Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles of interest, and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay.
Sheep pregnancy scanning has become an annual pilgrimage for Welshman Steve. Steve Lloyd has been pregnancy scanning ewes for over 25 years. He has scanned in the UK, Norway and across New Zealand for the last 20 years. 2023 is his 6th season with the Vet Services team. Steve loves returning to Hawke’s Bay…
Details
The classic ‘coughing horse’ is a common sight and sound at this time of year, and often transient viral respiratory disease is to blame. But as much as we love to blame a virus, they are not always the cause! This year has seen an influx of allergy associated disease in all classes of stock…
Details
Weaning is one of the most stressful event a calf will go through, which is why it can be the period when we see many disease related issues as the associated stress leads to immune compromise. Young cattle at weaning may also be going from a situation of being regularly observed to a less intensive…
Details
Colic, a word that strikes fear into the heart of every horse owner! But what is it and what can we do? In the simplest sense, colic is a broad term used to describe abdominal pain and the behaviour that we see associated with that pain. This is most commonly associated with the gastrointestinal tract,…
Details
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…
Details
Happy New Year! The Vet Services team are now taking bookings for pregnancy scanning in cows and heifers. Pregnancy scanning has many advantages when understanding your herd’s reproduction performance and planning ahead for the season. The earliest times for accurate testing following bull withdrawal is 49 days, this is especially important for ageing or identifying…
Details
It’s that time of year again! Time for us to come out and scan your cattle with our BCF ultrasound scanners. Pregnancy scanning has many advantages when understanding your herd’s reproduction performance and planning ahead for the season. The earliest times for accurate testing following bull withdrawal is 49 days, this is especially important for…
Details
In the words of the old song, can a pet “take a trip and never leave the farm”, even in this Covid-19 era of travel restrictions? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. More and more frequently we are presented with dogs who are acting strangely and who are known to, or suspected of having ingested, someone’s…
Details
With our scanning equipment all but back on the shelf for another season we’ve had a little time recently to reflect on another year of cattle pregnancy results and follow up on some of the more disappointing outcomes. Whilst there are potentially many factors involved in a poor scanning result, bull failure is undeniably one…
Details
The physical break in the toe nail or dewclaw causes a cracked nail with an exposed nail bed. The nail bed can bleed or become infected. This can be so painful that your pet may stop bearing weight on the affected leg. If left untreated, nail infections can spread up to the joints of the…
Details
As we approach the 2025 mating season, it’s encouraging to see many ewes rebounding well after what has been a dry spring. However, we must remain mindful of the potential impacts of the autumn season. It is important to review and plan for fly, facial eczema (FE), and parasite control in your hoggets and 2th…
Details
Bladder obstruction (commonly called a blocked bladder) is caused by a buildup of sludge, crystals or stones in the bladder. It is these crystals and stones, which obstruct the urethra (outflow tract of the bladder) and can cause an obstructed bladder, meaning your pet can not urinate. The inability to urinate causes the bladder to…
Details
