issues before they become full-blown problems, allowing your pet to live a longer, healthier, more trouble-free life....

A healthy guide to feeding pets

When feeding your beloved pet, whether it be a new puppy or kitten, or an older cat or dog, there is such a thing as ‘loving them too much’. Overindulging your pet can lead to health problems if they become overweight, so knowing how much, how often, and what to feed them is important.Also, spayed or neutered pets are more likely to feel hungry more often and gain weight more easily. This quite commonly leads to overfeeding. Pet food bags have feeding guides on the back which help you w...

Emergency vet visit or not?

We always have on-call vets available to provide your pet with urgent/emergency care outside of our clinics' normal business hours – even in the middle of the night or on days like Christmas Day.But how do you tell when your pet needs emergency attention?...

Selenium supplementation in cattle

Selenium is an essential mineral for cattle of all ages. It’s used for immune function, growth and fertility. Signs of selenium deficiency can include poor growth, reduced fertility, decreased milk production, and white muscle disease (stiffness and weakness in very young animals).There are multiple forms of selenium supplementation available to farmers: oral, injectable and pour on.The majority of cows will be supplemented orally with selenium via the dosatron, which is an easy way to adminis...

Feeding hinds and fawns

Unweaned fawns can gain anywhere from 220–700g/day, but with top-quality feed at least 400g/day or more is common. Lactating hinds require almost twice the energy of non-lactating animals – around 45–70MJME/day between hind and fawn. To meet this, pastures must be green, leafy, and ideally legume-rich. As summer progresses, ryegrass/clover quality drops, so plan for alternative feeds such as good quality baleage, chicory, plantain, or summer brassicas. If feed is short, hind...