NEW SWINE MOVEMENT RULES

We know that most of you are not involved with producing pigs anymore, but these new rules affect movement of all domestic swine, even those kept as pets. The new rules will go into effect on February 1^st.

Commercial swine entering Wisconsin from a farm must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) that includes individual official ID, such as USDA eartag, RFID tag, unique tattoo or microchip (pet pigs), and address information. If pigs weigh under 80 lbs, a state issued tag or tattoo of premise is sufficient.

No import permit is required if herd of origin has negative test for PRRS Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus) and SECD (Swine Enteric coronavirus Diseases) within 90 days prior to import. An import permit is required if herd of origin was not tested or tested positive. The import permit includes plans for imported pigs to be quarantined and tested.

Pigs entering Wisconsin for a fair or show will need CVI and herd of origin testing. Pigs moving WITHIN Wisconsin for a fair or show need a CVI and testing IF it is not a terminal show.

Pigs moving WITHIN Wisconsin except for a show or slaughter must have negative herd of origin testing for PRRS and SECD within 90 days of movement. Without testing, pigs can only move to slaughter or terminal show.

Please call if you have pig questions. This is a big change. We want to help you comply with the new rules.

VFDS — A YEAR NOW

Over 130,000 VFDs (Veterinary Feed Directives) have been written since the rules went into effect 1/1/17. Now the FDA is working on answering questions and clarifying use of some products.

One of the big questions that has come up is how to use/regulate free-choice medicated feeds. These are products that contain an antibiotic, usually in a mineral mix, and are placed in feeding or grazing areas for animals to freely consume. The product is designed to feed a certain number of ounces per head per day, but animals may eat more or less.

Remember that a VFD can be written for treatment, prevention and control of diseases, but that the drug labels are very specific for dosage and duration.  No drug can be used extra-label in feed. The problem with the free choice products is that you really don’t know what dose each animal is getting each day, unlike the products that you top-dress or mix in a daily ration.  Free choice products may be eliminated because of these problems.

We need to know the weight of a group and the number of animals in order for the feed mill to fill a VFD. We can write it for the number of animals that you will be treating in the next six months, but each animal (say a weaned calf) can be treated only once.  Repeat treatments for the same group need a new VFD.

Sally has also written a VFD for bees, so keep that in mind if you need one for your hives.

Please call if you have any VFD questions.  We can help.

LOTS OF LYME DISEASE

We have been diagnosing lots of dogs with Lyme disease recently. Some of these cases are in dogs that are lame or off-feed or running a fever. Some of them are dogs that just test positive on the blood test that looks for antibodies to the Lyme disease bacteria.  Some are older dogs, some are just 6 month old puppies.

We are fortunate to find dogs when they are just at the testing positive stage and not already sick. Then the dogs can get treated with antibiotics and clear the infection from their system before it just into their joints and causes the fever, pain and lameness.  The best prevention against Lyme disease for your dog is an effective tick prevention. We recommend Advantix or the Seresto collar for tick control.

PLAN NOW FOR BREEDING SOUNDNESS EXAMS

Spring calving and summer breeding may seem like a long time away, but now is the time to be thinking about your bull inventory. All bulls should have a breeding soundness exam (BSE) every year. This exam includes a check of eyes, feet, legs, body condition, scrotal circumference, penis and internal organs as well as sperm motility and morphology. The BSE doesn’t just look for swimmers! A lot more is needed from your bulls than just sperm that can swim under the scope.

Depending on the number of bulls done at one visit, the cost of a BSE ranges from $30 to $45 per bull. The results of the BSE are recorded after the test. We have forms for individual bulls or groups depending on whether you are selling animals or keeping them for your own use.

Bulls are classified as a potential breeder or needing a retest or as a non-breeder. Sometimes bulls can recover from an injury and test OK on a retest.

Yearling bulls may not test OK the first time, but be OK later. The BSE is designed to find the non-breeders before you turn a bull out and find all the cows open this fall.  Rarely, a bull will test OK and not be a breeder. A BSE does not test libido or mating ability.

FEBRUARY IS DENTAL MONTH

If your dog or cat needs its teeth cleaned, bring it in during February and get a 10% discount along with a free goodie bag of items to help keep your furry friend’s teeth healthy. Dental health is important for a long, healthy life for your pet as well as fresh breath, preventing heart problems and infections.

We now can take dental x-rays of your pet’s teeth to check the health of the tooth roots and bone surrounding the teeth. These x-rays are just like the ones that you have done when you go to the dentist. Our goal is to save teeth and keep your pet’s teeth healthy.  Sometimes, we have to remove diseased, painful teeth, but the x-rays help us know which ones can be saved.

The most important thing you can do to keep your pet’s teeth healthy is to bring it in for an exam during dental month to see if the teeth need any cleaning or other dental work!

ZOETIS PRICES INCREASE FEB 1

Prices for most Zoetis products will increase by 2-4% starting February 1st. You can save on Zoetis products by becoming a Leader’s Edge buyer. In order to qualify, you have to purchase a minimum amount of Zoetis products, including feed additives. Then you get special lower prices on all the Zoetis products you buy. Please call and talk to Jill if you wonder if you qualify or would like to sign up. We have quite a few clients who have qualified.