ANSC
Define basic animal health terminology
Begin to Outline basic procedures for receiving and evaluating ill animals
Know Vital Signs
of Dogs and Cats
Common diseases for animals
Basic procedures for a health exam
Understand• What these
vital signs tell us about health
• Symptoms and interpret there effect on health
• Health exam procedures, and there importance in diagnosis
Do Locate and
read vital signs
Identify animal diseases based on symptoms
Perform basic health exam
Unit EQ: Why is it important to evaluate animal health?
Concept : Common Ailments
Lesson EQ:What can effect animal health
VocabDisease, Chronic,
Parasite, Fomite
Concept : Healthy Animals
Lesson EQ:What are the general signs of a healthy animal?
VocabVital Sign, CRT, BPM
Concept : ExamsLesson EQ:
What are the six areas that help evaluate animal health?
VocabGait, Immune, System, Antibody, Luster
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)
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?
ANSC 3
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
ANSC 3
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
ANSC 3
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
ANSC 3
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”
ANSC 3
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
ANSC 3
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 )
ANSC 3
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 )DistemperHepatitisKoch’s Postulates Culture
Define your Vocab Explain these diseases and know their categories
• Strangles_______• Kennel Cough_______• E. coli_______• Valley Fever_______• Roundworm _______
Briefly describe the procedure a vet tech would perform when a client (pet) enters the office showing signs of illness. How would the animal be inspected for illness?
If an animal within a herd is showing signs of illness, what steps including prevention and eradication should the farmer and surround agricultural community perform?
What is a vaccine made of? How does the body react to a vaccine? How does this result in immunity?
What are the general signs of a healthy animal? Know one common disease and its symptoms for the following animal
groups: Small Mammal, Reptiles, Dogs, Cats, Large Animals
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
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