Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs: Chocolate is potentially toxic to dogs. However, eating a couple of small pieces of chocolate is unlikely to harm your pet. If your dog has eaten more than a small amount of chocolate, there may be some cause for concern. The following link will take you to the VetsNow chocolate toxicity […]

What is it? Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) or pneumonia usually occurs in young, housed calves. It causes inflammation of the lung tissue and airways and can cause irreversible damage if severe. It is a common cause of death and poor performance. Pneumonia costs the cattle industry approximately £50 million a year. Cost of pneumonia varies […]

What is it? Caused by an energy deficit or low blood sugar in cows, leading to mobilisation of excess body fat in severe cases. However the body cannot convert this into energy therefore ketone bodies are produced in excess which can then lead to ketosis. Most common in dairy cattle In dairy cattle, this happens […]

The Procedure: The Modified Macquet Procedure (MMP) is a surgical technique used to treat rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in dogs. An MMP is a form of Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA). The tibial tuberosity is the part of the shin bone that would be in contact with the ground if we were to kneel. […]

Patella luxation is a common condition that can affect any breed of dog. The patella (or kneecap) jumps out of the groove at the bottom end of the femur (thigh bone) resulting in the cartilage becoming worn, leading to pain. The most common type of luxation we see is in smaller breeds who have a […]

TPLO stands for Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy. It is a surgery for dogs that have snapped a ligament in their knee (stifle), called the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). The CCL is a band of tough fibrous tissue within the joint. It is commonly torn in humans during sporting activities such as football. In dogs the […]

Itchy Dogs “Help, My Dog Won’t Stop Scratching! …and not only that, he sits in front of the TV to do it!” There are many reasons why your dog could be feeling itchy. Read on to learn about possible causes and what we can do to help. Parasites – fleas, lice and mites: These little […]

Fireworks Phobia:  Prescription drugs are often necessary to treat canine firework phobias. Please make an appointment to see a vet who will be able to discuss your dog’s phobia with you.  The information on this page explains measures that can be helpful to reduce anxiety levels in dogs that fear fireworks. The information on this […]

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, degenerative, painful and progressive condition of one or more joints. It is sometimes referred to as degenerative joint disease. The pain associated with osteoarthritis leads to various symptoms including lameness, stiffness and a reluctance to climb stairs. Osteoarthritis cannot be cured but can be managed effectively in most cases. Osteoarthritis is […]

Insulin must be kept in the fridge. It must not be allowed to freeze. The bottle should be kept upright to prevent prolonged contact between the rubber and the insulin. If your pet is off their food only give half the usual dose of insulin. Syringes Syringes can be used several times though there is […]

Diarrhoea is the passage of semi-solid or liquid faeces. When dogs have diarrhoea they usually need to pass faeces more frequently. Most of the commonly used symptomatic treatments for diarrhoea are available over the counter from the surgery. Treatment Fast your dog for 24 to 48 hours or as directed by a vet or veterinary […]

Cystitis is a very common and distressing condition affecting the cat. It is associated with the following symptoms: Difficulty and/or pain when trying to urinate An increase in the frequency of urination, but only producing small amounts each time Blood in the urine There are a number of possible medical causes, so it is important […]

Fly strike is a very common problem in the summer. Flies are attracted to areas of faecal soiling around a rabbit’s bottom and lay eggs in the fur. When the eggs hatch as maggots, they start to feed on the rabbit’s flesh. Within a matter of hours many rabbits are too poorly to survive. In […]

Whenever calves are reared, scour can be a problem and the launch of Locatim®, a new product you may have read about in the farming press, provides a good opportunity to review the subject and the role colostrum plays in prevention. Locatim® is a highly concentrated dose of antibodies obtained from donor cows that are […]

Bovine Mastitis can be defined as the inflammation of the udder of a cow resulting from injury or more commonly from bacterial infection. Collecting milk samples for mastitis testing Determining which bugs are responsible for mastitis allows the most appropriate tubes and injections to be used; this should improve clinical outcomes and reduce treatment costs. […]

Johnes disease is an infectious wasting condition of cattle and other ruminants (including deer, sheep and goats) and is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map). It is closely related to the organism that causes tuberculosis, and Johnes disease is sometimes called paratuberculosis. The disease progressively damages the intestines and in cattle this results in a […]

If one of your freshly calved cows can’t take in enough energy to meet her requirements she will start to mobilise excessive body fat. The fat is sent to her liver where it is turned into ketones. Ketones can be used for energy instead of glucose, the usual energy source, but are toxic in high […]

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) is caused by Bovine Herpes Virus 1 (BHV-1) and UK cattle of all ages are at risk. In fact, screening tests have shown that 69% of UK dairy herds show signs of infection. IBR is highly infectious and is spread either directly by nose to nose contact or through the air […]

BVD stands for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea. It is quite a complex disease. The outcome of infection The outcome of infection with BVD virus depends on when infection occurs. If a healthy, non-pregnant cow is exposed to BVD virus she is likely to be slightly unwell for 2-3 days but will soon develop a strong immunity […]

Bleeding Calf Syndrome, now also called BNP, was first recognised in the United Kingdom in May 2009. The disease is far from fully understood though research is on-going. Pfizer’s Pregsure vaccine was withdrawn from sale in September 2010 in connection with the disease but a definite link remains to be proven. Two other vaccines are […]

Until March 2010 there were three groups of anthelmintics (wormers): Group 1 (1-BZ) – the benzimidazoles, or white drenchs Group 2 (2-LV) – levamisole, the yellow drench Group 3 (3-ML) – the macrocyclic lactones (the avermectins and milbemycins), or clear drenches Since March 2010 a fourth group became available: Group 4 (4-AD) – monepental (trade […]

The information on this page will hopefully help you identify and treat the common metabolic problems of sheep successfully. The treatments don’t necessarily involve injecting ewes into a vein though this may be preferable for lambing sickness and grass staggers. If in doubt please phone a vet. Twin Lamb (or “Pregnancy Toxaemia”) Twin lamb is […]

Infectious abortion is a major flock health problem for sheep farmers. The most common cause is Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) which accounted for 43% of all diagnoses made at veterinary investigation centres in one recent study. The second most common cause is toxoplasmosis which accounted for 27% of diagnoses in the same study. Both […]

Orf is caused by a parapox virus. The virus multiplies in the surface layers of non-woolly skin and affects sheep of all ages. In uncomplicated cases natural recovery takes about 28 days. Severe lesions or prolonged recovery are usually due to secondary bacterial infection. There is a wide variety of strains in existence. Mortality can […]

Sweet Itch is a well-recognised, seasonal skin disease of horses and ponies characterised by itchiness and hair loss, and by oozing, crusting, scaling and thickening of the skin. The base of the tail and the mane are usually the first and worst areas to be affected. Sweet itch is caused by an allergic reaction to […]