For all editorial enquiries please contact Sara Gregson email: sara@saragregson.co.uk

Be aware of coughing cattle this autumn

7th October 2022

Recent discussions with experts at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), have raised concerns around potential issues of grazing cattle in late summer and autumn 2022. Farmers are warned to remain vigilant for signs of lungworm following reports of coughing in grazing cattle, consistent with lungworm infection. Outbreaks can … Continued

Risk assessment recommended for at-risk farms as tick numbers due to peak

29th June 2022

Tick (Ixodes ricinus) activity is expected to peak in some areas of Great Britain in the next few weeks. Ticks can transmit several infections such as bovine babesiosis (redwater), which can lead to severe, sometime fatal disease. Farmers in areas with a history of redwater may wish to take extra precautions to protect susceptible stock … Continued

Vaccinate calves against lungworm before turnout

18th February 2022

Giving first season grazing calves a lungworm vaccine before turnout will protect them against potentially lethal disease and reduce any economic losses due to ill-health, according to the Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) group. “There is no way to predict easily when lungworm will hit and waiting until coughing starts later in the season is … Continued

Re-thinking wormer use

10th February 2022

Most current control strategies against gut worms, lung worm and liver fluke rely on the use of wormers applied to entire groups of animals at pre-determined times of the year. On many farms the same products have been used at the same time every year, for more than a decade. But cattle vet Rob Howe, … Continued

New BCVA policy prioritises parasite control

10th February 2022

Parasite control in food producing animals is fraught with challenges and endoparasiticide resistance is a serious threat that left unchecked could cause irrevocable damage to the future health and profitability of the sector. To help meet these challenges the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) has developed a policy as a basis on which farm vets … Continued

Incredible video shows all the stages of the liver fluke lifecycle

26th November 2021

COWS has uploaded a video of the different stages of the liver fluke parasite from egg-laying adult to egg-laying adult. Moving images prove to be much more powerful than any Life Cycle drawn on a piece of paper, and really hit home how fascinating and potentially pervasive these parasites are. See the video here This … Continued