Hazell Mullins: The TB test - the anxious wait

It can take up to four months for bovine TB leisons to form, which means the infection is often well established in the animal and, unfortunately, perhaps the herd by the time it is detected, writes large animal vet Hazell Mullins.

Hazell Mullins pictured during a TB test on a dairy farm.

My sleep patterns this week have been far from ideal. Perhaps it was the full moon, but I think it was the looming TB test result on Friday that was the main cause of my anxiousness. It’s a surreal moment when you watch another vet testing your cows - the cows you usually do all the veterinary for and milk daily.

I am sure the vet doesn’t enjoy me hovering around the crush, so I typically retreat to the cubicle shed to assume my role as chief crush filler. Unfortunately, we are in a contiguous area, meaning a portion of farms in the locality are currently under restrictions due to positive bovine TB cases. This makes this test particularly anxiety-inducing and hence the restless nights.