Farming at Capontree Vets

25/11/2025

13/11/2025

‼️ Be vigilant for lungworm in youngstock at housing‼️

We are still finding cases of lungworm in calves, be alert for any signs of coughing in the shed. When were they last wormed? If you used boluses/long acting wormers check when they ran out!

We are also seeing a lot of pneumonia in housed calves, if you are unsure talk to one of the vets.
We can test for lungworm in house and get results back to you the next day! 🪱

12/11/2025

Liver Fluke in sheep

We have seen a couple of cases of acute Liver Fluke on post-mortem in the last few weeks. Up until now, regular blood sampling on certain farms within the practice is still showing no evidence of Liver Fluke exposure on their farms.

This highlights how variable the fluke challenge is from farm to farm. It is essential to be using the right treatment at the right time. This time of year, you should be using products that treat immature Liver Fluke, If you have any questions please pop in or give us call to discuss

06/11/2025

Join us with David McCrae of Capontree Vets for our annual meeting at the Twice Brewed to discuss all things animal health.

📍 Location: Twice Brewed Inn
📅 Date: Wednesday 12th November
🕘 Time: 7pm
Pie and Pea Supper included

Bookings: https://bit.ly/47DVBvC

31/10/2025

🌟We are all set up and ready at Borderway Agri Expo

Make sure you come and say hello

🐏🐮🐑🐮

30/10/2025

We have a stand at Agri Expo tomorrow along with other XL vet practices, please call for refreshments and a catch up. We look forward to seeing you all.

Borderway Agri Expo at Borderway, Carlisle, is an event showcasing the best of livestock and the agricultural industry from around the UK.

24/10/2025

Johnes Testing for Dairies
Earlier this year the National Johnes Management Plan entered its third phase.
Key changes for Phase III include:
• All herds must obtain an Average Test Value (ATV) for their herd to help assess the level of disease present and allow progress to be tracked over time
• The minimum requirement to generate an ATV will be a 60 cow random screen.

The 30 cow targeted screen is no longer an acceptable option

If you haven’t carried out any Johnes testing this year please try and get this done and your declaration signed as soon as possible. This needs to be sent to your milk buyer by the end of the year.

20/10/2025

Things to consider before housing
Pneumonia
Every year we see a spike in cases of pneumonia during the housing period. What can you do to try to reduce this risk?
• Reduce stress for calves where possible i.e. consider when weaning/castrating/dehorning is carried out in relation to housing
• Avoid mixing calves of different ages and changing groups
• How well ventilated are your cattle sheds? Is there any changes you can make before housing to improve this?
• Regularly scraping out will help to reduce the build-up of moisture in the air
• Vaccinating calves – the gold standard would be vaccinating a few weeks BEFORE housing so they have full immunity at housing
We have many vaccines available please speak to a vet about which one would be best for you
Lungworm/gut worms/Liver Fluke
We have seen many cases of lungworm and gut worms through the summer. Have you treated calves for lungworm this summer?

15/10/2025

Liver Fluke Testing

We have blood tested some lambs in the practice this month. Both farms have tested NEGATIVE.

Some labs have reported seeing some positive fluke antibody tests from other parts of the country. If you want to find out the situation on your farm discuss testing with one of the vets!

Blood testing lambs remains the most accurate method of detecting active Liver Fluke this time of year.

10/10/2025

❗️⚠️ Acorn Poisoning⚠️❗️

After Storm Amy at the weekend with the strong winds and heavy rain it’s worth mentioning about Acorns.
Acorn Poisoning is a serious condition, large Quantities ingested can cause serious Illness.

🌳Symptoms of Acorn Poisoning 🌳
❗️Dull and Depressed
❗️A loss of appetite
❗️Abdominal Pain +/- bloat
❗️Tar-Like Diarrhoea

We are seeing more cases across the Practice, so it is worth being mindful of it if you still have stock outside.
🌟Give us a call for any advice or concerns! 🌟

09/10/2025

The number of BTV-3 cases has been increasing across the country in recent weeks. This is mostly in the south/midlands.

It is important to remain vigilant for clinical signs:
• Discharge from eyes and nose
• Swelling of the mouth, tongue, face and coronary band (where the hoof meets the skin) – mainly sheep
• Ulcers in the mouth/nose +/- salivation
• High temperature
• Lethargy, reluctance to move
• Abortion
• Milk drop in cattle

07/10/2025

Avian Influenza has recently been confirmed at a premises near Wetheral. A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone will be put in place.
Birds within the zone should be kept inside and not moved outside the zone with a licence. Minimise contact with the birds and their contact with wild birds where possible.

Clinical signs include:
• Swelling of the head
• Blue discoloration of the comb and wattles
• Lethargy
• Respiratory signs
• Death in severe cases

Chickens, turkeys and pheasants are ‘indicator species’ for bird flu and you are more likely to see deaths in these animals.
If you have any concerns about your animals please contact us and speak to one of our vets However if you have animals dying please contact DEFRA.
Any smaller flocks that are not already registered with DEFRA within the zone are advised to register.
You can still sell eggs within the zone if you have an honesty box for example, but it is recommended to keep a record of who buys the eggs (i.e. name & address) for traceability reasons in case of an outbreak