Livestock MATTERS - XLVets Ireland
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Livestock
WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE
VOLUME 5 EDITION 10
MATTERS
www.xlvets.ie
Inside this issue:
Selective Dry Cow
Therapy
How best to prepare your
cows for the next lactation
Skin diseases of cattle
The most common skin
diseases found on cattle
farms in Ireland
VOLUME 5 EDITION 10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 1
CCONTENTS
C O
ONN TT EE N
N TT SS
EXCELLENCE IN PRACTICE
VOLUME 5 EDITION 10
XLVets - We Excel VOLUME
VOLUME
XLVets
conceived
conceived from
together
We
We are for
are all
4
4 EDITION
the
EDITION
are all independently
XLVets
XLVets isis aa novel
throughout novel and
Ireland committed
from within
within the
benefit
all independently
22
owned,
progressive veterinary practices located
and exciting
exciting initiative
toinitiative
the veterinary
of our
independently owned,
owned,
working
veterinary profession.
profession.
clients.
progressive
progressive
04 Skin diseases of cattle
Andrew Hogg outlines the most
common skin diseases found on
10 Managing the ageing dog
Gillian Leech discusses the tell tale
signs of ageing and gives advice on
The
Themembers
members of of
XLVets
XLVetshavehave
worked hard tohard
worked create
to what
create they see as
what a see as a
they cattle farms in Ireland caring for your ageing dog
veterinary
veterinary practices
practices located
located throughout
throughout Ireland
Ireland
model of how practices can work together, by sharing experiences,
model of how practices can work together, sharing the latest ideas and Invest
Invest in
in Health
Health Don’t
Don’t Pay
Pay For
For Disease
Disease XLVets
committedIreland
committed to
to working
working together
together for
for the
the benefit
benefit
knowledge
passing onand skills. We
savings andstrive
jointtoexpertise
deliver excellence in veterinary practice
to clients. of
of our
our clients.
Member clients.
Practices
to our clients and their animals. 12 Beef Knowledge Transfer
The group comprises of a number of the foremost farm practices in Ireland. 06 Selective Dry Cow Therapy Programme
The
Withgroup
manycomprises of a number
years of combined of the foremost
experience, farmtopractices
it is able in Ireland.
give expert advice XLVets Ireland
Adare Veterinary Surgery
Curraghbeg, Adare, Co.Limerick
Member
Member Patrick Clerkin advises on how Paul Barnes explains what is
CreaturesPractices
Practices
With
on allmany
areasyears of combined
of farm experience,
livestock, health we are able to give expert advice
and production. All Veterinary Clinic
on all areas of farm livestock, health and production. Lanesboro Street, Roscommon best to prepare your cows for the involved and details some of the
Adare
Adare Veterinary
Veterinary Surgery Town,
Surgery
XLVets member practices are dedicated to providing a Co.Roscommon
Station
Station Road,
Road, Adare,
Adare, Co.Limerick
Co.Limerick next lactation programme outcomes
XLVets membercost
high quality, practices are dedicated
effective service tototheir
providing
clients,a to Animal HealthVeterinary
Centre Clinic
high quality, cost effective All
All Creatures
Creatures Veterinary Clinic
support long-term growthservice to theirprosperity
and future clients, to within Main Street, Street,
Lanesboro
Lanesboro Taghmon,
Street, Co. Wexford
Roscommon
Roscommon Town,
Town,
support
the Irishlong-term
livestockgrowth and future prosperity within
industry. Avondale Veterinary Clinics 14 Poisonous plants in cattle
Co.Roscommon
Co.Roscommon
the Irish livestock industry. Ferrybank, Arklow, Co.Wicklow 08 Equine Dentistry Shane Mc Guckin looks at some of
Avondale
Avondale Veterinary
Veterinary Clinics
Clinics
Castle Veterinary
Arklow,Clinic Karl D’Arcy provides an in depth the most common poisonous
www.xlvets.ie
www.xlvets.ie Ferrybank,
Ferrybank, Arklow, Co.Wicklow
Co.Wicklow
