Case notes on veterinary investigations in sheep, cattle and other species
District Veterinarian Conference April 2019
Sheep
Lactic acidosis in lambs trail fed barley while being introduced to a regrowth canola crop during a failed
Spring in the Riverina
Written by: Dione Howard, Riverina Local Land Services, Wagga Wagga
Grazing of canola (Brassica napus) crops during winter has been adopted by many mixed farming
enterprises, and with seasonal conditions in 2018 which led to canola crops being cut for hay followed by late
spring rain ... Read
more
Ovine arthritis, 2019, where are we and where do we want to be?
Written by: Ian Marsha, Narelle Salesa, Leah Strouda, Des
McRaeb, Mominul Islamc, Martina Jelocnikc, Sam Gilchrista, Mark
Hazeltona, and Adam Polkinghorned
a EMAI, NSW DPI, Menangle, NSW; b Jerilderie Veterinary Clinic, NSW; c Genecology Research Centre,
University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD; d Department of Microbiology, Nepean Hospital, NSW Health Pathology,
Penrith, NSW
In 2015, arthritis was ranked 10th in a priority list of 23 diseases that affect the red meat sheep
industry, highlighting its significance as a disease ... Read more
Phomopsin infected lupin stubble contaminated the subsequent cereal hay crop killing sheep with
lupinosis
Written by: Ellen Arney 1040 Dry Plains Rd, Finniss, SA, and Jeremy Rogers, Senior Veterinary Officer,
PIRSA PO Box 469 Murray Bridge, SA
Lupinosis, a disease of sheep and cattle, is caused by the fungus Diaporthe toxica that grows on the
seeds and stalks of lupins and known to be highly toxic ... Read more
Tribulus terrestris Staggers in the Coonabarabran area
Written by: Sarah Maher, District Veterinarian, Coonabarabran
The occurrence of the stagger has a long association with drought, where summer storms have occurred on bare
paddocks and the subsequent predominating pasture was Tribulus terrestris ... Read more
Sheep / Cattle
Early weaning lambs & calves - 2018 drought experiences
Written by: Jillian Kelly, District Veterinarian Coonamble & Scott Parry, North West Vets
Early weaning is a powerful drought management tool that can be used to influence nutritional, reproductive,
animal health, behavioural, logistical and environmental factors associated with breeding sheep and cattle ...
Read more
Lessons from the 2018 drought on the Central Tablelands
Written by: Bruce Watt, Central Tablelands Local Land Services
Our memories tend to be short, but it is important that we learn from each drought, to enable us to reduce
their social, environmental, economic and welfare impact in the future ... Read more
Livestock management in droughts — how to stop recurring themes from being recurring
themes
Written by: Paul Cusack BSc. BVSc. MVSt. MACVSc. M.Agribus. PhD., Australian Livestock Production Services
/ Adj Prof. CSU., Cowra NSW
The development of a substantial beef feedlot sector (total capacity 1.3 million head, January 2019) and
access to established or opportunity lamb feedlots, facilitates the managed sale of young livestock during
droughts at reasonable prices ... Read more
Maintaining a social licence to operate in times of drought
Written by: Sarah Bolton, North Coast Local Land Services, South Grafton
In recent times, drought conditions across much of Australia have seen increased media coverage of cases of
malnutrition, water deprivation and humane destruction of drought-affected livestock ... Read more
On-farm animal welfare self-assessment
Written by: Nigel Brown, District Veterinarian, Glen Innes
In this presentation, the basic practical premise is offered that good animal welfare is the result of good
animal husbandry. As such, it means looking after the well-being and health of animals as well as possible ...
Read more
Stock disposal scheme
Written by: Henry Clutterbuck, District Veterinarian, Goulburn
Due to drought conditions, lack of feed availability and cost, and excessive numbers of stock on the market,
stock owners may be unable to transport or sell their stock or afford feed and/or water for stock ... Read more
Vitamin A deficiency in sheep and cattle in North Western NSW
Written by: Megan Davies, District Veterinarian, Narrabri, Shaun Slattery, District Veterinarian, Narrabri
and Judy Ellem, District Veterinarian, Gunnedah
During drought conditions between 2014 and 2019, District Veterinarians investigated multiple cases of Vitamin
A deficiency, presenting a wide range of clinical signs, including anorexia, ill thrift, diarrhoea, blindness,
convulsions, paralysis, recumbency, abortion ... Read more
Cattle
Effect of injectable copper, selenium, zinc, and manganese on cattle vaccine response and conception in
Australia
Written by: Matthew Ball (Virbac Australia), Luc Durel (Virbac France), and Jerry Liu (Virbac
Australia)
Trace mineral supplementation has traditionally been used only for animals in areas of known deficiency,
especially after the manifestation of clinical signs. However, more recent research has found production
responsive benefits ... Read more
Facilitating effective, responsible and sustainable antimicrobial mastitis treatment in the Australian
dairy industry: susceptibility of local pathogens to penicillin and cloxacillin
Written by: Claire Hunt and Susan de Burgh, Bayer Australia Ltd
Antimicrobial therapy remains an essential tool in the management of mastitis, however it raises the issue of
antimicrobial resistance ... Read more
Other
Diagnostics and technology update from microbiology and parasitology
Written by: Mark Hazelton, Pathology Resident, DPI, EMAI, Menangle
The factors that influence a diagnostic outcome include identification of the true problem, understanding of
pathogenesis, collection of representative samples, sample quality, appropriate test selection ... Read more
Excess pasture iron contributing to secondary copper deficiency and enzootic ataxia in boer
goats
Written by: Evie Duggan, District Veterinarian, Riverina LLS, Young and Thomas Westermann, Pathology
Resident, SVDL, EMAI, Menangle
A Boer goat stud located near Young NSW was visited after the producer reported a history of ataxic kids ...Read more
Infectious laryngotracheitis - a case study
Written by: Ted Irwin, North West Local Land Services, Warialda
The owner noticed some depressed chooks with dyspnoea and coughing, with most chooks initially seen to be
unwell dying within 48 hours ... Read more
NSW peri urban biosecurity program: looking back, looking ahead
Written by: Nicole Schembri, DPI, Newington
The Peri Urban Program covers the urban-rural interface or urban fringe. It is a dynamic area or transitional
zone consisting a mix of urban and rural activities, including a complex blend of commercial,
rural-residential and varied agricultural uses ... Read more
Working dog welfare and behavioural genetics
Written by: Elizabeth Arnott, DPI, and Jonathan B. Early1, Claire M. Wade2, Paul D.
McGreevy1
1 Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney; 2 School of Life and Environmental Sciences,
University of Sydney
Data from a questionnaire completed by 812 livestock herding dog owners on 4,027 dogs revealed that livestock
working dogs typically provide a lifelong working contribution valued at approximately A$40,000 ... Read more