Isle Veterinary Group - Equine and Farm Animal

24/02/2025

𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 🐮

A fully functioning bull will be able to successfully serve 47 out of 50 cows/heifers in a 9-week mating period. If your bull is unable to do this, he is considered sub-fertile.

Ideally all working bulls should undergo an annual fertility exam before the breeding season begins to avoid using sub-fertile animals. It is estimated that approximately 20% of bulls are sub-fertile! Newly purchased bulls should be tested as soon as possible. Sub-fertile bulls are still able to serve cows and so their poor fertility can risk going unnoticed until scanning.

Infertile bulls are usually easy to detect, as all cows served will return to oestrus. However, sub-fertile bulls are much harder to identify without testing, as some cows will become pregnant, but conception rate will be much lower than a bull with optimal fertility.
Infertility and reduced fertility are most commonly caused by poor quality semen, physical defects, or inability to mate effectively. This may be genetic, caused by injury, or change as the bull ages.

A bull fertility exam includes:
- Clinical exam
- Full examination of internal and external reproductive organs
- Semen collection
- Semen evaluation looking at quantity and appearance of ej*****te, gross motility, and progressive motility

Questions about fertility? Get in touch with our clinic on 01353 658241 and we'll put you in touch with our knowledgeable team☎️

21/02/2025

This weekend Hannah is on duty to assist with any emergencies that you may have, supported by Anna (Czylok). We recently received this feedback from a client after Hannah was contacted because Cooper was feeling a little under the weather:

"𝘏𝘪, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘖𝘏 𝘌𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦. 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦."

Please do leave us a review, we really appreciate feedback!

As always, please call 07887 525912 after 17:30 Friday should you require any support, advice or assistance. We hope you all have a fantastic weekend🙂

20/02/2025

𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 🐑

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: Always check the ewe for colostrum or evidence of mastitis and monitor lamb sucking. It is vital the lambs are standing and sucking quickly in the first hours of life. Ideally lambs should receive 50ml/kg live weight at 6 hourly intervals, so by 24 hours old they should have received 200ml/kg live weight.

𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒: Have a book or a board in the lambing shed where you record lamb losses, ewe losses and cause of death, BCS of ewes at lambing, lamb daily live weight gain, and any treatments given. This will make it easier to assess the health and wellbeing of your flock, and allow any potential issues to be identified.

Finally, ensure you have enough help and look after yourself! Try to make sure you’re getting adequate sleep and eating properly to avoid physical and mental burnout. Remember, we are available 24/7 if you need us! 🩺

19/02/2025

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 🐑

𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐇𝐘𝐆𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒: Cleanliness in lambing pens and housing is essential to reduce infection risk. Ensure there is plenty of clean, dry bedding provided and fresh food and water is always available for the ewe. Remove wet straw and afterbirth. Spray/dip the navel with iodine as soon as possible after birth and repeat a few hours later. Pens should be completely cleaned and bedded with fresh straw after each ewe is turned out to prevent buildup of bacteria.

𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒: Keep sick ewes, lambs or ewes that have aborted in separate pens to help minimise spread of disease.

18/02/2025

We'd like to wish our clients, James and Rachael Griffin, a massive 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 on their fantastic news - Hemingford Prince Charming has broken UK and European records as overall Supreme Champion at Stirling. This result is a true credit to their dedication and passion for the work they do.

James and Rachael, we are proud to work alongside you. Enjoy your celebrations! 🐮

Stirling February ‘25 - the sale where dreams came true ❤️

Hemingford Prince Charming places first in his class, Intermediate male champion and then overall Supreme champion in the pre sale show, and if we thought it couldn’t get any better than that goes on to sell for 56,000gns breaking UK and European records!!

But this is not our result, we are just the small herd from Cambridgeshire who love our cattle and try to do the best job that we can do. This incredible achievement for the breed is the accumulation of so many people’s efforts that we hope we haven’t forgotten to acknowledge anyone!

Firstly, it’s our friends and family who support and encourage us, hold the fort at home when we’re away showing and selling, have pulled us through some very difficult times and celebrated with us on the good times. Next, it’s our fellow breeders who have inspired us and whose own hard work and generations of breeding decisions that have come before our own have led the breed to where it is today. It’s the British Simmental Cattle Society who work continuously to promote the breed and support their breeders. It’s our fantastic vet Laura Stephen and the team at the Isle Veterinary Group - Equine and Farm Animal who always take great care of the cattle and do an exceptional job assisting with our breeding plans and helping us to gain and maintain a health status we are very proud of. Full credit has to go to Saltire Simmentals for breeding a tremendous bull in our herd sire Saltire Jaguar, he has certainly left his mark and we hope he’s done you proud. We also have to give a huge thanks to Sean Mitchell and Hetty Hutchinson for their brilliant efforts helping to prep Prince Charming at the sale, without your help trying to do a bull sale while juggling 2 children under 2 would have been the impossible task!

