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Farmers warned of Nematodirus
Sheep and lambs
Young lambs at grass in the spring are at risk of developing fatal scour due to Nematodirus infection.

Young lambs at risk of developing fatal scour

There is a high risk of Nematodirus worm infection in young lambs occurring this time of year, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) are warning farmers.

Nematodirus infection results from the ingestion of large numbers of infective worm larvae present on contaminated pasture.  For Nematodirus eggs to hatch, they must experience a period of cold weather, followed by warmer conditions.

Nematodirus eggs passed out by lambs last year will generally have remained unhatched on the ground throughout the winter. Given suitable conditions of moisture and temperature, they will undergo mass hatching this spring, resulting in a high risk of infection for lambs. Affected lambs develop profuse scour and can die quickly.

The infection normally only affects lambs between six and 12 weeks old. Clinical signs usually appear two weeks after ingestion of large numbers of larvae.  Although rare, Nematodirus infection can occasionally cause problems in young calves, so farmers are also being urged to look out for signs of scour in calves from now through to May.

The AFBI has issued  the following advice to farmers on how the disease can be avoided or reduced in lambs:

  • Not grazing lambs on the same fields as those grazed by lambs of a similar age last year.
  • Using anthelmintic drenches every two to four weeks. The interval between doses depends both on the particular anthelmintic used and the severity of infection. To date, only limited evidence has been found of drug resistance in Nematodirus to any of the available classes of anthelmintic.

Farmers are also being wanted not to confuse Nematodirus infection with coccidiosis - another disease which can cause severe scour in young lambs. As treatments are different, farmers are advised to seek accurate diagnosis and treatment though their veterinary surgeon.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.