Cattle Quarterly 2023/2024

Cattle WINTER EDITION 2023/2024 Quarterly Digging Deep for a Healthier Farm Future The essential read for BCVA members CATTLE CASE Contracted Flexor Tendons VET PEOPLE Susan Paterson AHWP Pig Blood Sampling

Contents 3 4 9 13 18 22 27 BCVA News From your association Nuffield Scholar Digging Deep with Claire Whittle Cattle Case Contracted Flexor Tendons with Ruben Vines Vet People Susan Paterson interview Genetics and Lameness Healthy Feet with George Oikonomou CATTLE QUARTERLY Cattle Quarterly is published by the British Cattle Veterinary Association, The Glenmore Centre, 17 Jessop Ct, Quedgeley, Gloucester GL2 2AP. This magazine is a member-only benefit. Parties interested in receiving Cattle Quarterly should email [email protected]. Tel: 01452 725735 Email: [email protected] Web: www.bcva.org.uk EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR – Alice Miller MANAGING EDITOR – Kay Colquhoun PRODUCTION EDITOR – Aimee Hyett MEMBERSHIP & CPD - Elsbeth Matthews OFFICE MANAGEMENT - Dee Little PRODUCTION BCVA Headquarters, The Glenmore Centre PRINTER – Taylor Brothers Bristol Ltd No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Views expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Editor or the British Cattle Veterinary Association. BCVA is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its publications wherever possible and Cattle Quarterly is printed on paper made from sustainable resources and can be recycled. When you have finished with this edition please recycle it. Members can access the online archive of Cattle Quarterly at www.bcva.org.uk. FROM THE EDITOR AHWP Pig Blood Sampling CPD Diary What’s on this year 2 CATTLE QUARTERLY Editorial As I write this, the rain is absolutely hammering down outside and the howling wind seems to be rattling our entire house, I feel fortunate to be tucked up in the warm and dry with a cup of tea for now. But this isn’t always the case, as many of us fellow farm vets will know. Winter can be a brutal time of year to be working outside and battling the extreme elements can be wearing, especially if venturing out in this weather at night. That said, the thought of those on call emergencies are often worse than the reality, that is until you discover your overalls aren’t as waterproof as you once thought they were! But jokes aside, I will never tire of the buzz you get, driving home after completion of a good job, especially one in challenging conditions. Whilst the ups and downs in the weather forecast are somewhat predictable, the rise and decline of different notifiable diseases can be less so. I associate the previous three winters with the rise in Avian Influenza cases, and with this, the added workload, carrying out OV surveillance work. Yet this winter has seen the re-emergence of Blue Tongue Virus, which has dominated the headlines and our thoughts instead. My colleagues on the BCVA board have been working with both Defra and the Ruminant Health and Welfare team to ensure our members are informed and feel supported. We hope you enjoy reading our winter edition of cattle quarterly as much as our team who put it together did. It is jam packed full of articles, featuring inspiring and pioneering vet colleagues. I challenge you not to feel motivated by Claire Whittle’s infectious passion for regenerative agriculture, or question your own approach to similar cases, having seen Ruben Vines’ impressive surgery in the field, on a calf. You can also look forward to hearing an honest and refreshing interview from our RCVS President, Susan Paterson or, update your knowledge on cattle lameness with the latest research from Professor George Oikonomou and Dr James P Wilson. Before reading Mandy Nevel and Gemma Thwaites guide, I do not feel ashamed in admitting that I would not have felt confident taking blood samples from pigs, but after reading their straightforward and practical account I would, providing I remembered my ear defenders! Finally, I would like to invite you to get in touch with us if you would like to contribute to future editions of Cattle Quarterly, we love to hear from you and welcome any submissions, particularly for our cattle case feature. I hope you get to enjoy this read, perhaps with a good cup of tea in the dry and warm. With best wishes Alice [email protected]

CATTLE QUARTERLY 3 ASSOCIATION NEWS Bluetongue We’ve all seen that the UK incidents of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) have been occupying the headlines in recent months. At the time of writing there are 52 cases in England (Norfolk and Kent) on 29 premises. Defra has indicated that there is still no evidence that the bluetongue virus is currently circulating in midges in Great Britain, and that surveillance is ongoing. BCVA is liaising with relevant groups, including Defra and our colleagues in Ruminant Health and Welfare, to ensure members are kept up to date with the latest information. The resources at ruminanthw.org.uk are regularly revised, along with www.gov.uk/ guidance/bluetongue. Vigilance by vets and farmers for suspect clinical cases on farm is particularly important at this time. Bluetongue is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect it you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Become a Friend of Vetlife Vetlife had an impactful 2023, answering more Helpline calls than ever, giving more vital financial aid and support to veterinary colleagues finding themselves at crisis point. There is now an opportunity to become a ‘Friend of Vetlife’ – and your membership can make sure that the charity can continue to support your peers – so that veterinary friends and family have access to help when they need it most. A great thing to do in 2024. Visit www.vetlife. org.uk for more information. Congress Submissions Invited The 2024 BCVA Congress will take place 17-19 October at Celtic Manor in Newport. This year, we’d like to see even more of our members submitting presentations. We regularly get well over 100 submissions for Congress, and our members provide an invaluable contribution. This is a Congress truly created by the farm vet profession, for the farm vet profession. You can be a part of the programme by presenting a lecture, a workshop, postgrad research, a clinical presentation, or a poster. We will support your submission during the process, and we especially welcome submissions from farm vets in practice. We’re already creating the foundations of the programme – with a view to featuring a broader range of ruminant CPD. This will be a Congress that appreciates the wide range of challenges for today’s farm practice. You can find information online at www. bcva.org.uk on the CPD/Congress pages and if you have any questions email [email protected]. The deadline is 15 March (26 July for posters). Congress 2023 Recordings Key sessions at Congress are recorded and members who attended the event get free access as part of their event package. These free recordings allow you to catch up on the lectures you missed, or to listen to your favourite talks again. The recordings can be found under the CPD tab on our website, and the link was sent to members in December. If you have any questions email [email protected].

NUFFIELD SCHOLAR 4 CATTLE QUARTERLY Digging Deep for a Healthier Farm Future In this occasional series on Nuffield Farm Scholars, we meet Claire Whittle, who used her scholarship to understand the impact of regenerative farming strategies on herd health Claire Whittle graduated from Liverpool in 2014 and works at LLM Farm Vets. She also has her own consultancy business, The Regenerative Vet, which advises farming businesses moving towards more agroecological practices. She is the veterinary lead for the Dung Beetles for Farmers team. She sits on the steering group of the Welsh Nature Friendly Farming Network and is an advocate of healthy livestock as part of healthy ecosystems. Claire completed a postgraduate certificate in conservation medicine in 2020 and was awarded a 2021 Nuffield Scholarship to study regenerative agriculture’s impact on livestock health and welfare. Q: The question your Nuffield Scholarship sought to answer was ‘can regenerative agriculture improve the health and welfare of livestock?’ There was probably never going to be a simple ‘yes or no’ answer to that – so how did you approach it? A: My Postgraduate Certificate in Conservation Medicine was a steep learning curve. It made me question everything I thought I knew about nature conservation, and I realised that not everything is as black and white as it seems. It covered a huge range of topics from arctic foxes to tree cover in the US to canned lion hunting. It was brilliant and insightful but afterwards when it came to finding out more about conservation of nature on our own UK farms, information was scarce. For most, it seemed to be nature or farming with little in the middle. It was during this period that I came across regenerative agriculture. Although it does not have a standard definition, the principles underlying it encourage farming alongside nature. The lack of definition or accreditation standards make it difficult to quantify for some, but for me, this is where the magic lies! Regenerative agriculture is very much context driven. It understands that every single farm is different, it’s own ecosystem so to speak and that different ecosystems require different management strategies. For this reason, I decided to look into regenerative agriculture, to try and understand if it could improve the health and welfare of livestock. What I found was that it was so much bigger than that. I really believe it has the potential to improve the health and welfare of entire ecosystems and communities, potentially on a global scale. What does that mean for us as vets? Well, our role has always been to make farms as efficient as possible by keeping animals as healthy as we can, but what if it’s more than that? What if our role, is also about understanding the interlinked relationship between land and animal health? Our future as vets and food-eating humans in changing physical and economic climates requires resilient farms, supporting healthy livestock, less reliant on external inputs and in my opinion, that starts from the soil up. We swore an oath to make it our constant endeavour to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to our care. Does this just mean the livestock in front of us? Or all the other creatures that rely on them or they rely on? And if not ours, whose responsibility is it to protect the rest of the animals in that ecosystem, from the birds feeding on that farm right down to the underground creatures working for free beneath our feet? Most of us became vets because we love animals, all of them. For me, that says it all. Q: Where did your scholarship take you? A: As a travel scholarship, it is not standard practice for a scholar to do much travel within the UK, however we were awarded our scholarships in the middle of the Covid-19 outbreak and so travel abroad for much of the first year was out of the question. For this reason, when travel throughout the UK became a feasible option, I embarked on two trips to the North and South. I met some incredible farmers in very different landscapes and climatic environments doing some fascinating things and having viable businesses in areas that many would consider marginal at best. I learned about the importance of circular farming, keeping nutrients on farm and not exporting them off the farm, from a Dorset dairy farmer talking about the value of composting or from farmers in Northumberland who have doubled the amount of forage produced on their farm by rotational mob grazing. A Cumbrian dairy farmer whose farm is a safe haven for nature or a farming couple in the Cairngorms with their own thriving meat business. Some of the huge advocates for regenerative farming are found in the United States. After reading books by Gabe Brown, Joel Salatin, Judith Schwartz and Robin Wall Kimmerer I knew I had to go. My first taste of the States was driving out of

