New Zealand veterinary journal最新文献

{"title":"Fetal maceration in a Stationbred mare.","authors":"B A Heil, C Spatholz, A Hoogenboom, R Bishop","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2134227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2134227","url":null,"abstract":"Fetal maceration is the disintegration of a fetus that has died after the formation of fetal bones and has failed to abort, despite the presence of an open cervix (Purohit and Gaur 2011). Fetal maceration is commonly seen in domestic species but rarely in the mare (Burns and Card 1998; Imani and Vosough 2018; McNaughten and Wallace 2019). Depending on the cause of in utero fetal death, the outcome may be abortion, maceration or mummification. Abortion (pregnancy loss between 35 and 330 days of gestation) occurs in 7–14.2% of mares (Sanderson and Allen 1987; Morris and Allen 2002). A small study conducted in the Waikato region of New Zealand recorded a pregnancy loss of 3% between day 42 of gestation and term (Hanlon et al. 2012). Mummification occurs when endocrine support to maintain the pregnancy is present. When endocrine support is lost, abortion (fetus is expelled) or maceration (fetus is retained) occurs. Failure to expel the dead fetus can be caused by uterine inertia, fetal malpositioning, inadequate cervical dilation or other pathological processes (Vézina et al. 1975). Surprisingly, and unlike retention of fetal membranes, uterine retention of a macerated fetus rarely causes systemic illness in the mare despite the presence of bacteria and purulent material. It has been proposed that the lack of systemic illness is due to the quick healing of the endometrium after placental separation, which prevents the absorption of toxic material and bacteria into the mare’s systemic circulation (Burns and Card 1998). Despite this, fetal bones may embed in the uterine wall, which can increase leakage of toxins into the bloodstream, causing a serious health risk (Imani and Vosough 2018). Here we describe a further case of fetal maceration in a mare to add to the available information on the clinical presentation and treatment of this unusual condition. A 14-year-old maiden, pregnant Stationbred mare in a remote region of New Zealand was presented with purulent vulvar discharge at 276 days since the last service date (LSD). Upon clinical examination, her vital parameters were within normal limits and examination of the external genitalia revealed no mammary gland development, normal perineal conformation and a moderate amount of purulent discharge at the ventral aspect of the vulva and on her tail. With a recommendation to bring the mare to a nearby facility with stocks where vaginal and rectal examination could be conducted safely, the mare was started on 12 mg/kg procaine penicillin (Ilium; Troy Laboratories Pty Ltd., Glendenning, Australia) I/M twice daily for 3 days and 2 mg/kg phenylbutazone (Caledonian Holdings, Auckland, NZ) orally twice daily for 3 days. Once the course of procaine penicillin was completed, the mare was continued on 3 g trimethoprim and 15 g sulfadimidine (Trimsulp powder; PhoenixPharm, Auckland, NZ) orally twice daily for 20 days. Ten days later transrectal examination was performed. The foal could be balloted and transrectal ","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"71 1","pages":"49-52"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10756801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Narrative medicine in veterinary practice","authors":"A. Quain","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2105804","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2105804","url":null,"abstract":"With the rise of medical humanities, narrative medicine is becoming established in the human medical field, but there has been scant literature on narrative veterinary medicine. In this book, Karen Fine, a holistic, integrative practitioner, argues that narrative veterinary medicine will not only improve communication with clients, but also the care of veterinary patients and the wellbeing of veterinary team members. The first section provides an overview of narrative medicine, drawing primarily on medical literature to explain the emergence and conceptual basis of this field. In short, in veterinary practice, the client presents a patient or patients, and brings to the consultation a particular narrative. The client narrative yields insights into the client’s world view, which impacts the nature of the human-animal relationship, the decisions made on behalf of that animal, who they trust with the animal’s care, their expectations and “problems in parantheses” (deeper concerns that clients may struggle to articulate). With the veterinary team, a new narrative (including a plan) is co-created with the client. Fine explains how the stories we tell ourselves can impact our own perceptions and approaches to clients, and even our wellbeing. I was reminded of the work of Alf Wight, better known by his pen-name James Herriot. According to the biography written by his son Jim, Wight struggled with mental illness and often worked in difficult circumstances. Were Herriot’s stories an attempt to reframe his work and professional identity? The second section is structured around the veterinary consultation, including narratives of veterinary team members, obtaining a history, making a plan and recording the narrative. To paraphrase Rachel Naomi Remen, veterinarians cure with their expertise but heal with their experience and attention. The third section highlights issues Fine identifies as “unique” to the veterinary profession, including euthanasia, while the fourth focuses on the stories of veterinary team members. It introduces tools for reflective practice, including parallel charts (the story of the patient that isn’t included in medical records, but enables the clinician to develop their own narrative), and personal loss timelines (documentation of our own losses, and