Vaccine & Drenching Services Southern Tasmania

For prospective clients we will be in the Huonville, Geeveston & surrounding areas once again on the weekend of 30th January. Please inbox if you require our services. Animal welfare is our main priority.

‘Wormaggedon’ cometh with widespread drench resistance | Livestock Biosecurity Network

Interesting article on Drench resistance http://www.lbn.org.au/2015/10/29/wormaggedon-cometh-with-widespread-drench-resistance/

Just a reminder to all that we are heading down the Huon/Geeveston area this weekend & still have some spots left for those interested. So why not take the expense and hassle out of treating your Animals and get us to swing buy & take care of your requirements for you. Animal welfare is are main priority.

Vaccine & Drenching Services Southern Tasmania

For all prospective Customer's in the Huon area, We will be travelling to the Geeveston area this coming weekend 16th & 17th. Let your friends & Neighbour's know, Book early as places are sure to fill quickly.

THE IMPORTANCE OF VITAMIN AD&E IN RUMINANTS Vitamins Vitamin A Now recognised as very important to all livestock including goats and its primary function is fortifying the outer defences of the skin and mucous membranes against disease. Vit A aids disease resistance and is required for good vision, lactation and reproduction. It is not yellow in colour but the carotenoid pigments found in carrots, maize etc. are bright yellow and contain the precursor to Vitamin A known as Carotene. Carotene is converted in the intestinal wall and this depends upon the thyroid gland. Since the thyroid is very large in the goat, this animal is a very efficient converter of Vit. A - in fact all carotene is converted: this is why goats milk is pure white whereas the milk from cows (relatively inefficient converters) is still yellow with uncoverted carotene present. Deficiency symptoms are rare and include night blindness, poor reproductive performance and metritis. Vitamin A is destroyed by sunlight and therefore old hay is very low in this vitamin. In winter make sure that kale and other feedstuffs high in Vit. A are fed. For the new-born kid the colostrum is very important since they have very small reserves of Vit. A. It is worth noting that the Vitamin A content of goats milk is directly proportional to the amount of beta-carotene occuring in the feed. Vitamin D Closely connected with Calcium and Phosphorous, Vit. D is required for the deposition and remobilisation of the above into the skeleton. It is the antirachitic (prevents rickets) vitamin and its main source is from sunlight and is formed on the skin. Absorption is through the skin or by simply licking off. Deficiency symptoms are uncommon but goats that are kept indoors in winter etc. are most likely to suffer and therefore need supplementary feeding. Deficiency of Vit. D is a major cause of rickets, bow legs and osteomalacia and whilst it cannot make up for any absolute deficiency in Ca and P, Vit. D will compensate to some extent to help overcome any imbalance between the two. As in cows, there is a high output of Ca & P into the milk and Vit. D is needed to maintain mobility of these minerals. It has been suggested in France that extra Vit. D is given in the last weeks of pregnancy to prevent hypocalcaemia (milk fever) and this does seem to be very sensible. Vitamin E As discussed Vit E is tied up with Selenium as a co-partner, but there are still some doubts as to its exact function. It is known to be concerned with the cell nucleus, the development of the foetus and the performance of the males. It is an antioxidant, facilitating absorption, storage and protection of Vit. A. Vit. E is found in oil meals and bran - however, if goats can be persuaded to eat cod liver oil, recent evidence shows that deficiency symptoms are CREATED by forming gut conditions favourable to the destruction of both Vit. E and Selenium. The method of storage of feedstuffs is very important as the concentration of Vit. E is dependent upon it: basic feedstuffs can easily be made to be very deficient simply by bad storage conditions. Goats transfer Vit. E into the milk more readily than cows and should therefore receive daily adequate supplies of this vitamin to ensure milk quality. Apart from white muscle disease and muscular dystrophy, lack of Vit. E also causes sterility in males. Note that kids have no reserves of fat soluble vitamins (A,D & E) and sudden death of kids less than 2 weeks old is often due to lack of Vit. E in particular. This is normally overcome by feeding colostrum but the Vit. E content is also affected by the nutrition of the dam during pregnancy. With kids there is degeneration of muscle including the heart, whereas in older animals it will manifest itself as stiffness of the limbs.