CATTLE QUARTERLY 5 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR Manhattan, on my own, in a rented car and trying to remember that I needed to drive on the other side of the road. I can assure you that Manhattan is not the best place to test this theory! I drove through Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York State and New Jersey in a two-week period. Listening to your SatNav say ‘continue straight for 527 miles’ is not something you want to hear every day. I saw regenerative dairies producing lower yields than commercial dairies but focussing on profit they were continually expanding by using grazing animals to improve the soil, water and mineral cycles on their farms to become less reliant on external inputs. I did a two-day immersive course at Polyface Farms, Joel Salatins farm in West Virginia where I saw enterprise stacking at a huge scale. Polyface produces chicken, eggs, pork, ducks, rabbit, fruit, vegetables and value-added products such as preserves. It has its own timber mill, shop, abattoir, composting facility and runs courses year-round to show others how to achieve the same. It is a lesson in diversification. Stacking enterprises at the same farm builds resilience in the face of single commodity trading. The regenerative movement in Australia has been ongoing for a long time due to their much more brittle landscape, where water resource is scarce, and farmers have been forced to change. Here I met Martin Royds in New South Wales who questioned me on livestock housing. At home, as vets, we are often asked to codesign buildings for livestock and rightly so, but how much time and money is spent on design of these sheds in comparison with the design of their outdoor landscapes? Somewhere many livestock will spend 6 months or more of their year. Martin changed the flow of the farm from cattle following horizontal contours to vertical instead. This way, they can pick what they want to eat and have access to different successional grasses which varies their diet. The hilltops provide relief from flies which hate the wind, and they take all the nutrients from the lower pastures up the hill and poop them out higher up. Welfare, rumen, and soil health in one. Martin had to find a way to reduce input costs after some calculations made him realise that if he continued on as he was, he would be out of business within 10 years. He has used holistic management techniques to restore eroded areas, in particular a huge erosion gulley that ran through the middle of his farm which has now been transformed into a huge chain of ponds. This has improved water availability and quality. His soil carbon levels have increased and now act as a carbon store by maintaining ground cover throughout the year which has led to increased availability of forage allowing his business to thrive.

6 CATTLE QUARTERLY NUFFIELD SCHOLAR I talked genetics with Charles Massy who wrote the book The Call of the Reed Warbler about the development of the Smooth Rolling Skin Merino Sheep to reduce skin wrinkling and the need for ‘mulesing’. By looking to understand the root cause of problems, farmers using regenerative techniques try to find a solution to health and welfare issues. My travels taught me that just because any accreditation system has standards – does that mean they are always better for the planet? One example that comes to mind is mineral boluses for cattle. Do we ever question where the minerals come from? How or where they are extracted from/produced? Does an organic bolus mean that the mining/extracting conditions are ‘organic’? I doubt it. It has made me question everything I once accepted as normal or ok and I really think it has changed my outlook in a positive way. It was heartening to see that even on the other side of the world, there are good people trying to do their best for their livestock, for people and for the planet. Q: The relationship between farm vet and their farm client surely must be key in terms of systemic changes and moves to more regenerative farming. Who is leading the way on this – is the vet profession following the ag industry’s lead – or the other way around? A: I believe that agriculture is leading the way in terms of regenerative farming and most importantly at a grassroots level. These changes are not coming from policy or driven by government although I do hope they will catch up! The Sustainable Farming Incentive in England has made some headway however, and in fact, the new Animal Health and Welfare review funding has allowed me to have bigger conversations on farm around integrated parasite management for example to reduce the risk of resistance and to protect dung and soil fauna. From a veterinary perspective, I often talk about utilising natural capital for animal health. Take trees for example. Trees not only have the ability to provide shelter and shade for livestock, but also forage. Naturally occurring tannin can reduce parasites’ ability to reproduce in the gut. Trees like willow contain salicylic acid, are a source of cobalt and zinc and lichens are an incredible source of iodine. As a hedge layer in my spare time, I often find myself talking about the value of managing hedgerows in a rotation to provide all of these benefits. Leaving them to grow out to provide berries for birds over the winter by not cutting too early in the season. Leaving them to grow taller get shade effects farther out into the field. Trees also have impacts in terms of flood mitigation and huge wildlife benefits. Diversity of wildlife and plants can promote disease resistance. A study in Nature found that the global loss of biodiversity can be attributed to the emergence and transmission of infectious disease in humans and livestock. What effect does that have on our farms? Understanding our farms as ecosystems can really change our perspective on them as vets. A fully functioning ecosystem is the sum total of its parts. From the people, the plants, the livestock, and the wildlife right down to the soil. If soil is not functioning because soil biology is depleted due to overgrazing or severe compaction, rainwater runs off rather than in. Not only does this result in a loss of on-farm nutrients and water, but pasture also now requires high levels of synthetic input, at spiralling costs. If that grass burns off in drought - is that a resilient farming business? If milk yield then plummets or cows get heat stress or lose condition, or a farmer is forced to buy feed in – I would say I’m too far down the line. I’ve missed the root cause.

