CHIEF VETERINARY SURGEON’S REPORT TO RANGITAIKI PLAINS DAIRY CO. REVIEWS VERY BUSY SEASON

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 90, 3 September 1948, Page 5

CHIEF VETERINARY SURGEON’S REPORT TO RANGITAIKI PLAINS DAIRY CO. REVIEWS VERY BUSY SEASON

During the period he made 2660 'visits, including 533 to attend to, ■ cases of milk fever, 220 to deal with' calving troubles and 233 to vaccinate • 5234 calves. Apart from dairy cattle, he attended 338 horses, 120 pigs and 113 dogs. Milk Fever Was Prevalent “Milk fever was very prevalent ’in the spring,” Mr Thomson wrote, “but there were few cases that did not respond well to the routine treatment. Most of the deaths that did occur following on this condition were due to inhalation pneumonia caused either by careless drenching or by the inhalation of . vomited food. This vomiting usually occurs when a cow has been left lying on her side till she becomes badly bloated and grass is forced back through the oseophagus by the pressure of gas in the rumen. “If a cow- is down she must be kept fitting up on her brisket. “Sacks' of hay, bales of hay and bundles are all commonly used for this purpose but none are really .satisfactory. Two manure bags filled with earth make a solid bolster that does not shift readily if the cow .struggles. “Bloat did not cause much trouble ;at any time during the year. “There was a marked increase in The number of calving cases attended to during the year. I am pleased "to note that it is now rather unusual to find a case that has been badly ’knocked about by amateurs although we may have more cases to mw attend to they are easier to handle. Serious Loss From Mastitis “Mastitis caused serious loss of production in some herds in the spring months. In some of these Iherds udder infusion with sulphanilamide in oil gave excellent results. In others this treatment had no effect. Similar results were obtained in herds where the sulphanilamide was given orally. This year ■penicillin is to be used on as large a scale as the limited supplies will allow. . Overseas work shows that penicillin will cure approximately 80 per cent of cases of streptococcal mastitis but, it is not so useful in ■cases of staphylococcal jnastitis. “But no matter what drugs are available for the treatment of the, disease it will still Be most essential to take all possible steps to stop | it from spreading.

“It has been brought to my notice that some farmers are reducing the number of treatments to two and even to one in cases which apparently clean up with one treatment. While this allows them to treat a larger number of cases with the limited supply available I wish to point out that it is a most dangerous procedure anti; it must be stopped. “Under-dosing with a drug usually leads....to..;the development of. drug xesistant strains of bacteria which are then able to survive and flourish even though massive doses of the drug be used against them. . “Footrot was not as common as it has been in some other years. A Small number of cases were treated by the intravenous injection of a rsolution of soluble sulphapyridine. Both Mr Murray and myself were most satisfied with the results obtained and so were the farmers concerned. Scours And Calf Mortality “White and blood scours ‘still cause losses amongst calves and although* most farmers realise that the organisms responsible for this condition can remain alive for twelve months in dirty calf paddocks and feeding pens there are still a few who take no steps to void .this eon••dition. A visit to Ruakura Animal Research Station gives visual evidence of the results obtained by the different methods of handling young stock and I would like to see farmers organise outings to this station so that they can see these things for themselves. “I would suggest that these trips be reserved for the old farmers; the ; young farmers already realise • the importance of rotational grazing. “Redwater caused serious loss of young calves on one or two farms. "Treatment with “sulpha” drugs gave promising results but the number - of cases treated has been too small to come to any definite conclusion as to the best line of attack on this condition. “Parasitic gastritis did not cause so much trouble as in some previous “years. Phenothiazine is now the only -drug fcsed on a wide scale against -'this complaint. Rotational grazing is

Chief Veterinary Surgeon, Mr Alex Thomson, M.R.C.V.S., had a busy time during the year ended June 30 last, according to his annual report to the Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company, which has been released for publication because shareholders who heard it at the- annual meeting of the Company considered it contained much information valuable to the community in general.

useful in controlling the number of parasites picked up. “There was little serious trouble amongst pigs during the year. “In the autumn an outbreak of distempter caused losses amongst dogs. Vaccination, although not 40 per cent affective, is most useful as a protection against this disease. Veterinary Supplies “Some commodities are still in short supply 'and it is most difficult to avoid running short of certain items. Changes of staff have led to some delay in the issuing of supplies, but Miss Aird is rapidly getting control of the situation. “I wish to record my appreciation of the good work done by Mr Murray during the year and thanks are due to Mrs McKenzie for providing him with board. “In closing I wish to express my appreciation of Mr Hodson’s assistance and co-operation during the year.”