Looking after dairy weaners
Getting calves through to weaning is major milestone and now we need to protect that initial investment.
Science is always evolving, so our veterinarians are passionate about continuing their learning to keep up to date with the latest in the veterinary world. This means we have a plethora of animal health articles written by our vets, available right here to assist you with your farming business or pet care.
Whether you’re a first time pet owner looking for the basics or a seasoned fur parent looking for some inspiration, we have everything covered from nutrition, vaccinations and grooming, to common health issues, behaviour and general wellbeing.
Getting calves through to weaning is major milestone and now we need to protect that initial investment.
The reproductive performance of your herd is greatly influenced by the difference between energy inputs (nutrition – energy, protein, fibre etc) and energy outputs (milk production, walking, inflammation etc) during the mating period.
A key influencer of next year’s performance. For Spring calving herds, the work of getting cows back in calf during October, strongly determines their performance in 2025 and these endeavours are either made easier or more difficult by a multitude of factors that precede this period.
Summer is a fun time for all, but the heat can be lethal to our pets. We really hope that knowing how to avoid heatstroke and being more aware of the risk factors and warning signs will help prevent unnecessary deaths.
During the warm weather, the river becomes one of the most popular places for people and their canine companions to cool down.
Did you know owners are more likely to seek prompt veterinary attention when required if they have ways of making vet visits less stressful.
For the last 15 plus years the sheep industry has faced the reality that resistance of internal parasites to anthelmintics was going to eventually limit the effectiveness of this tool.
Having our lambs grow quickly is an important pointer for lifting profitability and creating options for our farming systems.
Peter Aitken and the team at Totally Vets Awapuni have been working with Zoetis to test a new heifer synchrony program on Manawatu dairy farms, with a study that showed real-world improvements in heifer reproductive performance.
This autumn as in 2023, we have seen the increasing effects of resistance of internal sheep parasites to drench. This combined with ideal weather conditions for the survival of the larval stages of these parasites on pasture, are leading to lambs being clinically affected despite their treatment.
With the 2025 dairy season kicking off we are wanting to ensure that all the regular animal health vaccinations run smoothly.
This season MSD Animal Health released onto the New Zealand market a new lice control product for sheep which trades under the name Flexolt.