Church Street, Castleisland, Co. Kerry
Clerkin
Clerkin VetsVets description of equine dentistry plants that affect cattle
Clerkin Vets
90
90 Bridge
Bridge Street,
Street, Cootehill,
Cootehill, Co.Cavan
Co.Cavan
90 Bridge Street, Cootehill, Co.Cavan
Comeragh
Comeragh Veterinary
Veterinary
Comeragh Veterinary
Main
Main
Main Street,
Street,Kilmacthomas,
Street, Kilmacthomas,
Kilmacthomas,Co.Waterford
Co.Waterford
Co.Waterford
Donal
Donal Lynch
Lynch Veterinary
Veterinary
Donal Lynch Veterinary
Killurin
KillurinCross,
Killurin Cross,
Cross,Tullamore
Killeagh,
Killeagh,Co.Offaly
Tullamore
Tullamore Co.Offaly
Co.Offaly
Geraghty
Geraghty&&
Geraghty &Neary
Neary
NearyVeterinary
Veterinary
Veterinary
College
College
College Road,
Road,
Road, Mountbellew,
Mountbellew,
Mountbellew, CoCo
Co Galway
Galway
Galway
Glasslyn
GlasslynVeterinary
Glasslyn VeterinaryClinic
Veterinary Clinic
Clinic
Glasslyn
Glasslyn
Glasslyn Road,
Road,
Road, Bandon,
Bandon,
Bandon, CoCoCork
Co Cork
Cork
Glen
GlenVeterinary
Glen VeterinaryClinics
Veterinary Clinics
Clinics
Blind
BlindStreet,
Blind Street,Tipperary
Street, TipperaryTown,
Tipperary Town,Co.Tipperary
Town, Co.Tipperaryy
Co.Tipperar
T Glenbower
Glenbower Veterinary
Veterinary Group
Glenbower Veterinary Group
Group
Clashdermot
ClashdermotEast,
Clashdermot East,Killeagh,
East, Killeagh,
Killeagh, Co.Cork
Co.Cork
Co.Cork
Glenina Veterinary Clinic
Glenina
Glenina Veterinary
Veterinary Clinic
Clinic
T 1 Glenina Heights, Dublin Road, Co.Galway
11 Glenina
Glenina Heights,
Heights, Galway,
Galway, Co.Galway
Co.Galway
Gortlandroe Veterinary Clinic
StGortlandroe
Gortlandroe
Conlon’s Road, Veterinary
Veterinary
Nenagh,Clinic
Clinic
Co.Tipperary
St
St Conlon’s
Conlon’s Road,
Road, Nenagh,
Nenagh, Co.Tipperary
Co.Tipperary
Kilcoyne & Barnes Veterinary
Kilcoyne
KilcoyneRoad,
Mountain Veterinary
Veterinary
Tubbercurry, Co Sligo
Mountain
Mountain Road,
Killenaule Road, Tubbercurry,
Vets Tubbercurry, Co Co Sligo
Sligo
Killenaule
KillenauleThurles,
Killenaule, Vets
Vets Co.Tipperary
Longford Animal Health Centre Killenaule,
Killenaule,
Longford Thurles,
Thurles,Health
Animal Co.Tipperary
Co.Tipperary
Centre
Shroid, Co.Longford Cooleeney,
Longford Shroid,
Animal Co
Longford Animal Longford
Health
Health Centre
Centre
LaunchedPrin
act2011,
Telephone: 043 3346716 Cooleeney,
MoyCooleeney,
Veterinary Shroid,
Shroid, Co
ClinicCo Longford
Longford
Barrett
Mulcair
MulcairStreet, Ballina,Clinics
Veterinary
Veterinary Co. Mayo
Clinics based ical, XLVets Skillnet is a learning network
farm
T Moy Veterinary Clinic
t s:
Mulcair Veterinary Clinics
Mulcair
Dromsally,Veterinary
Dromsally, Cappamore,
Cappamore, Clinics
Co.Limerick
Co.Limerick d r a
el the trainingin needs of the veterinary LVetfarming
improivered by veing, ontact Xand
Ballina, Co. Mayo
T
Cappamore, Co.Limerick supporting
Telephone:
Telephone: 096
061 70586
381209
Dromsally,
O’Connor
O’Connor Cappamore,
Julian VetsCo.Limerick
Julian Vets C 5 and and
O’Connor
67 Main Julian
67 Main Street, Vets
Street, Cashel,
Cashel, Co.Tipperary
Co.Tipperary
sectors inve your liOurts objective
Ireland. to 6 1 3 8150growth
is to0promote
and bu vestoc lvets.ie
Mulcair
O’ConnorVeterinary Clinics
Julian Vets Cahir Road, Cashel, Co.Tipperary
Cappamore, Co.Limerick
Cashel, Co.Tipperary
ipperary
Old
Old
Old Church
Church Veterinary
TheChurch
Veterinary Hospital
Hospital
Veterinary Hospital s i ne k e @ x
perforby offering
mancess flexible, practical training programmes
The Mall,
Mall, Ballyshannon,
Ballyshannon, Co.Donegal
Co.Donegal
Telephone:
Telephone: 061
062 381209
61196 The Mall, Ballyshannon, Co.Donegal sustainability
Ormonde
Ormonde Veterinary
Veterinary
O’Connor Julian
Old Church Vets Hospital
Veterinary
Ormonde Veterinary
14
14 Barrack
Barrack Street,
Street, Kilkenny,
Kilkenny, Co.Kilkenny
Middleknock Road, Dublin Road, Kilkenny
Co.Kilkenny ...
that are relevant and tailored to the needs of both sectors.