CATTLE QUARTERLY 7 NUFFIELD SCHOLAR Understanding a farm context is also important. How often do we ask farmers “what are you trying to achieve?” Whether that is to maximise milk production, spend more time with their families, produce meat from animals produced in a sustainable way? This one question has really helped me focus my attention on farm as has doing whole farm walks. Not just looking at the animals in front of us but thinking bigger – about the wider ecosystem impacts of medicines and antiparasitics we prescribe as well as how animals are managed within a system can really help us challenge business sustainability in the long term. In terms of further information, Vet Sustain is a great resource for vets and offers a certificate in Sustainable food and farming. There is also a huge number of books, audiobooks, podcasts, and websites on the subject of regenerative agriculture, and I would encourage all vets to check them out. Q: Anyone who follows your social media will have seen how much of an enthusiast you are for the dwellers, stealers and tunnellers! How much is the UK dung beetle threatened by established agriculture practices and what is their potential, if protected and properly employed? A: It was in 2020 that I first discovered we had dung beetles in the UK after reading Isabella Tree’s Wilding - The Return of Nature to a British Farm. I also discovered that the antiparastic treatments we use in livestock have hugely detrimental impacts on them. From lethal effects, killing them outright to sublethal in smaller doses, affecting their ability to reproduce amongst other issues. It was likely that in prescribing these products I was contributing to their downfall within populations that were already struggling. Of over 60 types of dung beetle in the UK, half are considered endangered or nationally scarce. I had no idea. Why had nobody ever told me this? It did not come up in parasitology lectures at university and it wasn’t shouted about by the pharmaceutical companies who produce these products – unsurprisingly. So I began to look for more information - and despite the fact there were many papers on the effects of Macrocyclic Lactone or Clear wormer products on dung beetles - there was not much information on what we, as vets, were able to do to mitigate these impacts. I was contacted by James Allen a beef and sheep farmer – who brought a new perspective. James had joined forces with Sally- Ann, an entomologist, Bruce Thompson - an Irish Dairy Farmer and Nuffield scholar whose report looked into the environmental benefits of dung beetles and Max Anderson, a PHD student. Together, they were creating ‘Dung Beetles for Farmers’, an online resource designed to improve the conservation status of dung beetles across the UK by providing pragmatic and evidencebased information to land and livestock managers. My role would be to provide veterinary input to enable farmers to manage their livestock in a dung beetle friendly way. In 2021 - www.dungbeetlesforfarmers.co.uk was launched. And the response has been phenomenal. It seems that people are as fascinated by these tiny ecosystem engineers as much as I. Dung beetles provide huge benefits including natural parasite control in our cattle. In drinking the liquid portion of dung, they dry it out and render the environment unsuitable for parasitic worms to complete their lifecycles. One study shows they can reduce worm burdens on pasture by up to 30%! They also have a symbiotic relationship with another insect - phoretic mites. These tiny mites do not fly themselves but use dung beetles as aeroplanes to fly from pat to pat. As predators, these tiny mites then consume other things within a cow pat including those parasites that affect livestock such as nuisance fly larvae. How incredible is that? They also have huge environmental benefits. They have been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water infiltration and nutrient cycling, soil aeration and even sequester carbon as the tunnelling beetles pull the organic matter of a cow/sheep/horse pat underground into which they lay their eggs and in doing so, reduce pasture fouling. They are also a vital food source for other creatures. Our wading birds - Lapwing, Godwit and Redshank have all had dung beetle wing casings found in their faeces. There are larger populations of Greater Horseshoe bats when livestock are found within 4km of their nesting sites. They rely on species of dung beetle that fly at dusk to feed their young and even owls have been known to eat them. Above all, they demonstrate so importantly why livestock are an integral part of our landscapes, not only for the food and fibre they provide for us but also for all the other creatures that rely on them. And if that’s not a story to be telling consumers, I don’t know what is!

Is a Nuffield Scholarship for you? Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust have awarded over 1,000 scholarships to people working in the food, farming, horticulture, and rural industries. Applicants choose their own study topics, which range from deer farming to soft fruit and global trading markets (and everything in between). The thread through them all is that Nuffield Farming Scholars all share a passion for UK farming and agriculture. You can find out more about Nuffield Scholarships at www.nuffieldscholar.org 8 CATTLE QUARTERLY NUFFIELD SCHOLAR Q: What has been the impact of your Nuffield scholarship on your career? How has it changed, encouraged, motivated, informed you as a farm vet? A: When I applied for my Nuffield scholarship – I was at a point in my career where I really started to question if being a vet was what I wanted to be doing for the long-haul. I had been a vet for about 6 years at this point. The first two to three years of my career was filled with the same ups, downs and learnings as any new grad. Not being from a farming background meant I still had a lot to learn about the farming calendar and every new thing I did learn – I was fascinated by. But I have always been concerned about the environment and when I started to learn about some of the more detrimental impacts of farming as it received more and more negative press in the media, I began to question my role in it and the ethics of what I do every day. I wasn’t sure if I agreed with everything I did and figured that maybe it wasn’t for me. However, my Nuffield experience has changed that. I feel insanely lucky to work with such a great team of vets and the wonderful support team at LLM. The management framework is such that it feels like there isn’t one and I’m not sure that culture has been felt in every practice I have worked in. It is lovely to feel part of a team and I think I would miss it were consultancy my sole role. I think practices could be more flexible with understanding that vets may want to do different things, that they don’t have to live and breathe farming to be excellent at what they do and that allowing them that freedom might actually mean they perform better when they are at work. It certainly has for me anyway. I really enjoy the work I do both in practice and in my consultancy role. The consultancy challenges me every day to think outside of the box, to question the root cause of every problem and come up with alternative solutions. It has meant stepping away slightly from the traditional role of a farm vet but doing the Nuffield has built my own confidence and given me a voice to stand by what I believe in. I remember reading a Patrick Whitefield quote in his ‘Earth Care Manual’ about whether or not we can save this horribly broken world? That if we think about it too much, its overwhelming. It seems impossible and ultimately relies on so many things out of our control that we could never possibly know. But also that the question of whether or not we can save the world is the wrong one. The question should be – How do you choose to live your life? As part of the problem or part of the solution?

CATTLE QUARTERLY 9 CATTLE CASE Contracted Flexor Tendons Ruben Vines of The Oak Veterinary Group in Pembrokeshire shares his case of surgical management of contracted flexor tendons in a crossbreed calf Introduction Contracted flexor tendons (CFTs) leading to metacarpophalangeal flexural deformities (MPFDs) are the most common musculoskeletal congenital defects in cattle, affecting numerous breeds and their crosses. Typically, the pathology is observed in the forelegs, where the carpal joints are flexed varying in degree due to the shortening of the deep (DFT) and superficial digital flexors tendons (SFT) during foetal development. Causes for CFTs include inherited factors and in-utero malposition, especially in cases involving twins and overcrowding caused by the size of the foetus relative to the dam. Affected animals walk on the dorsal aspect of the fetlock joint. If left untreated, the skin can suffer ulceration and subsequently septic arthritis. The cases can be classified as mild, where the calves can walk on their feet, but the heels do not contact the ground; moderate, when the dorsal aspect of the claw breaks over a vertical plane perpendicular to the ground; and severe, where the affected animals are forced to walk on the dorsal aspect of the pastern, fetlock, or carpus. Mild cases may recover without treatment, while in moderate cases, oxytetracyclines can be used to relax flexor muscles, and a splint can be applied to force animals to bear weight on their toes. Severely affected calves may require surgery, specifically tenotomy of one or both flexor tendons, an alternative is the use of tenorrhaphy (Anderson et al. 2008). In severely affected cases, colostrum intake is often insufficient because the calves are unable to walk, leading to dehydration and weakness. Furthermore, calves are at risk of failure of passive transfer of immunity. Treatment should be initiated soon after recognition, depending on the severity of the condition (Anderson et al. 2008). The present report communicates the successful surgical treatment of a calf with CFTs with the use of Z-tenotomy with tenorrhaphy. Clinical presentation A 24-hour-old twin British Shorthorn crossbreed calf was presented for examination, as it was observed to be unable to stand up independently due to musculoskeletal malformation. The calf exhibited signs of dehydration, including sunken eyes with prolonged skin tent for more than 2 seconds, and weakness, needing assistance to rise (Picture 1). Both forelimbs displayed MPFDs and the calf was unable to achieve and maintain normal limb extension (Picture 2). The author diagnosed the calf with a severe case of CFTs, and surgical resolution was recommended and agreed upon by the client. A complete physical examination was carried out to rule out other diseases before attempting surgical resolution because CFTs have been associated with other abnormalities like cleft palate, arthrogryposis, and dwarfism (Fazili et al. 2014). While the ideal course of action would have been to perform the surgical procedure immediately upon diagnosis, it was decided to postpone it to allow the calf to recover from Picture 1 Picture 2

