Eltham Vet Service

07/11/2025

Weaning Time – Setting Your Calves Up for Success!
Weaning can be a challenging time for your calves — they’re transitioning from milk to pasture and being exposed to new bugs and environments. With the right prep and management, you can set them up for success.
Before you start weaning, ask yourself:
➡️ Is the calf eating enough meal?
➡️ Has the rumen developed properly?
➡️ Is it meeting weight targets?
➡️ Is it the right age?
➡️ Can it hold its own with the rest of the group?
Rumen development is the big one.
Don’t rush it — give calves at least 2 weeks to adjust as you slowly cut back milk. Keep meal going for another 2 weeks post-weaning to help them through the change and avoid growth checks. They should be eating more than 1kg of meal/calf/day. Keep an eye on how they’re eating and behaving — pick up on any that might be struggling early.
MINIMUM weaning weights:
🐮 Jerseys – 70 kg
🐮 Friesian x Jerseys – 80 kg
🐮 Friesians – 90 kg
Heavier calves at weaning grow into better, stronger heifers. It’s a good idea to weigh again 1–2 weeks after weaning — they should still be gaining. If not, keep offering meal a bit longer.
Couple of extra tips:
✅ Pre-weaning drench: Drenching them before starting the weaning process will ensure they do not get overwhelmed by intestinal parasites. A drench like Turbo Initial is a great option — it’s got a coccidiostat to help protect against coccidiosis too.
✅ Trace element boost: Weaning’s a stressful time! A Multimin injection pre-weaning helps keep trace element levels (especially copper for growth) up and gives their immune system a good boost.
A bit of extra care now means smoother weaning, better growth, and stronger heifers in the long run.

05/11/2025

Hi, I’m Briani, and I’m excited to join the team and be one of the receptionists at the clinic. I’ve worked in the rural veterinary industry before but had a few years away. I am looking forward to being back.
Outside of work, I’m usually spending time with my husband or keeping busy with our three dogs, I love competing with my youngest dog in agility while the other two are enjoying retirement.
I can’t wait to meet you and your animals soon!

03/11/2025

Wanting to upskill yourself or your staff in Lame cows? Contact the clinic to book in your spot. 9.30am-2.30pm, morning tea and lunch included.

03/11/2025

🎆Fireworks Reminder🎆

FIREWORKS

We have tools that can help your pets to relax during fireworks

Sileo is a new to market medication that can be given by the owner before or early on in a fearful event. It’s specifically made to help with acute anxiety and fear associated with noise in dogs. A vet visit is needed to check general health prior to use and it is a prescription only medication

Other products such as Thundershirts, Adaptil collars/spray or diffusers, Calmex capsules or liquid can also help
Come in for a discussion/vet visit to see how we can best help your pet

General tips and tricks to help are

• Make a den - Many pets have a favourite place to go and hide, identify where they like to go in your house and make sure they have access to it. Alternatively build a den for your pet to go,
choose somewhere warm and away from the windows and create a safe cosy hideout with a comfy bed and access to water.
• Background noise - Play music to try to distract them.
• Be cheerful - Be a good role model to them. If you can be with your pet when they encounter the stressful situation, ignore whatever it is that the pet is fearful of.
• Exercise - If possible, take your dog out for a walk to tire them out before they encounter the stressful situation.

28/10/2025

WHEN TO DETECT HEATS
Heat detection is one area where the amount of effort you put in translates directly in to the results you get out. Time and time again we see that people who go the extra mile for heat detection get the best results.

Make a note of cows who may be bulling (cows standing to be ridden, riding other cows, hanging out with other bulling cows):
• When you go to get the cows from the paddock
• As the cows are walking in, and in the yard before milking (cows show more obvious heat signs when moving)
• An hour or two after milking in the morning and evening (paddock checks)
Get staff involved in spotting potentially bulling cows, it is a great opportunity to train them (but make sure it is someone experienced making the final call)

We get it that mating is a busy time and you're all still tired from calving but we consistently see that farmers who go the extra mile in terms of heat detection (ie do paddock checks!) get the best results

"If in doubt - draft her out" - if you are in doubt about a cow draft her out during milking and take a closer look for some of the more subtle signs plus check her record for the last time she was inseminated. It is better to take the time to check a cow closely than waste a whole cycles worth of milk next season (21 days x 1.8 milk solids per cow x $10 payout = $378 per cow cycle missed!)