Cashel, Co.Tipperary
ipperary
Ballyshannon, Co.Donegal Riverview
Riverview Veterinary
Veterinary
Riverview Veterinary Group Group
Group
Telephone:
Telephone: 062
071 61196
9851559 Distillery
DistilleryRoad,
Distillery Road,
Road, Bandon,
Bandon,
Bandon, Co.Cork
Co.Cork
Co.Cork
Glen
Glen Veterinary
Veterinary Clinics
Clinics Old ChurchVeterinary
Ormonde Veterinary Hospital Sliabh
SliabhLuachra
Sliabh Luachra
LuachraVeterinary
Veterinary
Veterinary Centre
Centre
Centre
Tipperary
Tipperary Town,
Town, Co.Tipperary Ballyshannon,
Barrack Street,Co.Donegal West
West End,
End, Rathmore,
Rathmore,Co.Kerry
Co.Kerry
Co.Kerry
Telephone:
Co.Tipperary Co.Kilkenny West End, Rathmore, In June 2019, we launched our new website, where our new
Telephone: 062
062 52992
52992 Telephone:
Telephone: 071
056 9851559
7763630 Southview
Southview Veterinary
Southview Veterinary
Veterinary Hospital
Hospital
Hospital
Irishtown,
Irishtown,Clonmel,
Irishtown, Clonmel,
Clonmel,Co.Tipperary
Co.Tipperary
Co.Tipperary
Adare
Adare Veterinary
Veterinary Surgery
Surgery Clerkin Vets Glenbower
Glenbower V
Veterinary
eterinary Group
Group Ormonde
RiverviewVeterinary
Veterinary Group members area gives members exclusive 24/7 access to our
Adare,
Adare, Co.Limerick
Co.Limerick Cootehill, Co.Cavan Killeagh,
Killeagh, Co.Cork
Co.Cork Middleknock Rd, Dublin Rd, Kilkenny
Bandon, Co.Cork The
TheTheVeterinary
Veterinary
VeterinaryHospital
Hospital
Hospital
Arklow
ArklowRoad,
Arklow Road,Gorey,
Road, Gorey,
Gorey, Co.Wexford
Co.Wexford
Co.Wexford
Telephone:
Telephone: 061
061 396390
396390 Telephone: 049 5552777 Telephone:
Telephone: 024
024 95189
95189 Telephone:
Telephone: 056
023 7763630
8841503 FREE online
Training is training Agri of
a vital part Academy, we have
the jigsaw that4makes
modules
upalready
modern
All
All Creatures
Creatures Veterinary
Veterinary Clinic
Clinic Comeragh Veterinary Glenina
Glenina Veterinary
Veterinary Clinic
Clinic Riverview Veterinary
Sliabh Luachra GroupCentre
Veterinary farm business
available success.
with more But finding
to follow theThese
in 2019. training that’s
online right
modules
Roscommon
Roscommon Town,
Town, Co.Roscommon
Co.Roscommon Kilmacthomas, Co.Waterford Dublin
Dublin Road,
Road, Co.Galway
Co.Galway Bandon, Co.Cork XLVet
XLVetIreland
Ireland
Ireland
LtdLtd
Ltd Registered
Registered Office
Office
at: at
at::
Telephone:
Telephone: 0906
0906 626898
626898 Telephone: 051 294143 Telephone:
Telephone: 091
091 752
752 014
014
Rathmore,
Telephone:
Co.Kerry
Telephone: 023
064 8841503
7758009
XLVet
Dromsally
Dromsally
Dromsally,
Registered
Cappamore
Office for you needn’t be a puzzle.
Cappamore
Cappamore
County Limerick were created to address the animal health training needs of
XLVets FarmSkills courses are designed to Courses are available across Ireland and are
Animal
Animal Health
Health Centre
Centre Donal Lynch Veterinary Gortlandroe
Gortlandroe Veterinary
Veterinary Clinic
Clinic Sliabh Luachra Veterinary Centre
Southview Veterinary Hospital County
County
Tel: Limerick
Limerick
061 381505
Main
Main Street,
Street, Taghmon,
Taghmon, Co.
Co. Wexford
Wexford Tullamore, Co.Offaly Nenagh,
Nenagh, Co.Tipperary
Co.Tipperary Rathmore, Co.Kerry put the farmer first; finding out what you open to everyone. Topics catered for include
Telephone:
Telephone: 053
053 9134140
9134140 Telephone: 057 9354505 Telephone:
Telephone: 067
067 31016
31016
Clonmel, Co.Tipperary
Telephone:
Tel:
Tel: 061
061 381505
381505 livestock farmers are delivered by cattle
know now and what you’d like to know to
veterinary experts.
lameness, mastitis and cell coun
t, calf
Telephone: 064
052 7758009
6121429 © XLVet Ireland
©
©part
No XLVet
XLVet
of Ireland
Ireland
this publication may be reproduced improve your business. rearing and fertility management.
Avondale Veterinary
Avondale Veterinary Clinics
Clinics Geraghty & Neary Veterinary Kilcoyne
Kilcoyne &
Veterinary
Barnes Veterinary
Clinic The Veterinary
Southview Hospital
Veterinary Hospital No
No part
partprior
of
of this
this publication
publicationofmay
may
without permission thebe
be reproduced
reproduced
publisher.
