Mount Vets Farm Practice

31/08/2024

Read our latest newsletter here:

https://www.mountvets.com/farmers-newsletter-august-2024/

30/08/2024

Here is an example of lungworm larvae from a calf dung sample. Given the recent weather changes, the wet and warm favours proliferation of lungworm.

Most common between June and October, clinical signs include coughing (from day 15), respiratory distress and yield reduction.

All anthelmintic groups are effective. Yellow drenches have a lower mortality risk, by paralysing worms rather than killing them immediately. This allows them to be coughed up and ingested before degrading in the lungs and causing inflammation. However, unlike other anthelmintics, yellow drenches have no persistent activity beyond 24 hours. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories should also be used in severe cases. Please give us a call if you have a suspected case, as not all summer coughing is lungworm!

☎01823 662286
📲[email protected]

28/08/2024

A lovely post shared from 👏

"U-Rock our bull had a bad foot last week and went lame. Lucky for us Pip came to the rescue from . It turned out that he had damaged the end of his toe and then got a further infection in it. She carefully trimmed it back and had to give him a block or shoe to help keep the pressure off of his foot. This is no easy feat with U-Rock weighing close to one ton! Luckily he was the perfect patient and was impeccably well behaved and even seems to like the fetching pink block. He is now back to his old self and is happily walking amongst his girls"

Keep sharing your stories with us, we love to hear from you all! Tag us in your posts and photos . 💚

27/08/2024

Update to the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway

The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP) has expanded its funding program into its second phase: the “follow up” phase, which allows for further funding for endemic disease testing off the back of a “review”.

To find out more read the article in our latest newsletter here:

https://www.mountvets.com/farmers-newsletter-august-2024/

23/08/2024

This summer, as usual, we have seen many cases of New Forest Eye, also known as Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivits. It is probably the most common eye condition that we see in cattle, especially through the summer months.

New Forest is very painful and will disrupt normal grazing behaviour of cattle, especially younger animals who seem to be more predisposed to infection. Bright sunlight, with high UV light, leads to more pain in affected eyes.
Treatment is focused on prompt identification followed by anti-inflammatories and effective antibiotic therapy.

One treatment option that we have been using more regularly is stitching of the third eyelid over the surface of the eye. This provides extra protection to the eye and can be a very effective treatment option for more severe cases.

Prevention centres around reducing the burden of flies around cattle. Early treatment in the year with fly control is essential to control the overall population. As our winters seem to be getting warmer and wetter, we will be seeing flies around earlier and earlier. Starting fly control around Easter time may reduce the fly population early enough and could even lead to less treatment later in the year.

For more advice contact the practice on:
☎01823 662286

16/08/2024

A reminder for all our farm clients that we have a range of competitively priced non-prescription products available to order including fly treatments, clostridial vaccines, wormers and flukicides.

For vet advice, or pricing details please call the practice on 01823 662286. We can easily add these products to your usual medicines order to save you having to shop elsewhere.

☎Call us: 01823 662286

07/08/2024

Nosebleeds are an infrequently encountered symptom in cattle and often fall under category A: Probably not too much to worry about. The majority of the time they’ll be down to trauma, either from a good old fashioned bust up with their herd mates or from a bonk on the nose coming through the handling system or crush. Minor nosebleeds will usually just stop once they’ve had time to calm down.

Occasionally, a nosebleed will fall under category B: Dead before the vet arrives. Anyone who has witnessed this particularly gruesome event will testify to how quickly cows can bleed out through their nose and there is realistically nothing that can be done by the time that blood is spraying out of both nostrils like a hose pipe. This event is the end of a long trail of destruction that starts in the rumen and may have been slowly developing over the course of weeks, months or possibly even years.

Read the full article here: https://www.mountvets.com/farmers-newsletter-june-2024/

06/08/2024

We loved seeing so many of you at both the Mid Devon and Honiton Shows this year.

We hope you have made good use of our Mount Vets orange buckets! Our bucket is being put to good use here for honeycomb collecting.

Enter our bucket competition; send us your images or tag us with photos of your bucket being put to good use and the best photo will win a prize!🎉

01/08/2024

Come and say hello, we are at today. We look forward to seeing you all. Come in and take a break from the heat, we have brownies, pasties and sausage rolls waiting for you. 💚

31/07/2024

Great work from Pip and Amy with a recent RDA case! Some of you may have already met our new vet Amy, who we welcomed to the team in July, but for those of you that are yet to meet her, here’s a little bit about her:

“I grew up on my family’s beef cattle property in central Queensland where we breed pedigree Droughtmasters (an Australian breed developed by crossing Brahmans with Shorthorns) and beef-type Fleckvieh. From a young age I’ve been kept busy helping out on the farm, and also enjoyed being involved in exhibiting our cattle at agricultural shows.

After completing my studies at the University of Queensland in 2021, I worked as a mixed practice vet in a rural area for 18 months before deciding to make the trek to the UK for a change in scenery. After arriving in August 2023, I spent most of my time doing locum work in northern Wales, so I’m excited to have joined the Mount Vets team and have a permanent base.
I enjoy traveling, playing tennis, horse riding, skiing (not much opportunity for that back home in Queensland, though!) and reading.”

