VetSouth

24/03/2025

Our recent faecal egg count reduction test results show continuing parasite resistance to triple combination drenches and growing resistance to dual-actives.

This reinforces that faecal egg count (FEC) testing will continue to be a farmer's best mode of defense going forward. By TESTING, you can make informed decisions to TARGET an effective TREATMENT plan.

Take a look at the findings here from Vet Ange:

Our recent faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) results show continuing parasite resistance to triple combination drenches and growing resistance to dual-actives.

20/03/2025

Senior working dogs benefit from special diets to support their aging bodies and ensure they have the energy for work and recovery 🐾

Vet Jill explains more here:

Senior working dogs benefit from special diets to support their aging bodies and ensure they have the energy for work and recovery.

20/03/2025

R2 hinds that have reached 70% of their adult body weight by their second autumn have a better chance to conceive.

Learn more from Vet Theo 👇

R2 hinds that have reached 70% of their adult body weight by their second autumn have a very good chance to conceive and calve at 24 months old.

19/03/2025

It was The VetSouth Gorge Adventure Race last Saturday and we were proud sponsors for the third year running ☀️ It was their biggest event yet, with participants ranging from seasoned adventure racers to family teams. This year it moved to a different location, the stunning Otapiri Gorge, for a new challenge.

It was great to see so many getting active out in our epic backyard 🏃 We hope those who took part had a great time! If you haven’t given this race a go yet, start planning your team for next year...

Well that was just the best day in our opinion! We loved it all!
Thank you to everyone who came along and took part, from our seasoned adventure racers to our family teams! There was 300 of you, our biggest event yet!
We're all buzzing from the day, it was so good and so worthwhile to see all of your happy faces, your smiles from achieving something good today and raising money for some good causes.
A massive thank you to:
Chris and Sam for planning an epic course, our committee for all of their behind the scenes work, our volunteers inside HQ, out in the paddock and out on the course today.
Our landowners, Dan, Steph, Brett, Leticia and Marie Frew and James and Hannah Wadworth. It was a privilege being able to run this event on your farms.
The rugby and netball clubs for their mystery activities, the Limehills Home and School Association and Limehills Community Pool for the awesome food.
Tony and Francis from Shepherd Photos for taking photos, thank you, and all of our sponsors including our naming sponsor VetSouth!
Overall we just want to thank everyone for taking part or being involved.
Results will be posted in the next couple of days. Sleep well tonight, and put your feet up tomorrow, you deserve it!!

17/03/2025

Our Tapanui, Balclutha and Clydevale clinics will be closed this Monday 24th March so our teams can enjoy Otago Anniversary!

We will have vets available for emergencies, please call 0800 VETSOUTH (0800 838 76884).

Have a great long weekend everyone in Otago 🙌

17/03/2025

Kate Cummings, our West Retail Lead, is talented at showing cattle! She recently taught a group of children heifer handling skills at a showmanship event during the Gore A&P Show 🐮

"Anyone can walk into the ring with a heifer, but having good showmanship skills includes being able to present properly amongst fellow competitors, stand the heifer correctly, and do what the judges require from the leader. The three most important factors: First is the judge, second is the heifer, and third is where you’re walking! Nothing else matters while you’re competing."

Read more from Kate about the event and cattle showing here:

Our West Retail Lead, Kate, put her hand up to teach children skills for handling heifers at a showmanship event during the Gore A&P Show.

14/03/2025

It's a special anniversary: Sunni, one of our senior dairy vets, has been with VetSouth for 20 years today! 🥳 2️⃣0️⃣

To mark the occasion, she's penned her thoughts on her first 20 years with us – below is a short excerpt:

"I was one of the lucky kids, at the age of five I knew exactly what I was going to do when I grew up. A ‘calling’. One day I just announced to my parents, “I’m going to be a vet”. ..
I was a mixed animal vet at the start, performing surgeries on all species. I even once had to find out for an owner if their pet turtle was dead or just hibernating – trickier than you’d think!..
My cow skills were required on farm more and more, and I spent less time in the clinic and more time driving around the district with my fierce Jack Russell Terrier, Milly. ..
Fast forward 20 years later… here I am, still. I had a student ask me a while ago, “How do you keep doing the same thing year after year for so long?”. She almost made me sound a bit boring and dull. I have, however, asked myself this question several times, especially when the alarm goes off at 2.30am and I drive an hour to my job with my beloved sausage dog, Twiggy, on my lap. ..
When I think about it though, the main reason I have stayed in this job this long is people."

Click the link to read Sunni's full story:
https://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/142946/20-years-of-sunni-southland-days/

Here's to 20 more years Sunni! 🥂

14/03/2025

🥳🥳🥳

We're all set up and ready for you tomorrow. A few last minute notices.

Put 738 Otapiri Gorge Road in your GPS. The paddock to park in is clearly marked. Please be aware that the paddock is across the road from HQ and it's a busy road with a blind hill and blind corner either side of the crossing. So please please please be super aware of yourselves and any children you have with you.

We've got some spots left for tomorrow if you haven't entered already. Please bring cash as there is no eftpos available.

We have Clare from Ginger Crunch Caravan there supplying her delicious coffee, same again though, bring your cash.

The Limehills Home and School Association and the Limehills Community Pool are running the BBQ and have the awesome $10 deal going. A burger, home baking and a drink. A lot of you have pre-purchased your meal vouchers so you'll get those at rego but for everyone else... please bring cash.

