http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.vetsouth.co.nz en-us Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:44:59 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/169435/why-humerus-fractures-are-no-laughing-matter/ The catastrophic fractures occur when bones become weakened by decreased bone mass and increased bone resorption. They are typically seen at two key times: in the seven days either side of calving, or during peak lactation.An estimated 4,500 heifers are affected in NZ each year, and outbreaks can affect up to 10% of a single farm’s herd!For a long time, copper deficiency was thought to be the main culprit. This was due to affected animals being found to have low levels and the important role c... Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:28:13 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post169435 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/169288/twenty-years-of-swede-safari/ Some 20 years ago, when I was a fresh-faced new-grad vet, Mark came to a few of us with the words: “I’ve got an idea you could help me with…”There have been times I’ve regretted saying “yes” to a Mark Bryan idea. This definitely wasn’t one of them. The concept was two-fold. Wintering and farming stock in Southland is very different from what most vet students experience in the North Island. Meanwhile, Southland is a long way from New Z... Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:25:40 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post169288 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/169274/plan-ahead-for-post-weaning-growth/ Now is a good time to think about weaning. I do realise that it's only September, but there are some things you can be thinking about now that will benefit post-weaning growth rates for your lambs. While you won’t be able to do this for all of them, you might be able to for some… In an ideal world, we would wean lambs onto pasture that has not had ewes lambing on it.  These pastures would have lower parasite challenge, and we know that is a big factor in achieving good lamb growth ... Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:05:40 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post169274 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/169273/saving-lambs-with-dextrose/ Lambs born to well-fed ewes with a body condition score of 3 or more will have good reserves of brown fat. This provides readily available energy to fuel a newborn lamb before it absorbs milk.However, sometimes these energy reserves can run out before the lamb gets its first feed. Once this happens, the lamb becomes cold and weak, and its chances of survival drop quickly.One way to buy a little more time is to provide the lamb with an energy source&nb... Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:58:25 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post169273 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/169271/the-effects-of-ewe-wastage/ I recently had a look at a study done on three large farms in the North Island, which showed 90% of hoggets left the flock from ewe wastage! That is, only 10% make it through to be cast for age.The study considered ewe wastage to be any ewe that left the flock (died, or culled) before the age of six. The ewes that were culled were mostly dry, had udder issues, or poor health etc.A big impact of this wastage is that more replacements are required, creating a younger flock that will have... Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:50:26 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post169271 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/168905/meet-the-vet-herd-ruby/ If you’re around the Clutha area, have you met our new large animal vet Ruby?She joined our South Otago team at the start of the year from Australia. With the launch of our new clinic in Milton in 2025, Ruby’s here to help us expand our production animal support further into Otago. Although based out of our Balclutha clinic, she travels to farms as far away as Mosgiel.Ruby grew up in a town called Broome, in the north of Western Australia (croc and Brahman cattle country). She was a self-pro... Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post168905 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/168933/practical-mineral-solutions-backed-by-evidence-based-advice/ Achieving optimal performance and health from your stock requires more than simply giving some minerals. Understanding what nutrients your animals need, how they should be delivered to be effective, and how they fit within your wider feeding programme is critical.Heartland Feeds is proud to partner with VetSouth, giving southern farmers access to feeds and minerals that meet their farm’s specific systems and nutritional needs, backed up by on-farm consulting and veterinary guidance.Whether you... Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:30:22 +1200 http://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/#post168933 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