Arklow, Co.Wicklow
Arklow, Co.Wicklow Mountbellew, Co Galway Tubbercurry,
Tubbercurry, Co.Sligo
Co.Sligo Gorey, Co.Wexford
Clonmel, Co.Tipperary without
without prior
prior permission
permission of
of the
the publisher.
publisher.
Telephone: 0402
Telephone: 0402 33744
Castle Veterinary
33744
Veterinary Clinic
Clinic
Telephone: 096 79277 Telephone:
Telephone: 071
Killenaule
071 9185016
Killenaule Vets
Vets
9185016 Telephone: 052
Telephone:
The
053 6121429
Veterinary
9421151
Hospital
Disclaimer:
Disclaimer:
Disclaimer:
XLVets
XLVetsdoes
XLVets does not
does not
contributors.
necessarilyshare
not necessarily
No
necessarily share
share
responsibility
thethe
the
canbe
views
views
views of of
of Visit us on www.xlvetsskillnet.ie
XLVets Skillnet is funded by member companies and the Training Networks Programme, an initiative of
Castle Glasslyn Veterinary Clinic Longford Animal Health Centre contributors.
contributors. No
No responsibility
responsibility can
can bebe accepted
accepted
accepted
Church St,
Church St, Castleisland,
Castleisland, Co.
Co. Kerry
Kerry Bandon, Co Cork Thurles,
Thurles, Co.Tipperary
Co.Tipperary Gorey,
Shroid,Co.Wexford
Co.Longford forforopinions
for opinionsexpressed
opinions expressed bycontributors,
expressed by
by contributors.
contributors, or
or claims
claims Skillnets Ltd. funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Education and Skills.
Telephone: 066
Telephone: 066 714
714 1230
1230 Telephone: 021 4772277 Telephone:
Telephone: 052
052 9156065
9156065 Telephone:
Telephone: 053
043 9421151
3346716 made
made by
by advertisers
advertisers within
within this
this publication.
publication.
2 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE... VOLUME 5 EDITION 10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 3
SKIN DISEASES SKIN DISEASES
OF CATTLE OF CATTLE
ANDREW HOGG, BVMS Warts
These are generally small tumours caused
Diseases of the skin in both dairy and beef cattle are not only by Bovine Papillomavirus (BPV) and most
unsightly but can have a significant impact on productivity commonly affect the head and teats, see
Figure 3.
and animal welfare. In this article I will outline the skin
diseases that are most commonly found in cattle practice In practice we regularly see these on the
teats of milking heifers, or anywhere on
Skin Diseases of Cattle
show cattle. These often resolve on their
own but vaccines can be developed for
individual animals, if necessary for milking
or showing, using samples of their warts.
Photosensitisation Figure 3: BPV warts on the teat of a dairy animal
This usually occurs on white areas of skin
exposed to sunlight, where it often oozes
before drying and peeling off, see Figure
Veterinary Surgeon Andrew Hogg 4. It can happen when the animal eats
certain plants or suffers liver damage,
XLVets Practice Gortlandroe Veterinary Clinic, for example, due to fluke infestation.
Nenagh, Co. Tipperary Housing out of the sun, fly treatment and
antibiotics will help alleviate symptoms,
while fluke treatment may help if liver
damage is suspected.
Skin diseases of cattle
can be broken down Ringworm
broadly into parasitic Very commonly seen especially in young
stock, poorer cattle are generally worst
Figure 1: Significant hair loss in a suckler calf with lice
and non-parasitic affected. Old sheds and fence posts can Figure 4: Dairy cow suffering from photosensitisation
help the fungus survive to re-infect on
causes. This article the same farms year on year. Lesions are
often seen around the head, see Figure
Mange 5, but can be anywhere. It can be slow
will explain some of to do so, but it usually resolves over time.
Chorioptic mange is commonly seen in Treatments are available if necessary.
the methods used Ireland with signs including oozing and
thickening of the skin at the base of the
to identify and treat tail initially. It is a problem seen especially
at the end of housing. These cases Rain Scald
usually resolve at turnout. Sarcoptic
such conditions. and Psoroptic mange are rare in Ireland Occurs during long periods of warm,
but can occur. Signs include weeping wet weather. It usually resolves without
and thickening of the skin over the neck intervention, but antibiotics will treat the
and back. Psoroptic mange is more infection if needed.
Parasitic Causes commonly seen in sheep, due to the
• Lice parasite Psoroptic ovis, but can also occur
• Mange
in cattle, see Figure 2. Wounds
Your vet can examine the animal(s) and Penetrating wounds of the skin can Figure 5: High stocking densities can worsen the incidence of ringworm
take samples if necessary, to identify introduce infection, often leading to an
Lice the parasite(s) involved. Treatments are abscess. Using dirty needles for injections
is one obvious cause. Your vet can check,
readily available and you can help prevent
problems by avoiding overcrowding and lance, drain and flush these abscesses to
Heavy lice infestations can affect
ensuring adequate feed and feed space. prevent worsening infection, see Figure 6.
production due to reduced feeding and
Ask your vet for advice on treatment
damaged hides. Poor conditioned cattle As you can see, most skin diseases
options, as many of the pour on products
housed during winter are most at risk. of cattle can either be prevented, or
will treat lung and stomach worms too.