It's going to be a sunny day, with maybe a little rain in the morning. But we can almost guarantee that you'll get wet at some point. Bring a change of clothes.

Race HQ/Rego is in the woolshed so come find us there to grab your race pack. Follow the orange coned track... you can't miss us!

See you all tomorrow! We can't wait!

14/03/2025

Last Friday our Winton crew held a Golf Day for their local farmers 🏌⛳️ Golf newbies and golf old-hands alike braved the grey skies for an afternoon of social ambrose golf followed by a BBQ and one or two drinks.

We hope everyone who came along had a great time! The team can't wait to hold another one in the future – keep an eye out for an invite during summertime months.

Congratulations to Ivan from Dairy Patch, who won the coveted 'Neil Hume Longest Drive' trophy 🏆

13/03/2025

The sun is shining, let's get surfing! ☀️🏄

Take some time away from the farm and head to Colac Bay tonight (Thursday 13th March) from 6pm for surfing fun. Everything you need is supplied, including wetsuits and surfboards, and the team from Beef & Lamb NZ will be running the BBQ afterwards.

11/03/2025

Keen to get out on your bike tonight? 🚲 Rural Riders are in Winton this week – meet at VetSouth Winton's carpark at 6.30pm this evening (Wednesday 12th March).

Suitable for both experienced riders and first timers, Rural Riders provides an opportunity for farmers and those associated with farming to connect and have some fun. Rides are followed by a BBQ, beverages and banter!

Rural Riders Southland - Wednesday at Winton.

Targeted at farmers and growers in Southland. Opportunity to get off farm once a week. To connect with other farmers and those associated with farming, while pedaling some kms.

🚵 Suitable for all abilities - from first timers to experienced.

📆Wednesday 12 March
📍 VetSouth Carpark, Winton
⌚️6.30pm
🍔 BBQ hosts - FIL

If you wish to learn more about Rural Riders - Southland contact:
📱Bart Luijten on 0273098861
📱Mo Topham on 027 279 7449
📱Renee Pearce on 027 555 8990
📱Olivia Church on 0278398224

10/03/2025

With all stock – young or adult, cattle or sheep – trace elements are an essential consideration. We recommend you TEST to find out the current trace element levels of your animals, which then allows you to TARGET the necessary elements and an appropriate method of TREATMENT.

Book in your trace element testing, available on our PP+ and OviGold programmes, or we can do custom testing to suit your needs.

Learn more about testing and supplementation here 👇
https://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/142366/targeting-trace-elements/

07/03/2025

How can you help beef calves stay healthy during weaning and minimise the growth check, ultimately returning more profit to your pocket? Here are our tips for each stage of weaning ⬇️

How can we help beef calves stay healthy during weaning and minimise the growth check, ultimately returning more profit to your pocket? We've got some tips for each stage.

07/03/2025

A team from Winton were out in the gorgeous countryside of Western Southland scanning dairy heifer mobs this week.

✈️ Check out the fertiliser plane in the first shot – the pilot gave our vets a private aerial show above the yards they were working in!

05/03/2025

APPLY NOW!
Vet Tech - Winton: https://vetnz.bamboohr.com/careers/280
Vet Tech - Gore: https://vetnz.bamboohr.com/careers/281

Do you love farm animals and enjoy mucking in with hard work? We're looking for superstar techs ready to roll up their sleeves and assist with teat seal and dry cow over the dairy farm dry off season – from early April to mid June 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our supportive and friendly large animal teams in a fixed-term role, based out of either our Winton or Gore clinics.

You will preferably have prior experience as a Vet Technician, be working towards your Rural Animal Technician qualification, or already be working in the dairy industry. While previous experience is ideal, we are able to provide training to the right individuals. A full driver's licence is essential for these roles.

At VetSouth we are passionate people, doing meaningful work in rural communities that we love. As a member of our team, you'll work alongside experienced veterinarians and help do our bit towards our client’s goals of happy, healthy animals and successful, sustainable farms.

The busy season is fast approaching, so apply today at the links above!

04/03/2025

As March rolls in it’s the last call to finalise all your pre-tupping procedures. Your rams should be vet checked, body condition scored, shorn and vaccinated.

Vet Caitlyn discusses preparing rams and teasers for tupping here:

As March rolls in it’s the last call to finalise all your pre-tupping procedures. Your rams should be vet checked, body condition scored, shorn and vaccinated.

03/03/2025

As many people have heard, or even experienced themselves, there has been a massive increase in the number of stock in the southern region affected by Salmonella. Interim data has shown there was almost 10x more cases on dairy farms in Southland in 2024 compared to the previous seven years! 📈

We recommend farmers preventatively vaccinate against Salmonella this autumn. If you haven’t yet organised your herd’s vaccinations with your KeyVet, get in touch now so we can ensure we have enough vaccines 💉

To gain an understanding of the impact Salmonella can have, take a look at how much a recent outbreak cost the farmer here:
https://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/142375/salmonella-impacts-a-case-study/

And check out an update with data from MSD Animal Health here:
https://www.vetsouth.co.nz/blog/post/142373/southern-salmonella-update/

01/03/2025

To the next generation, or as our teams' kids are often fondly known, our 'vets in training' - happy Children's Day from all of us at VetSouth 🥳

📸 of our vets in training in the parade at the 2024 and 2023 Winton Open Days!