Salmonella remains an important disease risk on Irish farms, affecting both animal health and farm profitability.

The most common clinical signs of salmonellosis in cattle are diarrhoea and abortion, with Salmonella Typhimurium commonly associated with diarrhoea and Salmonella Dublin a major cause of abortion.

Following infection, cattle may recover and develop immunity, but some animals can become carriers. These carrier animals can continue to shed Salmonella bacteria either continuously, intermittently, or remain as hidden (latent) carriers, allowing infection to persist within a herd.

The impact of Salmonella goes beyond treatment costs and animal losses. Infection can have significant long-term effects on productivity and profitability, including:

Production losses may include:

• Reduced milk yield
• Fewer calves produced per cow per year
• Reduced daily weight gain
• Poor thrive and reduced performance

Protecting Your Herd Before the Risk Period

Salmonella Dublin abortions in spring-calving dairy herds typically begin to increase in autumn, with cases often peaking around November. To ensure adequate protection, pregnant heifers should receive their primary vaccination course, or a booster vaccination, at least 2–3 weeks before this higher-risk period.

Bovilis® Bovivac S Vaccination Protocol

Cattle aged 6 months to adult:

• Two 5ml doses given 21 days apart
• Annual booster vaccination recommended 2–3 weeks before the main risk period (typically around September)

Calves from approximately 3 weeks to 6 months:

• Primary vaccination course of two 2ml doses, 21 days apart

Vaccination should form part of a wider Salmonella control plan, alongside good hygiene, biosecurity measures, and effective herd management practices. Together, these measures help reduce the risk of infection and protect herd health.

Protect Your Herd. Protect Your People.

Talk to our farm team today about creating a Salmonella vaccination plan for your herd.

A Great Day Out at the Belgooly and Bandon Shows

May was a busy and enjoyable month for our team as we attended both the Belgooly Show and the Bandon Show with our information stall.

These events provided a fantastic opportunity to meet members of the local community, catch up with many of our regular clients, and introduce ourselves to new faces.

It was wonderful to see so many familiar pets and owners stopping by for a chat throughout both days.

We were delighted to hand out plenty of freebies and share advice on animal health and wellbeing with visitors. The dog shows were a particular highlight, and we were proud to sponsor and present prizes to some deserving canine competitors at the Bandon Show.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello. We had a fantastic time at both events and are already looking forward to next year’s shows!

We had the best time visiting the kids from Scoil Eoin, Innishannon recently!

We were so impressed with their animal care knowledge as well as their interesting questions.

We discussed Pet Summer Safety tips, performed teddy bear surgery and listened to some happy hearts!

Thank you so much for having us!

From Murmurs to Miracles, Inside the World of Animal Cardiology at Glasslyn Vets

At Glasslyn Vets, we know that every heartbeat matters — especially the furry, whiskered, or occasionally ferret-shaped ones. Our independent cardiorespiratory referral service is here to help pets with heart and breathing problems get the expert care they deserve. Dogs, cats, ferrets… if they’ve got a ticker, we’re here to keep it ticking happily.

Top-Tier Diagnostics

We use a range of advanced diagnostics to get to the bottom of what’s going on inside your pet’s chest, including:

• Echocardiography
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Radiography
• Haematology
• Biochemistry, including electrolyte panels

We work closely with referring vets, teaming up to provide a specialist service that blends experience, precision, and a genuine fondness for small creatures with big personalities.

What We Commonly Investigate

From the straightforward to the “hmm, that’s interesting…” our service handles a wide variety of conditions such as:

• Congenital defects
• Pericardial effusions
• Acquired heart diseases including:
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • Degenerative valvular disease
• Tracheal collapse
• Feline asthma
• Chronic bronchitis
• Lungworm

Meet the Heart Hero: Denise Philpott
Denise Philpott is an advanced practitioner in cardiorespiratory veterinary medicine. She graduated from the Free University of Berlin and has since brought her skills to both first-opinion and referral practices across Ireland and England.

Since earning her Certificate in Veterinary Cardiorespiratory Medicine in 2014, she has been an active member of the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society. She was also involved in the RAPID CAT 2 study, which explored how simple clinical parameters may help vets more easily distinguish cardiac from non-cardiac causes of breathing difficulties in cats. (In short: making life easier for both stressed kitties and the humans caring for them.)

Give us a call if you have any questions or would like to book your pet in for a consultation.