SHE’S DEFINITELY PREGNANT UNTIL SHE TURNS UP EMPTY AT SCANNING! - PHANTOM COWS   There are always those cows that come scanning time turn up empty even though they had one mating early on and didn’t return on heat. These cows are known as phantom cows, which is defined as cows that do not return on heat within 24 days of an unsuccessful insemination. They are essentially pretending to be pregnant. Researchers are currently trying to find out why some cows do this. It is estimated that the current phantom rate of the national herd is up to 10%. We have found it is around 20% in hormonally ..read more

ITCHING, SCRATCHING, LICKING, AND SELF TRAUMA These are some of the most frustrating nonlife-threatening illnesses you and your pet may have to face. Allergies are a common cause, but other skin problems can be involved. Unlike humans with allergies, dogs and cats do not typically sneeze, cough and have blocked sinuses. Instead, in our cats and dogs, allergies may show up as itchingRedness of the skin (sometimes they may even ooze or weep ), licking and chewing of the paws, pimples or rashes, dry flakey skin, areas of hairloss and less commonly  runny eyes and nose. So what are the causes ..read more

Canine infectious cough (or kennel cough) is a contagious respiratory tract disease of dogs. It is spread in the air when dogs are in close contact with other dogs and is often seen at boarding kennels (hence the name), or dog shows. The symptoms are self limiting and resolve within 2 weeks in nearly all dogs. A persistent dry hacking cough is the main clinical sign.  Some animals can become lethargic, off food or have difficulty breathing.  Some will seem like they are trying to vomit or have “something stuck” but nothing will be coming up. Kennel cough occurs in dogs of all ages. A ..read more

Copper Young growing animals require adequate Copper intake. The safest and most cost effective way to supplement Copper for young weaner dairy calves is to administer a 10gm Copper Capsule either at weaning or at the drench following weaning. Coccidiosis Young calves are susceptible to coccidiosis, this is the main reason coccidiostats are added to a lot of the brands of meal. The bug cycles through the animal’s gut building up in numbers and clinical disease is often associated with some form of stressor. Meal As a general rule the calves need to be eating 100gm of meal per 10kg liveweight ..read more

As it is said when there is drench there will be drench resistance! For the last few years New Zealand has been seeing an increase in drench resistance in our young sheep. In cattle, it is more difficult to diagnose drench  resistance. This means, we may have had it building up for a while without knowing. VetPlus have recently diagnosed triple drench resistance on two separate properties in the Central Plateau region who are rearing  young cattle. Drench resistance is when parasitic worms  that live in animals become immune to the effects of drench. Thus, the drench is not as e ..read more

If you have driven past a local deer farm recently you will have seen the stags growing their new season’s velvet antler. The new traceability system VelTrak has been implemented for this season allowing for electronic tracing and scanning and verification of all antlers being sold for human consumption. This ensures high levels of both Food Safety and Welfare standards are being met. The “velvet” industry has come such a long way from early beginnings in the darkened sheds with dirt floors and uncooperative stags. It is great to have been part of the real progress alongside some really innova ..read more

We commonly see knee injuries in our dogs and one of the most common causes is the rupture of the cranial crucial ligament ‘CCL’ (you may have heard this called an ACL in people). A CCL is a cross ligament within the knee that helps to stabilise the joint when your pet walks. Some dogs will be predisposed to this injury because of their conformation and some will injure the ligament traumatically. Either way we have some great repair options available. For smaller dogs we offer a Lateral Fabella Tie which includes placing a permanent tie across the joint to recreate the function of the ligamen ..read more

Now daylight saving has finished there is no denying winter is on its way and it is time to find the electric blanket and get out the woolly hat. Cold weather and dark nights can take their toll on us, well how about our pets? Here are some ways we can help our older dogs get through the winter whilst maintaining optimal health. Having a high quality diet is essential whatever your dog’s life style. Some dogs especially those that are kennelled will be prone to weight loss as they burn more energy keeping warm on the colder days and nights. If your dog does spend time kennelled it is importan ..read more

Old dogs are great. They’ve learnt to compensate for our mistakes, work around us. They know us well. They are worth the special care it takes to keep them healthy and happy. Normal aging is not a disease and any changes should be checked. Some things can be cured and most things can be helped. Here are a few ideas to give your dog a good quality of life. Keep your dog at a healthy weight. Even being 1kg overweight will impact on their mobility and joint health. Get some dietary advice from your vet, diets rich in fish oil a natural anti-inflammatory, are good for old dogs. Annual check ups a ..read more

The New Zealand Veterinary Association has recently awarded VetPlus with their ‘Business Excellence Award’ which recognises the practice as exemplifying excellence in leadership in the veterinary industry. Nominated anonymously by one of their team members, the business owners were unaware they were being considered for the profession’s prestigious award. “We were absolutely thrilled” says Business Manager, Jenni Hill.  “The focus of the award is largely around leadership and how this looks and feels to people in our team.  We truly believe that our people are our greatest asset, the ..read more