nantwichfarmvets

March2018

Datesforyourdiary

CreweRoadEndNantwichCheshire

CW55SF

24hrphoneline:01270610349

www.nantwichvetgroup.co.uk

EndofMay DairylandFoottrimmingCoursePlacesfirstcomefirstservedcontactofficetobook

21stMarch11.15am-2pm

MedicinescourseincludingMilkSureNantwichEquineCentrecontactofficetobook

Introductiontothe“RedShelf”Youmayhavenoticedinthepracticedispensarywenowhavea‘redshelf’forcriticallyimportantantibiotics.Theseantibioticsareonlyrecommendedforusewhentestinghasbeenundertakentoshowthattherearenoothertreatmentsthatwillworkagainstthatbacteria.

Antibioticsplayavitalroleinbothanimalsandpeople.Asthereareonlyalimitednumberofantibioticclassesavailableandasarangeofantibioticsisrequiredtotreatthemanydifferentspeciesofanimalsthatfaceparticulardiseasethreats,someclassesofantibioticsareusedinbothpeopleandanimals.Basedontheneedtouseandpreservethesemedicallyimportantantibiotics,weshouldn’tberoutinelyusingtheminanimals.

Someveterinarypracticeshavestoppedstockingthesecriticallyimportantantibioticsaltogetherbutwewouldprefertodiscussyouroptionsandworkoutasolutionthatworksforyou.Pleaseseethelistbelowandtalktoavetaboutapotentialalternative.

Marbocyl

CefimamDryCow

CeftiocylBaytrilMax

Naxcel CobactanMC

Cobactaninjection

Redshelfproducts

www.nantwichvetgroup.co.uk March2018

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Thebenefitsofearlyidentificationoflamecowsiswelldocumentedandonfarmswhereweroutinelymobilityscore;oftenthefarmswiththelowestproportionoflamecowsaretheoneswhopromptlytreatacowassoonasshegoeslame.However,itisimportanttoconsiderwhetherourtreatmentisachievingoptimalresults.

ApublishedstudybytheUniversityofNottingham(Thomasetal,2015)wasdesignedtoaddresssomeoftheunansweredquestionsregardingwhichtreatmentismostbeneficialwhenitcomestocuringlameness,andisthemostcomprehensiveandrobusttrialtodate.Cowsonfivecommercialdairyfarmsweremobilityscoredfortnightlyandthosethathadtwoconsecutive“soundornon-lame”scores–0or1ontheAHDBDairy0-3Scale–followedbya“lame”score(2or3)wererecruitedforthetrial.Cowswithactivedigitaldermatitis,severehocklesions,arecentlamenesstreatment(120daysforsame

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foot,90daysforotherfoot)ortreatmentwithananti-inflammatoryintheprevious14dayswereexcluded,aswerecowswithlesionsinbothclawsoftheaffectedleg.Therefore,thestudyfocusedpurelyoncowswithclawhornlesionsaffectingoneclawofasinglelamehindleg.Enrolledcowswererandomlysubjectedtooneoffourtreatmentgroups:

1.Therapeutictrimonly

2.Therapeutictrimplusapplicationofblock

3.Therapeutictrimplusanti-inflammatory(ketoprofenforthreedays)

4.Therapeutictrimplusblockplusthreedaysofanti-inflammatory

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Cowswerere-examinedat35dayspost-treatmentandevaluatedforlameness(blockswereremovedpriortoscoringifstillpresent)withtreatmentoutcomesbeingdefinedasasoundcow(score0)ornon-lamecow(score0or1).

ThecureratesforthedifferenttreatmentgroupsareshowninTable1withtreatmentwithatherapeutictrim,blockandanti-inflammatory(NSAID)havingsignificantlyhighercureratesincomparisontotherapeutictrimonlywhentheoutcomeassessedwasasoundcow(score0).

Treatingclawhornlameness

This month we discuss treating lameness andhow we can improve cure rates for non-infectious lameness e.g. Sole ulcers, bruisingandwhitelinedisease.

www.nantwichvetgroup.co.uk March2018

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OneofthereasonsforthecombinedeffectoftreatmentwithbothablockandNSAIDincomparisontoeachtreatmentindividuallywashypothesisedasbeingduetotheNSAIDhavingadirecteffectontheinflamedcoriuminthehoof,thusincreasingitschanceofhealing.Withtheadditionofablockprovidingrest,thisgivesthecoriumthegreatestchanceofrecoveryandproducingnewhealthyhorn.

Whilepreventionoflamenesscasesmuststillremainthefocus,itisunlikelylamenesswillbeeliminatedandthetreatmentoftheindividuallamecowwillremainnecessary.Earlyidentificationiscriticaliftheeffectoflamenessonproductivityistobeminimised;however,sotooiseffectivetreatment.

