OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Establish and Implement an Efficient and Effective Health

Management Plan

Good Production Practice #2

Assuring Quality Care for Animals

Food Animal Quality Assurance

go.osu.edu/AQCA

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Health Management Plan

• Key to food safety

• Increases production and efficiency

• Requires less medical care

• Beneficial impact on animals’ health through use of measures such as:

• Vaccination plans

• Biosecurity protocols

• Emergency preparedness

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Health Management Plan Components

• Development and maintenance of a veterinarian/client/patient relationship (VCPR)

• Individualized herd health plan• Herd/flock biosecurity plan• Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) and agro-

terrorism awareness, reporting and prevention

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Health Management Plan

• Use what is learned in other GPP’s to have a successful plan:• GPP #1: Use an Appropriate VCPR as the Basis for

Medication Decision-Making

• GPP #3: Use Antibiotics Responsibly

• GPP #4: Properly Store and Administer Animal Health Products

• GPP #6: Establish Effective Animal Identification, Medication Records and Withdrawal Times

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Development and Maintenance of VCPR

• Regular observations by a veterinarian are beneficial in maintaining healthy herd or flock and fulfill GPP #1

• Veterinarian observes animals in current environment and reviews:• Production records• Vaccination records• Treatment records• Other information on status of health

• Discuss and address any concerns since last veterinary visit• Veterinarian may observe subtle problems gone unnoticed

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Development of Individualized Herd Health

Plan• Addresses potential and current health challenges

• Helps prevent diseases from entering herd or flock

• Consult with veterinarian to formulate vaccination and parasite control programs

• Helpful in preventing or controlling potential disease outbreaks

• Periodic health checks by veterinarian help prevent disease

• Tailor plan to your herd or flock and target certain diseases

• Know disease status of animals

• Understand level of challenges

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Development of Individualized Herd Health

Plan• Options for disease control

• Elimination

• Control or manage

• Develop treatment plan for disease challenges

• Provide vaccination and parasite control

• Ask for animal health records when purchasing animals

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Development of Herd Level Biosecurity Plan

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Biosecurity

• Practices designed to prevent introduction and transmission of disease-causing agents into herd or flock

• Biosecurity plan includes:• Barn sanitation

• Rodent control

• Caretaker entry policies

• Visitor entry policies

• General farm security measures

• Focus on prevention of entry of unwanted diseases

• Plan in place regardless of number of animals

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Disease Transmission from Farm to Farm

• Rodents, wildlife, birds

• Pets

• Vehicles and equipment

• Humans

• New animals

• Clothing and shoes

• Air

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 External Biosecurity –

Keeping Diseases Out of the Herd• Control wildlife and pests

• Talk with veterinarian about health maintenance program before purchasing new animals

• Isolate new animals for at least 10 days• Consult with veterinarian for each situation

• Isolate animal(s) after show

• Vaccinate if same health status of current animals

• Limit number of visitors to facility

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 External Biosecurity –

Keeping Diseases Out of the Herd: Visitors

• Production areas – limited access

• Change clothes before entering

• Should not have contact with other livestock for 24 hours prior (especially for same species)

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 External Biosecurity –

Keeping Diseases Out of the Herd: Environment

• Clean and disinfect pens, stalls, crates before bringing in new animals

• Have separate facilities for sick animals

• Keep feed and feed bunks free of manure

• Clean waterers out on regular basis

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Internal Biosecurity – Keeping

Diseases Already in Herd from Spreading• Periodically survey herd or flock for disease

challenges• Operate all-in/all-out when cleaning and disinfecting

between groups of animals• Establish traffic pattern to prevent exposure of younger

animals to older animals• Provide dedicated boots and coveralls at strategic

places• Wash hands when boots and coveralls are changed• Practice proper room, pen, coop, and barn sanitation

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Rodent and Pest Control

• Include in both internal and external biosecurity• Elements to effective rodent control:

• Deny entrance to facilities and buildings• Remove sources of food that attract rodents• Prevent and deny cover and places to live• Bait or trap to reduce rodent populations

• Dogs and cats are unacceptable rodent control• Wildlife and pests compromise biosecurity• Use perimeter fences, netting, screening

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

 Foreign Animal Disease (FAD)

• Producers increase awareness of FADs• Report all suspect cases to ODA• Take special precautions to prevent

accidental or intentional introduction of FADs Be aware of zoonotic diseases which can be passed from animals to humans