Thanks to United Auctions - Livestock Auctioneers and Raymond Kennedy for all your hard work and congratulations to all the breeders on an incredible sale. And lastly the biggest thanks go to judge Jim Goldie for thinking so highly of our bull and to purchasers the Green family at Corskie Farm for giving him the best home we could hope for, we wish you all the best with him and hope he does well for you.

What a weekend, and what a story that we can’t wait to tell our boys in years to come 🥰

18/02/2025

𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐒: 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐋

Have everything you think you may need close to hand. A list of recommendations to include in your lambing kit is below*

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐄: If a ewe is pushing for more than 30 minutes with no progress or if you see single legs, hindlegs or a head only, intervention is recommended. You should use clean disposable gloves and plenty of lubrication when assisting a lambing ewe. If at any time you need assistance, please call us for advice or help.

*𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 (𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎):
• Arm length disposable plastic gloves
• Clean waterproof clothing
• Clean bucket with warm water, soap and approved surgical scrub solution (e.g. Hibiscrub, Iodine)
• Towel, thermometer and heat lamp
• Iodine dip for navels
• A lambing snare
• Lambing ropes
• Obstetrical lubricant
• Disposable syringes, needles
• Antibiotics, analgesics, calcium, twin lamb drench
• Colostrum (frozen/powdered), stomach tube
• Harnesses/retainers/suture material for vaginal prolapses

17/02/2025

This week we'll be sharing our 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍. Keep an eye out for new tips each day until Thursday! 🐑

𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 (𝐁𝐂𝐒) 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐒: Aim for a BCS of 2.5-3 out of 5 from mid-pregnancy onwards. Ewes that lose too much condition during pregnancy are at increased risk of metabolic disease such as twin lamb disease (pregnancy toxaemia) or milk fever (hypocalcaemia). These ewes may not be receiving appropriate nutrition so now is the time to change this. They are also likely to be producing the highest number of worm eggs in their faeces, therefore, by using a targeted worming approach and worming only these ewes, pasture contamination of worms is reduced and wormer resistance is minimised.

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐒: Scanning allows you to know how many lambs your ewe is expecting. Nutrition can then be tailored to the individual ewe’s requirement. All ewes need good quality forage and ewes expecting twins/triplets need high quality concentrates in late pregnancy.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐄-𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒: Checking energy, protein, copper and magnesium levels in the ewes can help to ensure they are receiving correct nutrition. This is important for the health of the ewe and to promote production of good quality colostrum for their lambs.

𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒: Clostridial vaccines should be boosted 4-6 weeks before lambing starts to ensure that adequate antibodies are present in the colostrum for the lambs.

14/02/2025

This weekend we have Anna on duty for any emergency assistance that you may require. Please call 07887 525912 after 17:30 on Friday should you need any assistance ☎️

Have a wonderful and safe weekend! 🐐

13/02/2025

𝐋𝐄𝐓'𝐒 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 🐮

It is important that cows calve down in optimal body condition. For beef cattle this would be a score of 2.5-3/5. Pre-calving bloods provide great insight into identifying potential ration shortfalls causing a negative impact on energy, protein, minerals and vitamin levels in the blood. Subsequently this could lead to problems with calving, retained membranes, and poor colostrum quality. Bloods are best performed 6-8 weeks prior to calving, from a varied group, representative of the whole herd. These can then be repeated, ideally before the cow calves, to see if dietary changes made have been sufficient to improve results.

𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒:
• Iodine for dipping navels
• Lubigel (vet-lube) and clean gloves
• Clean calving ropes
• Pulleys or a calving jack
• Clean stomach tube and feeder bag
• Powdered colostrum
• Calving gate or crush
• Cattle halter

𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌: Good quality colostrum intake is vital for a successful calving season. 10% of a calf’s bodyweight must be consumed in the first 6 hours of life. The antibodies in colostrum provide important protection from disease in the calves’ first few weeks of life.

Colostrum quality reduces over time and so should be milked from the cow as soon as possible if the calf is not up and feeding. The calf’s gut is only able to uptake maternal antibodies from colostrum for the first 12-24 hours of life, with maximum absorption occurring within the first 6 hours.

If the cow has low volumes of colostrum, or that of poor quality, the calf should be supplemented with powdered colostrum replacer as soon as possible. You can use a colostrometer to assess the quality of each cow's colostrum, or we can test the calf’s blood IgG levels to check for adequate passive transfer of immunity.

Questions? Get in touch with our team on 01353 658241 to discuss your calving needs!

12/02/2025

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 🦠

Strangles is a highly contagious respiratory infection in horses, characterised by fever and abscessation of the lymph nodes of the head and neck. Any age, breed and s*x can be affected.

𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓: There are typically between 5 and 100 times more outbreaks of Strangles than Equine Influenza (Flu).

Did you know there is a Strangles vaccine available? Biosecurity and vaccination go hand-in-hand as the two most important aspects of prevention.

Get in touch with our clinic to find out more on 01353 658241 ☎️

11/02/2025

𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃? Whether a direct or indirect claim, it is important that owners understand their insurance policy before making a claim, eg exclusions and claim form requirements, plus the claim process with us.

