1. Section 8: Animal Sciences
Unit 27: Animal Health

2. Terms to Know
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3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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
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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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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