November 2025
Fluke
Although this year was quite dry we would recommend keeping fluke on your radar. Liver fluke (Fasciola heptatica) is a parasite that prefers wet, poorly drained
grazing areas. Fluke is a trematode parasite with a different, more complex lifecycle to other parasites seen on pasture, it relies on an intermediate snail host and it takes 10-12 weeks.
Fluke can clinically present in two different ways:
1. Acute fasciolosis, seen in late summer or autumn, caused by the immature fluke migrating through the liver, this can present as:
• Sudden death
• Weakness
• Anaemia
2. Chronic fasciolosis, seen in winter or spring, caused by the adult fluke living in the bile ducts, this can present as:
• Loss of condition or lack of weight gain
• Bottle jaw (swelling under the jaw)
• Anaemia
• Low milk yield and poor fertility
• Liver condemnations at slaughter
If you are worried about fluke on your farm please speak to one of our vets for advice on diagnostics and treatment.
Scanning
We are heading into the time of year once again where you get the sheep scanner out, we are already hearing reports of drops in scanning percentage. Low scanning percentage can be due to many factors including infectious disease, trace element deficiencies, fertility problems of the tup or ewes. If you are concerned with your scanning percentage, please get in touch to speak with one of our vets.
Respiratory disease testing and vaccination
As temperatures fluctuate and management practices change autumn is a high-risk time of year for cattle developing pneumonia. The common infectious causes of pneumonia seen on farms include:
Viruses -
• Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV)
• Parainfluenza-3 virus (PI3)
• Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)
• Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVD)
Bacteria -
• Mannheimia haemolytica (pasturellosis)
• Histophilus somni
• Mycoplasma bovis
Often outbreaks of pneumonia are a mixed infection with a primary viral cause and secondary bacterial invasion. This year we are offering subsidised respiratory disease diagnostic testing (for your usual visit charge) so you can discover what pathogens are present on your farm to guide vaccination.
Please note that our funding pot is limited and the visit, vet time and consumables are still chargeable.
If this is something you are interested in please get in touch to speak to one of our vets.
Marches Farm Vets go to the races
On Thursday the 6th of November Mel and Richard caught a race to show our support of farmers race day at Ludlow Racecourse— great to see our sign up by the track.
TB testing
Just a reminder that we offer government funded TB testing, switching over to us is as simple as contacting UK Farmcare on 0800 6125289 to request to change to Marches Farm Vets. They will send you a form to fill out and send back.