how these may inform our interaction with clients and patients). It incorporates narrative case studies throughout. Fine claims that burnout can be decreased by emphasising the unique stories of patients and clients rather than just focusing on diagnosis and treatment, while compassion fatigue can be reduced through reflective practice, and narrative boundary-setting. Whether and how this is the case remains to be seen, as there is a dearth of research in this field. It may be that narrative veterinary medicine reduces burnout and compassion fatigue by increasing engagement and interest. Given concerns about the wellbeing of veterinary team members, it is important that such questions are ","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 1","pages":"358 - 358"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46772807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The future of veterinary caregiving: finding our way forward with wisdom and compassion.","authors":"Sonja A Olson","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2112566","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2112566","url":null,"abstract":"To be alive is to know both pain and joy. Pain may be inevitable, but suffering is optional. Our ubiquitous negativity bias may have many in caregiving roles around the world focused on the negative impacts of compassion fatigue syndrome and/or of burnout in the workplace, particularly over the last 2.5 years since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted every aspect of our lives. However, do you know about compassion satisfaction or about eudaimonia? Keep reading. Veterinary professionals are some of the most intellectually curious, generous, and intuitively caring individuals. Choosing a profession with rigorous and stressful admission criteria and training to then focus their life’s work on caring for non-human species’ health and well-being demonstrates a commitment to compassionate community service. However, the majority of veterinary caregivers would admit that the community they feel compassion for and wish to focus their healing energy on is the veterinary patient, not necessarily the inevitable humans that come with the equation. Herein lies the conundrum: the emotional, physical, and psychological challenges that come with working as a veterinary caregiver are compounded by these necessary human interactions. Preparation and strategies to skilfully navigate these interactions have been historically sparse, but fortunately are growing in curricula, in training programmes, and through professional literature and resource sharing. There is a psychosocial concept that when utilised can support self-efficacy of caregivers during difficult emotional and psychological circumstances: “Name it to tame it.” The human medical community has been actively exploring and researching the myriad of caregiving challenges and potential impacts on caregivers for over 40 years. It is understood that just as the wellbeing of individuals and teams may be compromised by detrimental work factors, so may be the quality of patient care and professional fulfilment for medical professionals. Many of the same work-related concerns such as moral distress, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and caregiver burnout experienced by medical workers are recognised in veterinary professionals as well. However, it is only in the last 10 years that the awareness and subsequent conversations that “name” these concerns are being investigated as they pertain to veterinary work and environments. With that, novel approaches to support caregiver well-being and cultural shifts that support growth, safety, and flourishing in practice environments are being discussed globally. Fortunately, there is an abundance of resources, tools, and approaches that have been identified and developed to support the health and quality of professional life for humane caregivers that can be drawn upon and applied to the many veterinary ecosystems. The New Zealand Veterinary Association Wellbeing Symposium (8–9 November 2022) and this issue of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal with its associated on","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 6","pages":"301-303"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10765145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of conventional ligatures and a vessel sealing device for haemostasis during open ovariohysterectomy in rabbits.","authors":"C Dumartinet,&nbsp;L Matres-Lorenzo,&nbsp;A Linsart,&nbsp;A Bernardé,&nbsp;F Bernard","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2079571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2079571","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To compare surgical times and rates of intra-operative and post-operative complications for open ovariohysterectomy (OVH) in female rabbits using conventional ligatures or a vessel sealing device (VSD) for haemostasis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Female pet rabbits (n = 23) presented for OVH for either desexing or treatment of reproductive disorders were randomly assigned to a conventional ligatures (CL) group (n = 12) or a LigaSure 5-mm (LS5) group (n = 11). In the CL group, the ovarian pedicles were ligated with a single surgeon's knot. After transection of the ovarian pedicles, the broad ligament was manually broken down along the uterine horns to their respective cervices. In the LS5 group, both ovarian pedicles and the broad ligaments were sealed with a LigaSure Dolphin Tip VSD with 5-mm forceps. All the rabbits were hospitalised for 24 hours after surgery. Two weeks after discharge, a clinical recheck examination was performed. Incision length, overall surgical time (from initial incision to completion of intradermal suturing), OVH time (from identification of the first ovary to transection of the vaginal vault), and intra- and post-operative complications