Heat stroke/exhaustion in dogs: High temperatures and humid weather at the weekend put more pressure on working dogs. Temperatures have dropped well back this week but there could be a possible return to higher than normal temperatures again next week.

Dogs do not sweat through their skin, with heat regulated via panting and sweat lost through their nose and foot pads. Dehydration can quickly occur when dogs are worked in excessive temperatures and it also limits a dog’s ability to keep cool. Therefore, it is important to ensure that dogs are not worked during peak daytime temperatures. It is also important to tailor the level of work dogs are expected to do in such conditions. You should always carry a supply of water to prevent dehydration and help body temperature regulation.

Regular rest is important, particularly for older and younger dogs, or dogs that have recently been off form and have lower fitness levels. The last aspect to be mindful of is to not leave animals inside vehicles.

With regards to worming of dogs, veterinary advice recommends worming pups every two weeks until they are 12 weeks of age and then every month until they reach six months of age. The advice for adult dogs is worming every three months throughout adulthood. Take note also that this must be recorded in the Bord Bia Quality Assurance manual.

Spike in blowfly: Farmers in many parts of the country are reporting a significant increase in cases of blowfly strike in recent days, which is not surprising given the level of humidity and ideal conditions for flystrike to take place. The incidence is still at a relatively low level but if current weather conditions continue, this is likely to lead to more cases in sheep that have not received any preventative treatment.

It is important where applying pour-on or dipping mid-season-born lambs that are approaching slaughter weight to take withdrawal dates into account. When in doubt, weigh lambs to gauge how close they are to slaughter. There is little point treating with a product with a long withdrawal if it results in lambs going overweight.

Castration of lambs: The manner in which lambs are managed will have a big influence on castration decisions. Ram lambs have the potential to record higher levels of daily liveweight gain, but can be harder to finish to a desired fat score as the season progresses.

Farm infrastructure also has a big part to play, as does the target market. Lambs should only be left entire where they can be grazed on their own, while some farmers will castrate lambs that will not be finished before a target date. The Eid al-Adha festival, which this year takes place at the end of July and start of August, is a target for some farmers to have ram lambs ready for sale.

A good balance for many farmers is leaving strong lambs entire and castrating later-born or lighter lambs that will remain on farms later into the season. The burdizzo method of castration can be carried out before lambs reach three months of age. Lambs should receive a clostridial disease vaccine in advance of castration and a blowfly preventative treatment if not already administered.