Rangiora Vet Centre - Farming

27/08/2026

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It's that time of year again 😁

Pick up your schedule of classes for the from the Rangiora clinic.

RVC has proudly supported the Rangiora Show for decades alongside the Northern A&P Association, and we're excited for this years show, it's going to be a cracker 🐑🐴🐷🚜😁👩🏻‍🌾🎉

🔵 Schedule of Classes for Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th October.
🔵 Entries close: Friday 25th September

07/08/2026

⚠ A FRIENDLY REMINDER TO KEEP OTHER ANIMALS ON YOUR FARM SAFE from your calf milk replacer.

Coccidiostats are found in some calf milk replacers, calf meal and chick crumb – when used in the intended species, they are safe to use, at the appropriate manufacturer’s dose, which will have been calculated by nutritionists.

What we do know about these compounds which contain Coccidiostats, is that they are HIGHLY TOXIC and often fatal if drunk or eaten by
❌ dogs
❌ cats
❌ horses
❌ sheep
❌ goats
❌ other unintended species

🚩There is no known antidote – only supportive care, and reducing absorption if any has been consumed, using appropriate veterinary medicines and treatment.

☑️Always check the packing to see what additives are in the products you are using, and only use in the species for which it is intended. Residues can remain in containers, washing them may not remove contamination, so it is recommended to keep separate equipment for products containing coccidiostats.

If you help out a mate, share some with a friend or family member, please ensure they know this is HIGHLY TOXIC FOR other animals.❤️‍🩹

🆘 In the event of accidental ingestion for an animal other than a calf, please contact your vet immediately for advice and treatment.

06/08/2026

When the bucket hat fits, Mac the farm supervisor sits. 😎

04/08/2026

🔵 We're looking for our next Casual Customer Service Team Member!
Our values are Excellence, Empathy and Respect, Team and Community and Innovation. If you share these values and you enjoy developing strong relationships with clients, working in a team environment and have fantastic people skills, then this is the job for you!

🔵 Find out more about this role https://www.rangioravetcentre.co.nz/careers-customer-services

🔵 Apply now via Seek https://nz.seek.com/job/93738525

03/08/2026

Great day for lunch and a catch up outside ☀️

23/07/2026

Disclaimer: this image was generated with AI (it’s not a new vet)

If you’ve noticed our large animal vets talking into their phones or recording meetings during recent visits, here’s what that’s about. 🤳

We’re now using CoVet, an AI tool designed specifically for veterinarians, to capture consultation notes, history, and treatment plans more efficiently. The system automatically translates that conversation into clear, accurate medical records, meeting notes, or visit summaries in seconds.

Every record remains the responsibility of the attending vet and is reviewed to ensure it accurately reflects the consultation and recommendations provided. The technology simply assists with the administrative side of documentation, allowing our team to work more efficiently while maintaining the standard of clinical care and advice you expect from RVC.

Following a visit, you’ll receive concise summaries outlining key findings, recommendations, and treatment plans. These records can be easily shared with farm staff, helping ensure everyone is working from the same information and reducing the risk of important details being missed.

🔴 YOUR PRIVACY REMAINS PROTECTED
Any information discussed during a veterinary visit is confidential, and that doesn’t change with this technology. Your data is stored securely, never sold or shared with outside parties, and is not used to train public AI systems. Access remains tightly controlled in accordance with our professional and legal obligations.

If you have questions about how it works, ask your RVC vet on their next visit.

22/07/2026

Now’s the time to look away if eyes make you queasy!

You may have come across our vets using this technology on farm. If not, here is a little introduction into use of cryosurgery (“freeze” surgery).

Cryosurgery uses extreme cold temperatures to destroy cells. You might be familiar with this process used on human warts. In the vet world, we often use this technique to remove tumours that cannot be cut out completely with surgery.

As you are likely aware, cattle can get tumours or growths on their eyes, often called “cancer eye.” Depending on the exact location and the impact on the surrounding structures, surgery may or may not be advised. If the tumour is on the eyeball itself there is only so much cutting out we can achieve, so we can use cryosurgery instead.

Unlike thick callused skin on the hands, eyeballs are extremely sensitive so local anaesthesia (numbing) of the area is necessary. Another challenge is that unlike humans, we can’t just politely ask the cows to point their eyes in the direction we need them to.