were recorded and compared between groups, using the Student's t-test for normally distributed continuous data, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for non-normally distributed continuous data and Pearson's <i>χ</i>² test for categorical data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean overall surgical time was 14.1 (SD 4.4) minutes. The surgery took 15.0 (SD 4.9) minutes in the CL group and 13.1 (SD 3.8) minutes in the LS5 group (p=0.10). The OVH time was shorter in the LS5 group (mean 4.2 (SD 0.9) minutes) than in the CL group (mean 6.3 (SD 1.7) minutes; p = 0.005). No intra-operative complications were encountered in the LS5 group. Haemorrhage occurred in three rabbits in the CL group. One rabbit in the LS5 group developed steatonecrosis post-operatively. There was no evidence of a difference in the proportion of rabbits that experienced intra- and post-operative complications (p = 0.25 and p = 0.94 respectively) between groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The use of a LigaSure 5-mm VSD and conventional ligatures during open OVH were both associated with similar overall surgical times and complication rates. The OVH times were shorter in the LS5 group compared to the CL group.</p><p><strong>Clinical relevance: </strong>Use of the LigaSure 5-mm VSD allows efficient haemostasis while performing open OVH in female pet rabbits.</p>","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 5","pages":"256-262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41167595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bone sequestrum in a yearling red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i>) hind in New Zealand.","authors":"K E Lawrence,&nbsp;C Balcomb,&nbsp;K J Flay,&nbsp;L Whitfield","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2073919","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2073919","url":null,"abstract":"Osseous sequestration is a common orthopaedic condition of horses and cattle (Firth 1987), and is frequently associated with trauma that results in cortical ischemia and bacterial invasion (Huber 2011). Although deer were introduced into New Zealand in the nineteenth century (Husheer et al. 2003), commercial deer farming itself only became legal in New Zealand in 1969 following the introduction of the New Zealand government’s Noxious Animals Amendment Act 1967 and the Deer Farming Regulations 1969 (Challies 1991). Interest in deer farming increased rapidly in the early 1970s (Pollard and Wilson 2002), with exports of venison, antler, and by-products now worth around NZD$240 million for the year ended September 2020 (B+LNZ 2021). Most of the deer farmed in New Zealand are Cervus elaphus, including the European red deer, North American wapiti, and their hybrids, with a smaller number of fallow deer (Dama dama) also farmed (Mason 1994). There have been a small number of reports of musculoskeletal problems in New Zealand deer including fractures (Wilson 1981; Audigé et al. 2001), osteochondrosis secondary to copper deficiency (Thompson et al. 1994; Audigé et al. 1995), angular limb deformities (Beatson et al. 2011), epiphysitis and osteomyelitis (Badger 1982), foot abscesses (Wilson 1981), polydactyly in red and sika deer (Daniel 1967; Davidson 1971) and outbreaks of lameness associated with Bacteroides nodosus (Skerman 1983) and Fusobacterium necrophorum (Ingram and Gill 2010). However, there have been no reports of bone sequestra in deer in New Zealand, and a literature search conducted using the search terms “deer AND sequestrum AND lameness” in Web of Science on 12 January 2022, found no further results from overseas. On 13 August 2021 a rising 1-year-old (R1) red deer hind weighing 86 kg with a body condition score (BCS) of 2.5/5 presented with severe lameness of the right rear leg. The hind was part of a group of 55 weaned R1 deer, grazing at pasture. Examination of the leg identified a soft, painful swelling on the medial aspect of the metatarsal bone, mid-way between the hock and fetlock. The swelling was not freely movable and seemed adherent to the underlying bone, no crepitus or mobility was noticed on palpation or manipulation of the metatarsus. Differential diagnoses included osteomyelitis with or without bone sequestration, incomplete fracture, and neoplasia although this was less likely due to the patient’s signalment. Radiographic imaging of the leg was sought to confirm the diagnosis. However, the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown response mandated by the New Zealand Government (https://www.health.govt.nz/) meant this had to be postponed until after restrictions were lifted. The deer was treated with 20 mg/kg S/C oxytetracycline (Bivatop 200 Injection, Boehringer Ingelheim (NZ) Ltd., Auckland, NZ). One month later, lockdown restrictions eased, and imaging could be conducted. Two views of the right metatarsus were obtained while the hind was standi","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 5","pages":"297-299"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10760222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neville Grace (1939-2022).","authors":"Scott Knowles,&nbsp;Graeme Attwood,&nbsp;David Pacheco,&nbsp;Robert Sanson","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2094216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2094216","url":null,"abstract":"fi eld of livestock mineral nutrition, is justly famous for both authority and enthusiasm. When it comes to his science, he good data and good He is driven to solve problems for the intellectual challenge and has the con fi dence to refute shonky or half-baked misinformation that is in the public domain. He then delivers answers and understanding to the people who need it most; the veterinarians, farmers, consultants and students directly responsible for making New Zealand agriculture successful","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 