Case notes on veterinary investigations in sheep, cattle and other species

2012 Autumn edition of case studies

Autumn 2012 State Report
Written by: Bruce Watt, Tablelands LHPA

Sheep

Age, liveweight and immunity of lambs to worms
Written by: Susan McClure, DV Central West LHPA
Lambs frequently fail to develop protective immunity to gastro-intestinal nematodes resulting in direct losses from mortality and decreased production, and indirect costs associated with treating ... Read More

Coccidiosis infection in merino lambs post weaning
Written by: Steve Eastwood - Senior District Veterinarian, New England LHPA
In March 2012 a stud/commercial Merino operation experienced scouring in a mob of commercial Merino lambs ... Read More

Foot abscess in merino ewes and first cross lambs
Written by: Toni Jericho, LH Ranger and Shaun Slattery, SDV North West LHPA
Wet weather and flooding in late summer-autumn resulted in a number of reports of foot abscess in the western parts of the North West LHPA ... Read More

Mycoplasma ovis in north western NSW
Written by: Libby Read, District Veterinarian, North West Livestock Health and Pest Authority
Mycoplasma ovis (formerly Eperythrozoon ovis) causes the disease known as eperythrozoonosis in sheep flocks throughout Australia ... Read More

Superphosphate poisoning in sheep
Written by: Eliz Braddon, Senior District Veterinarian Lachlan LHPA
Cases of superphosphate poisoning are reported as rare in the literature. The fact that I have seen two of these cases in seven years seemed unusual ... Read More

Within flock prevalence of non-footrot lesions in sheep and the impact of pre-lambing iodine supplementation on the expression of foot abscess
Written by: Bruce Watt and Jeff Eppleston, Tablelands Livestock Health and Pest Authority
Foot abscess (heel abscess, infectious bulbar necrosis, digital suppuration) is a necrotic then suppurative condition of the ovine foot predisposed by water maceration or other interdigital skin damage followed by a synergistic infection with ... Read More

Cattle

Actinobacillosis in dairy heifers
Written by: Eliz Braddon, Senior District Veterinarian, Lachlan LHPA
Many dairy owners and dairy practitioners are aware of wooden tongue as a problem from time to time in individual cattle.? This case outlines the coming together of a number of factors to result in an ‘outbreak’ of wooden tongue ... Read More

Acute bracken toxicity in beef cattle
Written by: Ian Poe, District Veterinarian Kempsey Mid Coast LHPA
Bracken fern is a native warm-season perennial fern adapted to most soil types. This report describes a case of the acute haemorrhagic syndrome in beef cattle. ... Read More

Anaemia caused by theileriosis
Written by: Ted Irwin, North West Livestock Health and Pest Authority
Benign theileriosis has been causing increasing occurrences of disease on the coast and inland in NSW. It is a protozoal organism spread by ticks that parasitises the blood cells leading to anaemia in cattle. ... Read More

Entry and establishment of QLD Cattle tick to the North Coast of NSW through saleyard purchasing: a risk analysis for an uncertain future
Written by: Matt Ball, Senior District Veterinarian, North Coast LHPA and Paul Freeman, Regional Veterinary Officer, NSW DPI
Cattle tick and associated tick fever are significant diseases in Australia.?Both QLD and NSW Governments have had a long and complex history of cattle tick control policies ... Read More

Prevalence and effect of Theileria infection in NSW South Coast cattle herds: a targeted surveillance study
Written by: Alissa Burney (Vet Intern, Sydney Uni) and Ian Lugton (SDV SELHPA)
Theileria are protozoal blood parasites transmitted between livestock by ticks and generally considered a benign disease in Australia.?This is in contrast to the Theileria spp. present overseas, which can cause significant disease and high mortalities ... Read More

Tick fever
Written by: Phillip Kemsley, District Veterinarian, Casino and Jessica Hamilton, Final year Veterinary Intern, University of Sydney
Tick fever is an important disease of cattle, caused by a blood parasite, spread by the cattle tick and producing severe clinical signs including fever, depression, neurological signs and haemoglobinuria, often accompanied by jaundice and anaemia... Read More

Wet pasture and failure of rumen development
Written by: Matt Ball, Senior District Veterinarian Lismore
Between January and February 2012 owners of three independent beef herds reported ?poor doing? beef calves. In each herd about 2-3% of calves were reported to be growing poorly ... Read More

Other

Calicivirus in farmed rabbits
Written by: Phillip Kemsley, District Veterinarian, Casino
A large vertically integrated rabbit farm on the north coast of NSW experienced heavy losses of over 1,000 growers and breeders ... Read More

Feral goats in peri-urban settings, a a health and welfare issue
Written by: Linda Dillenbeck, Veterinary Intern Sydney University and Matt Ball, Senior District Veterinarian NSW
The form of agriculture practiced in the peri-urban environment can have biosecurity, welfare and food safety concerns.? This case study provides an example of a disease investigation where goats were being used ... Read More

Malnutrition, condition score and disease
Written by: Susan McClure, DV Central West LHPA
Pasture-fed livestock are at risk of nutritional imbalance for many reasons including availability and composition of the pasture on the one hand and the animal?s requirements for maintenance, growth and production on the other ... Read more

Sarcoptes scabei var suis
Written by: Kylie Greentree, DV Cumberland Livestock Health and Pest Authority
Seven piglets, five weeks of age, had very thickened skin, alopecia, severe rubbing and shaking ears, with multiple scabs mostly over head and forequarters ... Read More

The North Coast LHPA and emerging disease detection ? risk analysis by a worked example | Posted July 2012
Written by: Matt Ball ? Senior District Veterinarian North Coast LHPA
The disease investigation service of the North Coast Livestock Health and Pest Authority (NCLHPA) is a busy and capable component of the regions livestock disease surveillance system ... Read more