Westpoint Farm Vets

10/06/2025

One of the best parts of the job is seeing a healthy, happy patient that really needed our help! Here is Tiff with Nettie the cow who delivered a healthy heifer calf after a swift caesarean.

23/05/2025

Are you shearing your camelids soon? Be sure to consider these points for a smooth and stress free day, and to ensure optimum health and welfare of your herd.

21/05/2025

It is (unfortunately) very much that time again. Please make sure you have adequate fly protection for your livestock.

20/05/2025

Understanding Atypical BSE: What You Need to Know

Recently, a case of Atypical BSE was detected. Here's a quick breakdown of what that means:

Atypical vs. Classical BSE: Unlike the classical BSE outbreak of the 80s/90s (linked to contaminated feed), Atypical BSE occurs rarely and spontaneously, mainly in older cattle. It does NOT spread between animals.

Detection & Origin: This case was found in an animal showing clinical signs, humanely culled, and tested as part of robust surveillance.

Risk & Concern: Atypical cases are very rare (e.g., UK has only 4 in 10 years). There's no evidence of a high risk for more cases, and the UK's BSE risk status remains 'controlled.' Beef exports are unaffected.

Human Health: There is no risk to the public from this case - it did not enter the food chain, and even in food producing animals that are unaffected food safety standards ensure removal of higher risk materials from all cattle.

Handling & Prevention: Affected animals are humanely culled and tested, never entering the food chain. Vigilance for clinical signs and strict feed controls (preventing mammalian protein in ruminant feed) are key prevention methods for classical BSE.

19/05/2025

Don't forget to take advantage of discounted toxoplasmosis vaccines at the moment. Protect your flock from one of the top causes of abortion in sheep.

16/05/2025

With this incredibly dry spring, you may be considering feed supplementation. Take care to transition animals slowly to prevent disruption to their gut microbiome!

14/05/2025

A new round for the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund has just been announced and will be open for applications on the 29th May.

We would be happy to support our clients with applications for the FETF - please just get in touch!

Grants range from £1,000 to £25,000 (% of cost varies by item)

There are three themes available: Productivity, Slurry Management and Animal Health and Welfare

Applications will be scored and each theme has rules for scoring

Application window 29th May - 10th July

You can find out more information here: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/07/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2025-guidance-now-available/

13/05/2025

New guidelines have been released to reiterate the importance of biosecurity during shearing.

12/05/2025

Stranger things do happen - as Sophie discovered when she had to deliver this two-headed calf. This type of calf is known as a 'dicephalus' monster, and was non-viable, sadly - there is nothing to suggest that the same thing would happen again with the dam.

12/05/2025

***Haemonchus Warning**

Warm weather impacts the risk of Barber’s pole worm APHA is warning farmers to be on the lookout for signs of Barber pole worm (Haemonchosis) after an unusually mild winter.

Adult haemonchus worms, and those approaching adulthood, can remove large quantities of blood from infected animals, with as few as 500 worms being able to cause disease.

Unlike other species, this worm can produce 5,000–15,000 eggs per day (compared with 400 eggs for Teladorsagia roundworm) and has a short life cycle of 20 days.

But DON'T just reach for the drench gun or any wormer - diagnosis is key!

Speak to your vet about faecal egg counts, which form part of testing, but to be definitive we sometimes need to look further.
To make an accurate diagnosis, fluorescence testing using peanut agglutinin is needed, or a post-mortem examination.

In addition, immature worms will also remove blood from the host animal. These immature worms are not producing eggs yet, so faecal egg count may be low.

Speak to your vet who can arrange testing and advise on the most appropriate product choice and any follow-up testing to ensure that treatment has been effective.

Prevention
While haemonchus mainly affects camelids, sheep and goats in the UK, it can be ingested by cattle and there are reports of wildlife, e.g. red deer, being a reservoir. Bear this in mind when investigating outbreaks and looking for sources of the parasite.
Do not overlook the importance of quarantine, which can help prevent bringing in the parasite with new or returning livestock.

For further information, see:
SCOPS: www.scops.org.uk, then follow link to ‘internal parasites’
NADIS: www.nadis.org.uk/parasite-forecast

[Adapted from AHDB, news item 2 May]

09/05/2025

Don't forget to ask your teams about how you can take advantage of discounted pain relief for your herd or flock. We feel strongly about ensuring animals are given pain relief where it can be beneficial - talk to us today about your pain management plans.

07/05/2025

This poor little calf had a hindlimb fracture, but we are pleased to report after some expert casting by Tiff at Ashford, he is bouncing around like nothing even happened!

14/04/2025

Meet the team Monday!!! If you have cattle then you will have probably met this guy!
Martin has been working with cows since forever, he is our highly respected and always requested TB tester, AI technician, and on the odd occasion is out with our tech freeze branding. He will never say no to a cheeky bacon sarnie or slice of cake!

07/04/2025

Get ahead of the flys this summer, reduce chemical use on your farm and switch to a more eco friendly alternative! 🪰🪰🪰🪰
Call the practice and ask to speak to Gemma for more information

07/04/2025

Meet the team Monday! As a long standing part of the team Kim has seen the practice evolve and develop. Occasionally you may hear Kim on the end of the phone when she’s not working on things in the background.

31/03/2025

The Madigan squeeze calf now!🙌🏻

31/03/2025

Last week Sophie performed the Madigan squeeze technique on this dummy calf, in short the Madigan squeeze simulates the birth and tricks the body into going through the processes as if the calf had just been born, it was in fact several hours old when Sophie arrived on farm. Once stimulated by the “rebirth” the calf began to pick up immediately, and even managed to get up onto his feet where as before he was a lump of floppy fur! Our Surrey student Alice administered some medication and we left mum to do the rest! We checked in later in the week and he is doing just fine

31/03/2025

Meet the team Monday!! So let’s kick it off with some faces on the end of the phone!☎️ many of you will have had conversations with Jana, had medications put up by her or dropped off your animals faecal samples to her. When she’s not doing the above she organises meetings and shows, makes up surgical kits and keeps the practice in order. Thanks Jana, we appreciate you

25/02/2025

13/12/2024

Thursday elf was on a TB test, these highlands behaved their very best,

He made up some kits at the practice with Jana, and took a call from a happy farmer

Hoorah some dexters, these were more elf’s size, “blimey they’re quick” you could hear him cry

It’s been a long week but it’s not over yet, elf really feels he’s been worked like a vet

13/12/2024

Wednesday, a day of MV testing, elf joined Sophie and Gemma with some wooly wrestling!

Helping martin check the numbers were all right, he got bored and snuck off like a thief in the night,

That naughty elf, where was he now? Of course he was hanging out with the cows!

Later that day all scrubbed up and gleaming elf attended another farmers meeting!

Crackers were pulled and pies were eaten, Sophie’s quiz was too hard and poor elf was beaten!

Fun was had with festive cheer, we’ll do it again same time next year!