5","pages":"245-247"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10756292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A call to life: creating wellbeing and building resilience in the veterinary profession","authors":"C. Cantley","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2104383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2104383","url":null,"abstract":"Dr Sonja Olson, author of A Call to Life, aims to take the reader on a comprehensive but somewhat confronting journey, embracing compassion and humour, to explore the challenges and concerns veterinary professionals face. The importance of wellbeing and why it matters is brought to the fore and Olson clearly explains the psychological impacts and physical consequences of poor mental health. She goes on to look at possible solutions to the problems and ends on an inspiring, positive note for the future of the profession. Olson is an experienced companion animal emergency clinician. She spent 25 years in practice working as clinician, teacher, mentor, and leader but recognised there was a paucity of wellbeing awareness and skills in the veterinary profession. This awareness drove her passion to support veterinarians to thrive by focusing on her new role as a health and wellbeing trainer of veterinary teams. In this book, Olson addresses the challenges facing the profession and looks for some answers. Her extensive clinical veterinary experience, alongside a deep knowledge of mental health and wellbeing, enable her to speak with authority on the topic of wellbeing and resilience in veterinary professionals. Throughout the book, Olson leverages her connections in the veterinary profession and brings their voices to life. The book is interwoven with evidence-based referenced literature and entertaining illustrations, together with her own compelling personal narrative which gives a broad overview of the past and current occupational hazards of being in a caregiving profession. The stage is set in Chapter 1 with a historical perspective of the complex culture in the veterinary profession and how the human-animal bond has evolved over time. Olson dips into the different fields of veterinary practice to highlight the issues they face. Many of the examples throughout the book focus on the views of companion animal veterinarians, however it would have been good to have a greater emphasis on equine and production animal practice. Chapter 2 provides useful clarification and definition of some commonly used terms such as stress, eustress, empathetic distress, compassion fatigue, moral stress, ethical conflict and burnout, which are referred to throughout the book and normalise the conversation around mental health, poor mental health, and mental illness. Chapter 3 provides an excellent overview of the issues that those in a compassionate caregiving profession face and covers a wide variety of potential stressors including the impact of technology and social media, after-hours duties, heavy workloads, work-life balance and the moral, ethical and emotional issues surrounding financial concerns. Different stages of a veterinarian’s career are examined, highlighting the importance of veterinary education, the impact of workplace culture on an individual’s ability to thrive in practice, and the evolution of a veterinarian’s professional identity. Olson identifies ","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 1","pages":"357 - 357"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48248194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Longitudinal study of the effect of sporidesmin toxicity on lamb production and serum biochemistry in a flock of 46 Romney ewes using a standardised measure of liver damage.","authors":"K E Lawrence,&nbsp;K J Flay,&nbsp;J S Munday,&nbsp;D Aberdein,&nbsp;N A Thomson,&nbsp;M Vignes,&nbsp;A L Ridler","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2042414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2042414","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To evaluate the effect of sporidesmin toxicity on production outcomes and serum biochemistry analytes in mixed age Romney ewes, using a standardised measure of liver damage.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a prospective longitudinal study following 46 mixed age Romney ewes from sporidesmin intoxication in April 2019, to slaughter 8 months later. The ewes were blood-sampled up to eight times, with a panel of serum biochemistry tests performed on the final six samples. However, only gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity was measured in the first two samples collected at the end of sporidesmin intoxication and 2 weeks later. Body condition score, ewe weight and production data were also recorded. Using a standardised liver score, based on histology of liver samples collected at slaughter, ewes were assigned to one of three liver disease categories (LDC); low, middle, and high. These were then used as the outcome or predictor variables for statistical analyses. Finally, two separate decision tree models, using recursive partitioning (RP), were fitted to the biochemistry data and to the GGT data collected at FE outbreak, to predict ewes in the low LDC.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was no evidence of a difference for the effect of LDC on ewe weight (p = 0.86) with ewes, on average, gaining weight to weaning. Weaning percent, lamb rearing percent and ewe flock efficiency were lower in ewes with high LDC, and scanning-to-weaning lamb loss was significantly higher in sheep with high LDC (p = 0.02). Serum activities of GGT and glutamate dehydrogenase and concentration of globulin were significantly lower in sheep with low LDC than in sheep with middle or high LDC (p < 0.05). However, there was no evidence of a difference for the effect of LDC on other biochemistry variables (p > 0.05). The final RP model for the biochemistry data categorised ewes as low LDC if their GGT was <122 IU/L, 3 months after sporidesmin intoxication, or if their GGT was <514 IU/L, <18 days after sporidesmin intoxication.