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Heifer teat sealing

It’s that time of year when the heifers come in kicking and screaming on their first visits to the shed. Teat sealing may seem like a hassle, but it dramatically reduces clinical mastitis in heifers and milk leakage pre-calving. Heifers have a higher risk of mastitis in early lactation compared with older cows. This can lead to light quarters, or three-titters, teat canal thickening and increased risk of early culling from mastitis. Mastitis infections in first- and second-calvers limit u...

Book online with My Pet Portal

We strive to make face-to-face, personalised service a priority at Vet Clinic Morrinsville and love to schedule your appointments over the phone or in-clinic. However, we also want booking appointments to be as simple and convenient as possible for you, so for those who would prefer to book online, or outside of clinic hours, you can do so via My Pet Portal – our new online booking system for your pets.My Pet Portal lets you select the type of appointment you need and choose a t...

Nutrition for puppies and kittens

Puppies and kittens are weaned around 6-7 weeks old, so by the time they arrive in your home, they are eating solid food. Their most rapid growth occurs around 3-6 months old, so getting their nutrition in tip-top shape from the moment you welcome them home is key to setting them up for life.The best food to choose is “puppy” or “kitten” food, which is intended for growth, rather than generic diets. Ideally, these foods will have been through feeding trials to give the best evi...

Annual health plans for your furry friends

As we embark on another year filled with love, laughter, and countless cuddles with our beloved furry companions, it's essential to prioritise their health and wellbeing. Just like us, our pets require regular healthcare to ensure they lead long, happy lives by our side.Below are some things that we should include in our annual pet health plans:Vaccinations: Being up-to-date with vaccinations ensures your pet is protected against common diseases and infections. This is also when annual...

Choosing the right pet

Allergies, lifestyle, age, interests...all things to consider when choosing a pet. So, which pet is right for you?One way to narrow your search is to focus on the following:...

The value of pet insurance

When your pet gets sick, there is no public health system or ACC to cover the cost of their treatment - this is where pet insurance comes in. Insurance provides peace of mind that you can get the best treatment for your pet when they are sick or injured, without having to cut corners. It means you can focus on giving your pet the support and love they need, instead of worrying about the bill. It also helps you to get your pet seen as soon as possible, instead of waiting until an injury...

Upskilling the region

In late 2023, Vet Clinic Morrinsville hosted a series of practical workshops in animal medicine, primarily focusing on improving lameness and ultrasound techniques. The goal was to educate veterinarians, vet techs and farmers of the Waikato region to further boost community knowledge in animal health and the farming industry....

2024 scanning results

We are reaching the end of the scanning season and have collated everyone’s results, which show a 3% drop in empty rates from last year. The median has gone from 16% last season to 13% this season.  A quarter of you have met the 10% industry target for empty rate, so well done. A small number have also met the 78% industry target for 6-week in-calf rate. To enable us to provide better data analysis for you in the future, please consider giving us access to your MINDA.  ...

The benefits of a liver biopsy

Trace minerals are crucial to optimal production and animal health. Coming into autumn and winter, copper levels start to decrease, especially after the facial eczema season with zinc usage.  The liver is the storage organ for copper and the levels of copper in blood aren’t always an indication of storage levels. The liver is like a water tank and the blood is the tap - the tank can be nearly empty, but the water will still flow as if it’s full. Hence, the liver can be low in coppe...

Dry cow therapy regulations reminder

As the dry cow consult season approaches, it is important to remember what the regulations are as they have changed over the last few years. Understanding what data you need to bring (and why) makes the consults a lot more productive and informative for you and your vet....

Thiamine (B1) deficiency

Every summer we see a few cases of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in weaned calves. Thiamine is made by the bacteria in the rumen. If the bacterial balance is disturbed and there is a decrease in the bacteria that make thiamine and an increase in the bacteria that break down thiamine (‘thiaminases’), then there can be a deficiency.Bacterial balance can be disturbed by diet change, plant sources and grazing on soil with high sulphur levels (sulphur inhibits the production of thiamine)....

Understanding facial eczema in cows

Despite its name, facial eczema is primarily a liver disease, caused by cows eating lots of spores from the fungus Pithomyces chartarum, which grows in dead matter in pasture, in the right environmental conditions, in the summer. Here in the Waikato, the facial eczema season can be from January to late April. Fungal growth can happen when temperatures rise above 12°C, but spore production is highest when the temperature is between 20-24°C. It occurs rapidly, 2-4 days after rain. ...

Beat the heat: Helping your pets stay cool this summer

Summer is on the way, which (hopefully) means warm, sunny weather. But, what does it mean for our pets? The summer heat can cause drastic health issues. Keep an eye out for excessive panting, difficulty breathing, weakness and drooling. Like humans, dogs, cats and rabbits do not sweat as a primary source of cooling down, so they need a little bit of extra help from us!...

Is your pet overweight?