10 CATTLE QUARTERLY CATTLE CASE dehydration. During this interim period, the animal would be assisted in feeding and isolated from other calves to prevent any potential harm. The calf received a 3-day course of oxytetracycline intramuscular (IM) at a dosage of 1ml/10kg (equivalent to 20mg/kg) (Engemycin 10% DD). This approach was chosen based on some studies suggesting that higher doses (50- 70mg/kg) of oxytetracyclines could alleviate symptoms (Madison et al. 1994). However, the use of high doses in calves is contraindicated due to the risk of inducing renal failure, but a lower dose has been used with some success (Anderson et al. 2008). Two weeks after the initial clinical examination, once the calf had recovered from dehydration and exhibited increased strength, it was prepared for surgical resolution of the MPFDs (Picture 3). Surgical resolution To perform the surgery, the calf was restrained in lateral recumbency and sedated with xylazine (0.5ml/50kg IM, equivalent to 0.2mg/kg) (Xylapan 20mg). This dose achieved deep sedation, causing the calf to lie down, decreased muscle tone, and a degree of analgesia. Consequently, the calf fasted for 24 hours before surgery to prevent regurgitation of stomach contents and aspiration. Local infiltration of local anaesthetic (5ml/leg) was administered subcutaneously (SC) using procaine hydrochloride (40mg) + adrenaline tartrate (0.036mg) (Procamidor Duo). The entire skin along the length and circumference of the metacarpus was prepared by clipping the hair and scrubbing with 4% w/v chlorhexidine gluconate (Vetasept® Chlorhexidine 5L). An incision, approximately 4cm in length, was made longitudinally over the superficial (SFT) and deep (DFT) tendons in the mid-metacarpal region. The fascia was bluntly dissected, and SFT and DFT were identified and elevated (Picture 4-5) by inserting slightly curved Mayo scissors transversely (Picture 6). At this point, two options were available: to perform a tenotomy of SFT, evaluate the degree of fetlock extension, and if inadequate, proceed with the same procedure for DFT; or to perform a tenotomy with tenorrhaphy. The author chose the second option; at each end of both tendons, a transverse incision was made in opposite directions with a longitudinal incision of 2cm in the middle sight of the tendon to split it in two (Z-tenotomy) (Picture 7-8). The ends of both tendons were sutured using the Kessler technique with a polyamide non-absorbable surgical suture (Supramid White EP No8) (Picture 9). Consideration was given to the suture material that would be most appropriate for the tenorrhaphy, as tendons took a long time to heal a non-absorbable suture was used to allow a potential fibroplasia. The incision site was covered by suturing the fascia with a simple continuous pattern using catgut chrom absorbable (B|Braun EP No5) and the skin was closed by horizontal mattress sutures using polyamide non-absorbable surgical suture (Supramid White EP No8). Post-operation, the calf received a single dose of meloxicam SC (0.5mg/kg, equivalent to 2.5ml/100kg) (Metacam® 20mg/ml), and amoxicillin IM (7mg/Kg, equivalent to 0.25ml/5kg) (Betamox 150mg) once daily for 5 days. The incision was sprayed with oxytetracycline hydrochloride (Engemycin® Spray 25mg/ml). The limbs were immobilised after surgery with cotton, bandaging (Flexiwrap®) and casting Picture 3 Picture 4 Picture 5 Picture 6 Picture 7

CATTLE QUARTERLY 11 CATTLE CASE with polyester cast tape (4in, Delta-Cast Elite) for 10 days (Picture 10). The suture line was cleaned and removed after 10 days post-surgery. Outcome The calf successfully stood up and presented a natural posture 24 hours post-surgery (Picture 11) and continued to do so 10 days post-surgery. However, during the cast removal, signs of infection along the suture line were observed in one of the limbs. In response, the calf was prescribed amoxicillin IM (7mg/Kg, equivalent to 0.25ml/5kg) (Betamox 150mg) once daily for 5 days. Additionally, the limb was treated with oxytetracycline hydrochloride spray (Engemycin® Spray 25mg/ml). Upon re-examination two weeks later, there was a noticeable improvement in the calf’s overall condition. Including the suture line infection, posture, and walking pattern (Picture 12). Generally, the calf exhibited growth consistent with its counterparts and its twin and displayed a more natural metacarpophalangeal joint angle. However, a complication arose in the form of joint illness in the limb that had previously presented infection during cast removal, which has since been addressed and treated (Picture 13). Discussion CFTs stand out as the most prevalent musculoskeletal abnormality in neonatal calves (Sato et al. 2020). It is crucial to acknowledge that, in severe cases among calves, the absence of treatment can lead to serious skin injuries on the limbs. This increases the risk of suppurative arthritis and the rupture of the digital extensor tendon, resulting in feeding difficulties for the calves. Unfortunately, most cases could end in the sacrifice of the calf. Consequently, providing some form of treatment to these animals is important. Tendons play an important role in an animal’s musculoskeletal system, serving as conduits for energy transmission, distribution, and expression in the form of movements. While a simple tenotomy has proven successful in resolving MPFDs from CFTs (Sato et al. 2020, Ravikanth et al. 2021), it may result in excessive limb relaxation. Thus, in the author’s perspective, preserving partially the integrity of tendons, load-bearing structures that transmit forces from muscle to bone, could yield better outcomes. Tendons may heal over weeks or months, potentially reuniting by fibroplasia (Anderson et al. 2008). However, it is crucial to note that tendons may not fully regain their original strength. Initiating treatment promptly after recognition is essential for better outcomes, depending on the severity of the condition (Anderson et al. 2008). In cases where conservative treatments prove ineffective, surgical correction becomes the preferred method. Therefore, choosing surgical resolutions would avoid delays associated with the bandaging and casting, potentially enhancing the overall success of the case, shorting the recovery period of the calf, and resulting in faster growth post-treatment. Picture 8 Picture 9 Picture 10 Picture 11 Picture 12 Picture 13

References Anderson, D. E., Desrochers, A., and St. Jean, G. (2008) ‘Management of Tendon Disorders in Cattle’ Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice. 24(3), pp:551-566. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cvfa.2008.07.008 Fazili, M.R., Bhattacharyya, H.K., UR Mir, M., Hafiz, A. and Tufani, N.A. (2014). ‘Prevalence and effect of oxytetracycline on congenital fetlock knuckling in neonatal dairy calves.’ Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. 81(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v81i1.710 Madison, J. B., Garber, J. L., Rice, B., Stumf, A. J., Zimmer, A. E. and Ott, E. A. (1994). ‘Effect of oxytetracycline on metacarpophalangeal and distal interphalangeal joint angle in newborn foals.’ Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 204(2), pp 246–249. Available at: https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8144385/ Ravikanth, J., Bala Mounika, R., and Prudhvi Reddy, S.V. (2021) ‘Surgical Management of Congenital Flexor Tendon Deformity in Punganur calves.’ Intas Polivet, 22,(1). Available at: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/ A735635007/AONE?u=livuni&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=257b8eb7 Sato, A., Kato, T., and Tajima, M. (2020) ‘Flexor tendon transection and post-surgical external fixation in calves affected by severe metacarpophalangeal flexural deformity’ Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. 82(10), pp: 1480-1483. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1292/ jvms.20-0057 See Your Case Here The aim of Cattle Cases is to present clinical scenarios which are encountered in farm practice, and we especially welcome submissions from our members, especially those working in farm practice. You might take a problem orientated approach to a challenging diagnosis, present a treatment or surgical dilemma, or focus on one aspect of a complicated case. If you have a case that you think will make a good article then please email Editor@bcva. co.uk for the guidelines. About the author Ruben Vines graduated from the University Cardenal Herrera Valencia (Spain) in 2014. After several years working in different roles related to veterinary medicine, he joined as a farm veterinarian at The Oak Veterinary Group in 2021. He has a particular interest in fertility, lameness, herd health management, and advanced surgery. Disclaimer BCVA is printing this case study in Cattle Quarterly with the author to demonstrate an example of a particular case or cases as seen in practice. It is not a statement of BCVA policy or guidance on diagnosis or treatment. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by BCVA. Readers are advised to follow the principles of evidence based veterinary medicine and use their clinical judgement on how best to manage cases under their care. CATTLE CASE 12 CATTLE QUARTERLY Conclusion Although CFTs remain one of the most prevalent congenital abnormalities affecting neonatal dairy calves, those with MPFDs presented early for treatment typically report successful outcomes. However, few studies exist on this topic, and further research is needed to evaluate outcomes, growth rates, and make comparisons between different treatment techniques. This case report presents a successful outcome, of a surgical resolution of CFTs using Z-tenotomy, tenorrhaphy and immobilisation, with the calf exhibiting normal locomotion and growth rate. The procedure is reasonably straightforward to follow and can be completed in a short period of time. Acknowledgment The author expresses his gratitude to Alexandra Ruiz from The Oak Veterinary Group - IVC, for her invaluable collaboration in this case. Special thanks are extended to my client for placing trust in the author’s expertise and for providing the opportunity to learn and develop the techniques employed in this case.