They will rub against feed barriers and diagnosed and treated without too
gates resulting in hair loss, see Figure 1. much trouble, provided they are caught
Non-Parasitic Causes early. Others can be allowed to resolve
Careful inspection of the skin can identify over time, provided they are not causing
louse populations. All cattle in direct • Warts a reduction in productivity. Avoiding
contact should be treated and there are • Photosensitisation overcrowding and ensuring cattle are
a number of pour-ons that your vet can • Ringworm otherwise in good general health is not
advise upon. It is worth noting if milking • Rain Scald only good farming practice, it will help
or finishing cattle, that the withdrawal reduce skin problems too.
• Wounds Figure 2: Severe hair loss and weeping of skin due to
times vary on these products.
psoroptic mange Figure 6: An abscess draining after being lanced
4 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE... VOLUME 5 EDITION 10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 5
SELECTIVE DRY SELECTIVE DRY
COW THERAPY COW THERAPY
PATRICK CLERKIN, MVB MRCVS MBA Milk Recording Dry Off Procedure Teat Sealing Heifers
Over the coming weeks, dairy farmers across the country • After year-round teat disinfection - Next • Not during milking! Mark cows for • Heifers are the most vulnerable members
most important tool treatments - prevents mistakes of the herd representing a fifth of
will be focusing their attention to the dry cow period. the national herd due to the rate of
• Cheap:
EQUINE EQUINE
XLVetsDENTISTRY
Skillnet EVENT COMPETITION
DENTISTRY
KARL D’ARCY, MVB The Times
Like ourselves dental care of the horse is
Along with hoofcare, equine dentistry is ideally prophylactic rather than a response
an essential and unavoidable part of to obvious dental problems. Ideally the
horse should be examined at fairly set
providing for your horses health intervals, in a slightly dark environment,
sedated if necessary and with a capable
handler and handling facilities. Simply
Looking that gift
backing a horse into a corner and jamming
a float into its mouth in the vague hope
of improving matters is as pointless as it
sounds.
horse in the mouth A rough guide to routine dental checks
needed;
• Up to 5 years - brief check twice
annually, to spot potential problems
• Before heavy training starts
Veterinary Surgeon Karl D’Arcy • 5-15 years - once annually
XLVets Practice Glenina Vet Clinic • 15 upwards – twice annually
Co. Galway
Signs that a horse has need of a dental
exam include:
Equine dentistry can seem like some dark
and unfathomable art. The usually quite • Congenital abnormalities e.g. parrot
normal and affable equine vet turns up mouth, sow mouth
and starts hauling medieval-looking metal • Oral injuries e.g. kicks
mouth gags, pliers, metal files and other
suspect objects from the deepest recesses • Any horse with stereotypical behaviours
Figure 2
of their car. He or she mutters darkly about like cribbing, wind sucking
hooks and sharp points and before you • Pain, discomfort while feeding
know it your poor horse had its mouth
kept open by the fearsome gag while your Premolars • In a high performance horse • Quidding, i.e. dropping or spitting out
vet grimly shoves a metal pole with a file Present at birth or within a few days. feed
at the tip of it around the vicinity of its The adult teeth erupt between 2.5 to 4 Horses have 12 to 16 premolars varying by
tonsils. (Figure 1) years. The infamous wolf tooth is the first which wolf teeth, if any, are present. Remember that a horse has only a limited
premolar but unlike the rest doesn’t have a reserve of cheek teeth; it’s better your vet
Fear not, however, equine dentistry has a milk version, erupting when present as an Molars takes no action at a dental exam if none
long and distinguished history, mentioned adult tooth at any age from 6 months to These 12 teeth erupt between 1 and 4 is needed, rather than expect enthusiastic
in Chinese records back as far as 600 BC several years. Absent from possibly a slight years and don’t have deciduous precursors. filing away of healthy teeth every time they
and subject to a treatise by none other majority of horses they are usually present Cheek teeth in horses have constantly look in your horses mouth!
than Aristotle in Ancient Greece c. 350 BC. only in the upper jaw. erupting reserve (not infinite!) crown
of up to 100mm, and wear 3-4mm per
Along with hoof care it is an essential, Small and peg-like they are often shed year on average. They do the heavy work
unavoidable part of providing for horse spontaneously with the deciduous 2nd of grinding feed down but issues with
health. It’s a very different science to premolar at 18 months old. They range alignment in incisors can prevent the
human dentistry; our equine patients have from only 3mm in diameter to having sideways movement of the jaw required.
very different teeth and a very different substantial 2cm roots. The depth of root Uneven, excessive or reduced wear due to
diet. Equines have the same basic dental bears no relation to the size of the crown, diet, accidents, personal quirks in chewing
but a loose and wobbly crown is unlikely and a whole host of reasons can cause
plan as ourselves, with biting incisors
at the front of the mouth, canines, and
The Teeth Canines to have a deep root. “Blind” unerupted abnormalities in the shape of the enamel
These sit in the gaps between incisors and wolf teeth are more likely to cause pain such as;
grinding cheek teeth further back; the Incisors cheek teeth, much nearer the incisors. The and irritation.