In New Zealand, 28% of dogs and 24% of cats are overweight or obese! It is up to us as their owners to manage their diets to keep them at a healthy weight.Obesity greatly increases the risk of health complications in cats and dogs. Some conditions that can result from being overweight include: diabetes,arthritis,kidney disease, high blood pressure,difficulty exercising and grooming.The first step is to identify that your pet is overweight. We have quality, premium n...

Paws off! Santa’s do not eat list

While it's fun to spend extra time with our pets and treat them at Christmas, we need to be careful with what we give them as many foods are toxic to cats and dogs.Check out this list of common Christmas goodies that can be harmful to pets:Chocolate, especially darker chocolate, is toxic to cats and dogs, so keep it out of reach of your pets;Mince pies, Christmas pudding and fruit cake have lots of raisins and sultanas, which are also toxic to cats and dogs;Milk or cream. While th...

Cow-tastic curves: The benefits of body condition scoring

Body condition scoring (BCS) is one of the most useful tools to help dairy farmers make management decisions throughout the season. Although it is a subjective measurement, it is still a good estimate of a cow’s energy reserves, which enable farmers to optimise their production systems.This means that if BCS targets are met, farmers will have more efficient reproduction and milk production. Additionally, farmers will also see improved cow health and animal welfare....

Facial eczema essentials for the summer

Summer season is upon us and it won’t be long before peak humidity and warm temperatures hit us at the start of the year. While it may be beach weather for us, it is also facial eczema (FE) weather for our dairy cows, as these are perfect conditions for the fungus to reproduce on our pastures.The fungus itself is not a big deal in small quantities. But, some warm nights and a couple of light showers during late summer to early autumn are enough to cause a sudden boom in spore counts. Expo...

Raising our youngstock

The month of festivities and bargains is here! As everyone starts planning ahead for various holidays or trips with their families, some of our youngstock are just about to head out for their respective trips away from the main farm and onto big, lush pastures.As we send them off on their little adventure, we picture them coming back all grown and fat (and secretly wish for a holiday just like that ourselves). However, just like us, they can fall ill while away and due diligence to prepare ...

Scanning into the future

As the seasons start to change, many of us are glad to be able to put calving behind us and to start planning ahead for the season to come. We are now deep into mating, with heat detection, CIDR’s, AB’s and bulls and our charts and little pocket books filled to the brim with dates and numbers. While we’re in the midst of making plans for the coming season, let’s not forget the benefits of early age pregnancy scanning, which include:Knowing the efficacy of your reproductive performan...

Bovine Digital Dermatitis

Bovine Digital Dermatitis (BDD) - also known as hairy heel warts, digital warts or strawberry foot rot - is a contagious disease causing painful inflammation of the skin above the heel bulbs, leading to lameness. Rear feet are affected in 90% of cases and new cows tend to get infected 2-8 weeks after entering the herd, resulting in an often higher prevalence among heifers. After infection, cattle do develop some immunity to the disease.While BDD cases within NZ dairy herds are low and often...

Bolster your biosecurity

With the heightened awareness of Foot and Mouth Disease earlier in the year, as well as the country still being in Mycoplasma bovis eradication mode, evaluating your farm’s biosecurity plan is a great way to protect yourselves and your community from exotic and pre-existing diseases. Diseases such as Bovine Digital Dermatitis are highly contagious and there is always a threat of disease introduction to your farm, which can result in compromised animal welfare, productivity and profitabili...

Nutrition in rabbits

You may or may not know, but rabbits have a very specific diet that is crucial to their health and survival, and no, it does not consist of lettuce and carrots! Rabbits are herbivores and have evolved to develop a digestive system that digests fibre and extracts other nutrients. This is amazing, but it does mean they must be fed a very specific diet. 80% of this diet should be hay and long, fibrous grass, which they should have access to at all times.The other 20% i...

At-home dental care

Maintaining good dental care at home, in between visits to the vets, is really important for keeping your pet's teeth clean. It should be part of your daily routine.Here are some at-home dental care options you can try to help keep your pet's smile gleaming year-round:Teeth brushingYou should regularly clean your pet's teeth with a pet-friendly toothbrush and paste to prevent plaque and tartar buildup. You could start off by smearing a dot of toothpaste on your finger and using it to clean, befo...

Getting to the guts of your pet's gastro issues

Gastroenteritis is when your pet's stomach/intestines become inflamed and it is common in cats and dogs. Anything that alters their microbiome significantly can lead to the condition, including:Changes in intestinal floraA food allergy or sensitivityGastrointestinal (GI) ulcersGI cancersForeign bodiesIntestinal obstructionGenetic disease or predispositionIngestion of spoiled or raw foods, or of non-food itemsViruses (parvovirus, distemper, etc.)Intestinal parasites.Signs to look out forSometimes...

Chicken Care 101

Recent regulatory changes banning battery cages for layer hens in NZ mean supermarkets are now only accepting cage-free eggs. This is a great win for our feathered friends, who now have the room they need to be happy and productive, but it has left our egg shelves a little bare! In a bid to ensure we have eggs to go with our bacon, there has been a dramatic rise in Kiwis taking matters into their own hands and buying chooks.TradeMe reported a whopping 190% increase in searches for...