Livestock Matters - Summer 2018

Life as an island vet After qualifying at Glasgow University vet school, Heather Waddell left her home in South Lanarkshire and headed north to the Orkney Islands to take up a post at Northvet Veterinary Group. GRADUATE DIARY Heather Waddell Northvet Veterinary Group About Heather Heather graduated from Glasgow University in August 2017, and joined Northvet the next month. Through the practice, she also attended the XLVets Graduate Development course, a series of three one-week modules organised over three months which gives new graduates extra training for working in practice. At Northvet, Heather spends alternate fortnights working in the farm side of the practice and then the small animal. “I enjoy the variety of doing both. But I especially like being outside and getting involved in farm businesses. There’s the chance to build up relationships with clients that you just don’t get with small animal work,” says Heather. Having grown up on a smallholding with Highland cows and alpacas, Heather can appreciate the hobby side of farming too. She adds: “A lot of smallholders have moved up here for the more laidback pace of life, so it’s useful to have an enthusiasm for the less common patients like goats and pet sheep.” In her spare time, Heather likes to get out walking and make the most of island life, when it’s not raining! SUMMER 18 ISSUE LIVESTOCK MATTERS 1 8 Northvet, one of two practices on the islands, is a mixed practice of 12 vets, of which four are farm-only. The majority of clients are suckler beef farmers, around a third have sheep, and there are just 15 dairy farms in the Orkney Islands. As well as ‘mainland’ Orkney, there are over 70 islands, many with farms, including Shapinsay, Rousay, Sanday and Westray. All of them are only accessible by boat or plane, during daylight hours. This makes the Orkney Islands a unique place to work as a farm animal vet. Heather explains: “For routine work, like BVD screening, we fit the farm visits in with the public ferries. But out of hours, and for emergencies, then we have to charter a private boat – a four-seater ‘rib’. However, this can’t go out in bad weather, or in the dark. So if there’s an emergency in the middle of the night, the vet on-call will get themselves organised to leave as soon, weather permitting, as there is sufficient light. In peak summer, it doesn’t really get dark – sunrise is at 2.30am, sunset at 11.30pm.” In the spring, calvings and Caesareans form the bulk of non-routine cattle work. Heather adds: “Big bull calves are frequently the reason for Caesareans. But every farm is different. Some farmers call us out too soon. While on others, I’ll arrive and the cow has already been clipped and is standing waiting for me! “Handling facilities also vary. It’s really helpful to have Caesar gates – especially those with a locking yoke for the cow’s head, then a chain around her back end and, most importantly, a kick bar. Then within the side gate there’s another gate which can be opened to allow local anaesthetic to be given, and the incision made for surgery. The cow can’t swing round so it’s safer and quicker – for everyone. Alternatives to antibiotics “Now the main calving season is over, we have more time to be proactive. The practice is evaluating its sales of antibiotics which fall into the Critically Important Antibiotics (CIA) category: the macrolides and fluoroquinolones. “We are looking at our records to see how much farms are buying of these antibiotics, and calculating the amount used per kg of meat estimated to be produced on that farm. Then we will make contact to see if we can help the farm to reduce or cease their use. This could for instance, be through changes in nutrition, management, or by adopting a vaccination policy.” A charter boat is used for out-of-hour emergencies A Caesar gate makes the operation safer and quicker for everyone