</p><p><strong>Conclusions and clinical relevance: </strong>Sheep with gross and histological evidence of severe sporidesmin-induced liver damage were able to maintain or gain body weight, suggesting that sporidesmin intoxication alone is not causative of poor body condition. Similarly, many of the serum biochemistry tests were not associated with evidence of liver damage. Lamb production was reduced in ewes with evidence of severe liver damage and the decision tree model showed promise as a basis to select ewes for culling.</p>","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 4","pages":"198-210"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39916453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ewe wastage in commercial sheep flocks: a review of current knowledge.","authors":"K J Flay,&nbsp;A L Ridler,&nbsp;R A Corner-Thomas,&nbsp;P R Kenyon","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2032446","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2032446","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ewe wastage encompasses ewes that do not reach the end of their potential productive lives and is the combination of premature culling and on-farm mortality. Increased ewe wastage results in reduced flock productivity and profitability, primarily driven by the need for increased replacement ewe lambs to maintain flock numbers and the costs associated with these additional replacements (e.g. reduced sale lambs, reduced flock age resulting in lower lamb production, and reduced ability to utilise terminal sires). Annual ewe mortality rates are reported to range from 2.8 to 40.2% in New Zealand commercial flocks, while wastage over a ewe's productive lifespan (i.e. mortality and premature culling combined to 6-7 years-of-age) is reported to be up to 90%. To date, ewe wastage has received relatively little attention in the published literature. This article reviews published studies describing wastage in non-dairy ewes, focusing on New Zealand commercial flocks, although overseas pasture-based data is also considered. The relevance of, and challenges associated with, investigating ewe wastage are discussed. Ewe culling and mortality data is outlined, and causes are described. Known key risk factors for wastage, namely, reproductive performance, udder health, dental health, body condition score and breeding of ewe lambs, are reviewed. Finally, current knowledge gaps and future areas of research are identified and evaluated.</p>","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 4","pages":"187-197"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39845591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A survey of calf rearing practices in the south-west region of Western Australia.","authors":"J W Aleri,&nbsp;A D Fisher,&nbsp;J Gogoi-Tiwari,&nbsp;F K Waichigo,&nbsp;H R Sodagari,&nbsp;P C Irons,&nbsp;I D Robertson","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2022.2042413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2022.2042413","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To gather data on the calf management and rearing practices of a subset of dairy farmers in the south-west region of Western Australia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A 30-minute face-to-face survey was conducted with dairy cattle producers in the south-west region of Western Australia from April-June 2019 to determine pre-weaning calf rearing practices. Participation was voluntary, using a self-selected subset of dairy farmers registered with a regional extension group. The questionnaire assessed three broad categories: farm demographics, colostrum harvesting and management and calf rearing practices.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study response rate was 34/140 (24%). The following key areas were identified where there were deviations from recognised best practice: Precalving: no transition diet was fed pre-calving on 4/34 (12%) of farms, and on a further 5/34 (15%) it was fed for less than 3 weeks; mixing of heifers and adult cows in the calving paddocks occurred in 24/34 (70%) of the farms, with 15% (5/34) of the farms using calving induction. During calving 14/34 (41%) of the farms did not disinfect navels of new-born calves; although 23/34 farmers stated that they collected calves within 6 hours of birth, data on frequency of calf pick-up (2/34 did not separate calves and dams and 19/34 picked up only once per day) indicated that on 21/34 farms (62%) the reality was that calves were picked up >12 hours after birth. Colostrum quality was not assessed appropriately on 18/34 (53%) farms and farmers overestimated how soon after birth it was administered: 23/34 (68%) reported feeding it within 6 hours of calving, despite 62% picking up calves >12 hours after calving. Regarding calf rearing practices, no pain relief before or after dehorning was used on 20/34 (59%) farms, calf bedding was removed infrequently (<weekly) on 26/35 (76%) farms and appropriate isolation of sick calves was only reported by 14/34 (41%) farmers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion and clinical relevance: </strong>Although limited by the low response rate, this is the first survey of dairy calf rearing practices in the south-western region of Western Australia. We found evidence of at least one process inconsistent with industry best-practice on 34/140 (24%) of responding farms and all farms had more than one sub-optimal calf rearing practice. This highlights the need to improve calf rearing in this region and identifies key areas of deficiency for further study and extension to producers.</p>","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":"70 4","pages":"211-217"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39929516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}