premolars and the molars. Absent at birth, the deciduous (milk or • Sharp enamel points on the outer upper
baby version rarely erupts and the adult
baby teeth) erupt within the first days, version appears between 4 and 7 years of These blind wolf teeth are generally further teeth and inner lower, as early as 2 years.
notably whiter and broader than their age. So-called “blind canines” don’t erupt forward and often lie more flatly against A common problem (Fig. 43
adult version. Numbering 12 in both the and can cause swollen and sore gums in the gum line. Healthy wolf teeth left alone • Retained caps of milk teeth
juvenile and adult horse, the sequential that location. Frequently all or some are rarely cause trouble. However, they’re not
eruption of these teeth at predictable time absent in females. They possibly evolved as left alone if the horse is wearing a bit. • Hooks or ramps on the first and last
frames in the growth of horses allows fairly fighting teeth and can be ferociously sharp Removal is usually a minor procedure so cheek teeth
accurate ageing for the first 5 years of life. and dagger-like in older males. They play by and large these teeth are best removed
Features of these teeth related to wear • Wave mouth- adjacent teeth with
no part in feeding and do not meet. Prone early before training begins particularly if;
and tear e.g. infundibular cups, Galvayne’s different heights
to tartar build up, cutting people’s hands
groove, incisor hook, are far less reliable in fitting the bridle or conducting dental • Large or only present one side • Step mouth-a missing tooth leading to
determining age as individual factors such exams, getting snagged and damaged and an over long opposing tooth
• Damaged or fragmented or loose
as breed, diet, environment, behaviours just generally being a nuisance they can be
such as windsucking and cribbing etc. all reduced and filed smooth. Actual removal • Blind • Shear mouth- loss of normal circular
affect wear more than simply growing is a major procedure involving x-rays and chewing leading to severe overgrowth of
older does. • In the lower jaw right in the bit seat teeth edges. Life threatening.
surgery as they have very long, deep roots.
Figure 1 Figure 3
8 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE... VOLUME 5 EDITION 10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 9
MANAGING THE MANAGING THE
AGING DOG AGING DOG
Normal Knee Joint Arthritic Knee Joint If your dog displays any of these signs or
GILLIAN LEECH, RVN symptoms contact your vet and arrange a
consultation to investigate further.
Our canine companions go through many stages of
life from their early puppy years right through to their
geriatric years. Each phase of their lives are as important
Treatment and
as the other and needs to be managed accordingly
management
Managing the • Medication: Medications such as
pimobendans and diuretics are frequently
used. These drugs will increase the
ageing dog
hearts ability to pump blood around the
body, reduce blood pressure and remove
excess fluid in the body.
• Weight control: Reducing or
maintaining the ideal body weight will
Signs and symptoms of Managing heart help with your dog’s breathing capability.
Veterinary Nurse Gillian Leech arthritis in dogs disease in the • Nutrition: Ideally your dog should be
fed a nutritional food which is low in
XLVets Practice Ormonde Veterinary Hospital, ageing dog sodium.
Co. Kilkenny • Reluctant to exercise
• Environment: Keep the area which
• Lameness Heart disease unfortunately is another they spend most of their time in, cool
disease that a lot of our ageing dogs and free from dust. This will help reduce
Like people dogs age differently and it is • Inability to go up and down stairs
encounter. If your dog is diagnosed with a coughing.
important to know when your pet enters
• Slow to get up after lying down form of heart disease, it does not necessarily
their senior years (Table 1).
mean a death sentence. During your dog’s
• Urinating indoors bi-annual vet check they will listen and
In theory the age of a dog depends on Just like humans, getting older is
examine the heart as part of their clinical unfortunately inevitable for dogs. As a pet
breed and size. Managing your ageing dog If you notice your dog experiencing any of exam. Early diagnosis of heart disease will owner it is our responsibility to provide our
can be challenging but equally rewarding. the signs above contact your vet. If your improve the quality and longevity of your ageing pets with a satisfactory quality of
Picking up on the tell-tale signs of ageing vet suspects arthritis they will carry out dog’s life. Signs can often be accepted as life.
and knowing how to look after your elderly a physical exam and take x-rays of the the ageing process.
pet, are the key factors in giving your dog a affected joint(s).
longer and better quality of life.
You can simply do this by:
Signs and symptoms of • Having bi-annual veterinary visits
WEIGHT IN KG
Treatment and
heart disease in dogs • Feeding them an appropriate nutritional
AGE 0-9kg 9-22 22-40 >40 management diet
1 7 7 8 9
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories: • Adjust their feeding mechanism as
2 13 14 16 18 • Laboured breathing
These are the most common form of required
3 20 21 24 26 What to expect in the Managing arthritis in pain medication used to control and • Coughing
• Maintaining good oral hygiene
4 26 27 31 34 ageing dog the ageing dog manage osteoarthritis.
