Livestock Veterinary Service, University of Sydney

08/08/2026

🐑🐐 Kidding & Lambing Season Is Here! 🐐🐑

Welcoming new lambs and kids is an exciting time, and most births happen without any assistance. However, knowing when to intervene can help prevent serious complications.

⚠️ It's time to call a vet if: • Mum has been actively straining for more than 30 minutes without progress
• You can see a lamb or kid but it isn't advancing
• Only one leg, the head only, or the tail is presented
• Mum appears exhausted, distressed, or unwell
• There is a foul-smelling discharge
• You suspect a difficult birth or something just doesn't seem right

👩‍⚕️ Our veterinary team has experience managing a wide range of lambing and kidding emergencies, including: ✅ Dystocias (difficult births)
✅ Vaginal and uterine prolapses
✅ Caesarean sections
✅ Care of both mum and newborns

Early intervention can make all the difference for both the mother and her offspring. If you're unsure whether things are progressing normally, it's always better to call and ask.

📞 Our vets are here to help throughout the lambing and kidding season. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you think your ewe or doe may need assistance.

06/08/2026

🚨 Could Your Goat or Sheep Have Urinary Stones? 🚨

Urolithiasis (urinary stones or blocked) is a common and potentially life-threatening condition in wethered (castrated male) goats and sheep, especially pets, stud animals, and those fed high-grain diets. When urinary stones/crystals block the flow of urine, it quickly becomes a veterinary emergency.

🔍 Early warning signs to watch for: • Straining to urinate • Dribbling only small amounts of urine • Frequent attempts to urinate • Painful urination • Blood in the urine • Tail swishing or flagging • Signs of abdominal pain such as stretching, kicking at the belly, or looking at their flank. Increased vocalization and agitation are also common. Often misdiagnosed as consitpation or intoxication.

⚠️ Signs your animal may be in serious trouble: • Off feed or not eating • Depression or lethargy • Swollen abdomen ("water belly") • Swelling around the sheath/prepuce • Lying down and unwilling to rise • Collapse, seizures, or sudden death in severe cases.

💡 Prevention tips: ✅ Provide unlimited access to clean, fresh water ✅ Feed plenty of forage and avoid excessive grain concentrates ✅ Maintain a balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet ✅ Work with your veterinarian or nutritionist before making diet changes

🐐 If you notice straining or reduced urine output, don't wait. A blockage can become life-threatening in a short time, and early veterinary intervention gives the best chance of a successful outcome.

We can help! We have experienced livestock veterinarians that can assist with diagnosis, surgery and management of your beloved pet. And we accept referrals.

02/07/2026

🐐 KID DEHORNING 🐐

Give your kids the best start with early dehorning.
We offer a professional kid dehorning services to help improve animal and handler safety and support good herd management practices.

✅ Suitable for healthy kids 4–14 days of age
🚑 Health assessment performed prior to dehorning
✅ Safe, professional procedure
✅ Welfare-focused approach
✅ Practical advice on aftercare

⚠️ Important: Dehorning is recommended between 4 and 14 days of age. Once kids are older than 14 days the effectiveness of the procedure is limited and may require surgical intervention.

📅 Book early to avoid missing the recommended age window.
📞 Contact LVS today to arrange an appointment in clinic.
02- 4655 0777

14/06/2026

Worms! 🐛Worms! 🪱🐛Worms! 🪱🐛 And More worms!! Make sure to look out for signs of worm infestation in you pets sheep, goats, and alpaca!!

The conditions over the past month have put us on high alert for parasite infestations! 🚨🚨🚨 And sadly the LVS team are seeing and increasing in patients at the clinic with signs like sudden death, anaemia 🧛🏼 (white membranes), bottle jaw (soft swelling under jaw that is oedema) and ill-thrift in 🐐goats, 🐑🐑sheep, and 🦙Alpacas! 😱.

To promote effective management of parasites we recommend monitoring of parasite burdens in small ruminants through regular faecal egg counts (FEC)🔬. The objective of this monitoring is to keep your animals healthy and to avoid over-use of drenches which will select for resistance making them less effective in the future. We don’t want that!!

❓What we need? About 6-10 pellets of poo as fresh as possible from at least 5 individual animals. If you have less than five animals that is fine.

