http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.vetsouth.co.nz en-us Tue, 04 Aug 2026 03:48:58 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/167991/nipping-it-in-the-bud/ With calving season getting underway, it’s time to start thinking about one of the key jobs for your spring calendar: disbudding. While it may not be everyone’s favourite task, doing it early and doing it well makes all the difference for calf welfare and long-term management. Removing the buds while calves are between 2-6 weeks old means they won’t grow sharp horns as an adult, helping prevent injuries to herdmates and handlers. It’s much easier on the calf getting them done young and m... Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:29:00 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post167991 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/167989/managing-springtime-stress/ While we are a resilient bunch down south, it’s important to remember to look after yourself, as well as your cows, ewes and newborns. You can’t do it all, and you certainly can’t do it without sleep, support, or decent kai to keep your energy up!Whether you yourself struggle during this time, or your staff members are feeling it more than usual, it is important to carve out some time for self-care whenever possible. When you can feel burnout coming, do twice as much of the things tha... Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:52:07 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post167989 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/167988/pre-lamb-drench-use/ Times have changed, and we know our advice has also changed… we get that, but we are seeing farmers understand why this is the case, and it is leading to some great shifts in farm systems to favour the stock, not the parasites. One big change is less use of drench in adult stock – throughout the year and especially around the lambing period. We are seeing farmers feeding their stock better and having more condition on them, enabling them to better handle the parasite pressure that comes ... Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:47:40 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post167988 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/167985/it-just-dropped-dead/ With activities such as disbudding and tailing around the corner and stock prices looking positive, it’s worth having a quick refresher on the topic.... Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:36:41 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post167985 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/167984/spotting-sleepy-sickness/ This metabolic disorder, also known as pregnancy toxaemia, is most common in multiple-bearing ewes during the last few weeks of pregnancy, when their energy demands are at their highest. It can affect thinner ewes that aren’t getting enough feed, but it can also occur in well-conditioned ewes if they’re put under stress, such as prolonged bad weather, pre-lamb shearing or crutching, or illness that reduces feed intake. Early recognition is key. Watch for ewes that have separated from the mo... Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:30:39 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post167984 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/167856/two-decades-of-dedication/ Georgette (also known fondly as ‘George’ or ‘G’) came to Southland from the Netherlands, after a stint in south Taranaki. She was looking at a few jobs down here, and I remember ringing her boss, Hoppy, in Hāwera (who I knew) and quietly asking him if she was worth employing. “Bloody hell, grab her as soon as you can,” he said, which was all I needed to hear – and the rest, as they say, is history.Hoppy was right. No sooner had George arrived in Winton than she got down to busines... Thu, 23 Jul 2026 09:51:02 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post167856 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/166944/ionophore-toxicity-risks-for-dogs/ Ionophore coccidiostats are a class of compounds commonly used in livestock feeds, particularly calf rearing meals, to improve growth rates and prevent certain diseases such as coccidiosis. Dogs are particularly susceptible to ionophore toxicity because their bodies lack the special digestive systems and metabolic pathways that help ruminants break down and detoxify these compounds. As a result, even small amounts of ionophores can cause severe, and sometimes fatal, health effects in dogs, incl... Mon, 29 Jun 2026 11:46:50 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post166944 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/166942/learning-from-lamb-losses-the-value-of-post-mortems/ Often, this is put down to the storm that inevitably comes through in the middle of lambing every year, but are there other areas where we have some more control over this wastage? By performing simple post-mortems on 10-20 lambs – collected across the lambing period (and stored appropriately) – that were either born dead or died soon after birth, you might find there are some levers you can pull to reduce this. In many cases, lamb deaths are multifactorial, but understanding the main driver... Mon, 29 Jun 2026 11:38:49 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post166942 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/166663/dental-care-alpaca-style/ Not something our vets see every day; our South Otago team polished up a herd of alpaca’s dental health!Just like many other species, dentals are an important aspect of routine care for alpacas. They have continuously growing teeth that can develop sharp points or uneven wear over time. These dental abnormalities can make chewing uncomfortable and affect an alpaca's ability to eat properly and keep weight on. So, their teeth are not to be overlooked.Signs that an alpaca may have teeth issues i... Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:01:06 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post166663 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/166662/trace-elements-ahead-of-calving/ While most dairy farmers have a trace element supplementation routine, as we reset for another season it’s worth asking: are you supplementing the right trace elements at the right time?Trace element deficiencies can affect fertility, immunity, milk production, and overall performance and wellbeing. However, without testing, supplementation is a guessing game. Some herds may be being silently impacted by deficiencies, while others could be receiving minerals they don’t need (draining your wa... Wed, 24 Jun 2026 08:50:12 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post166662