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Define basic animal health terminology

Begin to Outline basic procedures for receiving and evaluating ill animals

What are the six areas that help evaluate animal health?

HEALTHY: Free of Disease What affects health?

• Environment• Diet• Age

What does healthy look like?

Joints Body Condition Immune System Response Dental Health Healthy Skin and Coat Digestion System

The points of connection between two bones or elements of a skeleton allowing for motion to occur

Joints should be limber No clicking or locking Can move from a sit to a stand easily Gait has proper flow Animal does not express pain during

reflex and flexibility tests

An assessment of the animal's weight for : age , weight and height ratios, and its relative proportions of muscle and fat

The body system, made up of many organs and cells, that defends the body against infection

Keeping the mouth, gums and teeth in good condition to prevent tooth decay and gum disease

Free of Dandruff Even Shine = Luster Oil Concentration Normal Hydrated!!

• Pull Test Taking the skin on the back of your hand pinch

between your index and thumb and pull up. Upon release skin should snap back = HYDRATED

Not loosing excess hair• No Bald spots

Food should pass within a reasonable amount of time

Show no pain or trouble passing urine and feces

Feces should be solid and brown-dark brown in color• NO BLOOD IN THE STOOL OR URINE

Joints Gait Body Condition Immune System Antibody Luster (referring to animal coats)

Activity Draw a cat or a dog on a poster

paper• Outline the important areas to check for

animal health • Example

Continue working on your projects. Remember

• How is your disease transferred?• What causes your disease?• Is your disease parasitic? Bacterial?• What can be done to prevent your disease?• What are the clinical signs of your disease?• How is your disease detected?

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List and describe the characteristics of a healthy dog

What are 3 signs of a healthy dog?

1. Visual2. Touch3. Vital Signs

Eyes should be clear Nose should have no discharge Dog should appear alert Movement and Gait

Feeling along the spine , hips, legs, and around the stomach allows for any lesions to be noticed under fur

CRT – Capillary Refill time Heart Rate : Beats per minute

• Located femoral artery • Count number of pulses in a 15 second time

span• Times this number by ______??• This will give you the heart rate or BPM• Normal Heart Rates

60-160 180 Small Breeds 180 for Puppies

Respiration Rate: Breaths per minute• Have the dog lie on the

floor• Count the number of

times the chest rises within a 15 second window

• Times this number by 4 to get……

• Respiration rate or breaths per minute

• Normal Rates: 10 to 30 breaths per

minute

Temperature- core body temperature good indicator of illness

Lift the dog’s tail Apply Vaseline to the thermometer Place thermometer in the rectum

• Be sure not the touch the wall!! Wait 1 to 2 minutes Normal Temps:

• 100-102 F

Continue working on your projects. Remember

• How is your disease transferred?• What causes your disease?• Is your disease parasitic? Bacterial?• What can be done to prevent your disease?• What are the clinical signs of your disease?• How is your disease detected?• Define your vaccines and include photos of

products used for treatment

LAST DAY WORK ON PROJECTS!!!!

CRT BPM Heart Rate Temperature Vital Sign Respiration Rate

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Define healthy characteristics in the domestic cat

Identify safety handling equipment for cat restraint

What is the main goal of animal restraint?

1. Visual Inspection 2. Touch Inspection 3. Vital Signs

Same as the dog• Visually observe for abnormal behavior and

external injuries• Rub hands along spin and down legs, check

in the ears, look at the eyes to assess any unseen injuries

All to prevent injury to the animal and others!

CRT• 1.5 seconds or less

Heart Rate / BPM • 240 BPM maximum

Respiration Rate • 20-30 breaths per minute

Temperature • 100-102 F

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VOCABULARY YOU SHOULD KNOW!

Review vocabulary commonly used in animal health

Determine and define an infectious disease• 1. The infectious disease should be

detectable in sick animals not healthy animals

• 2. It should be possible to isolate and culture the organism

• 3.Organisms taken from the culture and introduced into a healthy animal cause disease in the healthy animal

• 4. The same organism should be isolated from this second animal.

