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Vets to illustrate what lies beneath a cow’s hide
The installation will focus on the calves’ musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and internal organs. Pictured, a cow from last year's event. 

Installation to help farmers better understand their animals 

Two calves are set to receive a full body makeover this Wednesday (13 September) at UK Dairy Day in an effort to help livestock owners understand their animals.

Using non-toxic, water soluble paint, a team from Scarsdale Vets will paint various parts of the calves’ bodies to illustrate areas that are beneficial for farmers so they can identify when there might be a problem.

The bright, bold and colourful installation will focus on the calves’ musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and internal organs - all of which can be prone to problems such as nerve damage, pneumonia and bloating.

“At Scarsdale we work with over 90 dairy farms and several hundred beef farms which are run by very knowledgeable farmers, but many have experienced various problems with their cattle,” explained senior farm assistant Carolyn Baguley.

“Through our painting, we want to raise awareness of bovine anatomy, enabling farmers to use knowledge gained from our live demonstration in the day to day management of their herds. Educating about anatomy and preventative health issues will help to increase the overall health of their livestock, and it’s fantastic that we can do this visually.”

Taking place at the International Centre, Telford, UK Dairy Day 2017 will comprise of 300 trade stands, dairy cattle classes, and practical work such as foot-trimming.

Scarsdale’s demonstration will take place within the Calf Rearing Zone, with live presentations specifically at 09:30, 12:30 and 14:30, where the team will explain how the paint on the exterior can reveal what’s happening on the inside.

Image (C) Scarsdale Vets.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.