Livestock Matters - Spring 2019

Livestock Matters Spring 2019 23 worms – T.hydatigena and T.ovis . They use both the dog and the sheep as hosts at different stages of their life–cycle. They can cause condemnation in carcasses and are potentially a huge financial loss for the farmer. Treatments for these parasites are ineffective. Prevention is the only solution. “Well–conducted worm egg counting will help identify which pastures are risky, and when. It may also reveal more about which species of worms are present, or reveal that the problem is not worms, but coccidiosis. “Many farms would also benefit from assessing the efficacy of the wormers they are using. They can ask their vet to carry out an FECR test – Faecal Egg Reduction Test. We need to protect the efficacy of the 4th and 5th generation of wormers – the orange and purple drenches. This does not mean saving them until everything else has stopped working. Using these new tools in the box helps keep the other tools sharp! “Quarantining of new stock is really important too, to prevent wormer–resistant parasites coming onto the farm. This should be discussed with the farm’s vet on a case–by– case basis.” Pharmacy Supervisor These days, Jules spends less time directly advising farmers, having taken on the role of Group Pharmacy Supervisor across both the farm and pet sides of the business. Under the guidance of directors Nich Roper and Neil Blake, Jules has evolved the practice protocols for stock control and developed standard operating procedures to ensure the Group’s seven dispensaries run smoothly. Jules adds: “I meet with directors Dave Tittle and Neil Blake each week to discuss medicine stocks and upcoming requirements; I alert them to any known disruptions in supplies, and we look at sourcing alternatives. “Our vets are really focused on the core values of giving the best care and using the best products to target the problem. “As an independent practice, we’re not limited to buying from certain manufacturers. We have good relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers and buy direct through them. Plus, as a member of the XLVet organisation, we have the advantage of purchasing medicines and equipment through the buying arm Broomhall. Responsible use “Not all scours are due to worms,” says Jules. “Sometimes, drenching a sheep is not the right course of action. “As an SQP, you need to know when to draw the line and pass the query over to a vet. For instance, sheep can get a bit ‘loose’. I can’t help or give any advice on what to do about this, because it could be Johne’s disease, or stress, coccidiosis or just a change of grazing. “Some farmers prefer to buy their wormers from an agricultural merchant. I’m happy to have a conversation with the farmer as to which product is most suitable to use. They can buy it from where they want. I don’t have a sales target to meet! I just want them to use the right product – at the right time and on the right species. As an SQP, responsible use of medicines is in the forefront of my mind when prescribing and supplying VPS products. “It would be so helpful if SQPs in agricultural merchants were more prepared either to refer the farmer back to their vet if in any doubt whether to prescribe a VPS product, or to get more information from the vet before supplying them.” Jules adds: “If farmers want to have a healthy business – with healthy animals – then parasite control has to be strategic, and it has to be based on diagnostics and knowing what issues they are facing. “Once there is wormer resistance on a farm, then there’s no going back.” In 2012, the large animal side of the Charter Vet Hospital Group business developed separately to form Torch Farm and Equine Vets. Today there are 21 clinical farm vets, five TB testing vets, and six equine vets, all supported by technicians and registered vet nurses. The practice spans seven locations which between them cover North Devon, Exmoor, Somerset and down into Cornwall. It has two dedicated farm animal sites at Bideford and South Molton, with large animal hospitalisation facilities at the Ilfracombe site. The South Molton branch is also home to South West Sheep Breeding Services where a dedicated team of sheep vets carry out AI and ET. About Torch Farm and Equine Vets Jules Rottenbury