How are they made?• Take a weaken strain of the infectious agent

and inject it into a healthy animal• Healthy animal’s immune system will react

creating antibodies against the agent• Vaccine’s may need to be administered

periodically WHY DO YOU THINK THIS?

Strangles- Bacterial, usually affects young horses, anorexia, fever, nasal discharge, swollen lymph nodes

Kennel Cough- Viral, dry hacking cough, fever Can lead to secondary infections

E. coli- Bacterial, usually among young animals less than 2 weeks old severe diarrhea, dehydration, anorexia, may cause death !

Valley Fever- Fungal, most prevalent in the Southwest US, may infect the skin with lumps and abscesses

Roundworm- Parasites, Diarrhea, vomiting, potbellied appearance, dull coat, poor weight gain

Can you define these words? Please give brief definitions of the ones you know in your notes!

Fomite, Vector, Anemia, Systemic, Antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Disinfectants, Ventilation, Biosecurity, Quarantine, Virion, Virus, Host, Vaccine, Immunization, Contagious, Pandemic, Epidemic

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Explore and identify common aliments among domestic animals

DENTAL DISEASE Causes: Genetic malformation of the jaw Inappropriate diet (inadequate amounts of abrasive

materials) Trauma to the jaw Infection Cancer Signs: Inability to eat or dropping food out of the mouth Stops eating “hard” food items like carrots, pellets Drooling (caused by pain from ulcerations on the inside of

the mouth) Visible overgrown teeth Face wet from tears spilling onto face (elongated tooth roots

can block tear ducts) Gradual weight loss/small stool production

Diagnosis: Thorough examination of the mouth

(anesthesia may be needed) X-rays of the head (anesthesia required) Treatment: Correct the diet Grind down overgrown teeth (anesthesia

usually required) Permanent removal of abnormal teeth Medical therapy as needed to treat infected

teeth or to control pain during healing

WET TAIL Causes:

• Stress induced • Susceptibility is genetically inherited • Bacterial infection or an imbalance of the

natural bacteria in the hamster's stomach Signs:

• Take 7 days to appear• Severe diarrhea• Unpleasant smell • Walk hunched up, weak and lethargic and

may squeal in pain

Diagnosis:• Droppings are pale in color and extremely

soft and may contain mucus Treatment:

• Antibiotics, anti-diarrheal medication • Water through a dropper • Keep warm and quiet • Keep cage clean

Malocclusion “Wet Tail”

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MITES Cause:

• Ophionyssus natricis Signs:

• Spend much more time soaking in their water bowl

• Dysecdysis (difficulty shedding)• Mites can be seen floating in the water

source

Diagnosis:• Mites are often most visible around the

eyes, around the cloaca Treatment:

• Keep environment clean to prevent egg laying

• Medicated soaks

Fibrous Osteodystrophy- “Metabolic Bone Disease”

Causes:• Improper diet

Reptiles require a calcium:phosphorus ratio of 1:1 to 2:1

Signs: Tremors and twitches in the muscles of the legs and toes Jerky gait when walking and moving around Shaking while being held Constipation , Anorexia , Lethargy ,Weakness ,Partial

paralysis, Fractured bones

Diagnosis:• X-rays may be used to determine the amount

of damage to the bones.• Physical exam

Treatment:• Mild cases are usually treated by a change in

diet and husbandry• Moderate to severe cases may require

prescription strength calcium and phosphorus and hospitalization

• Deformities are normally permanent

Mites Metabolic Bone Disease

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STRANGLES “Equine Distemper” Causes:

• Respiratory infection of horses, donkeys and ponies caused by Streptococcus equi

• Spread when the nasal discharge or material from the draining abscess contaminates fomites Fomite- inanimate object capable of carrying

disease

Signs: • Fever • Heavy nasal discharge • Swollen or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck • Dull ( lethargic) • Decreased appetite

