Articles

Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay.

black fly on white surface

Flystrike Warning

  The weather conditions are ripe for getting flystruck sheep. Flystrike is a devastating disease that starts with flies laying eggs in an area the size of a 5cent piece in the fleece of the sheep. The maggot larvae that hatch from the eggs then start eating skin tissue, which attracts more flies to lay…

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Lifestyle Block Services

Vet Services offer personalised lifestyle block veterinary services to small block owners across Hawkes Bay.  These services include emergency veterinary care, annual animal health plans, preventative care, educational workshops and technician assistance with routine drenching, vaccinations, bolusing and foot trimming to keep your animals happy and healthy.   Contact to find out more.  

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Equine HYSTEROSCOPY

We have an exciting new method of diagnosing problem mares at our fingertips this season and for seasons to come, with one of our vets attending a course 2022 and bringing back with her a technique that we can utilise – Hysteroscopy. Hysteroscopy is a procedure whereby our endoscope is passed into the uterus of the mare…

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Safe handling facilities

  Having a good safe working facility on farm has lots of benefits – to you, your animals, and your service providers. Yards that are fit for purpose are a pleasure to work in and reduce the risk of injury to all users (animal and human alike). The following are some common things that make…

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herd of sheep on green grass field during daytime

Pneumonia in Lambs

It’s that time of year when we get phone calls about coughing lambs and ways, we can help to treat animals at the time. Unfortunately, pneumonia in lambs is very difficult to treat once symptoms have occurred, so the best treatment is prevention! Pneumonia in young sheep can be caused by a number of different…

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Nitrate Poisoning

Too hot to handle Crops are an integral part of many systems, supplying supplementary feed when pasture covers get tight during autumn and winter. Unfortunately, nothing in life is ever that simple with many of the popular choices for crop being higher risk for nitrate accumulation, placing us between a rock and a hard place…

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corn fields during golden hour

Barley Grass

Summer is nearly here which means our vets are starting to see an increase in grass seed related problems.  Barley grass has bristly seeds which stick to anything, anywhere, anytime! Because of their shape these seeds can burrow into fur and skin where they might become lodged. They can also enter nose or ears, get…

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Chickens & Red Mites

Red mites are small external parasites of chickens that live in the cracks and crevices of poultry housing.  They are blood feeders and mainly feed at night but if there are large numbers they may be seen during the day.  They then return to the housing during the day where they lay their eggs.  They…

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An Easter warning for your pet

While overindulging during the Easter period may result in a few extra kilograms for us, the consequences for our pets are much greater. The accidental ingestion of chocolate can lead to serious illness or even death for our beloved companions. Chocolate contains theobromine which is poisonous and caffeine which is dangerous to all our pets.…

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Facial Eczema and Alpacas

Alpacas are very susceptible to the toxic effects of facial eczema spores and high risk periods occur during the summer and autumn. The spores, produced by the fungus Pithomyces chartarum, are broken down in the digestive tract releasing the sporidesmin toxin. The toxin is absorbed into the circulation and reaches the liver where it is…

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