😳 How do I get the poo 💩?? You can collect from the re**um which is best, but you can collect from the ground but must be fresh. We recommend doing this in the morning and looking for steaming ♨️ piles. Wear gloves 🧤🧤and wash hands 💦thoroughly afterward.

📦What do I collect it into? Plastic lunch baggies or use old egg carton.

🏥 Drop off to our clinic as soon as possible. Ideally keep in a cool place till drop off. No longer than 24 hours after collection for best results

Please contact us if you have concerns about worm infestations or pricing on investigations and flock health!! We would love to help develop a treatment and control plan for your pets and farm!! 02 4655 0777

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/sheep/health/internal-parasites/managing-worms-in-goats-in-nsw

22/05/2026

Our Intern at Livestock Veterinary Service, University of Sydney, Dr Paige Ayton won an amazing award this week! The Don Kerr Award. Congratulations. Paige Ayton we are so very proud of you and all of your accomplishments! 🎉🎉🎉🎉 from John, Jennie, Sam, Luke, Dini, Francisco, Nick, Sharniece, Rory, And Gus and UVTHC Team!

🏆 Congratulations to our 2026 AVA Award winners!

Presented at the AVA Awards Gala Dinner on Wednesday 20 May at AVA Conference in Brisbane, the awards celebrate veterinary excellence, dedication, and the outstanding contributions our members make across Australia and around the world.

Please join us in recognising this year's worthy recipients:

🌟 President's Award: Professor Bill Tranter
For outstanding practical contribution to the profession, including pioneering preventative herd health management, influential education programs, and decades of service to the ACV and the AVA.

🌟 Gilruth Prize: Emeritus Professor Roger Morris
The AVA's highest honour, recognising more than five decades of global leadership in veterinary epidemiology, biosecurity, and disease control across Australia, New Zealand, and internationally.

🌟 Kesteven Medal: Dr Leslie (Les) Sims
For distinguished international contribution to disease control, including his pioneering work on avian influenza eradication and consultancy with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Bank, and governments across South-East Asia.

🌟 Meritorious Service Awards

Dr Stacey Rae, for outstanding leadership in rural and cattle practice, including her role as ACV President from 2024 to 2026.

Dr Susan Swaney, for advancing sheep husbandry, nutrition, and welfare across research, practice, and industry.

Dr Deborah Monks, for more than two decades of leadership in avian and exotic veterinary medicine.

🌟 Emerging Leader Award: Dr Liam Mowbray
For early-career leadership in cattle health, reproduction, and genetics, and his work establishing a national ACV student representative network (Sponsored by Bank of Queensland Specialist)

🌟 Don Kerr Student Award: Dr Paige Ayton
For exceptional academic achievement, clinical skill, and dedication to cattle medicine throughout her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Sydney.

Congratulations to all our winners. Read the full announcement: https://bit.ly/4f2gKUv

20/05/2026

Worms! 🐛Worms! 🪱🐛Worms! 🪱🐛 And More worms!! It’s that time again! For a little reminder!

The conditions over the last few months provided for a favourable environment for intestinal parasite infestation in our small ruminant populations most notably Haemonchus contortus (Barber’s pole)😳 and Teladorsagia spp (Black Scour worms). And sadly the LVS team are seeing patients at the clinic with signs like sudden death, anaemia 🧛🏼 (white membranes), bottle jaw (soft swelling under jaw that is oedema) and ill-thrift in 🐐goats, 🐑🐑sheep, and 🦙Alpacas! 😱.

To promote effective management of parasites we recommend monitoring of parasite burdens in small ruminants through regular faecal egg counts (FEC)🔬. The objective of this monitoring is to keep your animals healthy and to avoid over-use of drenches which will select for resistance making them less effective in the future. We don’t want that!!

❓What we need? About 6-10 pellets of poo as fresh as possible from at least 5 individual animals. If you have less than five animals that is fine.

😳 How do I get the poo 💩?? You can collect from the re**um which is best, but you can collect from the ground but must be fresh. We recommend doing this in the morning and looking for steaming ♨️ piles. Wear gloves 🧤🧤and wash hands 💦thoroughly afterward.

📦What do I collect it into? Plastic lunch baggies or use old egg carton.