27/10/2025

THE TIMING OF INSEMINATION AND OVULATION
Here is some extra info to help you make informed decisions about when to put your cows up:

• Cows oestrus cycle lasts 18-24 days (average 21)

• Pro-oestrus is the period when a cow is gearing up to have a heat and is interested in other cows in heat or in pro-oestrus. She will sniff, mount and chase other cows, will bellow and be restless but will not stand if mounted by another cow. Pro-oestrus lasts 6 to 10 hours.

• Oestrus (standing heat) starts when a cow first allows a bull or another cow to mount her (will stand there for it). Heats last on average 16 hours (the range is 2 hours to 30 hours, heifers tend to have shorter heats)

• Ovulation (egg coming down out of the o***y into the uterus) occurs on average 40 hours after standing heat starts (50 hours for heifers)

• S***m must already be in the uterus waiting for the egg when it arrives for it to be able to fertilise the egg. Good quality s***m (semen) will last around 28 hours in a cow's uterus. The egg will be able to be fertilised for around 6 hours.

• Based on these times if you inseminate a cow when she is in proestrus the s***m may not survive long enough to fertilise the egg when it comes down

• If a cow is inseminated too late after her heat has ended you may miss fertilising the egg but this is less of a risk than inseminating too early

In general it is safer to wait and inseminate the next day if you think a cow is coming on to heat but is not in standing heat in the morning before the AB tech arrives

Thanks to one of our lovely local AB techs for being a good sport and letting us post these photos!

22/10/2025

WHEN TO PUT A COW UP FOR AB
If a cow is showing strong signs (tail paint is completely rubbed and/or you have seen her stand when mounted) then put the cow up for AB

If you put up a cow when you are not sure whether she is truly on heat be sure to put a ? next to her wherever you record that she has been inseminated (ie yellow book or chart)

If you are unsure about putting a cow up (i.e. she is showing a couple of the weaker signs of being on heat) check her records to see when she was previously on heat and whether she was previously recorded with a ?

• If the cow has not been inseminated since calving and is showing reasonable signs of heat inseminate her

• If the cow’s previous insemination was 18-24 days ago inseminate her (a cows normal cycle length is 18 to 24 days).

• If the cow’s previous insemination was less than 18 days ago but was recorded as a ? heat then inseminate her

• If the cow was inseminated less than 18 days ago but not recorded as a ? check for more signs of heat first before you inseminate her

If you are unsure about a cow and think she may still be coming into her heat and it is in the morning before the AB tech arrives consider waiting and putting her up the next day or putting her up today and tomorrow (if she is showing strong signs of heat tomorrow).

20/10/2025

FIREWORKS

We have tools that can help your pets to relax during fireworks

Sileo is a new to market medication that can be given by the owner before or early on in a fearful event. It’s specifically made to help with acute anxiety and fear associated with noise in dogs. A vet visit is needed to check general health prior to use and it is a prescription only medication

Other products such as Thundershirts, Adaptil collars/spray or diffusers, Calmex capsules or liquid can also help
Come in for a discussion/vet visit to see how we can best help your pet

General tips and tricks to help are

• Make a den - Many pets have a favourite place to go and hide, identify where they like to go in your house and make sure they have access to it. Alternatively build a den for your pet to go,
choose somewhere warm and away from the windows and create a safe cosy hideout with a comfy bed and access to water.
• Background noise - Play music to try to distract them.
• Be cheerful - Be a good role model to them. If you can be with your pet when they encounter the stressful situation, ignore whatever it is that the pet is fearful of.
• Exercise - If possible, take your dog out for a walk to tire them out before they encounter the stressful situation.

17/10/2025

16/10/2025

There is currently an increase of Parvo virus cases being presented to neighbouring vet clinics

Parvo is a very contagious virus that attacks a dog’s gastrointestinal system.

Symptoms include:

Severe vomiting
Bloody diarrhoea
Dehydration
Death

Puppies are especially vulnerable due to their underdeveloped immune systems. Puppies and dogs should be vaccinated for parvovirus. Puppy vaccinations can start at 6 weeks and should be boosted every 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age
The vaccine is very effective.
Parvo is very expensive to treat and even if treatment is started early affected animals can still die.

Contact us to discuss/book in your dog’s vaccinations today

15/10/2025

15/10/2025

We were surprised by More FM Taranaki 93.2 with morning tea as a show of appreciation for taking next-level care of all your beloved pets! 🐕

Thank you so much More FM! We loved our treats 🤩