Diagnosis:• Throat swabs • Cultures of discharges

Treatment:• Keep common areas clean• Quarantine animals • Penicillin

Bovine Spongiforum encephalopathy –

Mad Cow Disease Causes:

• Neurodegenerative disease • Spread by ingestion of infected animal parts

Signs: • Inability to stand, or walk

Diagnosis:• Clinical signs• Brain biopsy after death

Treatment:• Euthanasia

Prevention: tightly regulated feeding of animal parts. No ruminants fed to ruminants

Strangles Fomite BSE ( Mad Cow Disease )

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Distemper Causes:

• Viral Signs:

• Gooey eye and nose discharge• Fever (which often comes and goes unnoticed)• Poor Appetite• Coughing and the development of pneumonia • Vomiting • Seizures

Diagnosis:• Distemper Titers

Checks the level of antibodies Treatment:

• Vaccines are available • Prevention is best treatment • Pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics

Diabetes Mellitus Causes:

• Obesity • Genetic predisposition (diabetes is more

prevalent in males) • Poor nutrition • Hormonal abnormalities • Stress

Signs:• weakness, increased thirst, frequent urination,

rapid weight loss, depression and abdominal pain

• blindness due to cataract formation

Diagnosis:• Animals will fast and urine and blood tests

will be taken to test blood sugar levels Treatment:

• Insulin injections• Diet management • Exercise

Hepatitis Causes:

• Inflammation of the liver Signs:

• lethargy, loss of appetite and diarrhea• Bloating of the abdomen• Jaundice

Diagnosis:• Level of liver enzymes in the blood

Treatment:• supportive care, antibiotics, low-protein

diets and sometimes immunosuppressants

Distemper Hepatitis

Joints Gait Body Condition Immune System Antibody Luster (referring to animal

coats) CRT BPM Heart Rate Temperature Vital Sign Respiration Rate

Malocclusion “Wet Tail” MitesMetabolic Bone DiseaseStranglesFomiteBSE ( Mad Cow Disease )DistemperHepatitis

Managing Diseases and Parasites

When was the last time that you were sick?

How and why did you get infected?

Discuss signs of good and bad animal health.

Identify diseases transmissible from animals to humans and humans to animals.

Describe common animal parasites and diseases.

List ways to prevent and treat diseases and parasites.

VaccinatingVentilationZoonoses

I. Being able to recognize when your animals need medical attention is important to the business.•Many diseases and parasites are treatable if caught early

Keep the sickness from spreading act quickly at the first signs.

A. Signs of good health include:

1. Contented animals look free from all anxiety.

• Some animals have specific signs

Pigs will curl their tails when they are content and sheep will stay quiet.

A. Signs of good health include:•2. Normal feces and urine should be seen.

This will vary with diet and type of species

•3. Body temperature, respiration, and pulse rate should be monitored because unusual highs and lows can be symptoms.

•4. Alertness can be judged by checking if an animal perks its ears when you draw near.

•5. The skin and coat of most animals should be oily and elastic like.

A. Signs of good health include:•6. The animal’s eyes should be bright

and their membranes pinkish.•7. One of the easiest things to notice is

when an animal goes off feed.

All healthy animals should eat eagerly when fed and ruminants should be seen chewing their cud.

1. When animals stray off by themselves and hold their head down it is a good sign that they are not well.

2. Lower production of milk is also not good.

3. A rough-looking dull hair coat or skin that stays up when pinched are signs of poor health.

4. Discolored feces or urine can be obvious signs of trouble.

5. Glassy eyes are sometimes a sign of poor health.

6. An animal that is difficult to get up and walks slowly may also indicate that something is wrong.

II. Many diseases are passed between animals and humans. • Modes of Transference

They are usually transferred by way of meat, milk, or eggs.

close contact is made insects carrying them from animal to animal.

Zoonoses are diseases that animals can transmit to humans.