Despitethecommonuseofblocks,littlescientificdataexistsevaluatinghowablockshouldbeapplied.However,twoimportantconceptsaretheblockmustbepositionedonthefootatthecorrectangle(Figure2),soitisata90°angleorlesstothemetatarsalbonewhenviewedfromthehock,andtheblockmustbeappropriatelysizedforthecow.

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Rememberwhenapplyingblockstheymustbeatthecorrectangle(90°orlesstotheleg)toensurerestoftheaffectedclaw.(A)=incorrectand(B)=correct.Thecowin(A)wasstillbearingweightonthediseasedclaw–thegaugeindicateswheretheblockshouldbe.

Poorplacementcanresultinweightbeingtransferredtotheouterwallofthediseasedhoof.Theareaofgreatestwearistheinsidewallofthetoethus,positioningtheblockatanangleoflessthan90°ensuresthatastheblockwearsitisstillabletopreventweightbearingbytheaffectedclaw.Selectingthecorrectsizeofblockisimportantand,inthemajorityofcases,moreharmcanbedonebyusingablockthatistooshortratherthantoolong(Figure3).

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Iftheblockextendspasttheweight-bearingsurfaceoftheheelthenthissoftareaofhornwillbeprotectedasthecowwalks.Iftheblockisshortthenmorepressurewillbeplacedonthisareaandtheriskofblock-inducedlamenessduetohaemorrhageandsolefractures(heelulcers)increased.

Lamenessispainfulandsurveyshaveshowndairyfarmersandcattlevetsrecogniseitassuch.Despitethis,thereisanapparentlackofpainkillersusedwhenitcomestotreatinglameness,despiteitsincreasinguseinotherareassuchasclinicalmastitisanddisbudding.

Althoughmanyunansweredquestionsstillremain,researchshowsevenwhencowsareidentifiedatanearlystageoflamenesstheybenefitfromnotonlyblockapplication,buttheadditionofpainrelieftoo.

Figure3.Lengthofblockisimportant.Itneedstoprotectthesofthornoftheheelasacowwalks.A=incorrectandB=correct.

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VetsMobileNumbers

DaveShaw 07836335185

RobGeorge 07773384450

JohnManson 07813690860

JohnYarwood 07814879109

StuartRussell 07770448179

PeterDuncalfe 07717780604

LauraDonovan 07800647608

StevenCrowe 07891843694

LizWynne 07767447281

MikeWilkinson 07866257014

JakeLawson 07866257014

AmyCox 07966833870

JamesPatterson 07774795700

SarahWilliamson07812173942

JoeMitchell 07773342345

“@NantwichFarmVet”

Lungworminfectionsincattlearenowsounpredictablethatpre-turnoutvaccinationofyoungstockpriortotheirfirstgrazingseasonisbecomingincreasinglyimportant.Lungworminfectionisoneofmostcommoncauseofrespiratorydiseaseseeningrazingyoungstockandalsoaccountsforasignificantnumberofdeathsinadultdairycattleandsucklercows.Coughingisusuallythemainsignsexhibitedbycattlesufferingfromlungwormandweightlossalthoughinsomecaseswedoseesuddendeaths.Weknowthatwarmer,wettersummerandautumnweatherwillincreasethelarvalchallengeoncontaminatedpastures.Inaddition,milderautumnsallowfarmerstokeepcattleoutforlongerandbeyondthetimewhenlong-actingwormerspersistfor.Italladdsuptothefactthatmostfarmsarenolongerabletopredictthelevelofexposurecattlewillhavetothelungwormparasite,whichmeansavaccinationstrategyisagoodoption.Youwillgetyourmoney’sworthasoneprimaryvaccinecoursewillusuallyprotecttheanimalnotjustforitssecondgrazingseason,butforlife.BovilisHuskvacinducesaverygoodimmuneresponseinthecattle.Cruciallythough,itdoesnotpreventallwormsfrompastureinfectionsfromcompletingtheirlifecycle.Thisallowsforthedevelopmentofnaturalimmunity,whichoftenfailstooccurwherethereisanover-relianceonlongactingwormers.Huskvacismadefromirradiatedlungwormlarvaethatareincapableofcausingdiseaseanditshouldbegivenorallytocalvesfromeightweeksofagepriortoturnout.Twodosesaregivenatanintervaloffourweeksand,toallowhighlevelsofimmunitytodevelop,vaccinatedcalvesshouldnotbeturnedoutuntiltwoweeksaftertheirseconddose.

Lungwormstillcausingproblemsindairyandbeefherds