More than 230 cattle and sheep veterinarians from all states and territories will be attending Australia’s largest cattle and sheep health conference in Tasmania this week.

The conference is hosted by Australian Cattle Veterinarians (ACV) and Australian Sheep Veterinarians (ASV), special interest groups of the Australian Veterinary Association.

Dr Enoch Bergman

President of the ACV, Dr Enoch Bergman said that the conference highlights the important role vets play in helping producers to take care of their animals’ health and welfare and improve productivity.

“As the professional experts on cattle and sheep health and welfare, veterinarians play an indispensable role in ensuring the health of our livestock industries.  We are passionately engaged in improving our client’s bottom line and in helping them to optimise welfare outcomes for their livestock.

“Vets also contribute to the health of Australians through our role in food safety, biosecurity and quarantine systems,” he said.

During the three-day event, Australian and overseas experts will showcase the latest trends in livestock veterinary practice. These include management and treatment strategies for a broad range of cattle and sheep diseases, and health and welfare issues. AVA national president, Dr Julia Nicholls will also be attending the conference.

Topics being covered include:

• Preparedness and response to bush fires and other emergencies that impact livestock welfare and health
• Ensuring appropriate antibiotic selection and administration
• Sheep health and production
• Animal welfare – the role of veterinarians
• Dairy disease management and monitoring
• On-farm biosecurity practices
• Pain management in livestock.

“Australian producers continue to work hard to ensure high quality, disease free livestock. As livestock veterinarians, we help preserve Australia’s market reputation through attending conferences like these and staying right on the cutting edge of the latest science,” Dr Bergman said.