Tongariro Eruption – Animal and Stock Welfare Advisory
This morning’s eruption could cause animal welfare problems if water and clean feed is not available.
“Access to fresh clean water is imperative for livestock grazing ash covered pastures” Dr Donald Shanks from VetPlus in
Taupo said today.
Contaminated water troughs should be cleared of ash and refilled with clean water.. I if practicable, troughs can be
covered during any future eruptions to prevent further ash contamination. But, of course, access to water must always be
available,” Dr Donald Shanks said.
Ensuring stock have access to longer length , grassy pasture will help reduce ash and contaminated soil ingestion.
“Pregnant ewes were particularly vulnerable duringprevious Ruapehu eruptions. In-lamb ewes were more susceptible to
metabolic upsets caused by a combination of eating ash and low food intake. Significant numbers of ewes died as a
result. With lambing coming up this will be a possible concern if the eruptions continue,” Dr Shanks commented.
“If good length pasture is not available then stock should be fed supplementary feed such as hay or silage, although
stock not used to this sort of feed might take some time to get used to it.
“Volcanic ash can also affect the skin and lungs” says Dr Wayne Ricketts from the NZ Veterinary Association and co chair
of the National Animal Welfare Emergency Management Advisory Group.
“Ash can be detrimental to an animal’s health e.g. eye, skin (infections due to ash covering the animals body and not
allowing air to circulate, therefore the skin becomes a humid environment for normal bacteria for proliferate) and lung
damage.
Animals with respiratory disease should be evacuated from the area, and/or kept indoors if possible. Ash can wear down
teeth quickly particularly with grazing animals (cattle and horses are most at risk).
Dr Shanks says a common-sense approach to animal welfare should be adopted. At this stage he is unaware of any stock
that have been affected
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