We are delighted to still offer direct claims for our clients* but we require full co-operation in order to continue providing this service. You must notify us within 3 days of every visit or medication request and comply with our account terms and conditions.

If your claim has been accepted by your insurance company, we ask that you contact your insurance company regularly, at least weekly, to check on the progress of your claim.

If you need any support or guidance with your insurance policy, please contact the clinic on 01353 658241 to speak to a knowledgeable member of our team.

* Direct claims are offered at the discretion of the Practice upon reflection of account status. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

10/02/2025

𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒
A foot abscess is a focal accumulation of pus in the hoof of the horse and is caused by the proliferation of bacteria into the area.

𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗦
· Usually present as severe, sudden onset non-weight baring lameness
· Usually in one foot
· Reluctance to put foot down on the ground
· Warm hoof to touch
· Strong (bounding) digital pulse in the affected leg
· Sometimes a mild to moderate swelling present in the lower part of the affected leg

𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧
It is always recommended to seek advice from your veterinary surgeon or farrier when dealing with a suspected foot abscess. It’s important to understand that resolving the abscess may take a long time and the objective of treatment is to draw the abscess out while keeping the horse as comfortable as possible.

· Apply a poultice to the foot; can be soaked in warm or cold water, or applied dry. This will soften the sole and allow the abscess to be drawn out while keeping the foot clean from debris
· Alternatively, you can soak the foot in warm water with Epsom Salts
· It is advised to provide your horse with pain relief, according to veterinary recommendation

If you feel that you are not sure about the cause of the lameness or feel that your horse needs further help, please contact your vet. We operate our own emergency service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

07/02/2025

Have a great weekend despite the potential rain! 🌧️

As always we’re here if you need us. This weekend Ramon is on duty with Harriet supporting. Please call 07887 525912 after 5:30pm on Friday for any assistance you require 📞

06/02/2025

𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 🐎
Have you considered your equids risk factor for roundworm, tapeworm and encysted small redworm this winter? These parasites pose the biggest health threats to the equine species and should be regularly monitored to include:

• Faecal worm egg counts
• Saliva tapeworm tests
• Encysted small redworm/tapeworm serum testing

As research develops, worming advice is constantly evolving. Resistance to equine wormers is widespread and we must act responsibly. Serious health implications are linked to uncontrolled worm burdens so it is crucial these are identified, targeted and treated responsibly using evidence-based diagnostics 🔬 Foals, youngstock and equids with a poorer start in life will require more regular monitoring and pro-active treatments.

Encysted small redworm can remain in the dormant larval stage for a long period of time before making their presence known as mature egg-laying adults (eggs are detectable on faecal analysis). An ELISA blood test for encysted redworm is available for low-risk horses and tapeworm exposure can be identified using a blood or saliva test.

Worming at the first frost? ❄️ This is no longer reliable due to ever changing temperatures within this area; the impact of doing so largely depends on environmental and management factors. Horses should be targeted individually based on grazing habits and risk level. To discuss your individual horse/donkey’s risk factors and requirements, please call the practice on 01353 658241 to speak with a knowledgeable member of the team.

Faecal image credit: BHS

05/02/2025

IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR FARM CLIENTS 🐮 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦.

From 1st April 2025 the Foods Standards Authority (FSA) will only accept animals certified by vets qualified as OV- EMSL. A number of vets at Isle are currently gaining this qualification. However, only "emergency" cases, that are fit for human consumption, can be certified. These include trauma and sudden onset issues, for example a broken leg, or animal that fell and cannot rise.

Longstanding cases of lameness, chronic conditions and birth defects cannot be sent into the food-chain this way. The carcasses will be inspected post mortem by the slaughterhouse Official Vet, and if there are signs of a longstanding problem, eg. sores where they have been down a long time, or thick immobile joints, the carcass will be not be accepted into the food-chain.

Fractious animals (those unsafe to load and travel) can be slaughtered as an "emergency" on farm, but need a different certificate.

Animals with longstanding conditions, as above, can be slaughtered on farm but only for home consumption by the owner, not for resale. Alternatively the knacker must be called.

Please discuss the case with a vet prior to booking an emergency slaughter.

05/02/2025

We are looking forward to welcoming Sally back to work in April following her maternity leave. She is planning to run the Cambridge Half Marathon, raising crucial funds for Diabetes UK.

Please click on the link for more information:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/sally-stoddart-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=FB&utm_campaign=009&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3TeCf7-_-zlDw96sIv2xa7Xb7XX6WLfShzr3bX7uTrCZls_zNFWdHNP1o_aem_Z2qNY5V9DvkDuPYhCihFwQ

Go Sally! 🏃🏼‍♀️

Help Sally Stoddart raise money to support Diabetes UK

24/01/2025

This weekend we have Anna Dent on-call for any emergency assistance that you may require (did you know that we now have two Anna's?). Please call 07887 525912 should you need any help and you will be diverted accordingly.

We hope you have a great weekend and stay safe in the stormy weather! 🌨️