News & Advice

Drench resistance is a topic that makes us as vets run the risk of sounding like a broken record or doomsday predictors. Unfortunately, the reality is we are seeing an exponential rise in documented drench resistance year on year. It is not all doom and gloom however as this topic is prompting some great discussions […]

Body condition scoring (BCS) of ewes is an important management tool that assesses the amount of fat and condition of a ewe by feeling the spine and short ribs over her back. Adequate BCS in ewes is important as it relates to: Increases in kilograms of lamb weaned per hectare Increases weaning weight per lamb […]

There are many tried and tested production animal vaccines available, all achieving excellent protection which leads to on-farm profitability. Vaccines can be a significant component of the animal health budget but are invaluable in ensuring good animal health.   It can be hard to measure their value or quantify their effect on production, as the […]

Getting through calving is a little like running a marathon – it can be tough at times, you need to stay mentally strong even when exhausted, and to achieve your best, preparation is key. Firstly, organisation is essential, but this comes more naturally to some people than others. So, for those of you who struggle […]

How well have your bulls come through the season, and how many may you need to replace at upcoming winter bull sales? Bulls should be inspected for their general health and overall physical appearance. Are they lame, has the conformation of their feet deteriorated, or are their claws overgrown? Do their hips appear normal, or […]

The feed requirement of stags during the roar has been less than half that of other times of the year. This is despite the huge energy investment that goes into protecting their patch and herding hinds (or fence pacing) as stags simply do very little eating over this time. Consequently they lose up to 30% […]

Nutrition and management during the transition period are important, but success is set several months in advance. When we speak about a season, we would normally say it starts on 1st August along with calving and it finishes on the 31st May at dry off. But we actually like starting our season on 1st January, […]

All farms will have a health and safety plan in place which should cover off things including major on-farm hazards. One aspect of health and safety which can be overlooked, but can have an enormous impact on human health and wellbeing, is a zoonotic disease. A zoonotic disease is one that can be spread from […]

Long-acting drench capsules have long been used in ewes at or around lambing. Their success results from reducing the periparturient rise (PPR) in parasite eggs being passed by ewes before and after lambing. The PPR occurs from a lowering of the ewes’ immune system from late gestation until soon after lambing. The period of the PPR […]

With vaccination rates increasing in the small animal world, it would be nice to think that the occurrence of feline panleukopenia or feline parvovirus, is a thing of the past but that is not the case. Veterinary teams across Vetlife clinics in the South Island have seen many cases recently. This disease, also known as […]

Winter is approaching and it is time to make sure you have stored enough firewood, put a woollen underlay back on your bed and dug out your raincoat from behind the seat in the ute. It is great to come home after a day out in the cold, perhaps out in the rain, to a […]

As the season passes by, it becomes more important to ensure all our spring planning is well underway. Tasks such as late-season condition scoring, milk quality reviews and decisions on dry cow are all key tasks that impact spring. Something that is often overlooked is mineral supplementation in late gestation and early lactation. We often […]