South Burnett Livestock Vets – Fact Sheets
Helpful information and practical tips for managing the health of your horses and cattle. Click the headings below to expand and read each fact sheet.
Equine Health
Equine Dentistry
Regular dental care is essential for maintaining a horse’s comfort, performance, and overall wellbeing. Dental problems can affect chewing efficiency, body condition, behaviour, and response to the bit.
We provide balanced equine dentistry using a combination of powertools and hand instruments to ensure accurate, controlled correction of dental abnormalities. Horses are sedated to allow a thorough oral examination and safe treatment, performed in a portable equine crush where appropriate.
Routine dental examinations allow early identification of sharp enamel points, hooks, wave mouth, and other issues before they cause discomfort or performance problems. Most horses benefit from dental assessment every 6–12 months, depending on age and use.
Hendra Virus
Hendra virus is a serious disease that can be transmitted from infected horses to humans. Vaccination is the most effective way to reduce risk and protect horse owners, handlers, and veterinary staff.
Our clinic operates under a Hendra virus management policy, which includes risk assessment, appropriate biosecurity measures, and clear protocols for handling suspect cases. We are happy to discuss vaccination schedules, risk factors, and property-specific management strategies with horse owners.
Protecting human health while ensuring appropriate veterinary care for horses remains a priority.
Colic
Colic refers to abdominal pain in horses and can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening emergencies. Early veterinary assessment is critical to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.
Our approach includes clinical examination, pain assessment, and management tailored to the individual horse. Prompt treatment can significantly improve outcomes.
Where Hendra virus risk is present, our clinic follows established biosecurity protocols. Unvaccinated horses may still be attended on a case-by-case basis, following a risk assessment to ensure the safety of owners and veterinary staff while providing necessary care.
Tetanus & Strangles
Tetanus is a life-threatening disease caused by bacteria entering the body through wounds. Horses are highly susceptible, and vaccination provides effective protection.
Strangles is a contagious respiratory disease that commonly affects young or newly introduced horses. Signs include fever, nasal discharge, and swelling of lymph nodes around the head and throat.
Vaccination, good hygiene, and biosecurity practices help reduce the risk and spread of both diseases. Early veterinary involvement is important for diagnosis, treatment, and outbreak management.
Cattle Health & Production
BULLCHECK – Bull Breeding Soundness Examinations
A bull breeding soundness examination (BULLCHECK™) is a practical way to assess whether a bull is physically capable of successfully getting cows pregnant. Bulls can appear healthy but still have underlying fertility issues that impact conception rates and herd performance.
A BULLCHECK assessment includes evaluation of body condition and structural soundness, examination of the testes and reproductive tract, measurement of scrotal circumference, and semen collection for assessment of sperm motility and morphology. Serving ability may also be assessed where appropriate.
Identifying sub-fertile bulls before joining, sale, or purchase helps reduce the risk of extended calving periods, low pregnancy rates, and poor herd productivity. Routine testing allows timely management decisions and protects the genetic and financial investment in your breeding program.
Pregnancy Testing Your Herd (PREGCHECK)
Pregnancy testing is a valuable management tool that allows producers to identify pregnant and non-pregnant females early and make informed decisions around nutrition, culling, and joining programs.
We utilise a combination of ultrasound-guided pregnancy diagnosis and manual rectal palpation, depending on gestation stage and herd requirements. These methods allow accurate detection of pregnancy, estimation of foetal age, and identification of reproductive abnormalities where present.
Our veterinarians are accredited under the PREGCHECK® scheme, providing reliable and recognised pregnancy status certification for herd management or sale purposes. Early pregnancy diagnosis improves herd efficiency by identifying empty cows sooner and supporting tighter calving patterns, ultimately improving productivity and profitability.
Disease Investigation (Including Vibriosis & Pestivirus)
Disease investigation plays an important role in identifying the causes of reproductive losses, reduced fertility, poor growth rates, or unexplained illness within a herd.
We investigate disease issues through clinical examination, herd history, laboratory testing, and targeted sampling. Common reproductive diseases include vibriosis, which can result in early embryonic loss and reduced calving rates, and pestivirus (BVD), which can cause infertility, abortions, weak calves, and persistently infected animals that spread disease throughout the herd.
Early diagnosis allows targeted treatment, vaccination strategies, and management changes to limit ongoing losses. A structured disease investigation helps protect herd health, improve reproductive outcomes, and reduce long-term economic impacts.
Lantana Poisoning
Lantana poisoning occurs when cattle ingest toxic varieties of lantana, often during feed shortages or when introduced to unfamiliar paddocks. Toxicity primarily affects the liver and can lead to serious illness.
Clinical signs may include reduced appetite, weight loss, jaundice, photosensitisation (sunburn-like skin damage), and in severe cases, death. Early veterinary intervention is essential to improve outcomes and prevent further exposure.
Management focuses on removing affected animals from lantana-infested areas, providing supportive care, and implementing long-term weed control strategies. Identifying and managing lantana risk on your property is an important part of protecting livestock health.
Pinkeye / Blight
Pinkeye (infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis) is a common and contagious eye condition in cattle, particularly during warmer months when fly activity is high.
Affected cattle may show excessive tearing, squinting, redness, corneal ulcers, and cloudiness of the eye. If untreated, pinkeye can lead to pain, temporary or permanent vision loss, and reduced weight gain.
Early treatment helps reduce discomfort, speed recovery, and limit spread through the herd. Control measures include prompt treatment of affected animals, fly control, dust reduction, and good herd hygiene. Managing pinkeye effectively reduces production losses and animal welfare concerns.
Tick Fever
Tick fever is a serious disease of cattle transmitted by cattle ticks and can cause significant illness and losses, particularly in animals with little or no natural immunity. It most commonly affects introduced stock or young cattle entering tick-endemic areas.
Affected cattle may show lethargy, fever, anaemia, loss of appetite, weakness, and in some cases dark red or brown urine. Without prompt treatment, tick fever can result in severe illness or death.
In tick-affected regions, prevention is a key management strategy. A live trivalent tick fever vaccine is available in Australia and provides protection against the three major tick fever organisms. Vaccination is typically recommended for cattle being introduced into tick areas or where natural exposure is limited.
Vaccinated cattle must be managed carefully after administration, including a controlled exposure period to allow immunity to develop. Our veterinarians can advise on vaccination timing, suitability, post-vaccination management, and integrated tick control programs to reduce disease risk and protect herd health.