Some of the diseases include:•1. Tuberculosis•2. Anthrax•3. Rabies•4. Brucellosis (Bangs)•5. Nine Mile Fever (Q Fever)•6. Parasites like Ringworm

B. Three kinds of diseases are transferred from humans to animals.

Protozoa, bacterial, and viral infections are the three.

Protozoa infections like the animal parasite that causes amoebic dysentery can be shared.

Bacterial infections like the streptococcus that causes scarlet fever in humans can be passed to an animal and then produce large problems when humans consume milk or other products.

Viral infections are being researched closely for more shared ailments between humans and animals but we know that chimps can get common colds and dogs can get the mumps virus.

III. There are some common diseases and parasites with specific symptoms.

Diseases can be contagious or non-contagious. • Contagious diseases are diseases that can be

passed from one animal to another. • Non-contagious diseases are diseases that

cannot be transferred from one animal to another.

Important to determine what kind because contagious animals need to be separated to prevent spreading the disease.

Contagious diseases are usually caused by bacteria or viruses.

They spread from animal to animal by simple contact or shared facilities.

Diseases that are not contagious, like scurvy, are sometimes caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

They may also be caused by ingestion of metal, poisonous plants or animals, or open wounds the animal may have.

General symptoms specific to disease include:• 1. Animal losing fetus• 2. Shaking• 3. Coughing• 4. Poor growth or decrease in production• 5. Rough coat

Parasites can be internal or external. Internal parasites are ones that live

inside the animal like flukes and roundworms.

External parasites are ones that live outside the animal like fleas and flies.

Symptoms of parasites may include:• 1. Observing the parasite on an animal.• 2. Diarrhea, worms in feces, or bloody feces.• 3. Loss of weight.• 4. Decreased production, growth, and

reproduction.

IV. Whenever possible prevention of disease should be done.

Ways to prevent diseases and parasites:• Natural immunity- immunity to a specific

disease is inherited from parent to offspring• Species immunity- a disease that affects one

species does not affect other species

2. Vaccinating is injecting a disease organism that has been modified into an animal to prevent the animal from getting the disease later.• Biologics are the medical preparations

made from microorganisms and their products, like vaccinations and serums.

3. Sanitation management is important to preventing diseases and parasites. • Sanitation is the act of cleaning or sterilizing

an area.

4. Ventilation is also important to manage. • Ventilation is causing air to move through a

building. 5. Keep all housing facilities clean and

use dry bedding.

6. Disposal of manure is very important. If animals are made to live in their manure it will surely cause diseases to transfer rapidly because it is the optimal environment for diseases and parasites to thrive in.

7. Using the same pasture for the same species over and over could be dangerous. Try to rotate animals to break a parasitic life cycle.

8. Always dispose of carcasses in a sanitary way.

Drugs for treatment come in many forms like pills, powders, and liquids.

Before giving any medication, be sure to check if there is a milk or meat hold associated with the drug.

2. There are many ways to inject drugs.

They are all named according to how they are injected. •Intravenous means injected into the vein.

•Intramuscular means injected into a muscle.

•Subcutaneous means injected under the animals skin.

Intradermal means injected between layers of skin.

Injections into an animals rumen are called intraruminal.

Injections given in the abdominal cavity are called intraperitoneal.

4. Checking respiration and pulse can be done without any expensive equipment.

For respiration, simply watch how many times the animal breathes in 1 minute.

For pulse you can often hold your ear against the animal and listen for the heartbeat.

5. Always restrain animals properly to prevent hurting the animal or yourself.

6. Certain ailments can be treated with little knowledge, but other problems require the expertise of a veterinarian. • A good management practice is to know

your own limitations.

Biologics Contagious External

parasites Internal

parasites Intradermal Intramuscular Intraperitoneal

Intraruminal Intravenous Natural

immunity Non-contagious Sanitation Species

immunity Subcutaneous

Review Quiz 1