CATTLE QUARTERLY 13 VET PEOPLE A Passionate President Now halfway into her term as RCVS President, Susan Paterson shares how she got here, her personal passions, and her hopes for the future of our profession When Susan Paterson became RCVS President in July 2023, she suggested that we need to do some mythbusting about the real requirements needed to be a vet. She said, “There is no doubt you do need to have good A levels to study veterinary medicine but, beyond that, bright students from any background can join our profession.” This is perhaps not a surprising perspective from someone who faced their own challenges fulfilling their veterinary dream – and explains a passion for genuine inclusivity in the profession she is proud to belong to. Q: Tell us about your early ambitions to be a vet – and how that almost didn’t happen . A: I am from a widening participation background, brought up principally by my mum as my father died when I was 11. I was fortunate enough to go to my local grammar school where my teachers spent most of my final two years telling me that I wasn’t clever enough to be a veterinary surgeon and I should consider an alternative career. Despite this, I applied for Liverpool vet school and was given the typical offer at the time of two A’s and a B at A level. Whilst I made the grade in biology and chemistry, unfortunately my physics result was not good enough to get a place in Liverpool. So, ironically, although I won some of the science prizes at school, I didn’t make the vet school grades. My school careers advisors continued to talk me out of applying but I elected to stay on at school for a further year to retake my physics, during which time I was fortunate enough to be given an offer by Cambridge after sitting their entrance exam. Cambridge was the only school that gave me an offer and, as I was desperate to do veterinary science, I accepted. After accepting my offer for Cambridge in the January, I left school and spent 6 months milking cows on the Duke of Westminster estate in Chester, which was an amazing experience, gave me huge confidence around cattle and made me determined to be a production animal vet. Q: What would you say are the main differences to those entering the profession now to when you graduated? And what advice would you give to new vets? A: My teachers at school were right when they said I wasn’t highly intelligent, I was bright but not a genius and had to work really hard to get my grades. Many of my classmates at school had private tutors to help them get their grades, that was never a luxury my family could afford. Academically the undergraduates of today would run rings around me. I would never have been an A star student, and I am not sure I would ever have been offered a place today. It was very much a matter of make the grades or look elsewhere but, of course, that was 40 years ago. That is why it is so important that the UK vet schools are encouraging students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those who perhaps have less support educationally. The ability to give contextualised offers to committed, determined students who have that passion to be a veterinary surgeon is really helping to make us more inclusive as a profession. It is also gratifying to see our professions becoming increasingly culturally diverse as well. Although there was a fairly even gender split on my course, there were no people of colour. When I go to graduations now, it is great to see how that has changed - the profession is becoming more reflective of general society. For new graduates, it is important to recognise that your degree is a passport to a wide range of different career options. I only ever considered clinical practice when I qualified, but there are so many other options available with a veterinary science degree now. Careers advice at the schools through tutors and careers fayres is now well developed and far better than when I was at vet school.

14 CATTLE QUARTERLY VET PEOPLE As a new graduate, I had very little support in practice but the VetGDP now provides that structured new graduate training and support through a mentorship that I would have found invaluable. I can remember sleepless nights knowing I had to go and do a fat labrador bitch spay the next morning by myself. Q: BCVA is really keen to encourage vet students to choose farm – vet students from all backgrounds – and so when you were quoted in a recent feature about your experience working on farm, some people voiced concern about how that was presented, do you want to tell us here about that experience and clarify how and why you made the move from mixed practice to focus mostly on companion animal medicine ? A: All my EMS was split between Manchester and Devon. Manchester because I could live at home and commute to a range of local practices on my bike. Devon because my working boyfriend could support me whilst I spent time in large animal practices on Exmoor which I loved. In total, I worked in four production animal practices in Devon and Somerset and got to see a wide range of different practice set ups and caseloads. It gave me a real feel for the professionalism and tenacity of vets working in the production animal field whilst recognising the immense pressure they are under and some of the difficulties they encounter. Naively, when the boss of one of the mixed practices in Devon phoned me and offered me a job after graduation, I accepted immediately, because I had enjoyed my time spent in mixed animal practice so much, without asking all the sort of questions you should do like salary, holidays etc. So, for the first few years of my working life I was in mixed practice and loved the routine of a small animal morning surgery before jumping in the car with my dogs to go out on the farm visits all day before returning for evening surgery. Life changed though, when I went to a local regional BSAVA meeting given by a gifted and inspirational American veterinary dermatology speaker called Danny Scott. He talked about pustules, crusts and furuncles and that was it. Having not seen a lot of dermatology at vet school and having done EMS in some less progressive small animal clinics who thought that all alopecic cats were progestogen deficient, and that canine skin disease would respond to an injection of pen/strep and bets, I changed tract completely. Realising my case load in production animal practice didn’t have enough companion content to pursue a certificate in small animal veterinary dermatology, I moved back to Manchester to companion animal practice and to the PDSA to study for my RCVS small animal dermatology certificate. Q: How can we inform the public conversation and perception, so that we see a wider variety of backgrounds coming into the profession? A: Part of the regulatory function of the RCVS is the accreditation of the UK vet schools. Under the new RCVS Accreditation standards (2023) “All schools must actively promote and maintain a culture that does not discriminate and enhances diversity consistent with applicable law. Diversity may include but is not limited to race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, cultural and socioeconomic background, national origin and disability”. The scaffolding is therefore in place to support and monitor all UK schools who actively recruit to admit a diverse student body. However, there is so much misinformation around a career in veterinary medicine. I firmly believe that one of the biggest blocks to application to vet schools is the pre-existing misconceptions and myths which are perpetuated through lack of knowledge by parents, carers, teachers and careers advisors. Whilst the work of production animal vets is particularly poorly understood, it is not just this sector that is misrepresented. These misconceptions are being broken down by people like Animal Aspirations, through the recent work of the RCVS Fellowship to engage with schools and through the work of Vet Team in a Box (VTIB).

VET PEOPLE CATTLE QUARTERLY 15 Animal Aspirations are vet students from diverse backgrounds who go into local schools to do workshops and provide resources to school children. VTIB’s pioneering work through the vet schools widening participation network has designed a science lesson based around a production animal vet, problem solving on a dairy farm. This lesson, hosted and distributed by Loughborough University, is freely available to secondary schools to help promote the work of our cattle vets and has already been taken up by schools in areas of the country such as inner cities that traditionally have never encouraged a career in veterinary medicine. VTIB is starting work on its second and third boxes to go out to primary school children. I am doing everything I can to support the important work of all these groups. However, whilst getting resources and people into schools is important, the critical part of the jigsaw is the careers resources that need to be in place for follow-up, to provide appropriate reassurance to prospective students and their families that we are a profession that is welcoming to everyone, including those who are neurodiverse, BAME, LGBTQ+, Muslim etc. This is where the RCVS, BVA and its associations can provide up-to-date, relevant careers resources linked to the admission criteria produced by the vet schools to encourage application from a wide range of backgrounds. Recruitment into the profession also features strongly in the RCVS workforce action, where a key ambition is to raise awareness of the wide diversity of career pathways available to clinical and non-clinical roles. Another ambition is to showcase RCVS led work such as the Mind Matters work which provides support to the veterinary team including our production animal vets, as well as sign posting to great work from other associations such as BCVA. Q: What made you get involved in the veterinary profession’s various associations outside of practice life? A: I am still immensely proud, almost 40 years post qualification, to call myself a vet. Veterinary medicine has provided me with a long and fulfilling career. I am passionate about animal health and welfare and my clinical work and voluntary work has given me the opportunity, I hope, to improve the lives of thousands of animals and their owners. My involvement outside clinical practice started with BSAVA where I was actively involved for 12 years after my children became independent and I could spend more time away from home, becoming President in 2019/20. Other previous veterinary volunteering I have undertaken has been with European Society of Veterinary Dermatology (ESVD) as a board member for 10 years including ESVD President for 4 years. Currently I am a veterinary trustee of Battersea’s dogs and cat’s home and the President of World Association of Veterinary Dermatology (WAVD). Volunteering is hugely rewarding and is an opportunity to make a difference by giving back to the professions and to the sector more widely. Of all the work I have done outside of clinical practice, my time at the RCVS has been some of the most gratifying. Most people only recognise RCVS activities through the disciplinary and accreditation work under the 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act (VSA), but the RCVS is far more than that. Recent work that the RCVS has undertaken around sustainability, mental health, EDI, practice standards scheme updates, and VetGDP support for new graduates has had, and will continue to have, a positive effect on our professions.

