A pioneering dental tool that allows for the examination of a cow's mouth could potentially transform animal welfare and farm productivity.
Edinburgh-based Ovation Agriculture plans to manufacture its dental gag tool and develop training resources to improve the way practitioners approach dental health in cattle.
Despite dental disease in cattle causing significant health and welfare concerns, regular dental health checks are not currently provided for the national herd.
Researchers say this oversight stems from a lack of specialised tools and knowledge, rather than negligence.
While the sector invests millions in improving overall health, welfare, and feed conversion efficiency, oral health – a crucial starting point for digestion – has received limited attention.
“Cattle chew their food at least twice before they actually start digesting it,” explains Jillian Gordon, founder of Ovation Agriculture.
“If they develop abscesses or infections, they're not able to get the nutrition they need, leading to decreased production, potential infertility, and weight loss."
With 1.7 million cows in Scotland, 9.6 million in the whole UK, and 1.5 billion globally, the potential impact of Ovation Agriculture's tool could be substantial.
Research into cattle production systems shows dental disease in cattle can cause significant health and welfare concerns.
However, nobody in the UK is providing regular dental health checks on the national cattle herd. The sector overlooks the area where digestions start, the mouth.
Ovation Agriculture says it will design and manufacture tools to treat and prevent dental conditions in cows.
It will also provide courses to develop dental treatment management skills and knowledge, to improve cattle health welfare and efficiency in production.
Ms Gordon said: "By ensuring their dental health is managed, we're able to give them a longer, more comfortable life and improve their productivity.”
It comes as Ovation secured a runner-up position in the KickStart category, designed for early-stage ideas with high commercial potential, at this year’s Converge Awards, which celebrates Scottish academic innovation.
Impressing judges with its novel approach to cattle health, the company netted a £7,500 cash prize.
