Vet Times articles

The latest veterinary content produced by Vet Times, covering topics such as Companion animal, Equine, Exotics, Farm animal, Welfare and General.

September 2022

Finding eggs in bovine faeces – is it a fluke?

At BCVA Congress, Claire Reigate presented results on fluke egg recovery from bovine faeces, using both spiked and naturally infected samples. In this article, Claire and colleagues – Hefin Williams, Russ Morphew and Peter Brophy – consider faecal egg counts and how they are integral to on-farm parasite control strategies, introduce a new fluke faecal egg counting method, and discuss how fluke faecal egg counts can be used in detecting ruminant fasciolosis…

37 mins
Tips for a junior assistant going out on a pig call

Graham Duncanson BVSc, MSc(VetGP), DProf, FRCVS offers sage advice to young and new professionals attending call-outs to smallholdings and pet pigs.

24 mins

August 2022

Nutrition in cattle – essential trace elements

Paddy Gordon MA, VetMB, CertCHP, MRCVS explains the importance of these microminerals for healthy cattle and how to look for signs of imbalance.

31 mins
Best foot forwards – a review of cattle foot health in Great Britain

Cows’ feet have never been so popular, with social media accounts devoted to hoof trimming. Ironically, vets have increasingly become disenfranchised from bovine foot health – but here, Owen Atkinson says why that should now change.

38 mins
An update on sheep scab control

Fiona Lovatt looks at research into this disease – caused by infestation with the parasitic mite Psoroptes ovis – and disease control.

17 mins
Health strategies for prevention and treatment of calf diarrhoea

Tim Potter discusses how rapid treatment maximises the chances of survival from this common disease, and how vets should work with clients to manage outbreaks and reduce economic impact.

28 mins
Causes, prevention and treatment strategies for tackling mastitis

Mastitis continues to be a major welfare and economic problem for farms. In this article, Charlie Neale provides an update for vets on aetiology, prevention and treatment, to aid them in devising on-farm strategies and providing advice.

36 mins

June 2022

Importance of trace elements in health and performance

Tim Potter BVetMed, PhD, MBA, CMgr MCMI, MRCVS outlines the nutritional role these play, how to detect deficiencies and how to appropriately supplement them.

34 mins
Tackling Salmonella hidden in dairy herds

Sarah Hampson BSc(Hons), BVetMed(Hons), MRCVS offers an explanation of why detection of subclinical disease is important to help farmers achieve herd health status.

19 mins
New NOAH guideline will play ‘pivotal role’ for farm health

Rationale and background for vaccination in dairy and beef cattle and sheep feature in guidance, which stipulates which ones should be used as a default unless justified otherwise. 

14 mins

May 2022

Bovine respiratory disease – re-engaging an old challenge

Tim Potter explains how veterinarians can help farmers avoid this disorder by encouraging them to take measures.

28 mins
Heat stress: reducing impact without large investments

Phil Elkins BVM&S, CertAVP(Cattle), MRCVS explains how nutritional and environmental changes can combat this increasingly common condition.

23 mins
Vaccination and preventive health: how to convey messages to farmers

Owen Atkinson BVSc, DCHP, MRCVS looks at what farm vets can learn when trying to persuade farmers of the need to vaccinate their herds or flocks.

34 mins
Eradicating BVD: where are we now and where are we heading?

Neil Shand, National Beef Association chief executive and BVDFree England vice-chairperson, looks at progress made in each nation and what needs to happen next.

19 mins
Compulsory testing is critical to managing bovine viral diarrhoea

Rob Hall provides his views on BVD across the nations, and explains how his practice helps producers to keep an eye on the disease in their herds.

23 mins
Digital dermatitis in dairy cattle

Nick Bell MA, VetMB, PhD, PGCertVetEd, FHEA, DipECAWBM(AWSEL), MRCVS discusses a significant problem facing the dairy sector across the world.

20 mins
Farm management teams: their role and part vets can and should play

With herds getting larger and many dairy farms having professionalised, farm teams – with a specific management hierarchy – are increasingly common. Phil Elkins BVM&S, CertAVP(Cattle), MRCVS looks at how they are evolving and what they should be involved in.

23 mins

March 2022

Collaborating with farmers to achieve best calving outcomes

Optimum calving doesn’t just happen, and whether in spring or autumn, planning is key. In this article, Navaratnam Partheeban explains how vet and farmer can work together on ensuring the successful birth and rearing of every calf.

29 mins

February 2022

Mastitis: are enough herds using selective dry cow therapy?

Emma Fishbourne outlines the clinical advantages to selective dry cow therapy, and the barriers that vets and farmers must overcome to promote its application.

January 2022

The wider impacts of hypocalcaemia

Victoria Hudson BVM&S, MRCVS discusses the subclinical form of this issue and how vets can be proactive in preventing its occurrence.

32 mins