• Distended abdomen
• Providing them with appropriate
5 33 34 38 41 • Weight control: Ask your vet or
• Reluctant to exercise bedding
6 40 42 45 49 There are many medical conditions your pet The most common form of arthritis in dogs veterinary nurse to give your pet a body
may develop as they enter their senior years is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is chronic condition score (BCS). Ideally on a scale • Fatigue • Preventing obesity
7 44 47 50 56 of 1-5 the optimum BCS would be 3. If
such as arthritis, cardiac disease, dental and a painful disease. The cartilage, which • Anorexia • Providing them with regular stimulation
8 48 51 55 64 disease, deterioration of the sight and acts as a shock absorber or cushion in the your dog has a BCS of 4 or 5 their diet
and life style will need to be adjusted or through the form of play
9 52 56 61 71 hearing, cancer and they can even become joint, deteriorates and the lining around the
senile. The two most common medical joint becomes thickened. In some cases, changed to reduce the extra pressure
10 56 60 66 78 and extra weight on their joints.
conditions we would encounter are arthritis spurs/irregular bone begin to develop.
11 60 65 72 86 and cardiac related disease. • Nutrition: Your pet should be fed a
12 64 69 77 93 highly nutritional and good quality food
13 68 74 82 101 that contains glucosamine & chondroitin
sulphate and omega 3 fatty acids. This
14 72 78 88 108
helps support joint enrichment.
15 76 83 93 115
• Environment and activity: Always
16 80 87 99 123 provide your ageing pet with a deep
17 84 92 104 131 bedding to rest on. If possible avoid
18 88 96 109 139 having slippery surfaces such as tiles.
Avoid activities such as running or
19 92 101 115 jumping and only bring your dog on lead
20 96 105 120 walks. Raise your dog’s food bowl off
the ground if they have arthritis in the
Adult Senior Geriatric neck. A ramp for getting into the car will
Table 1 also be helpful for your dog.
10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE... VOLUME 5 EDITION 10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 11
BEEF KNOWLEDGE BEEF KNOWLEDGE
TRANSFER PROGRAMME COMPETITION
TRANSFER PROGRAMME
Biosecurity focused on the purchase of
PAUL BARNES, MVB animals and potential risk of disease
spread by people or equipment
entering the farm.
Paul explains what is involved in the
Beef Knowledge Transfer Programme and
• Animals purchased should be
discusses some of his experiences with clients. quarantined on arrival for 4 weeks or
more
• Batch purchase of animals and from as
Beef Knowledge
few sources as possible is advisable
• Where possible disease status of origin
herds should be checked before purchase
Transfer Programme
• Ensure any equipment entering the farm
is cleaned and disinfected beforehand
• Provide adequate wash and disinfectant
facilities for all personnel entering the
farmyard
Veterinary Surgeon Paul Barnes
XLVets Practice Kilcoyne and Barnes Veterinary,
Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo
Parasitology
The Beef Knowledge Transfer
(KT) Programme was one of • How to take a faecal sample for a faecal
several 3-year KT Programmes egg count (FEC)
financed under the Rural • Best time to take samples
Development Programme (RDP). • Use of daily live weight gain (DLWG) and
Beef was one of 6 sectors in the clinical indications such as coughing,
scouring or weight loss in conjunction
programme along with Dairy,
with FEC to decide when to dose and
Equine, Poultry, Sheep and what with
Tillage. Participants could join
• Good pasture management to minimise
groups in 2 different sectors. burden animals are exposed to.
• Use of correct anthelmintic at the correct
Risk assessment were carried out under
time and correct dosage to minimise
three main areas:
resistant parasites developing
• Calf Health and Biosecurity –
• Remembering that the parasite develops
mandatory element which had to
be completed along with one of the resistance not the animal.
following options • Use of post treatment samples or faecal
• Parasite control – option egg count reduction test (FECRT) to
determine if treatments used were
• Fertility – option successful and monitor for resistance.
Some of the main calf health areas inadequate to reduce the risk of disease
discussed focused on; transmission, without introducing
draughts
Calf health Having completed the on farm risk
• The importance of hygiene around • The requirements for anaesthetic and
and biosecurity calving and the necessity to ensure calves pain relief to reduce stress of disbudding assessments on many farms, we found that
receive adequate quality colostrum and castration and the need to castrate most farmers were interested in learning
In this section farmers and vets discussed what areas of their farming enterprise
within 2 hours of birth animals before 6 months of age
Key Performance Indicators on the farm they could improve. They implemented the
and compared them to targets: • The implementation of accurate recommendations where practical to the
Handling facilities, housing and calving
vaccination protocols to aid with hygiene areas were also examined and where best of their ability and we have seen a great
• Scours < 6 weeks and husbandry in the prevention and improvement in awareness around key
necessary recommendations made to
• Scours 6 weeks-1 year control of disease outbreaks at individual improve safety for the farmer and animal animal health areas. Farmers have become
farm level based on previous problem welfare. more astute to the need to have prevention
• Pneumonia < 6 weeks
areas, e.g. ensuring animals receive a measures in place before issues arise as this
• Pneumonia 6 weeks – 1 year complete course (two shots of clostridial Body condition and mineral status of cows gives a more rewarding end result both
• Mortality vaccines etc. 4 weeks apart was also discussed on a lot of farms; the from a welfare and economic view point.
