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Dedicated 24 hr service
“a modern country practice dedicated to all species”
sheep
PRACTICE OPENING HOURS
Mon to Fri: 08.00 -
Sat : 08.00 -
Our out-
operates 24 hrs a day outside these hours
Worm control
A vital part of any management program is parasite control, particularly worm control which recently has become increasingly dependent on drugs, rather than grazing management. This has led to sharp rise in wormer resistance, which has now been found in all major anthelmintic drug groups in the UK. There are a number of ways to minimise this: Dosing according to the heaviest in the group; rotating the drug group used each year; and dosing only when necessary by using faecal egg counts to check the ewe and lambs worm status. We support and follow the recommendations given about ‘sustainable control of parasites in sheep’ (SCOPS).
Fluke control
Another factor of parasite control is the treatment and prevention of liver fluke, whose incidence is influenced by climate and particularly summer rainfall. The clinical forms of this disease can range from sudden death in acute disease, to weight loss, anaemia and bottle jaw in the more common chronic form occurring in summer or winter. Disease incidence can be lowered by improved drainage and fencing off wet areas, quarantining bought in sheep and using flukicides.
Lameness
One of the most persistent disease problems in any sheep flock is lameness, which can have severe economic implications as well as being a welfare concern. It is important to be vigilant in monitoring your flock for any signs of lameness, acting quickly by isolating and treating appropriately. This can include antibiotic injections in severe cases of footrot or CODD, or using footbaths and antibiotic sprays. Again, a lameness control plan will be an essential part of the flock health plan.
As grass is the only source of trace elements for much of the year, it is important to know the status of the farm to supplement at critical times (e.g. tupping, weaning etc). Where we have sampled soils, grass and animals, some severe deficiencies have been found on some soil types.
Abortions
Preventing abortions is not just about vaccinating. While toxoplasma is environmental (cat faeces) and vaccination is the main part of its prevention, avoiding enzootic abortion should also include knowledge of the origin of replacements. An accreditation scheme for enzootic abortion exists, but uptake is low. Separating aborting ewes, safe disposal of foetus and placenta, diagnosing the cause and putting a targeted plan is place is all part of it. Two schemes (BarrenCheck and FlockCheck), both sponsored by Intervet/Schering Plough offer subsidised blood testing to establish the cause of abortion/poor lambing percentage problems.
