SMARTSHOT® B12 and SMARTSHOT® B12 Plus SE are innovative, flexible and long-acting Vitamin B12 and selenium injections, commonly used in lambs at docking/tailing, to boost and maintain adequate Vitamin B12 and/or selenium levels for at least 3-4 months.
The Vitamin B12 within SMARTSHOT® is encapsulated within different sized microspheres, the smaller of which break down in body fluids faster than the larger, thus providing longer activity.
LONG-ACTING EFFICACY
3-6 months per injection depending on dose rate.
FLEXIBLE TREATMENT
Tailor the dose to suit efficacy required.
WORLD FIRST
Microencapsulation technology.
NEW ZEALAND
Developed, made and trialled in NZ.
SMARTSHOT® STORIES
Farmers across New Zealand have been using SMARTSHOT® to prevent deficiencies and maximise growth rates in their lambs.
ANDY MCLACHLAN
BROOKLANDS STATION, TARARUA DISTRICT
Click the video below to hear Andy's SMARTSHOT® story.
ERIN RILEY
VETERINARIAN, NORTH CANTERBURY VETERINARY CLINIC
Click the video below to hear why Erin recommends SMARTSHOT®.
MARIA BAMFORD
HURUNUI HILLS, NORTH
CANTERBURY
Click the video below to hear Maria's SMARTSHOT® story.
SMARTSHOT® B12 products consistently maintain B12 levels with a single injection, compared with water soluble B12 products which have to be given every 4 weeks to maintain levels above adequate.
SMARTSHOT® B12 PLUS SE contains selenium as barium selenate which has extremely low solubility. When injected, the barium selenate forms a depot beneath the skin which slowly releases over time, providing long-term selenium supplementation for up to 240 days.
Based on label claims and dosage, and supporting published literature.
Based on label claims and dosage, and supporting published literature.
New Zealand trials carried out by AgResearch demonstrate greater liveweight gains compared with untreated controls, illustrating the benefit of treating with SMARTSHOT® earlier ensuring your lambs reach their target weights sooner and more efficiently.
Find out the potential ROI of using SMARTSHOT on your farm.
Dietary cobalt is converted to Vitamin B12 by rumen microorganisms – supplementation by B12 injection is a direct pathway that avoids this process. B12 is then involved in energy and protein metabolism, so is essential for growth and health.
Young, growing lambs are most susceptible to deficiency as they have the highest B12 requirements of any stock class, at the same time of year that cobalt levels are lowest in their diet. This can mean that production limiting deficiency can be seen in lambs even where soils are not deficient.
Deficiency symptoms: poor growth rates, reduced DM intake, poor wool quality, watery eye discharge, anaemia.
Selenium deficient soils are widespread in New Zealand, with many sheep farming regions affected. There is a strong correlation between soil selenium levels and deficiency, with reduced growth rates due to marginal deficiencies the most common sign in lambs.
Adult sheep and cattle are also susceptible, with poor fertility a common symptom. As selenium plays an important role in the immune system deficient animals can also be more susceptible to infectious diseases.
Deficiency symptoms: ill thrift, poor growth rates, low conception rates, white muscle disease.
- N.D. Grace & S.O Knowles (2012). Trace Element Supplementation of Livestock in New Zealand: Meeting the Challenges of Free-Range Grazing Systems, Veterinary Medicine International, DOI: 10.1155/2012/639472
- Based on label claims and dosage, and supporting published literature.
- Do not administer to lambs or calves less than three weeks of age. Do not exceed the stated dose or frequency without consulting a veterinarian. Do not use SMARTSHOT® B12 PLUS SE at the same time as any other selenised fertilizer, prill or product.
Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, Nos. A009984, A009402. SMARTSHOT® B12 and SMARTSHOT® B12 Plus Se are registered trademarks of AgResearch Ltd. Copyright © 2023 Virbac New Zealand Limited. All rights reserved.
