Rangiora Vet Centre - Lifestyle Block

29/05/2026

Our team is taking a break over the long weekend.
We re-open for business as usual on Tuesday, 2nd at 8am.

If you experience an emergency with any of your animals, do not hesitate to call the clinic for the details of the after hours emergency vet on call. Phone: 03 313 7438

06/05/2026

We recently hosted an information evening on blocked bladders in goats.
Large Animal Vet, Tristan, explained what causes blocked bladders in goats, when to call the vet, treatment, aftercare and more!

If you missed it, the evening was recorded and is now live on our website.

https://vimeo.com/1188293520?fl=pl&fe=sh

This is "Blocked Bladders in Goats" by Rangiora Vet Centre on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

24/04/2026

Our team are taking a break over the long weekend.

We re-open for business as usual on Tuesday, 28th at 8am.
If you experience an emergency with any of your animals, do not hesitate to call the clinic for the details of the after hours emergency vet on call. Phone: 03 313 7438

21/04/2026

A HUGE congratulations to the Wakelins for winning Champion Animal of the Show at the Oxford A and P Show 🏆

Champion of Champions

Our Annual Show held last weekend once again showcased some of the finest livestock, equestrian talent and rural exhibits in the region. A highlight of our show is the presentation of the prestigious 'Champion Animal of the Show', recognizing excellence in breeding, presentation and performance across all categories.
This year the Champion Animal of the Show was awarded to a 4 year old Red & White Holstein Friesian Dairy Cow owned by Robbie, Emily, John & Sue Wakelin of Belbrook Holsteins in Springbank. Belbrook Stoplight Esther-Red had earlier in the day won the Robson Environment Champion All Breeds Dairy Cow, Holstein Friesian Champion Cow, the Type and Production Class having produced 690kgs of milksoilds in her 2024/25 lactation and also taking out the best uddered Dairy Cow.
It has been quite some season for Esther having won All Breeds Champion Cow at Ellesmere, Rangiora and Christchurch Shows back in the spring to complete an unbeaten show season.
When asked what makes Esther such a special cow Robbie said “she is the type of dairy cow the industry is wanting; she is a non fussy cow of moderate stature with alot of capacity, a good rump and a well attached desirable udder that knows how to milk. What holds special significance to us is Esther is the 8th desendant of a cow my father purchased back in 1973.”

Congratulations


holsteins

02/04/2026

We're taking a break for the Easter holidays and re-open for routine Vet Care on Tuesday, 7th at 8am.

If you experience an emergency with any of your animals, large or small over the long weekend, do not hesitate to call the clinic for the details of the after hours emergency vet services available.

📞Phone: 03 313 7438

17/03/2026

As the cooler weather of winter arrives and rats and mice take the opportunity to avail themselves of our sheds and heated homes, as veterinarians, we annually see an increase in poisoning of pets by the baits laid to manage the unwanted visitors.

The use of rat and mouse poisons increase in autumn as rodents seek shelter and attempt to move indoors. Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets and, if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, please do so with extreme caution and put them in places inaccessible to your pets. Contact your vet immediately if you suspect your pet has ingested rodent poison.

Read our full seasonal dangers article and keep your pet safe this Autumn https://www.rangioravetcentre.co.nz/faq-autumn-dangers

17/03/2026

All grazing species of animal are infected by a variety of different gastrointestinal worms. It is normal for most grazing animals to have a low burden of worms resident in their gut. Different species of worms inhabit different parts of the gut, some like the stomach walls, while others are found more in the intestine.

Worms cause gut damage, which leads to an inability to absorb nutrients properly and protein leakage from the gut. Animals can have diarrhoea and lose condition despite being fed well.

Animals may lose condition / be poor growers, look unwell / lethargic, have diarrhoea (scours), or have no signs at all.

Young stock are more at risk from clinical cases of parasitism. Sheep and cattle develop some immunity to worms by 15 - 18 months of age and are generally less affected. Camelids (llamas and alpacas) and especially goats do not develop as strong an immunity and often have problems as adults.

Follow the link for drenching and worm management advice from our vets https://www.rangioravetcentre.co.nz/fah-worms-and-parasites

16/03/2026

⚠️Oak tannins are nephrotoxic, and result in renal (kidney) dysfunction. Read more 👇

Poisoning by tannins and volatile phenols in plants of the Oak is relatively common. Ingestion of acorns is the most common cause, but ingestion of leaves and young shoots can also cause toxicity. 🌳

Signs of toxicity develop soon after ingestion (within days), and young animals seem to be more severely affected than older animals. It is often seasonal, occurring in autumn when the acorn ‘crop’ is at it’s highest and more are present on the ground around the trees.

⚠️Oak tannins are nephrotoxic, and result in renal (kidney) dysfunction.

Affected animals will often present with some of the following clinical signs:
• Diarrhoea (black and watery, sometimes bloody)
• Increased urination
• Lethargy
• Reduced appetite
• Dehydration
• Oedema (swelling under the jaw or abdomen)
• Sometimes sudden death may occur

💌To help keep pets safe this Animal Poison Prevention Week, share this to a friend or family member.

😱 Worried your pet has been poisoned? Follow this helpful pet emergency guide https://www.rangioravetcentre.co.nz/pet-emergency-guide

13/03/2026

With all of this warm, wet weather we're having in North Canterbury, our vets are seeing a particularly high number of flystrike cases, in both sheep and alpacas!

A fly struck animal may appear irritated or restless, quiet and separated from herd mates, and may not be eating properly in the early stages of the disease. However, it is important to note that some animals may not show any signs until a large amount of damage has been done, or until we can physically see the damage that has been done. For example, the wool will only fall out later in the disease process and then after this the skin may appear black/necrotic, and sores and a foul odour may be noticeable. Maggots can also be physically seen with the human eye.

How can we treat it?

If you have an animal that seems off colour; it is important to examine them closely and make sure that flystrike is not present - especially if we've had a run of warm and wet weather, preventative treatment hasn't been applied or your animal is due to be shorn.

If you notice your animal has become flystruck, treatment should be initiated immediately. Ring your vet if your sheep is dull and lethargic, otherwise:

Move your sheep to a small pen or yard; this makes it easy to monitor your sheep. Provide plenty of water and feed as well as shelter.

Clip the area; a wide clip beyond the affected area is needed, as sometimes eggs and maggots can be hidden within the wool outside the edges. Remove any maggots and eggs that you can see - and remember to check the area around the clipped region for those hidden maggots!

A fly strike treatment product should then be applied (to kill the maggots and eggs currently present as well as prevent further infestation). Products that we have available for purchase from the clinic include:

- Cyrex
- Zapp Encore

Be sure to follow the application method on the product label, and if you have any questions or concerns then don't hesitate to give our team a call!

05/02/2026

We're taking a break for Waitangi Day and re-open for routine Vet Care on Monday, 9th at 8am.

If you experience an emergency with any of your animals, large or small over the long weekend, do not hesitate to call the clinic for the details of the after hours emergency vet services available.

📞Phone: 03 313 7438