Genetic evaluation is changing.  Genomic testing is revolutionising the way dairy producers make management, selection and breeding decisions on the farm.  Up until now the major focus on genomic testing has been the benefit in identifying high quality young bulls early.  We can now use exactly the same power of prediction for female youngstock, as a cost-effective management tool available to dairy farmers.

Genomic tests provide the genetic information, and therefore potential, an...

Kennel cough is something we’re all aware of and have heard of, but we rarely hear of canine infectious tracheobronchitis – its true title.

Infectious tracheobronchitis (ITB) has potentially three causative agents – most commonly Bordetella Bronchiseptica, followed by canine parainfluenza and canine corona virus.  Interestingly whooping cough in people is caused by a Bordatella bacteria, although a different type, helping us to draw comparisons.

ITB is transmitted through...

One of our patients, Magic, was being led back in from the field one evening when the owner noticed a small wound to his eyelid. Knowing that eye injuries can often become complicated the owner was on the phone immediately and before long Magic was being examined by one of our vets, Clare.

Magic was quite uncomfortable and holding his eye closed. Clare could see that the wound on his eyelid actually extended into the conjunctiva, the soft pink tissue behind the eyelid. Additionally,...

More research than ever is going into calf nutrition and how differences during the first weeks of life can have a significant impact on the productivity of these animals over their lifetime. The effect of the environment and external factors on the expression of genes has long been studied in human medicine. Termed metabolic profiling, the scope to affect gene expression is mostly limited to early life. An example of this is seen when an increase of 100g average daily weight gain is...