Disease Surveillance 
Our large animal vets are all trained to perform disease surveillance testing including Brucellosis and MAP Johnes testing as part of government programs run by PIRSA. These programs provide buyers with assurance that accredited flocks are considered disease free and provide sellers with access to restricted markets.
What is Brucellosis and Johnes Disease?
Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a serious disease affecting the reproductive capability of rams. It is highly infectious and can significantly reduce lambing percentages and lead to large replacement costs as affected rams must be culled. Further information on the disease and on the Brucellosis accreditation Scheme is available at pir.gov.au.
Johnes Disease
Johnes disease affects cattle, sheep, goats and alpacas. It is caused by a bacterium and leads to long term diarrhoea and wasting with significant production losses. PIRSA has different programs that aid in the monitoring and detection of the disease and these are specific to each species.
Cattle Pregnancy Testing
Pregnancy diagnosis is crucial to managing herd reproductive performance. At Barossa Veterinary Service this service can be performed via manual rectal palpation or via a rectal ultrasound probe.
When should testing be done?
Ultrasound pregnancy testing is performed between 8 and 16 weeks and is accurate in estimating the stage of pregnancy during this period. Both manual and ultrasound guided pregnancy testing becomes less accurate in late gestation.
Pregnancy testing should ideally be carried out between the 8 and 16-week stage for best accuracy results for staging of pregnancy. Herd results can be analysed and discussed on farm or at the clinic and a specific plan for your enterprise developed to maximise efficiency.
