Veterinary surveillance blogs

Making the most of testing for calf respiratory disease

Investigation of respiratory disease should not solely be a ‘pathogen hunt’ but encompass a wider review of predisposing factors in the group of animals.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
14/11/2023

Louping ill: Vaccine support sought

Louping ill virus is a flavivirus, transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks, and is commonly found in the Highlands, Perthshire and Argyll & Bute in Scotland. SRUC makes ten to 25 diagnoses of louping ill in flocks of sheep every year, and around five diagnoses in cattle annually.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
08/11/2023

Liver fluke update

So far this autumn we have examined a lot of sheep and not seen any evidence of recently acquired liver fluke infection in sheep coming through the postmortem rooms at Dumfries and Glasgow.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
07/11/2023

Look out for Lungworm

We have seen confirmed cases of lungworm last month across all of Scotland, including Aberdeenshire. This may be as a result of the hot dry weather earlier this year followed by warm and wet weather.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
02/11/2023

September case highlights

Parasitic disease dominated the diagnoses made in Aberdeen in September with lungworm and Ostertagiasis diagnosed in cattle and gastrointestinal parasites in sheep causing ill thrift and death.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
31/10/2023

Acorn toxicity

Acorns and oak leaves contain phenols and tannins, such as gallic acid and pyrogallol, which when ingested in excess will bind and precipitate proteins leading to renal failure in cattle and sheep.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
26/10/2023

Opportunity for 'elite' training for OPA scanning - FOC to vets working in Scotland

Moredun are inviting vets, based in Scotland, to apply to be part of an advanced training programme for OPA screening. It is free of charge and will generate evidence of the skill level achieved by participating vets.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
24/10/2023

Bluetongue and Epizootic haemorrhagic disease update

Bluetongue and Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease are viral diseases circulating in Europe that are a risk to UK cattle and sheep, with both being notifiable in the UK. Both of these viruses are species of the Orbivirus genus and are transmitted between animals by midges.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
20/10/2023

Making the most of testing in calf respiratory disease

One of the interventions included in the Scottish Government's ‘Preparing for Sustainable Farming’ initiative is to carry out a calf respiratory investigation, and provide a written prevention and control plan, including biosecurity measures.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
18/10/2023

August case highlights

August was another steady month in the Aberdeen PM room, with the predominant submission being thin or dying lambs with parasitic gastroenteritis.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
04/10/2023

Making the most of the Sheep Lameness Assessment

One of the interventions included in the Scottish Government's ‘Preparing for Sustainable Farming’ initiative is to carry out a veterinary flock lameness assessment to identify conditions and their prevalence in the flock, then provide a written prevention and control plan, including biosecurity measures.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
03/10/2023

Making the most of testing for sheep scab

As part of Scottish Governments ‘Preparing for Sustainable Farming’ initiative, farmers can claim £250 per intervention for undertaking up to two animal health interventions per year in 2023 and 2024. One of the interventions included in the scheme is to investigate sheep status in a flock by screening 12 animals per management group using the sheep scab ELISA test.…

SRUC Veterinary Services
22/09/2023