Outbreak of post-parturient haemoglobinuria in an autumn calving dairy herd.

AIM: Description of factors relating to an outbreak of post-parturient haemoglobinuria in a dairy herd in New Zealand. HISTORY: Fifty cows out of 300 newly autumn calved cows, at about 3 weeks post partum, developed signs of anorexia, jaundice, anaemia, red urine, and 14 died. Many cows were severely inappetant. Others were subclinically affected, as indicated by partial inappetance. Routine haematological examinations carried out at this time revealed a profound regenerative anaemia, and serum phosphorus concentrations were markedly decreased, giving a diagnosis of post-parturient haemoglobinuria. The cows had been through a severe drought, but were in good condition. They were being fed a combination of grass, barley and a mix of fruit, vegetable cannery waste and silage. Analysis of the grass, milker mix and silage, which formed a component of the milker mix, revealed a marginally low phosphorus concentration in the silage. TREATMENT: The cows were treated by phosphorus supplementation and supportive treatment, and most eventually recovered.

Simultaneous resistance to two or more broad-spectrum anthelmintics by gastrointestinal nematode parasites of sheep and goats.

The detection, by means of faecal egg count reduction tests and larval cultures, of two cases of multiple anthelmintic resistance in goats and two in sheep, is reported. The former cases appeared to involve resistance to all three broad-spectrum drench groups (benzimidazole, levamisole, ivermectin) by mainly Ostertagia spp., the latter resistance to two of them (benzimidazole, levamisole) by Trichostrongylus spp.

Resistance to ivermectin in a field strain of Ostertagia spp. in goats.

The occurrence of a field strain of Ostertagia spp. showing a resistance to ivermectin in Angora goats is reported. In a controlled anthelmintic trial using naturally-infected goats, ivermectin at a dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg demonstrated an efficacy of 87% against this strain.

Infectious epiphysitis and valvular endocarditis in a red deer (Cervus elaphus).

A 10-month-old male red deer (Cervus elaphus) was presented with severe lameness and enlargement of the fetlock areas of both front and one hind legs. Radiographs demonstrated an epiphysitis and osteomyelitis of the distal metacarpal and metatarsal bones. Post mortem revealed pus containing Corynebacterium pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in the lesions, and an accompanying valvular endocarditis of the right atrioventricular valve.