Animal Health and Welfare

Animal Health and Welfare

• What Influences Animal Health
  1.Diet
  2.Living Environment
  These are to some degree in the farmers control.


• Diet
  A poorly fed animal will not grow and develop properly and will have a weaker immune system.
  Proper nutrition starts before the animal is born, if the dam(mother) is not fed well the animal will be small and weak when born.
  Feeding colostrum as soon as possible after birth allows antibodies to be passed onto the animal which help in disease resistance.


• Living Environment
  Indoors unhygienic conditions can be caused by dirty houses, bad ventilation, vermin, failure to isolate sick or bought in animals, failure to disinfect visitors footwear.
  Outdoors unhygienic conditions can be caused by dirty water supply, infected pastures, vermin, failure to isolate sick animals, failure to remove dead animals, foetuses or afterbirths

 

• Animal Husbandry
  This means how the animals are managed and if they are managed poorly then disease can occur.
  For example:
  –Cold wet housing
  –Stress
  –Failure to spot disease
  –Failure to vaccinate or treat animals
  –Improper feeding


• Notifiable Diseases
  Highly contagious, serious risk to National Herd.
  Must notify District Veterinary Office, it’s the law.


• Zoonoses
  Diseases which can be transmitted from animals to humans.
  Some notifiable diseases are also zoonoses.
  Examples of zoonoses include:
  –Brucellosis
  –TB
  –Ringworm
  –Orf


• Animal Diseases
  Three categories:
  1.Caused by micro-organisms
  2.Caused by parasites
  3.Caused by poor nutrition


• Micro Organisms
  Mode of Action:
  –Pathogens enter body causing irritation, inflammation, fever and loss of condition.
  –Toxins may be produced.
  –Diarrhoea may cause dehydration and death.
  Prevention:
  –Clean living environment.
  –Dispose of unhygienic material safely and quickly.
  –Isolate affected animals immediately.
  Treatment:
  –Natural defence of the animal.
  –Antibiotics may be necessary.


• Parasites
  Mode of Action:
  –Internal:
  •Take nutrition
  •Damage tissues
  •Cause irritation and inflammation
  •Can cause diarrhoea
  •Can cause pneumonia
  •Death
  –External:
  •Irritate animal
  •Tissues damaged
  •Vectors of other diseases


• Prevention:
  –Detailed knowledge of life cycle is important.
  –Example fence off wet areas for liver fluke control or leader follower system for stomach worm control.
  Treatment:
  –A range of drugs are available
  –Consult vet


• Poor Nutrition
  Nutritional Diseases are grouped into 3 categories:
  1)Deficiency Diseases:
  •Animal is lacking something
  •Usually a vitamin or mineral
  2)Intake of Poison
  •Poisonous weeds e.g. ragworth and bracken
  •Lead poisoning from paint
  •Herbicides and pesticides
  3)Metabolic Disorders (Non infectious diseases)
  •Production diseases e.g. milk fever, twin lamb disease


• Biosecurity
  To prevent the entry of disease onto a farm:
  –Maintain a closed herd.
  –Quarantine all bought-in animals.
  –Erect good stock fences.
  –Limit access to farm by people and vehicles.
  –Control vermin.
  –Use disease-free AI.
  –Ensure all newborn animals receive colostrum.


• Welfare of Animals
  Welfare and health of farm stock are the responsibility of the farmer.
  The Five Freedoms:
  –Freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition
  –Freedom from discomfort
  –Freedom from pain, injury and disease
  –Freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour
  –Freedom from fear and distress