Parkside Vets - Farms and Smallholders

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

21/10/2025

🚜 New Breeding Bulls & Rams? Quarantine First! 🐂🐏
Bringing new stock home is exciting — but don’t skip the quarantine.
✅ Keep separate for 3–4 weeks
✅ Test & treat for key diseases and parasites
✅ Disinfect trailers & gear
✅ Check feet, teeth, testicles & body condition
✅ Match feeding to avoid digestive upset
Quarantine protects your herd and your investment. Need help with a plan? Get in touch! Phone 01382 811111

20/10/2025

Our experienced team of large animal vets are available 24/7, 365 days per year, meaning that whenever you might need us, you will always see a familiar face who is experienced in dealing with cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas and much more!

We can always be reached on 01382 811111 - during out-of-hours your call will be passed to a call handling service who will contact the on-call vet on your behalf.