NCVC Lifestyle Farming

15/02/2025

To let you know that due to low numbers of registrations we have made the call to postpone the workshop that was scheduled for this Monday, February 17th.

We are currently in the process of discussing alternative arrangements with the lifestyle team, and further details on the new date will be provided once a decision has been made.
As this is an important topic for our clients, particularly for the health and welfare of their animals, we remain committed to delivering this session and continuing to educate.
Thank you for your understanding, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
At this point, if you have any feedback for us in relation to the topics, relevance, timing and/or promotion of our workshops, we would really appreciate hearing from you. Please email [email protected].
We take this opportunity to thank those who did register and will be in touch.
Sending our best,
NCVC Lifestyle Team

14/02/2025

FEC test for Sheep- How many eggs can you spot?
Check out this screenshot of a recent FEC
(Faecal Egg Count) test for sheep!•
Can anyone guess how many eggs are present? Drop your answers in the comments below.
Remember to do a post-drench test this season to ensure the effectiveness of your treatments. It is a crucial step in managing parasite resistance and keeping your flock healthy!

13/02/2025

Leptospirosis (lepto) is a highly infectious bacterial disease which affects most mammals, including cattle, sheep and pigs. It is a zoonotic disease, therefore can be transmitted from animals to humans.
How is it spread to humans:
Humans are infected through exposure to urine from infected animals. Bacteria can then enter through the eyes, nose, mouth, and skin abrasions.
Leptospirosis can cause severe disease in humans
In cattle, the disease can cause abortion, mastitis, milk drop, depression and jaundice.
Preventing spread of lepto:
• Wearing protective clothing
• Good personal hygiene
• Vaccinating your animals against lepto (Cattle)
• Rodent control.
If you would like further advice on how to control lepto on your block, our vets are happy to help.

12/02/2025

Register now for our free workshop. Text 0272218984 or click here https://forms.gle/4JYADdzdoZRHjPmo8

09/02/2025

Don't miss our upcoming free summer workshop - it's not far away - save the date on your calendar and register now. Click here https://forms.gle/4JYADdzdoZRHjPmo8

04/02/2025

04/02/2025

Please read the following for some important alerts for the Hurunui River.

🔈Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has issued a health warning for the Hurunui River at SH1.
‼️ The warning follows finding moderate to high cover of potentially toxic algae (benthic cyanobacteria) in the Hurunui River at SH1.
‼️ People should avoid the area and animals, particularly dogs, should not be allowed near the water until the health warning has been lifted.
‼️ There are also other access points along the Hurunui River at SH1 that may have benthic cyanobacteria present. People are advised to treat every low-flowing river cautiously, check for the presence of benthic cyanobacteria and avoid contact.
More information 👉http://spr.ly/6181xIb8N

02/02/2025

Don't miss our first free workshop for the year - Register now! Click here https://forms.gle/i6xuqkXDedivdzpt5

30/01/2025

Horn Growths in Cattle: Health Risks to Watch For

Here are two examples of horn growths that can cause serious issues for cattle.
One cow has a horn growing into the side of its head, while the other has a horn almost growing into its eye. 🐄
If left untreated, these growths can lead to pain, infection, and even damage to vital areas like the brain or eye. 😬 But don’t worry, a vet can safely remove these horns under local anaesthesia to prevent further complications.
If you notice any similar horn growths in your herd, it’s important to act quickly—early treatment is key to avoiding bigger health problems.

23/01/2025

Zoonotic Diseases
Lifestyle block animals are often also pets and are living in close proximity to you, your children and your house. While there are many positives to having these animals in your life, one thing to be aware of is zoonotic diseases. These are illnesses that can be spread from animal to human. Many diseases that your animals get, are able to be spread to humans and can make you quite sick too.
If you have an animal that is coughing, has diarrhoea, is lethargic, has abnormal urine, or is obviously sick in any other way, use caution when interacting with them. When dealing with sick animals it is worth wearing gloves, immediately washing your clothes, not eating while handling them and washing down your facilities once you’re done. You should also avoid drinking milk from animals that might be sick, as some diseases are spread through milk.
If you become sick at the same time as your lifestyle block animals, tell both your doctor and your vet, so that you can get an accurate diagnosis and the appropriate treatment.