16 CATTLE QUARTERLY VET PEOPLE However, the RCVS needs input from all arms of the profession - constructive engagement is really important and the best way to voice your opinion and change things it to get involved rather than shouting from the side lines. On a personal basis, I would love to see a production animal vet on RCVS Council. Q: You’ve talked in the past about sustainable agriculture and the impact our profession can make on the climate crisis. Can you tell us about what you see as the immediate opportunities that exist for us and how the private farm vet and practice can make a difference? A: The RCVS is the sole veterinary representative on UKHACC (UK Health Alliance on Climate Change) - an organisation that represents more than a million health professionals. I sit on UKHACC for the RCVS. Although we are outnumbered by our medical colleagues, the RCVS has worked hard to ensure that the veterinary voice is heard, particularly when it comes to sustainable food production. UKHACC is launching three working groups early in 2024 on fossil fuels, health systems and the food system and sustainable diets. The RCVS will sit on the third group to help develop policy for the medical professions that includes eating a balanced diet that is not necessarily vegan or vegetarian, but contains small quantities of high welfare, local, sustainable meat and fish. Vet Sustain have developed some fantastic courses for production animal vets. I took part in one of the first carbon literacy courses they ran in conjunction with the BVA at the end of 2022 and I note they now have courses on “Livestock and climate change a veterinary perspective”, and one on “A veterinary approach to sustainable food and farming “. Armed with the resources that these types of courses deliver production animal vets are able to provide advice and support to farmers and also to the wider community. Vets are great communicators. I know lots of vets go into schools for careers evenings, but I would love to see vets more involved in delivering educational content. This might be linked to VTIB or through some of the amazing work that people like the team at the Dung beetles for farmers initiative, which offers visits to companies, farm clusters and educational establishments that includes running practical classes to educate children about dung beetles and the impact of pharmaceuticals in the environment. If you haven’t already, check out the website https://www. dungbeetlesforfarmers.co.uk/. Q: Can you talk about the RCVS implementation of its Under Care guidance, how you think farm vets will manage some of the challenges that this presents – and how RCVS can support them in that? A: The new guidance protects production animal vets by insisting that where a veterinary surgeon takes animals under their care and prescribes POM-V medications they must be able to provide 24-hour in-person care. This is further supported by the guidance around mutual clients which has not changed. Production animal veterinary surgeons cannot prescribe POM-V drugs to clients without having the facilities to provide that 24-hour cover. The RCVS will support veterinary surgeons whose work is impacted by colleagues who provide a service and POM-Vs without that cover but cannot provide that support without appropriate evidence to show that this is happening. I would encourage veterinary surgeons to contact the College if they feel that there are fellow professionals working outside of the guidance. It should be possible to see partnerships developing between veterinary surgeons offering more specialist services and a farmer’s primary care veterinary surgeon, where the two work together to provide service and POM-Vs with the full knowledge of each other. In these situations, the ability of the primary care vet to provide 24-hour cover would be recognised and potentially rewarded by a colleague whose remote consultancy can only work under the new guidance through the support of the local practice.

VET PEOPLE CATTLE QUARTERLY 17 Q: There’s concern across the profession about attrition rates. Can you tell us about your new project to enhance veterinary clinical career pathways to expand and diversify the career options available to the profession – and how these fits in with the Workforce Action Plan? A: The Workforce Action Plan highlights ambitions around recruitment, retention, and the return of those who have left clinical practice. The ambitions that particularly apply to retention include: 1. Shaping leaders at all levels which includes encouraging inclusive everyday leadership in all aspects of the professions. 2. Confidence, culture and recognition within the professions to create an environment for the whole veterinary team to thrive. 3. Greater responsibility for veterinary nurses to develop clear career pathways to enhance and support the work of the veterinary team. 4. General practice as a chosen pathway. A considerable amount of work has already been undertaken exploring the need to have more clearly defined career pathways within general practice through profession facing surveys, stakeholder and focus groups. As a result of that work, three working groups are to be formed. The first will consider the creation of a pathway to become a specialist in general practice. The second will look at the advanced practitioner qualification to see how this status can best be communicated to the profession and the public. The third group will consider the possibility of an alternate pathway to clinical specialism from general practice. Our hope is that by ensuring the work of the general practitioner is truly valued and distinct career pathways are available in general practice for those that want to pursue them, that we can improve retention by making general practice an even more fulfilling place to work. Q: This year saw the first person with refugee status successfully pass the RCVS Statutory Examination for Membership (‘the STAT exam’) – which must be undertaken by those who hold veterinary degrees not recognised by the RCVS if they want to join the Register and practise in the UK. That must have been an important milestone for all those involved. BCVA is joining other associations in offering free membership to refugees undertaking this process. How is this initiative going? A: It really was quite a proud moment to be able to welcome that person to the Register last year. Sadly, there are quite a few refugees who have registered to sit the STAT exam. One of the innovations developed during Covid was the ability to provide proctored remote examination for candidates so they no longer needed to come to the UK to sit the written part of the examination. This has helped more people to come forward to enrol. The UK vet schools generously allow the RCVS to use some of their final year questions for the STAT exam, which means anyone passing the STAT exam has attained the same level of competency as a new graduate in the UK, making them just as employable. As veterinary surgeons, we are omnicompetent which means candidates must pass each of the three parts of the examination in companion, equine and production animals. Many candidates, especially those who have been qualified from a non-accredited school for a while and come from a companion animal background struggle with the production animal component of the examination, so support to spend time with a production animal vet in the lead up to their OSCEs is invaluable. Q: Finally, you have six months left in office, what are you most proud of with regards to our profession, the RCVS, your time in office, and what comes next for you? A: Members of our professions, whichever field they are in, are driven by a strong desire to improve animal health and welfare - I have never met a vet or RVN who is not passionate about doing that. I would very much like people to recognise that whilst the RCVS empowered by the Veterinary Surgeons Act (VSA) is our regulator, as a Royal College it is working tirelessly to make sure the veterinary voice is heard, whether that is through our work in UKHACC, or through working with stakeholders to improve animal welfare, or lobbying MPs to get parliamentary time for a new VSA which we desperately need to implement compulsory practices standards, regulate para-professionals, and empower our amazing veterinary nurses. My hope is that by the end of my year we have raised awareness through the provision of careers material and school facing events that veterinary medicine is a career that is welcoming to everyone. What comes next? I have just ordered my first beehive, having been a member of my local bee keeping club for many years and, despite attending numerous courses, I have not been brave enough to get bees until now. My first queen should arrive in March.

