Section 8: Animal Sciences Unit 27: Animal Health

Terms to Know Page 552

Signs of Good and Poor Health Contented animal Alert Shiny hair coat, bright eyes and pink membranes Normal body discharges Poor Rough hair coat, glassy eyes Staying alone with head down Difficulty walking Abnormal feces, discolored urine Temperature, labored breathing Rapid pulse

Healthful Environments for Animals Sanitation Use of clean equipment and medical devices Housing Clean, free from cold drafts Maintain proper temperature for the conditions Loose housing materials, like nails and tin, are a hazard Handling Manure Manure should not accumulate in areas where animals frequently visit or stay Manure harbors diseases and parasites and attracts flies which spread disease Wet, poorly drained, manure soiled feedlots reduce the rate of gain and can cause foot and leg problems

Healthful Environments for Animals Controlling pests “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” Disinfect, clean and get rid of pests Isolation Keep new animals separate Keep infected animals separate Pasture Rotation Rotating pastures breaks the life cycle of most parasites because they do not have contact with the host animal

Animal Diseases and Parasites Contagious vs. Noncontagious Isolation from other animals prevent human transfer Contagious diseases are mostly caused by bacteria and viruses Noncontagious may be caused by nutrient deficiencies or nutrient excess, poisonous plants, poisonous animals, open wounds or foreign material Symptoms Pour growth, reduced production Not eating Rough, dry hair Discharge from eyes or nose Coughing, gasping Trembling Unusual bowel movements Sores or wounds Swelling Abortion Odd walking movements

Animal Diseases and Parasites Internal Parasites External Parasites Flukes, roundworms, protozoa Spread by contact with discharge from infested animals or secondary hosts Flies, ticks, lice, mites and fleas Spread by physical contact Symptoms: poor growth, weight loss, coughing, gagging, anemia, reduced production, reduced reproduction, diarrhea, bloody feces, worms in the feces, swelling under neck, poor stamina, hair loss, mange, or visible parasite.

Preventing and Treating Know practical vet skills Birthing, castration ,vaccination, treating for lice or mites, minor cut repair, mastitis treatment, etc… Keep medicine for minor ailments on hand Administering Drugs READ THE LABEL! How long will the drug remain in the animal’s system? Can cause contaminated milk or meat Read the label to see how long it will take the drug to get out of the system

Preventing and Treating PILLS POWDERS Restrain the animal and lift it’s head Place pill as far back on the tongue as possible or use a balling gun Massage the throat until the animals swallows Usually mixed with feed or water May need to withhold food or water so that they animal will want to eat— especially if the powder changes the taste of the feed

Preventing and Treating PASTE LIQUIDS Normally used for treating horses for worms Paste is placed on the back of the horse’s tongue with a caulking gun and the horse is forced to swallow http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=nFrsBQWwepE Drenching is the process of administering fairly large amounts of liquids to an animal Injection is the process of administering drugs by needle or syringe Intravenous Intramuscular Subcutaneous Intradermal Intraruminal Intraperitoneal

Preventing and Treating INFUSION DIPPING A sterile cannula (blunt needle) is inserted into the opening of the teat and the drug is forced into the teat canal A rancher would literally dip an animal in a vat of medicated water or force them to swim through it. Used to treat external parasites

Preventing and Treating TAKING TEMPERATURE PULSE AND RESPIRATION Usually temperature is taken in the rectum, the last organ in the digestive tract Be gentle! It’s not pleasant! Hold your ear to the animals chest and count the number of heartbeats in 1 minute (if you don’t have a stethoscope) Count the number of breaths an animal takes in 1 minute to determine rate of respiration

Preventing and Treating RESTRAINING ANIMALS VACCINATION Tool: head gates, squeeze chutes, halters, twitches, nose leads, and casting harnesses Used to immunize an animal against a specific disease Usually part of a normal vet visit or service

Preventing and Treating FEED ADDITIVES MEDICATION WITHDRAWAL Used to control the incidence of low level infection in growing animals Must follow manufacturer's recommendations to avoid contaminating product to be consumed by humans Drugs that are used to medicate food animals must be withdrawn before the animals can be used for human consumption. Usually takes several days Can cause severe allergic reactions or build up tolerances if withdrawal rules are not followed