Kids and critters
VetScript Editor?s pick ? June 2018 It?s a truism: children love animals. As Naomi Arnold reports, TVNZ 2?s new show Fanimals explores that relationship with heart, sensitivity and a keen awareness of animal welfare. When Whitebait Media was testing out its idea for TVNZ 2?s new after-school animal show Fanimals, the producers went to a […]
Good on-farm management essential for eradication plan to succeed
Good on-farm animal management will be essential if plans to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) are to succeed, the New Zealand Veterinary Association says. ?This will be essential to stop the infection spreading and to ensure M. bovis isn?t re-introduced into New Zealand,? NZVA President Dr. Peter Blaikie said. The industry and government today announced […]
Mycoplasma bovis: Taming the tiger
By Dr Helen Beattie, NZVA Chief Veterinary Officer As a veterinarian working on the foot and mouth response in the UK, I?ve seen the misery that outbreaks of serious infectious diseases can bring down on the agricultural sector – animals, farmers and their communities. Containing these outbreaks always involves hard choices and significant consequences ? […]
New Zealand Veterinary Association outlines stance on the provision of distance veterinary services
24 May 2018 Following media reports stating that a veterinary practice was advising a Winton farm some 1600 kilometers away, the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) has released a statement setting out the rules in relation to the provision of distance veterinary services and its position on this activity. NZVA President Peter Blaikie said: ?We […]
Mycoplasma bovis update
There have been quite a few developments over the last week about Mycoplasma bovis. A Waikato dairy farm and a sheep and beef property in Pahiatua have been confirmed as infected with Mycoplasma bovis. The properties were identified through the tracing of cattle movements. Like all of the other infected properties, these farms are under […]
Mycoplasma bovis update
There have been quite a few developments over the last week about Mycoplasma bovis. A Waikato dairy farm and a sheep and beef property in Pahiatua have been confirmed as infected with Mycoplasma bovis. The properties were identified through the tracing of cattle movements. Like all of the other infected properties, these farms are under […]
Advice for pet rabbit owners after a new strain of calicivirus found
The Ministry of Primary Industry’s announcement that a new strain of rabbit calicivirus (RHDV2) has been detected in a wild rabbit in Marlborough is worrying for pet rabbit owners. While this strain has only been detected in one location, it is possible that RHDV2 is more widespread in New Zealand, but hasn’t yet been found […]
Letter from Mongolia
VetScript pick – May 2018 Veterinary nurse Katey Freeman recounts the trip of a lifetime, helping with efforts to save the wild Przewalski horses of Mongolia. Having fancied Mongolia for a few years and envisaging miles of uninhabited scenery and amazing wildlife, I enlisted with an organisation that arranges eco-volunteer work placements and arranged to […]
Keeping an open mind
VetScript Editor’s pick – May 2018 A rural King Country upbringing gave Kate Griffiths a passion for sheep and beef, before a generous and knowledgeable mentor pricked her interest in another species: deer. Mirjam Guesgen talks to the scientist-in-residence who heads Massey’s Deer Research Unit. Ever since she was a child helping her dad to […]
BOP Flood: Advice for farmers and pet owners in flooded areas
IN AN EMERGENCY DIAL 111 Advice for farmers and pet owners in flooded areas During a flood or storm: The safety of you, your family, and workers comes first. Listen to your local radio stations for updates from officials. Move stock to safety, shelter and water and make sure they can’t wander. […]
