A Schering-Plough Animal Health-sponsored meeting has urged beef and dairy farmers that their cattle are at risk of sudden death due to a number of unpredictable illnesses.
The meeting was held at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) and highlighted the risks of sicknesses such as pneumonia and clostridial disease.
David Harwood MRCVS from the VLA laboratory in Winchester told the 30 assembled farming professionals that many of the deaths are preventable if appropriate measures are taken.
Approximately one in eight beef or dairy cattle die unexpectedly on any one farm during the course of a year, particularly during the winter months.
Mr Harwood explained: "These diseases are not necessarily brought in by recently purchased animals and could already be on many farms.
"They can be difficult to control unless proper preventative measures are put in place."
Schering-Plough is among the top five firms in the world in terms of research and development into both animal health and pharmaceuticals.