Vaccine & Drenching Services Southern Tasmania

Internal Parasites to Watch Out For in Your Goats By Cheryl K. Smith from Raising Goats Raising goats can be part of a green lifestyle, but you have to learn to deal with the internal parasites that are common in goats. They mainly affect the goats' digestive system, although a few migrate to other parts of the body. Here are some of the parasites to watch for. Coccidiosis These single-celled organisms are always in the goat's environment and are normally carried by all goats. When they reproduce and overwhelm a goat that isn't resistant to them, they become a problem. Kids under the age of six months are at highest risk of coccidiosis. The main sign of coccidiosis is diarrhea, although in some cases, an affected goat becomes constipated and dies. If an adult goat suddenly dies for no apparent reason, have it checked by a veterinarian for coccidiosis and treat the whole herd if coccidiosis is found. If you are bottle-feeding kids, you can add Deccox to the milk to prevent coccidiosis. Common worms The worm that causes the biggest problem, particularly in rainy, warm areas, is Haemonchus contortus, or the barber pole worm. It is red and white striped, and it sucks the goats' blood and reproduces rapidly. Anemia is the most common symptom produced by the barber pole worm. Barber pole worm can cause bottle jaw, a swelling below the lower jaw. Other worms that may take up residence in your goats include the following: Brown stomach worm and bankrupt worm: More common in fall and winter, these stomach worms cause diarrhea, rough coat, and thinness and inability to gain weight. Treatment of these worms depends on dewormer resistance. Tapeworms: Tapeworms are easy to identify without a microscope because they drop off white sections about the size of a grain of rice in the feces. They cause young goats to get pot-bellied and to develop poorly because the parasites absorb their food. They can also cause diarrhea. A cold freeze can stop the tapeworm cycle in a pasture, but otherwise they can survive in the ground for a year. Treat tapeworms with Valbazen. Valbazen can cause birth defects if you give it to does in the first 30 days of pregnancy. Meningeal worm: This worm is more common in the fall and winter and needs wet weather. The meningeal worm causes neurological problems in goats, including partial paralysis, circling, blindness, and difficulty walking. If your goat develops these symptoms, contact a veterinarian. Liver fluke: This fluke invades the liver, where it causes internal bleeding and anemia. These parasites affect goats in the winter and spring. In severe cases, the goat will lose its appetite, lie down and not get up, and ultimately die. Less severe cases can cause thinness, rough coat, rapid heart rate, and bottle jaw. The only dewormer that is effective against all stages of liver fluke is Chlorsulan. Valbazen can be used to treat mature liver flukes. Lungworms: Lungworms are cool-weather parasites; hot weather and freezes kill them. Lungworms can cause painful breathing, chronic cough, failure to gain weight, and death. When you have a goat with a chronic cough and no fever or other signs of pneumonia, consider lungworms.

Timeline Photos

Interesting for those considering a Vaccine Regime.

Vaccine & Drenching Services Southern Tasmania's cover photo

We provide a service for Vaccinating and drenching your Farm Animals including administering Vitamin AD&E. We are based in the Derwent Valley but can travel a reasonable distance for a small fee, So why not take the hard work out of remembering what drenches you have used in the past and when you last drenched & Vaccinated. We will keep records on your behalf insuring that your regime is up to date and that a good rotational drenching occurs. We will contact you to advise when it becomes time for future dosing. We will come to you for as little as 1 Animal up to Herds of 20 or more, all we ask is that you have your Animals Penned on our arrival. Please note that depending on where you are and how many Animals you have we may charge a small travel fee. Quotes can be given for more than 10 Animals as prices may be cheaper. • Full regime Vitamin AD&E, Vaccine & drenching $8 per animal. • Combination of any two $7 per animal • Single doses of any product $5 per animal We can also offer Goat & Sheep Banding $6 per animal. Moving forward we hope to be able to offer your animals Fecal testing so we can give you a better treatment regime.