Veterinary Services

The Scottish Executive is taking steps to ensure that Scotland does not become a safe haven for those convicted elsewhere in the UK of Animal Cruelty offences.

Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie is using powers under the devolution settlement to encourage the UK government to include provision in the Animal Welfare Bill to ensure that Orders banning individuals from keeping animals by English and Welsh courts are enforceable in Scotland.

Scottish Ministers also propose to include, in the Executive's own Animal Welfare Bill, due to be published in Spring 2005, a duty on those selling animals to provide new owners with detailed instruction on their care and welfare.

• Liver fluke – no reduction in cattle in Scotland
• Enterotoxigenic E coli (K99) in neonatal calves
• Suspected rye grass staggers in cattle
• Acute respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in fattening cattle
• Ovine white liver disease
• Jaagsiekte in a twelve month old lamb
• Porcine hepatosis dietetica
• Porcine proliferative enteropathy
• Falcon herpesvirus infection

Scottish abattoir figures at the end of 2004 showed deadweight prices for steers, heifers and young bulls down on equivalent 2003 returns. Sheep prices at Scottish auctions for ewes and new season lamb were slightly up on last year’s prices, but pig deadweight prices were down on 2003 values.

Although the total number of outbreaks of fluke disease in sheep recorded by SAC Veterinary Centres during 2004 was markedly lower than in 2003, deaths due to acute disease have been recorded from mid October onwards and the numbers of outbreaks of chronic disease increased in December. By contrast, the number of outbreaks of fluke disease in cattle, increased compared with 2003, as did the number of farms on which the disease was suspected. Wet summer weather may well increase the risk of disease during the rest of the winter and early spring.