🏥 Drop off to our clinic as soon as possible. Ideally keep in a cool place till drop off. No longer than 24 hours after collection for best results

Please contact us if you have concerns about worm infestations or pricing on investigations and flock plabWe would love to help develop a treatment and control plan for your pets and farm!! 02 4655 0777

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/sheep/health/internal-parasites/managing-worms-in-goats-in-nsw

24/04/2026

In recognition of World Veterinary Day tomorrow, we are celebrating the veterinarians who are central to the work of our Veterinary Teaching Hospitals and the wider veterinary profession.

Their work goes beyond patient care, with a valued commitment to education and training. Through roles as academics, teachers, and mentors, our veterinarians help shape the next generation of professionals, with an impact that reaches well beyond our hospitals.

Thank you for your dedication, leadership, and ongoing contribution to the profession.

24/04/2026

Our experienced team of livestock veterinarians will be on call over the ANZAC Day weekend for 24/7 emergency care.

Please contact us immediately if urgent veterinary attention is required. 📞 0422 006 759

Our University Veterinary Teaching Hospital will reopen for routine care on Tuesday at 8 am.

17/04/2026

Three day sickness / Bovine ephemeral fever is here !

Three day sickness, or bovine ephemeral fever (BEF), is a viral disease of cattle that is spread by mosquitoes 🦟🦟🦟and biting midges🪰🪰. And due to recent rains 💦 and increase in standing pools of water we have a lot more mosquitoes than usual.

Clinical signs that you may see that would lead you to suspect Three Day Sickeness (BEF):

Fever🌡
Lethargy and depression
lameness (sore muscles)
muscle stiffness,
shivering and twitching,
droopy ears
drooling saliva🤤
watery eyes, runny nose
recumbency (sitting down)
Inappetence
Abortion in pregnant animals
Heavier (bulls, fatten steer, pregnant cows, dairy cows)/ older animals are more severely affected because long periods of recumbency can lead to muscle damage.

It is called three day sickness because the clinical signs of the disease usually last for three days. So like the flu in humans. And the symptoms often resolve quickly.

However, Three Day Sickness can become life threatening in cattle that are severely affected if they become laterally recumbent or suffer misadventures (falling into dams, becoming cast) as they are often weak and unable to maintain sternal recumbency. And this year it is hitting young stock hard.

Diagnosis of three day sickness will require assistance from a veterinarian. Unfortunately there is NO quick fix, but we can provide supportive care to severely affected animals.

Nursing care is critical:
☑️Provide easy access to food and water
☑️ Keep in sternal and prevent animals from becoming laterally recumbent
☑️ Encourge to stand twice a day

Prevention:
Prevention of three day sickness relies largely on vaccination and control of mosquitos and biting midges.

If your animals are already showing signs, vaccination has limited efficacy. In early November each year we take expressions of interest for the BEF vaccine.

If you are concerned about BEF please contact one of our veterinarians Livestock Veterinary Service, University of Sydney. We are happy to advise and if needed to provide supportive care via our ambulatory service.

Office-4655-0777 : M-F, 8am - 4:30pm
Afterhours ☎️🚑 0422 006 759

More info on BEF➡️➡️https://www.mla.com.au/research-and-development/animal-health-welfare-and-biosecurity/diseases/infectious/three-day-sickness/

16/04/2026

Wise Repro and The University of Sydney (Embryo Transfer and Theriogenology service with Dr Rory Nevard & Gus Ruiz, Sydney School of Veterinary Science), alongside A/Prof Margot Day and A/Prof Michael Morris (School of Medical Sciences) have received $2.5 million to accelerate the development of AI & robotics enabled bovine IVF.

Accelerating genetic gain in Australia’s cattle herd is essential to meeting growing global demand for meat and dairy while addressing challenges such as climate change. While IVF offers a powerful solution, adoption has been limited by high costs, lower pregnancy rates than traditional breeding, limited accessibility in regional areas, and a shortage of skilled personnel.

This project will deliver a robotic, high throughput automated embryo production system, purpose built for cattle and powered by AI. By integrating automated embryo culture, real time AI embryo selection, and Australian made media, the system aims to improve pregnancy rates, reduce costs, and enable wider IVF adoption – transforming livestock breeding, boosting productivity, and strengthening Australia’s sovereign capability.