30/07/2024

We will be at Honiton Show on Thursday, come and say hi! We look forward to seeing you all there.

Let's hope the sun stays out and we don't have a repeat of last years muddy conditions!

27/07/2024

We are at Mid Devon Show today 💚☀️ the sun is shining! We look forward to seeing you all throughout the day. Make sure to tag us in any of your photos. Our giant sized deck chair out the front of the tent is a perfect photo opportunity! 📸

27/07/2024

We are at Mid Devon Show today! 💚☀️ Come and say hello. We look forward to seeing you all and are ready to welcome you in our hospitality tent with refreshments and of course tasty Tim Potter pasties!!

26/07/2024

Given the recent weather changes, the wet and warm favours proliferation of lungworm.

Lifecycle:
The roundworm Dictyocaulus viviparus causes parasitic bronchitis (PB), also called lungworm, hoose or husk. Adult worms mate in lungs of cattle. The eggs hatch rapidly, and first stage larvae are coughed up, swallowed, and excreted onto pasture via faeces. Here, they develop into the infective third stage larvae, which are ingested by cattle.

Most common between June and October, clinical signs include coughing (from day 15), respiratory distress and yield reduction.

Treatment:
All anthelmintic groups are effective. Yellow drenches have a lower mortality risk, by paralysing worms rather than killing them immediately. This allows them to be coughed up and ingested before degrading in the lungs and causing inflammation. However, unlike other anthelmintics, yellow drenches have no persistent activity beyond 24 hours. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories should also be used in severe cases.

☎Please give us a call if you have a suspected case, as not all summer coughing is lungworm! 01823 662286

22/07/2024

This year’s Farm Safety Week will again highlight some of the key challenges farmers and farm workers face every day and will throw a spotlight on the dangers of ignoring near-misses, reminding farmers that, while they cannot eliminate risk completely, they can minimise it and learn from every near-miss to improve their working practices. We are proud to support the annual Farm Safety Week campaign. Working in partnership with other like-minded organisations can help amplify important messages throughout the week. We need to challenge this industry’s safety behaviours and we need to change our poor safety record. Together we can make a difference not just for the farmers of today but for the farmers of the future.” For more information on ‘Farm Safety Week’ visit www.yellowwellies.org or follow on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram using the hashtag

12/07/2024

Our next 4 day DIY AI course will run on 19th, 20th, 22nd & 23rd August 2024.

This DEFRA approved course is aimed at anyone who has no previous experience in the artificial insemination of cows. The 4 day course is run by our experienced farm vet Rob Mangham and is full of theory and practical sessions to make sure you leave feeling confident and safe in all aspects of AI. The cost of the course is £500 + VAT, with a £50+VAT deposit to secure your space. (deposit will be taken off final amount)

For more information
📲Click the link in our bio
☎Call: 01823662286 or
💻 Email: [email protected]

As a proactive group of farm vets in Somerset & Devon, we like to share advice and details of intere

11/07/2024

Another successful Cattle Foot Trimming course this week!

Well done to all those who attended. 💪🏻

To find out more about the courses we run:

Visit our website: https://www.mountvets.com/farm/farm-training-courses/

Or email: [email protected] to register your interest in any of the courses.

09/07/2024

We are running two Mastering Medicines courses this month!

Monday 15th July 1:30-4:30pm
&
Tuesday 23rd July 12-3pm

The Farm Assurance Guidelines have changed. It is now recommended that at least one team member responsible for administering medicines has undertaken training and holds a certificate of competence. Attending our Mastering Medicines course ensures you are compliant with this recommendation.

For more information or to book
📞Call: 01823662286 or
💻Email: [email protected]

03/07/2024

Cattle Foot Trimmer required.

Due to an expanding workload Mount Vets Farm Department are seeking an additional foot trimmer, preferably with experience.
The practice is based in Wellington, TA21 9FG (M5 Junction 26).
This is a salaried position with 28 days paid leave including bank holidays, paid CPD and private health insurance.

For more information, please contact Al Caygill by email at [email protected]

27/06/2024

Can you help?

We are trying to help out some fellow farmers from Cornwall who are visiting Devon and Somerset on Thursday 1st August. As part of their day they would love to visit a beef unit in the afternoon before returning home. Would anyone be keen to accommodate 30 farmers for a couple of hours?

It is the day of Honiton Show so we know many of you may already be busy. Any help would be gratefully received.

If you can help us please contact:

☎ Nicole: 07587054487
📲 Email: [email protected]

21/06/2024

If you would like to be added to our waitlist for our Mastering Medicines course please contact us by:

📲Email: [email protected]
☎Call: 01823 662286

The Farm Assurance Guidelines have changed. It is now recommended that at least one team member responsible for administering medicines has undertaken training and holds a certificate of competence. Attending our Mastering Medicines course ensures you are compliant with this recommendation.