AHWP 18 CATTLE QUARTERLY The Pathway and Pigs Mandy Nevel and Gemma Thwaites offer this invaluable guide to blood sampling pigs for the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway Before we start on the blood sampling, the opportunity to spread the word (not the disease) about African Swine Fever (ASF) cannot be missed by Pig Veterinary Society. ASF is currently the greatest risk to the UK pig industry. It is spreading around Europe rapidly, mostly by humans taking infected pork products as they travel. Discarded waste then gets eaten by a pig; wild or feral or pet pigs are most likely to eat contaminated pork, but all pigs are at risk. A priority for pig producers is to address any biosecurity risks and keep the disease out. Feeding of kitchen waste is illegal and this should be highlighted especially to small scale producers who may be less aware of the risks involved. If you are involved in a Pathway visit, please use the opportunity to raise awareness and identify and address biosecurity risks. Vaccination is widespread, but the aim is to stabilise a herd rather than remove the virus. PRRS has been identified as the priority disease for the Defra pathway and the industry is working towards national control of the disease. Understanding farm status is the first step to control so the primary purpose of the initial pathway visit is to ascertain if the unit is PRRS positive or negative. The best way of doing this is from a blood test. Vets who work primarily with pigs are well experienced to take samples, but vets who only take samples from pigs occasionally, may find the experience slightly stressful. Pig Veterinary Society, in conjunction with AHDB, have produced some resources that are freely available and give some good tips for blood sampling pigs. For pigs over 13 weeks of age, there is a fact sheet with guidance and there is a video of blood sampling in younger pigs (Annual Health and Welfare Review: Blood sampling guidance for pigs over 13 weeks of age | AHDB and Annual Health and Welfare Review: Blood sampling guidance for piglets under 13 weeks of age (see this on youtube. com). In addition, there is a video presentation outlining tips and guidance for vets less familiar with pigs and issues in the pig industry that can be accessed to help plan the review. Annual Health and Welfare Review: resources for vets | AHDB The video provides a useful overview for all vets, but has been primarily produced for vets who do not work exclusively with pigs. It gives suggestions of topics to cover on the review – these have been identified by PVS as the topics that every pig farmer should be discussing with their vet. Producers that have 51 or more pigs are eligible for a review visit as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. (Animal Health and Welfare Pathway - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The current payment for this visit is £684. For the review, the vet must blood sample 30 pigs. The type of pigs suitable for blood sampling is described in more detail in the AHDB advice slides. In herds of unknown status that are not vaccinating the oldest growing pigs would usually be chosen for an ELISA. Bloods can be sent for ELISA or PCR, in an unvaccinated herd the ELISA is likely to be the most suitable. For both tests a plain blood sample is required. Blood sampling Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) commonly known as Blue Ear, is considered one of the most important diseases in the UK pig production system. PRRS is an RNA virus and as such is complicated to control and monitor. Disease is common; it can be severe and it can also be immunosuppressive with the knock on of other diseases being exacerbated.

AHWP CATTLE QUARTERLY 19 Blood sampling of pigs can be very challenging due to both restraining the pig and accessibility of the veins. There are various ways to blood sample pigs but the most commonly used is using the jugular vein and that is what will be described here. Pigs that are being restrained make LOTS of noise and ear defenders should be worn. Equipment needed • Ear defenders • Snare/snatch and pig boards • Gloves • Needles 1”-2” 18-21G • Vacutainers/syringes • Surgical spirit and cotton wool • Sharps bin • Pen for labelling tubes • Laboratory submission form • Stock marker Larger pigs Note: Larger pigs including adults approx. >30kg (can be used for smaller pigs also if unable to lift them). If the pig is too large to lift then a wire snare can be used to restrain the pig in a standing position. This fits over the upper jaw behind the corner incisor teeth. It is very important to ensure that the snare is over these teeth as otherwise it is likely to slip off the nose. The pig will naturally pull back against the snare and the handler can use their weight to counterbalance the weight of the pig. The handler can then raise the head of the pig to extend the neck. If the snare is used in pigs that are too light (<15kg) they are able to move around and cannot be sampled. In such cases a cradle technique is more suitable – see later. 21G-18G 1inch-1.5inch needles are suitable depending on the size for finishing pigs and 2inch needles may be required for large sows/boars as the jugular vein can be very deep. The sampler should stand or kneel next to the pig – be aware of health and safety at all times. Note: this positioning could be improved with the front legs more square Note: ear defenders should be worn Neck of the pig – transverse section

About the Authors Gemma Thwaites is a fulltime pig practitioner working for Garth Pig Practice. She is the current Senior Vice President of the Pig Veterinary Society. Mandy Nevel is a vet and Head of Animal Health and Welfare at AHDB. She has a PhD in sow physiology and has over 15 years’ experience in research focussing on disease and welfare of farmed livestock. Mandy is Honorary Secretary of the Pig Veterinary Society. 20 CATTLE QUARTERLY AHWP The jugular groove can be located on either side of the trachea. NOTE the jugular is not visible or palpable in the pig even if attempts are made to raise it. The needle should be inserted perpendicular to the skin at the deepest point of the jugular groove between the medial sternocephalic and lateral brachiocephalic muscles. The needle should be directed slightly towards the midline. If venepuncture is not achieved reposition using a gentle ‘jabbing’ motion towards the midline. Do not lose the vacuum if using a vacutainer. Release the pig as soon as the sampling is completed. Top Tips • Pigs are inquisitive and will often chew on the snare if you hold it near them which makes catching them much easier. • The pigs will make a lot of noise when restrained – ear defenders are important! • Ensure the pig is straight, it can be helpful to position along a wall. • Have the front legs positioned squarely and not in front of the shoulder. • Ensure the pigs weight remains on the floor as if the neck is too tense it makes sampling more difficult. • The deepest point of the jugular can usually be seen and is around 1/3 of the way up from shoulder to the angle of the jaw. • In larger pigs the wall of the vein can be quite tough and may require a little force to puncture. Confidence is required because if the needle is inserted very gently it will bounce off the vein wall. • Ensure you mark the pig to show it has been sampled. Smaller pigs Note: Smaller Pigs (as mentioned previously, the video on how to blood sample smaller pigs should be watched if you are unfamiliar with the technique) https://youtu.be/ vNGIpmfkyQo Restrain the pig in dorsal recumbency – a straw bale can be used. Pull the front legs back and the head down. This can also be done on the lap of someone sitting but ensure the back of the pig is horizontal not angled downwards. It is important to ensure that the pig is not held on an angle with its head down as the pig may regurgitate and aspirate. A smaller needle – 21G 1 inch in small pigs should be used and inserted as described above to sample from the jugular. It is also possible to sample from the cranial vena cava by inserting the needle at a 45 degree angle cranial to the sternum a little lateral and to the right of the midline towards the thoracic inlet. This technique is more risky and has a higher chance of haemorrhage. It should be noted that if very small pigs are sampled there is a risk that a vessel can be damaged and the pig develop a haematoma that may occlude the flow of oxygen. Correct restraint of the piglet is very important. Pressure should be applied to the sampling site until blood flow has stopped. Laboratory Submission Form There is a specific submission form which should be used when submitting samples to the laboratory for the pathway and this can be downloaded from the guidance notes.

References: 1. Diaz-Reval M.I. et al. 2004. Evidence for a central mechanism of action of S-(+)-ketoprofen. European J. Pharmacology. 483: 241-248. • 2. Netter P et al. 1985. Diffusion of intramuscular ketoprofen into the cerebrospinal fluid. European J. Clinical Pharmacology. 26: 319-321. • 3. Whay H.R., Webster A.J.F., Waterman-Patterson A.E. 2005. Role of ketoprofen in the modulation of hyperalgesia associated with lameness in dairy cattle. Vet. Record. 157: 729-733. • 4. Landoni M. and Lees P. 1995 Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ketoprofen enantiomers in calves. Chirality 7(8):586-97 • 5. Kasiora K, Anagnostopoulos A, Bedford C,Menka T, Barden M, Griffiths BE, et al. Evaluation of the use of ketoprofen for the treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cattle: A randomised, positive controlled, clinical trial. Vet Rec. 2021;e977. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.977 Ketofen® 10% solution for injection for horses, cattle and pigs contains 100 mg ketoprofen per ml. Legal Category: UK POM-V Further information is available from the product SPC, data sheet or pack insert. Use medicines responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible) Ceva Animal Health Ltd, Explorer House, Mercury Park, Wycombe Lane Wooburn Green, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP10 0HH 01628 334 056 www.ceva.co.uk Ketofen® Powerful NSAID1,2,3 Fast acting Udder oedema after calving Hi-tech CLAS vial No milk withdrawal Pain associated with lameness Long acting up to 40 hours 40h 4 Post calving paresis Break the pain Thanks to its central and peripheral mode of action1 , Ketofen offers great pain relief to support welfare and productivity. A recent study5 concluded that in dairy cows, the addition of Ketofen 10% to protocols for the treatment of pain and lameness associated with digital dermatitis, could be beneficial for animal welfare and productivity. KET18AD

