Micotil
The manufacturers of Micotil have issued a statement re-emphasising the importance of taking great care to avoid accidental self-injection. This is a result of a fatality in America thought to be due to the drug. They point out that this is a very isolated case. We are happy to continue to use the drug as we find it very effective in treating pneumonia in calves and sheep and mastitis in ewes. We are also happy to prescribe Micotil provided that only the nominated person (usually the owner) administers it, and that great care is taken to avoid accidental self-injection. This means never leaving a loaded syringe with the needle unprotected, and making sure that the animal is held securely etc.If an accident does happen the advice is to immediately go to casualty with a copy of the drug data sheet. Contact us if you need help.
Tyre Wire Disease
Each winter we see typical cases of wire in cows. The incidence is increasing and information from the VLA centres shows wire from worn and damaged tyres on silage clamps to be the usual source. In one outbreak 30% of the herd were affected. The signs were not always typical, with vague signs of poor production and unthriftyness being apparent.
Old worn tyres should not be used and it has been suggested that using a 'grab' on the fore-end loader to move tyres makes wire fragments more likely.
Calf Scours
The commonest cause of scour in calves is Rotavirus, with Coronavirus being much less common but potentially much more severe. ROTAVEC CORONA vaccine is a very effective preventive and also controls disease caused by E. coli. A single dose should be given to cows between 3 and 12 weeks before calving. The colostrum and milk will be rich in antibodies. Bucket fed calves can be fed a daily dose of milk from treated cows to give protection. The current value of calves makes Rotavec a cost-effective investment.
Dry Cow Therapy
The choice of dry cow treatment is dependent on several factors including past mastitis incidence, cell count, summer mastitis risk, E. coli risk, etc. It may be that different products will applicable to different groups of cows.We have been very pleased with the non-antibiotic ORBESEAL in preventing new infections in the dry period. However it should only be used in cows with no history of mastitis and a low cell count. Strict cleanliness during insertion is also essential.CEPRAVIN DRY COW remains one of the most effective treatments for controlling cell counts. Until the end of July there is a discount of £10 on 120 herd packs and £15 on 160 herd packs, while stocks last. Please let us know your requirements as soon as possible.
Staff Update
We were very sorry to lose Catherine Morris after 6 years of service. Janet Blikmans, an experienced farm vet is working as a locum until July, when Tim Hurst will be joining us a farm assistant. Tim originates from Yorkshire and has been working in farm practise in Northern Ireland.
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