19/01/2025

There has been one confirmed case of Strangles on a yard in North Canterbury. It is important that horse owners know what signs to look out for and how to protect their horses.
Strangles is a highly infectious bacterial infection that causes high morbidity in horses. Symptoms are related to the upper respiratory tract and include:
- Fever (>38.5 deg C)
- Thick, p***y, mucous nasal discharge
- Enlarged or abscessed lymph nodes, often seen as swellings around the head and neck region
- Cough
- Difficulty eating
- Reduced appetite
- Respiratory noise or difficulty breathing
- Complicated cases can lead to pneumonia, guttural pouch empyaema and bastard strangles – the development of internal abscesses which is often fatal.
It spreads via nose to nose contact and shared equipment/facilities such as tack, brushes, water troughs and yards so horses showing symptoms must be isolated immediately and tested.
What can you do to prevent your horse contracting this infection?
- Vaccination – there is a vaccine for Strangles which fully prevents infection in some horses and reduces the severity of clinical signs in others
- Do not move your horse on or off a yard that has infected horses
- Avoid nose to nose contact between your horse and infected horses.
- Consider the risks of transporting your horse, especially if it is unvaccinated, to locations where there will be other horses. Younger and older horses will be more vulnerable.

Get in touch with us if you have concerns or questions about Strangles or if you would like more information about vaccination

16/01/2025

Breeding WOF
Have you done your annual warrant of fitness on your rams and ewes before mating them?
All animals should be checked before we decide to mate them to ensure they are fit and healthy and are not going to pass on any genetic issues within the flock.
Ewes and rams should be checked for:
- Teeth – as sheep age their teeth start to wear down, older sheep with poor teeth should be euthanised/retired depending on the severity of wear down as they will not be able to eat the extra feed needed when they are pregnant.
- Feet – Lame sheep should be treated well before mating to ensure they are able to stand up to the physicality of it. Consideration should be taken into the cause of lameness and conformation of the feet as some of these can be genetic which we don’t want to pass onto the flock.
- Udders – ewes should have their udders checked, particularly if they have had a lamb before. Previous instances of mastitis or other lumps may cause permanent damage to the udder which may make them a poor candidate for having lambs again as their milk supply will be compromised.
- Testicles – Rams should have two even sized testicles with no lumps or swellings and should be free of scrotal mange.
If you have any concerns or would like to book a breeding soundness check for your flock, give us a call to discuss.

09/01/2025

Flystrike Warning
The recent wet and humid weather provides prefect breeding conditions for flies. They deposit their eggs on areas of moist fleece or exposed skin, and when these eggs hatch, maggots eat through the skin causing nasty sores. If left untreated, the condition progress rapidly, sores become infected leading to septicaemia (blood infection) and death.
Risk factors for fly strike include:
- Warm and humid conditions
- Faecal staining/dag formation
- Moist condition of the wool/fleece (particularly longer wool/fleece which holds moisture for longer)
- Open or infected wounds
- Tails which are too short or too long can increase risk
Prevention is better than a cure. Shearing before the high-risk periods or fly prevention treatments significantly reduces the likelihood of fly strike. Appropriate parasite management also reduces risk as it decreases dag formation. If you would like further information on shearing or treatment options and timings, then please speak to your vet.
Rapid identification can be the difference between life or death for affected animals. Please walk amongst your animals daily and check them over. The follow signs can indicate your animal might be struck:
- Appearing agitated e.g. twitching, stamping feet
- Itching or biting affected areas, common areas for strike to occur include between the shoulder blades, around the tail, or on other wounds
- Patches of wool/fleece that appear wet or discoloured or areas of wool/fleece loss
- Lethargy and isolation from the flock
- Lots of flies hanging around the affected area
Treatment of confirmed cases:
- Clip back long wool/fleece from the affected area
- Use flystrike treatment on the struck area and surrounding wool/fleece, such as Cyrex or Maggo
- Ensure supportive care for affected animal with provision of shade, food and water
- Supportive treatments such as anti-inflammatories, as advised by your vet
If you have concerns your animal may be flystruck or discuss managing flies then please give us a call.

