The Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-04-02, Page 30Ihel1 EditIOR, Week .4Pre 2, 19e0
erd health programs a prior
• . .
Small animal surgery
A farmer just can
half a herd
- the animals could h
Doctor Hodgins practises
Dr. Gordon Dorman and Dr.'
Russell Moncrief.
• The clinic has a large
animal drug dispensary, a
small animal dispensary and
treatment room, a small
animal prep :room and x-ray
and laboratory, a small aniM-
al surgery, a small animal
holding area, a post=mortem
room, a ealfroem,, mainly for
treatment of. "calf (liar-
rhea, and a large animal area
where surgery is performed.
Hodgins says there are
diseases which are common
• to the livestock in the area
and prevention and treat-
ment of them is a major part
of the Ripley practice. •
Respiratory disease is pre-
valent to cattle in the spring
and fall. Farmers are trans-
porting Cattle from the west
and eastern provinces in the
fall which is stressing to the
animal. The cattle are recent-
dairy cattle is recommended:
1RR doeS—cross...aver_from—
beef to dairy cattle. The virus
affects the upper respiratory '
system, the nose• anti throat, -
*destroying defense mechan
isms. Cattle should be vaec-,
mated,,it is a bacterial
disease affecting the brain.'
IBR will cause abortions and
Milk production will drop:
below half•for three weeks to
a month.
Water belly is Common
among steers, says Dr. Hod-
gins and reproductive mastit-
is is a problem in cavles.
Hodgins says virtually all
cattle transported into Ont-
ario have *parasites, Blue
sucking lice is very common
and there are excellent drugs
to treat it. There is a new
drug available which 'will be
a real Adjunct in treating
parasites but it does not treat
. warbles.
Hodgins has noticed an
increase in sheep and goats
The Ripley Veterinary
-ninic-which,opened in Sept
"ember has increased the ef-....
"'veterinary
practice
of the veterinary
practice operating• out•• of
Ripley and. provides modern
medical procedures and ser-
vices to the farmers of the
area.
The new clinic will allow
the veterinarians to control
the cleanliness of surgical
procedures, will permit isola-
tion of animals by bringing
them to the clinic for treat-
ment and will reduce the
transportation costs for the
practice. It will also allow the
initiation of herd health pro-
grams. The clinic is equipped
to treat small and large
animals.
According to Dr. Don
Hodgins who built the clinic,
prevention of diseases as
well as treatment 'is a prim-
ary purpose of the veterinar-
ian practice in the Ripley'
area.
Sep
"ember
t.
•
ly weaned, They have been
transferrel -frem.an area .of
high humidity, and upon
arrival they undergo yaccina-
tions, dehorning, castrating.
Added to the travel this is a
stressful period for the anim-
als,
Stress makes them more
susceptible to disease and
travelling promotes parasitet
such as lice and werms.
-Cornwell- diseases include
shipping fever (bacterial pas-
turealosis) IBR (infectious
viral bovine rhinotaechitis
and ITEME, (infectious
thromboembolic meningeen-
cephalitis).
Shipping fever and ITEME
are incidious says Hodgins.
The onset is rapid and the
disease is hard to recognize.
It can be treated in the .
animals feed. ITEME was
more prevalent this year than
usual according to Hodgins.
Shipping fever affects the
lungs and vaccination of
over the past several years.
can- raise, more
Sheep on a smaller acreage
and as much Can be made on-
sheep ,tind goats as, cattle,
They take less feed and lesS
space but they require inten-,
sive care.
• "You can't have a bunch
of woollys running around on
the back pasture.
,
'
It is harder to detect
disease -in sheep because a
farmer cannot see them get-
ting thinner for their wool,
For a farmer accustomed to
cattle or pigs, he will not be
familiar with the specific
' diseases of Sheep and goats.
Hodgins suggests a preyent-
, ative disease program be-
cause they respond to para-
site control, vitamin treat-
ments and bacterial disease
vaccines.
Muth.Of the labour involv-
ed concerns reproductive
problems and constant sup-
ervision during lambing and
kidding is necessary.
DiseaSe•in hogs and swine
is not subject to the seasonal
variation of beef . and • dairy
- diseases. The reason is that
they'are raised indoors under
intense situations where the
environment' is controlled by
the farmer.- •
There is, some respiratory •
disease and forms of intro-
ductory diarrhea in pigs but •
generally they become aeons-
.thined to new bacteria:, Him-
ophilus plettropmeumonia, a
severe form of bacterial
pneumonia has been a prob-
lem, recently. A totally new
bacteria, it did not appear
until , several years ago..
There is a very short sick
stage inVolved, and up to.40 •
per cent losses overnight can'
be experienced:
Once it spreads through
the pig population, be
like viral pneumonia, a re-
sistance will build up and
only a few will continue to
pick it .up. Treatment- in-
eludes a broad spectrum of
antibiotics in the feed, and
water system. Vaccines
which have been developed
are not totally effective. -
Hodgins ands a mixed
animal practice, both small
and large, more enjoyable
than specializing. .
`It keeps the mind act-
ive," says Hbdgins and he
finds it more interesting.
A veterinarian who is not
specializing must realize the
limits—this places an his
Preventive progr
Large animal.surgery