Parkside Vets - Farms and Smallholders

21/11/2025

Darlene from our large animal office is once again collecting toys and gifts for a local charity to Dundee called Help for Kids. She and her daughter help this charity every year helping to ensure that every young person has something to open at Christmas.

Parkside staff donate toys and gifts and for the last few years clients have also added to the donations.

We have collection points at all 3 of our surgeries if you would like to help.

Let’s come together and raise some smiles this Christmas.

The last date for donations is December 9th.

Toys/gifts are to be new and suitable for 0-18y - please see the last photo for the T&Cs.

18/11/2025

🐄 Body Condition Scoring – Why It Matters for Your Beef Herd 🐄

As winter sets in, now’s the perfect time to check your cows’ Body Condition Score (BCS).

✅ Ideal BCS = Healthier Calving + Better Fertility + Lower Feed Costs
❌ Too Thin (≤2) = Calving struggles, delayed breeding
❌ Too Fat (≥4) = Calving difficulties, wasted resources

BCS Scale:
1 = Very thin | 5 = Very fat
Target:
• Mid-pregnancy: 3–3.5
• Late pregnancy: 2.5–3
Key Times to Score:
✔ At weaning
✔ Mid-pregnancy
✔ Pre-calving (60–90 days out)
✔ At breeding
👉 Learn how to score and why it matters: NADIS Guide
📞 Need help planning feeding strategies? We’re here to support you!

14/11/2025

🍂🐑 Smallholder checklist — November prep for a smoother winter!

Now’s the time to get ahead before the weather turns wild ❄️🌬️

✅ Health check your flock & herd — spot issues early before housing
✅ Review parasite plans — are you covered for fluke & lice?
✅ Tidy up shelters, fencing & footpaths — mud season is HERE!
✅ Stock up on essentials — feed, bedding, and first aid basics
✅ Book in any routine vet work — we’re here to help you plan ahead 🩺📅

A little prep now saves a lot of stress later. Give us a call if you'd like to chat through your winter plan — we’re always happy to support our smallholder community 💚

11/11/2025

🐑 Remembrance Day 🐄
Today we pause to remember the courage and sacrifice of those who left behind their livestock and land to serve. We also honour the farmers and agricultural workers who fought their own battle here at home.

During time of war, food production became a matter of national survival. Communities rallied to ensure no one went hungry. The farming community's resilience fed both soldiers abroad and families at home.

Today we remember not only those on the front lines, but those who kept the home front alive.

Lest we forget.

07/11/2025

Body Condition Scoring Sheep
Accurately body condition scoring your flock can help to ensure that animals are in optimal condition at key timings during the reproductive cycle. Benefits of this include:
• Higher scanning, lambing and weaning %
• Reduced ewe mortality
• Production of viable and heavier lambs with a good immunity
• Higher weaning weights
• Production of good quality colostrum and milk
Ewes can be scored using a system which ranks them from 1 (very thin) through to 5 (obese) and helps to gauge which animals require additional support.
The easiest way to body condition score sheep is to place your hand flat across their back, just behind the last rib and assess how prominent the spine feels (see diagram).
If you have any queries, please give us a call on 01382 811111.

04/11/2025

🚨 EMERGENCIES don’t keep office hours — and neither do we! Our team of large animal vets are available 24/7, 365 days a year 🐄🐑🚜

📅 PLAN AHEAD & SAVE !
Book in advance and get 50% off the visit fee for any work that takes over an hour 💷💪

We’re always here when you need us — day or night, rain or shine 🌙🌦️

📞 Call the practice to book your visit! 01382 811111

31/10/2025

🎃 Happy Halloween from your vet team

Why did the sheep cross the field on Halloween night?
To escape the ghostly baa-ing from the old barn…"

🎃 Stay safe out there — even the flock’s feeling spooky tonight!

28/10/2025

🐄 Winter Housing = Prime Time for Parasite Control 🐛

As cattle head indoors for winter, it’s the ideal time to tackle parasites. Housing offers a strategic window to treat for:

✅ Worms
✅ Liver fluke
✅ Lice and mites

With animals off pasture, the risk of re-infection drops — giving treatments a better chance to work and helping reduce the overall parasite burden in your herd.

💪 The benefits? Improved growth, better feed efficiency, and stronger herd health heading into spring.

🔬 REMEMBER: test before you treat. Faecal egg counts and fluke tests help ensure you're using the right product at the right time — and help protect against resistance.

28/10/2025

24/10/2025

**⚠️ Acorn Alert: Protect Your Livestock This Autumn 🍂🐑🐄**

Acorns may seem harmless, but they can be *highly toxic* to sheep, cattle, goats, and even alpacas — especially during a mast year like this one.

**Why the risk is high now**
🌳 Oak trees are dropping large numbers of acorns
🌬️ Stormy weather brings them down fast
🌾 Sparse grazing = hungry stock more likely to nibble

**What to watch for:**
- Sudden deaths in the field
- Dullness, loss of appetite
- Constipation followed by black or bloody diarrhoea
- Excessive thirst, urination, or signs of kidney failure

**Prevention tips:**
✅ Fence off oak trees where possible
✅ Check pastures daily for fallen acorns
✅ Offer extra forage to reduce temptation
✅ Act fast — early vet intervention is critical

Treatment is limited once damage is done. If you suspect acorn poisoning, call your vet immediately 01382 811111. ❗

22/10/2025