02/01/2025

🌞🐾 Get Your Pets Summer-Ready! 🐾🌞
With the warmer weather and summer holidays upon us, it's the perfect time to make sure your furry friends are ready for the heat and all the fun that comes with it! Whether you're heading away on holiday or staying home, there are a few important things to keep in mind to keep your pets safe and comfortable this summer.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association has produced this handy Summer Pet Checklist! ✔️ It's packed with tips and advice to help you prepare your pets for the warmer weather, and make sure they’re looked after while you’re away!
👉 Things to think about:
• 🌡️ Keeping your pet cool and hydrated in the heat
• 🏖️ Arranging pet care if you're going on holiday
• 🐕 Ensuring your pet is protected from pests and parasites
Download and check off the list to make sure you’ve got all the bases covered for a stress-free and safe summer for both you and your pets. 💖

27/12/2024

Foot rot in cattle

Footrot is an infection of the interdigital tissue of the foot, most often caused by the bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum. A penetrating injury to the foot enables the bacteria to enter, causing an acute infection.

How to spot footrot: Cattle with foot rot will be lame. There is often swelling which tracts up the leg. Commonly, stones are found between the claws.

This is a painful condition. Please contact your vet if you have any lame animals. The prognosis for this condition is generally good if treated early and appropriately.

Whilst foot rot is clearly a welfare concern, it also has detrimental impacts on production (such as daily live weight gain and milk yield) as well as fertility. Bulls with foot rot will have impaired fertility for up to 6 weeks after successful treatment so this is an important consideration during the breeding season.

Risk factors for foot rot include: grazing stubble or stalky crops and grazing cows in wet conditions.

24/12/2024

From us all at North Canterbury Vets - thank you so much for your support during this challenging year. It is a privilege to help you look after your animals and we look forward to being of service into 2025. Our very best wishes for a fab Christmas and New Year!

19/12/2024

Checking your sheep’s feet
Lameness in sheep is commonly due to issues associated with the foot. It is important to know what a normal, healthy foot looks like in order to be able to identify and treat problems.
Checking your flock’s feet regularly, every 3-6 months is important for identifying abnormalities. Lame sheep must be checked immediately. Pay close attention to the outer wall, coronary band, toe, sole and skin between the toes. Any bleeding, pus, bad smell, swelling, heat or redness needs to be addressed.
Trimming can be a useful tool for treating certain conditions such as shelly hoof (where the wall of the horn peels away from the sole) but if not done carefully, it can also cause issues. Trimming to the sensitive tissue can lead to bleeding, this can cause infection, conditions such as toe granuloma and can permanently affect the growth pattern of the horn leading to chronic lameness. Trimming can also spread infections such as footrot between sheep so it is best to avoid trimming in these cases.
Be cautious when trimming feet, do not over-trim and make sure foot trimmers are kept clean and disinfected.
If you have any questions about trimming and when it is appropriate or have lame sheep that you are struggling to treat, get in touch with us.

12/12/2024

🚨 Vet Visit Update: Kune Kune Pig Recovering After Aspiration Pneumonia 🚨
Meet Georgie’s recent patient: a sweet Kune Kune pig who was struggling with a severe case of pneumonia. 🐷 When she arrived, the pig was lethargic, refusing food, had increased breathing effort, and a dangerously high temperature.
After some careful investigation, we discovered that the pig’s owner had recently switched her feed to a very dusty mash. The pigs would often get excited at feeding time, leading to a lot of playful energy—and unfortunately, a lot of dust flying into the air. The owner had also noticed some coughing during feeding, which pointed us in the direction of aspiration pneumonia—a lung infection caused when food, liquid, or even saliva is inhaled into the lungs instead of being properly swallowed. 😷
Luckily, after a visit and treatment with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and some energy supplements, this pig is now back on her feet and feeling much better! 🐷💪 Here’s a snap of her enjoying a banana 🍌 and looking happy and healthy again! 🐖💕
⚠️ Important Tip for All Animal Owners: If you are feeding your animals a dusty feed or mash, we highly recommend mixing it with some water to create a slurry. This helps reduce airborne particles and keeps your animals’ lungs safe.