20/06/2024

A recent post from kittisford barton farm. Thank you for sharing!

Bit of a shock this morning to find one of our cattle in with a mangalitza boar, he was safely removed but not after some damage from the boars tusks. A quick phone call to and Pip was with us quickly to stitch back the damage. Fingers crossed the escape artist heals up. A quality vet practice is essential when running a livestock farm and the team at Mount Vets are always brilliant.

07/06/2024

As suggested by the NADIS blowfly forecast last week, the risk of flystrike is especially high at present.

Here is an example of a recent case. Flystrike can progress extremely rapidly and any sheep showing signs of depression or itching should be thoroughly examined for patches of strike.

For more advice contact us:

☎01823 662286

31/05/2024

We’ve had an unusual case this month of scour in lambs, that also seems to be a new emerging issue that Starcross has had a few other reports of this winter and spring. The farm in question was about halfway through lambing when suddenly lambs started scouring. These scours often started within the first few days of life, though some affected lambs were a little older. These lambs would often go from apparently healthy with normal dung consistency to a profuse scour and death within 12-24 hours. No amount of antibiotics seemed to save the deaths.

Read the full article here: https://www.mountvets.com/farmers-newsletter-may-2024/

30/05/2024

Grazing is upon us! Now animals are out, Dr Green does tend to look after most of them well, but unfortunately some still require our attention. Turn out brings its own set of challenges for farm vets, as we often must venture out into the fields to see our patients.

It can prove difficult for us to locate you and your animal. I’m sure you’ve all been met with the slightly glazed stare or look of worry when giving directions to your vet.
Hopefully many of you will have heard of the App ‘what3words’. This ingenious App has broken the world down to 3m2 increments, each square on this grid has its own, unique reference phrase of 3 words. For example, our alcove on the wall is “consoles.daydream.tunnel”. Ways it can be used truly are endless, but useful examples include the location of the patient at pasture, field gateways or fridges on farm when we come to drop off vaccines.

What 3 words is a great way of giving exact, precise locations which is very useful for our vets to be able to find where you and your animals are. Download the app from www.what3words.com that way when you call us with an emergency or need a vet to visit you can quote the 3 reference words for your location.

28/05/2024

The NADIS blowfly forecast suggests that weather conditions across some parts of the UK mean that local flocks may be at HIGH RISK of blowfly strike caused by female flies being active and laying eggs.

Carcasses, dirty backends, foot rot lesions and open wounds are all attractive egg laying sites. Strike can develop very quickly, with the first maggots appearing within 12 hours of eggs being laid.

Stock should be checked at least twice daily for signs of fly strike

Clinical signs include:

▪️Discomfort
▪️Agitation or restlessness
▪️Disturbed grazing
▪️Separation from flock
▪️Kicking or nibbling at affected area
▪️Damp/Discoloured fleece
▪️Lameness and wounds
▪️Dull and sick animals
▪️Sheep found dead

Treatment:

▪️Prompt treatment is a necessity if it is to be successful.
▪️Veterinary advice should be sought for severely affected or sick sheep.
▪️Clip entire affected area and extend the clip into dry unaffected areas of skin
▪️Apply effective product to kill the maggots.

☎Call us for more advice: 01823 662286

17/05/2024

May is Vet Nurse Awareness month, a campaign to raise awareness of veterinary nursing and all the great things that they do.

Pip recently needed a helping hand with a lamb she was looking after and thankfully she had some extra help from our lovely vet nurses who work in the Mount Vets Small Animal department. Great teamwork! 💚🐑 The Mount Veterinary Hospital

16/05/2024

Another successful Foot Trimming course run this month! Well done to all those that attended.

The Foot Trimming course aims to teach the Dutch 5 step technique, which is used all round the world. This course teaches the rudimentary techniques as well as allows you to practice on several feet on the day. You also learn more about the overall control of lameness within the herd.

Thank you to the Laura Persey Trust for their kind donations to attendees, for promoting the courses and giving Young Farmers opportunities like these. If you would like more information on the funding that the Laura Persey Trust provides towards our courses please contact us.

If you are interested in future courses please register your interest.
☎01823 662286
📲[email protected]

30/04/2024

Teamwork makes the dreamwork! 💚

Piers and Pip recently paired up for an unusual case of frothy bloat. Most bloat cases are gassy and can easily be resolved via passing a stomach tube, but some bloats are actually small bubbles that form a stable foam. These won’t pass through up a tube, as the consistency is like shaving foam. Causes of frothy bloat can be attributed to grazing legumes/clover and others are purely random. All bloats are an emergency, there is a very real risk of suffocation as the diaphragm can’t move, which means breathing eventually becomes physically impossible.

Despite best efforts for conservative treatment, this steer wouldn’t deflate, the only option remaining was surgery to make a hole for the foam to escape. This is a novel procedure (as frothy bloat is relatively rare) so two vets were better than one. Surgery was a success, as you can see from the video, rumen content came pouring out! The steer was far more comfortable and recovered after his ordeal!