Where performance was not on target, • Creation of isolation areas for sick animals need to have cows in optimal BCS at calving This coupled with better measures to stay
possible reasons for this could be discussed to prevent the spread of infection and ensure any mineral deficiencies are ahead of parasite issues on farms will help
and diagnostics put in place to identify addressed before calving, so as to reduce decrease future reliance on antibiotics and
the cause, and put in place preventative issues around calving and to maximise cow anthelmintics which will also help improve
• Increase of ventilation where it was fertility for the next breeding season.
measures to help avoid reoccurrence. efficiency long term.
12 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE... VOLUME 5 EDITION 10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 13
POISONOUS PLANTS
AGRI ACADEMY
IN CATTLE
SHANE McGUCKIN, MVB
There are many plants that contain substances that are
poisonous to cattle and other species commonly found
on Irish farms. Thankfully most of these plants are rare. In
this article I will look at some of the more common ones.
Poisonous Plants Agri Academy, FREE online animal health training
for the farming sector, delivered by veterinary experts.
in Cattle Created by XLVets, the goal of Agri Academy is to pool the
knowledge and experience of the XLVets network and to translate that
Veterinary Surgeon Shane McGuckin
into practical, relevant and easy to watch training for farmers.
XLVets Practice The Veterinary Hospital
Gorey, Co. Wexford
Modules are delivered by veterinary experts. Each module is broken
RAGWORT down into easy to watch bite-sized videos which can be accessed
(Senecio jacobaea) from your PC or on the go through your mobile.
Cattle won’t eat ragwort when it is growing
in the field the problem arises when it is cut
and included in hay or silage. When the
forage is bought in there is always a risk
that it could contain some ragwort. With
Module 1 Module 3
the extended winter last year there was an The essentials of good medicine Best Practice in
increased incidence of ragwort poisoning
as any available silage or hay was used up. management on farm drying off cows
The signs associated with ragwort poisoning
are chronic diarrhoea with a lot of straining Delivered by Conor Geraghty Delivered by Conor Geraghty
leading to prolapse of the rectum. There is
also weight loss, depression and as the toxin
causes liver damage animals can develop
a “bottle jaw” due to fluid gathering in
this area. This is similar to what happens
in bad cases of liver fluke. The effects of
Module 2 Module 4
ragwort are cumulative so liver damage Pneumonia: Reduce the financial Lameness - Reduce the
from previous years will add up until the
animal can’t cope anymore and clinical impact in your herd this winter incidents in your herd
signs develop.
Bracken Delivered by Donal Lynch Delivered by Ger Cusack
Horses are more susceptible to ragwort
than cattle and sheep are less so. There is
no effective treatment, so the disease is just as blackleg or lightning strike but if there vagina. Animals stop eating and can
going to run its course. are yew trees or cuttings close by this is a get secondary bacterial infections which
likely cause. lead to high temperatures. Cattle get
weaker and eventually go down and die.
Other diseases with similar signs would To access this FREE online training,
YEW BRACKEN be kidney infection and redwater which
(Taxus spp) could be prevalent in the same areas.
register by visiting the XLVets Skillnet website
Livestock will eat young bracken fronds Treatment is generally unsuccessful.
www.xlvetsskillnet.ie
Yew trees are ornamental and are which are more palatable than the older Prevention by supplying adequate feeding
commonly found in churchyards. Problems plants. Ingestion of bracken over several is the most practical. Trying to fence off,
can arise where cattle graze close to weeks causes bone marrow suppression spray or burn off the bracken usually is
churchyards or where these trees are with loss of blood cells and clotting factors. impossible in the areas in question.
clipped and the leaves are thrown into Bracken can lead to bladder tumours in
the field where the cattle are grazing. older cows and less commonly tumours in Other less common causes of poisoning
the oesophagus and rumen. that are worth a mention are acorns and From here you also have access to our library of online resources
Ingestion leads to rapid death and again water dropwort.
there is no treatment. Other causes of
sudden death need to be considered such
Signs associated with bracken poisoning
include bleeding from the nose or
which includes press articles, videos and newsletters
14 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE... VOLUME 5 EDITION 10 LIVESTOCK MATTERS 15
Agri Academy
Practical, relevant,
easy to watch
online training
for farmers
Join Agri Academy for FREE and get instant access,
visit www.xlvetsskillnet.ie
XL Vets Skillnet is co-funded by Skillnet Ireland
and member companies. Skillnet Ireland is
funded from the National Training Fund through
the Department of Education and Skills.
16 LIVESTOCK MATTERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
You can also read