HEALTHY FEET 22 CATTLE QUARTERLY Genetics and Cattle Lameness Prof George Oikonomou, and Dr James P Wilson talk about the next steps for success in the treatments of cattle lameness, and call for support in helping farmers understand the importance of data sharing Genetic selection alone will not fully address the issue of dairy cattle lameness as environmental effects, including housing and foot trimming practices for instance, have a strong influence on herd lameness prevalence. However, genetic selection can complement efforts to decrease lameness prevalence through improved management and may have a more important role to play than previously thought. Background In collaboration with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the Royal Veterinary College, the University of Liverpool has recently conducted a large-scale study on the genetics of cattle lameness. 2,352 Holstein cows were enrolled on four dairy farms and subsequently assessed at four stages of a lactation cycle. At each stage, feet were inspected by a veterinary surgeon and all foot lesions were recorded and scored according to severity. Cows were genotyped and genetic indexes were assigned to each cow following national genetic evaluations. Combining data from all stages indicated that the heritability of the susceptibility to sole haemorrhages, sole ulcers, and white line lesions was 0.29, 0.35 and 0.10, respectively. Initial analyses on digital dermatitis suggest heritability estimates greater than 0.30. Our research clearly highlighted the role of genetics in lameness susceptibility and the importance of accurate phenotyping. The same dataset was also used to evaluate the current performance of Lameness Advantage (UK lameness genetic evaluation) and the results were very promising. Higher Lameness Advantage index (better lameness genetics) was associated with significant decrease in sole haemorrhage, sole ulcer, white line disease, and lameness incidence. Similar associations were observed between the digital dermatitis genetic index and actual incidence of digital dermatitis.

HEALTHY FEET CATTLE QUARTERLY 23 Where we are At present, the UK evaluations for lameness traits are based on information provided by milk recording organisations, which (by the very nature of their contracted work), won’t collate the same volume of information on hoof health that a contracted hoof trimmer would. Effectiveness of the Lameness Advantage and digital dermatitis indexes will increase if farm lesion records improve and foot-trimming records include all lesions and are recorded on-farm software. A Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) project being led at the University of Liverpool, alongside SRUC and The University of Nottingham is aiming to further develop our genetic evaluations of lameness traits using hoof trimmer recordings. You may remember in the Spring 2022 edition of CQ – Cattle Quarterly, we wrote describing a sixmonth long project to collate hoof trimmer records together from a range of sources. We have now secured funding to develop this lameness database into a more comprehensive, and wideranging source of information from which the AHDB’s Lameness Advantage and digital dermatitis indexes can be better grounded. The 2022 project resulted in approximately 100 farms signing consent forms and great engagement from the hoof trimmers. This project also identified challenges with gaining farmer consent, despite farmer’s being positively engaged and interested in the project at events held throughout the country and online. Over the next few years, we are really working to develop our engagement with the farmers who are collating this valuable data to ensure we have maximum reach with regards to gaining informed data sharing consent.

What you can do to get involved We are asking farmers, hoof trimmers and vets to get involved with the discussion around this project. If every vet who reads this article in Cattle Quarterly could engage one of their farms with the project, it would give us a real footing to develop a much more powerful tool for the betterment of cattle UK-wide. The below QR codes will direct you to our online consent forms for All4Feet, UNIFORM-Agri, and VetImpress. All you have to do is open your camera app and hover it over the QR code for the recording system you use for hoof health, if you then tap on the notification that appears, it will direct you to our consent forms. We would really appreciate vets taking these QR codes to farmers, to help get as far a reach as possible. We openly encourage contact from anyone interested by emailing us at [email protected] or [email protected], we will happily provide further study details and consent forms as required, alongside chat about any other aspects of the project. 24 CATTLE QUARTERLY HEALTHY FEET The way ahead We will continue to work with our industry partners All4Feet, VetIMPRESS, Uniform Agri, The National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers (NACFT), the Cattle Hoof Care Standards Board (CHCSB), and milk recording organisations to gain the consent of the farmer, and the hoof trimmer in order to access this detailed hoof health data. The more farms, and the more cows we can include in this database, the stronger the foundations of the genetic evaluations will be. By highlighting the importance of this data, we hope that it can also be put to good use. If farmers understand their main lameness causing lesions, the presence of seasonality in lameness prevalence, or even ‘at risk’ groups of cows, then profitable, and positive change can be delivered to reduce lameness incidence on farm. For this to happen, there needs to be a degree of integration with other sources of data (for example, importing All4Feet records into Uniform’s dashboard), and also a strong element of teamwork amongst the farmer, hoof trimmer, and vet to deliver consistent results.

Available 24/7, 365 Confi dential, non-judgmental listening service Contact via phone* or email For mental health and wellbeing Team of experienced professionals Referrals made through Vetlife Helpline Emergency fi nancial assistance and monthly grants Professional benefi ts advice Access to free CPD 0303 040 2551 Vetlife 24/7 Helpline Vetlifecharity @VetlifeUK @VetlifeUK Find out more about the independent and confi dential help that Vetlife provides to everyone in the veterinary community at www.vetlife.org.uk Anonymous email via website www.vetlife.org.uk Vetlife is a working name of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund which is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee, Company Registration Number 153010 (England and Wales) Charity Registration Number 224776. * Normal landline rate applies.

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BCVA CPD Diary 2024 More information about all BCVA courses can be found in the CPD section at www.bcva.org.uk - and you can also email [email protected] for more details. All information is correct at the time of going to print, but please visit the website regularly, as courses are often added to the programme as the opportunities arise. Also, remember that as a BCVA member you have additional, free online CPD in the form of CattleCasts and the Webinar Library. cut out and pin up FEBRUARY Mobility Mentor Training - Part One (Online) Owen Atkinson Members: £216 Non-Members: £264 19/03/24 MARCH OCTOBER MilkSure for Vets (Online) Owen Atkinson Members: £180 Non-Members: £240 21/03/24 BCVA Masterclass: Cow Comfort and Housing Assessment and Design (Online) Nigel Cook Members: £396 Non-Members: £492 15/02/24 and 29/02/24 BCVA Masterclass: The oestrus cycle and how and when it can be manipulated (Online) Mark Crowe Members: £396 Non-Members: £492 04/09/24 and 11/09/24 Mobility Mentor Training - Part One (Online) Owen Atkinson Members: £216 Non-Members: £264 31/10/24 SEPTEMBER Mobility Mentor Training - Part Two (South) Nick Bell Members: £350 Non-Members: £410 24/04/24 APRIL JUNE Mobility Mentor Training - Part One (Extended) (Cheshire) Owen Atkinson and Nick Bell Members: £500 Non-Members: £630 18/06/24 and 19/06/24 NOVEMBER Mobility Mentor Training - Part Two (North) Owen Atkinson Members: £350 Non-Members: £410 28/11/24 Medicines Bitesize (Mastitis - Lactating cow) Jude Roberts Members: £84 Non-Members: £102 08/05/24 MAY Medicines Bitesize (Mastitis - Dry cow) Jude Roberts Members: £84 Non-Members: £102 15/05/24 Medicines Bitesize (Fertility) Jude Roberts Members: £84 Non-Members: £102 22/05/24 Medicines Bitesize (BRD) Jude Roberts Members: £84 Non-Members: £102 26/06/24 JULY Medicines Bitesize (Scouring Animal) Jude Roberts Members: £84 Non-Members: £102 03/07/24 Medicines Bitesize (The Sick Cow) Jude Roberts Members: £84 Non-Members: £102 10/07/24 BCVA Masterclass: The oestrus cycle and how and when it can be manipulated (Online) Mark Crowe Members: £396 Non-Members: £492 17/10/24 and 19/10/24

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