BARD VETERINARY GROUP
JULY 2006

VETERINARY MEDICINES

Please take a little time to read instructions on drug labels with special regard to:

• Animals authorised for use in.
• Method of dosing or site of injection.
• Length of withdrawal milk/meat.
• Recording animals ear tag number.
• Precautions for administrators safety.

Recently there have been quite a few changes in drug licences, especially meat/milk withdrawal times. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate are presently investigating several farms that have supplied young calves for slaughter whose meat contained very high levels of oxytetracycline (Engemycin/Hexasol LA).

These have possibly been treated for pneumonia and then included in a batch before the withhold period for meat had expired.

CONTROL OF PARASITES IN SCOTTISH SHEEP

Sheep scab is highly contagious and also easily spread. Drug resistant worms are now common and are easily brought into your flock.

The main risk period is from September to October. Advice on prevention is listed below. We would be pleased to discuss any further queries you may have.

• Isolate all incoming sheep, preferably indoors or in a yard. THIS MUST INCLUDE RAMS.
• Treat with both levamisole (yellow) drench AND a scab active injection ie; Dectomax/Cydectin (both given together).
• Try to keep off pasture for 48 hours. Do not turn out onto "clean" pasture. Isolate for at least 4 weeks.

JOHNES DISEASE

A disease that causes chronic diarrhoea in adult cattle that is increasing in incidence in South West Scotland. The main route of transmission is by faecal contamination especially with young animals. There is no effective treatment and infected animals are culled. Once an infected animal gains entry to a herd the disease slowly spreads.

A simple way to check if the disease has gained entry to your herd is to take faeces samples and/or blood sample from cull animals, especially any that are thin or scouring. Dairy herds can get a bulk milk sample tested. 

MICOTIL

Two deaths have occurred in America which may have been due to accidental self-injection of Micotil. Serious adverse reactions have also been reported in humans in the EU.

The European Commission, despite objections from the British Veterinary Medicines Directorate, have restricted the use of Micotil. It may now be injected by veterinary surgeons only.