106 | Expert veterinary services for rural areas VetSouth hosts several events each year to connect with its farming clients. The Repro Round-Up dinners (pictured here in Winton) are always popular with dairy farmers. Rosa Watson Southern veterinary practice VetSouth is proving that being rural and far from major centres doesn’t have to mean compromising on access to high-quality veterinary care. Following its expansion into Milton last year, VetSouth now has nine clinics across Southland and South Otago, providing companion and production animal veterinary care throughout the region. Continuing its focus on improving access to care, VetSouth also has mobile vet nurses servicing Invercargill and Winton, providing routine pet health treatments from clients’ homes. “As progressive owners of complex businesses, farmers deserve access to the best advice and veterinary services available, regardless of where they live. The same goes for pet owners in rural communities - they care just as deeply about their animals as those in larger centres,” says Zelda Jordan, VetSouth Regional Director. “Our services need to reflect that.” Its recently expanded Invercargill clinic is also home to specialist equine services and a newly established Feline Radioactive Iodine Treatment (I-131) Centre - the only facility of its kind south of Christchurch. The centre, which opened last year, provides ‘gold standard’ treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats and is run by a skilled team of veterinary professionals with specialist training in radiation medicine and extensive experience in companion animal diagnostics and treatment. As well as treating VetSouth clients, the centre accepts referrals from other veterinary clinics, giving cat owners throughout the South easier access to this highly effective treatment without needing to travel to Christchurch. “This further reflects our commitment to providing world-class veterinary services to rural communities,” Zelda says. “We’ve already completed seven treatment sessions for 29 cats and received some incredible feedback from owners, many of whom have travelled from other clinics and regions to give their cats the chance of a happier, healthier life.” While VetSouth continues to expand access to specialist companion animal care, production animal health remains at the heart of the practice. With deep roots in the farming communities it serves, VetSouth’s large animal teams continue to work alongside farmers as they navigate evolving challenges and opportunities. Angela Butcher, a mixed animal vet at VetSouth’s Winton clinic, says parasites and drench resistance RURAL SERVICES » VetSouth Ltd remain a significant challenge and growing concern for farmers and veterinarians alike, but the team is encouraged by the shift in mindset among Southern farmers as they work to address the issue. “Our vets spend a significant portion of their time working closely with farmers on whole-farm management practices and animal health plans to help combat this problem. “Our focus is on regular testing to understand the level of parasitic burden before making drenching decisions and then testing again afterwards to ensure treatments have been effective.” In 2023, VetSouth acquired Parasight testing machines and launched the What the FEC! and Test, Target, Treat campaigns to support greater uptake of testing over blanket treatments. The Parasight system is a portable, push-button machine that provides an image and generates an egg count from a sample, enabling results to be delivered quickly without the need to send samples away to a laboratory. The fully automated system can be used on cattle, sheep, goats and horses, providing farmers with a faster and more accurate way to monitor parasite burdens. “As more farmers experience drench resistance firsthand, and awareness of the risks continues to grow, we are seeing a huge increase in in-clinic FEC testing,” Angela says. Between July 2025 and April 2026, 663 FEC tests were carried out using the Parasight machines across VetSouth clinics. “Testing is an important part of an effective parasite management programme, and we are pleased to see more farmers checking the status of their stock rather than relying on blanket drenching,” explains Angela. VetSouth clinics also promote larval cultures to identify which parasite species are causing issues on individual farms, helping farmers further target treatments. Looking ahead to calving and lambing, Angela says Super El Niño conditions expected this season may create some additional challenges, but the overall mood among sheep and beef farmers is increasingly positive. “After a challenging few years, the past 12 months have brought a welcome lift in confidence, with stronger schedules, improved returns and a brighter outlook. “It has been genuinely good to see smiles on faces again when we’re out and about in the community.” She says predictions for the coming season remain positive. “A favourable growing season has helped build feed covers, and we’ve been hearing of some really encouraging scanning results. “If the weather plays ball, there is real optimism that this lambing season can build on the positive momentum already being felt across the sector. Meanwhile, Zelda acknowledges there will always be challenges, but says one thing remains constant: “Whatever the season brings, one thing we continually see is the resilience of our farming community.” VetSouth Invercargill’s Mobile Vet Nurse Jess on her rounds. On The Spot Fecal Egg Counts Now avaliable at: • Integrated drenching & parasite management • Post drench checks & Faecal Egg Count Reduction Tests • Expert interpretation through Vet South & Comhla Vets • Most sensitive FEC test available • Same day turnaround
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