Firstly we often use an anaesthetic block that relaxes the eyeball muscles and stops vision temporarily. This allows us to pop the eyeball out of its socket for better access to the tumour. It also helps that the cow can no longer see out of this eye and can’t use its eyeball muscles to move away from our gloves in her face. At this point more local is applied, and if necessary we cut the bulk off the mass with a scalpel.

Now the delicate part. There are likely still cancer cells remaining on the base of where the mass was, but we can’t cut the eyeball open. This is where we use cryosurgery to destroy these cells. We are lucky enough at RVC to have access to a special gun that applies liquid nitrogen (-200° C) to destroy the last cancer cells remaining.

When do we choose to use cryosurgery and what are the chances of success?

Often we opt to use cryosurgery when there are tumours on the eyeball itself. The other surgical option would be removing the entire eye, but if possible we would like to save the eye. Another application is to destroy the base of a tumour where we cannot completely surgically remove the tumour (often around the eyes, but they can be anywhere on the body). Compared to conventional surgery, it is harder to judge whether we have removed the entire tumour after cryosurgery, so there is always more uncertainty. The benefit is that we can save body parts or animals that otherwise do not have another option.

For eyeball tumours, we can get an idea of success with how deep the tumour runs in the eyeball. The cornea (clear layer) of the eye becomes cloudy with tissue disruption, so cloudiness around the tumour might indicate a deeper tumour that may have less chance of complete cure with cryosurgery.

Read this article in the latest Dairy News https://www.rangioravetcentre.co.nz/dairy-newsletter

21/07/2026

▪️How RVC Is Working for Dairy Farmers Beyond the Farm Gate ▪️

Our very own John Spearpoint was recently elected to the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Dairy Cattle Veterinarians (DCV) executive committee - and it’s worth explaining what that actually means for farmers in this region.

The committee works directly with MPI, DairyNZ, Fonterra, Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ), Federated Farmers, and the Veterinary Council of New Zealand on animal health, welfare, biosecurity, and how veterinary practice is regulated. These are the main stakeholders that shape the rules and initiatives our business and your operation have to work within. Having a vet from RVC on that committee means someone with farm and veterinary experience is around the table when those decisions get made.

▪️On-Farm Research and Clinical Trials
Beyond policy, RVC is also involved in work closer to the ground. We continue to play an active role in on farm research and clinical trials. These projects allow us to evaluate new technologies, medicines, and novel approaches to animal health before they become widely available. The practical benefit is regional data that supports better decision-making on what actually works here, on farms like yours, in this climate and system.

▪️ Biosecurity: Being Ready Before It Matters
John, Tristan and Lucie have recently been appointed by MPI and the Director-General to the VetNet-Biosecurity programme. This is a national network of 200 private vets trained and ready for rapid field deployment if an exotic disease outbreak occurs.

A foot-and-mouth outbreak would cost New Zealand an estimated $14.3 billion annually to the farming economy. When something like that hits, the response in the first hours and days matters enormously. Having local vets already trained, already embedded in their region, and already familiar with the farms and farmers they’d be working with is a meaningful advantage over parachuting people in.

For you, that means if the worst happens, the vets showing up are people you trust and know your operation.

These roles matter because the decisions that affect your operation aren’t only made on farm. Having RVC involved at the policy, research, and biosecurity level means we’re working for you in places you don’t always see.

📰Read all of our latest articles in the July 2026 Dairy News - OUT NOW.
Follow the link to download, or if you prefur a hard copy get in touch wiht Matt.
https://www.rangioravetcentre.co.nz/dairy-newsletter

19/07/2026

Time to make a cuppa and get cosy by the fire ☕Because July 2026 Dairy News is OUT NOW!
You can download a digital copy from our website, or if you prefer a hard copy, check in with Matt!

Check out what's in this month's issue:
🐮Behind the scenes
🐮From the Vet Stand
🐮2026 Dairy Conference
🐮Freezing tumours off eyeballs
🐮WIN a Rebel Sport voucher
🐮NEW PRODUCT
🐮NZ Locomotion Results
🐮AI and the RVC Vet team
🐮Team Ti***es wrap up
🐮Dry off & Calving Crossword
🐮Massey Survey

Download now 📲 https://www.rangioravetcentre.co.nz/dairy-newsletter

09/07/2026

Our team is taking a break from routine Vet care this long weekend ✨

We have an emergency Vet on call 24/7 all long weekend - Please do not hesitate to call the clinic for the details Ph: 03 313 7438

We return to routine vet care on Monday 13th July 8am.

If you have a non urgent enquiry you can email the team: [email protected] and they will respond when the clinic re-opens on Monday morning.