Clinical mastitis is much less common in dairy sheep and goats than in cattle, but it is still a major cause of loss and impaired welfare. Subclinical mastitis rates range from 5–30%, but it is a significant cause of lost production and impaired milk quality. Gram-positive bacteria, in particular Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci, and contagious modes of transmission predominate. Diagnosis is complicated by higher somatic cell counts (SCC) even in uninfected udders, particular in goats. Control of mastitis requires a multimodal approach involving treatment, culling, vaccination and steps to reduce transmission.

Foreword Abortion takes a heavy toll on the sheep industry, not only economically, but in emotional terms too. Enzootic abortion in ewes is consistently the most frequent diagnosis followed in descending order by infection with Toxoplasma gondii, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. Causes of abortion also lead to increased barren rates, and the birth of weak lambs, so the impact of these pathogens is greater than just abortion. Fortunately there are vaccines for the two most common causes of abortion, providing farmers and the veterinary surgeons advising them with effective and sustainable tools in the control of enzootic abortion and toxoplasmosis. The uptake of these vaccines, however, remains lower than might reasonably be expected. In this roundtable discussion the barriers to the implementation of the extant measures of abortion control were discussed and suggestions made as to how abortion can better be prevented.

Mastitis in meat sheep occurs in all flocks, but incidence can vary. It can be a severe disease, resulting in ewe deaths, but chronic and subclinical cases also occur. It is a costly disease, but accurate assesments of the impact, especially of chronic and subclinical disease, are lacking. The most commonly involved pathogens are Mannheimia haemolytica and Staphylococcus aureus. The most important risk factors relate to compromise of teat defences, and increased transmission, but environmental cases do occur. Treatment of acute clinical cases requires systemic antibiosis and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration, and, where required, supportive care. Prevention involves tackling the risk factors, and using vaccination and breeding to reduce ewe susceptibility.

Background: Male livestock rendered sterile through vasectomy or epididymectomy, but still hormonally and behaviourally sexually active, have many uses. In small ruminants they can be used to advance the breeding season and puberty, synchronise and detect oestrus and improve conception rates to artificial insemination. In pigs, they can be used to hasten first oestrus in gilts and detect oestrus in sows. In cattle, they can be used to aid heat detection for artificial insemination.Aim of the article: This article outlines the surgical techniques used to produce such ‘teaser’ animals and discusses how they can be best used, as well as the alternatives to their use.