Livestock Health

and Disease
Management
DAP 2201
 Health management in livestock
management
• Proper healthcare and management is pre-requisite to good animal
husbandry
• Diseases greatly affect livestock production
• Livestock diseases contribute to losses via increased mortality,
reduced productivity, control costs, loss in trade, decreased market
value, and food insecurity
• The economic and social impacts of livestock disease have been
recognized globally, in both developed and developing countries
• The economic costs of animal disease can be categorized as either
direct or indirect losses
• Direct costs are the sum of losses from the first confirmation of a
notifiable disease outbreak until disease freedom is declared
• Indirect costs are defined as the economic loss incurred in affected
commodity markets (e.g., domestic and international trade) and in
other sectors (e.g., tourism) after disease freedom is declared
Definition of terms
1. Health: Health is the state of complete physical & mental wellbeing of the animal when all the
body mechanisms functions properly
2. Disease: Any disorder in the health which cause discomfort to animal or any change in general
stage of the body or any part of the body which disturbs the performance of vital functions is
disease
3. Aetiology: mainly used in medicine, where it is the science that deals with the causes or origin
of disease, the factors which produce or predispose toward a certain disease or disorder.
4. Clinical signs: a sign is any objective evidence of disease
5. Diagnosis: The process of identifying a disease, condition, or injury from its signs and
symptoms
6. Differential diagnosis: A differential diagnosis is a list of possible conditions or diseases that
could be causing similar signs and symptoms.
7. Transmission: Spread of a disease-causing pathogen from an infected host to another health
susceptible animal
Precautions to maintaining health
animals
• Prevent contact with infected livestock • Avoid unnecessary medication
• Avoid overcrowding in the house • Eliminate ticks, lice, mites and
• Keep the young animals separate from control predatory animals.
the adults • Consider droppings as potential
• Isolate sick animals source of diseases
• Avoid equipment for sick animals being • Keep the pen clean and dry
brought into health animal house • Keep the feed and water
• Prevent unhygienic people around the uncontaminated
pen
• Ensure periodic vaccination
• Get accurate and early disease
diagnosis by a qualified veterinarian • Maintain record of incidence of
diseases and treatment given
 General measures to control
diseases in farm animals
• Quarantine (separate) new stock of • Change animal pastures periodically
animals coming into the farm for some • Vaccination of healthy animals (don’t
days before introducing them into old ever vaccinate sick animals)
stock
• Disinfect shed where sick animals was
• Cull (remove) chronically infected animals kept
• Isolate animals that are sick from the • Slaughter, burn or bury 6ft deep with
main flock lime underground animals affected by a
• Dispose pen litter material properly very serious disease
• Maintain personnel hygiene and • Treat timely animal stock and regularly
sanitation check them for signs of diseases
• Use of footbath • Give immediate report of disease
• Practice approved method of sanitation outbreak to the necessary Diseases
Control authorities
 Identification of sick and health
animals
1. Appearance and behaviour: Healthy animals exhibit normal posture.
They are alert, having clear eyes and respond well to a touch. Any
abnormal running nose and dull eyes may indicate ill health
2. Movement (Animal Gait): Gait refers to the way an animal/person
walks. Any animal that cannot walk or stand properly (abnormal gait)
must be closely watched since something might be wrong with it.
3. Appetite and feeding: Healthy animals have a good appetite for feed
and generally like to feed to their satisfaction. Sick animals have no
appetite for food. Loss of appetite is termed as Anorexia
4. Urine: The normal colour of urine is pale yellow. Much deviation like
deep yellow, blood stained, or cloudy urine shows ill health. When your
animal finds urination painful, it shows that there is something wrong
with its urinal system and any other colour apart from pale yellow is a
sign of ill health.
5. Pain: Healthy animals do not show any sign of pain but when animals
begin to show signs of pain by grinding of teeth or groaning, it is an
indication that something is wrong and such animal needs to be
examined immediately.
6. Faeces and defecation: Any deviation of the faeces i.e. too hard, too
watery or stained with blood, or contaminated with worm segments, is
an indication of ill health.
7. Skin and coat: The coat of healthy animals should be clean, smooth
and shiny and show complete cover. Signs of ill health are; the coat looks
dull and hairs fall out. Cold, dry and scary skin signifies disease
8. Temperature, pulse rate and respiratory
rate: Every animal has a specific range of body
temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate that
determines healthy condition. Radical deviation from these
values signifies ill health
9. Mucous membrane: These are the lining of various
system and organs of the body, e.g. eyes, nose, anus etc.
The mucous lining of healthy animals is moist. When all
these places become dry the animal experiences
discomfort and when noticed immediate attention should
be given to the animal before it becomes very severe.
 Summary of parameters to be
sought in a diseased animal
Parameter Health Animal Sick animal
Look of the animal Smart, Active, Alert Dull, Inactive
Head Raised upward Downward
Eyes Wide open, bright White deposition at corners of the
eye, dull
Nose No discharge from nose May have some discharges
Mouth Wet and without odor Dry and Saliva drooling
Ears Erect Drooping
Rumination Regular Irregular
Muzzle Wet, shining Dry and dirty
Feed and water intake Normal Reduced/stopped
Temperature 38.5 normally 40 and above
Response to call Quick Slow
 Classification of diseases
• 1) According to causes.
• 2) According to duration & severity .
• 3) According to beginning of diseases.
• 4) According to area & species.
I) According to Causes
• (A) Infectious Diseases-caused by infection of bacteria, fungi, virus,
protozoa e.g. Rinderpest, T.B.

• (B) Contagious diseases –spread due to direct or indirect contact with

diseased animals e.g. Anthrax, Black Quarter
II) According to Duration & Severity
• 1) Chronic Diseases
• Diseases running prolonged time-Takes several weeks to cure e.g. T.B.
• 2) Sub acute disease
• Affect suddenly but takes long time to cure e.g. F.M.D.
• 3) Acute diseases
• disease running very short courses. e.g. Black quarter
• 4) Pre-acute diseases
• such infections affect animals very sudden and even before symptoms are
exhibited the animal dies e.g. Anthrax
III) According to beginning of
Diseases
• 1) Congenital:
• Transmitted by mother to its offspring during pregnancy e. g Dwarfism, Extra
toes (polydactyly) etc
• 2) Hereditary:
• Transmitted from parents to offspring-hereditary e.g. Haemophilia
• 3) Acquired disease:
• Infections gets after birth of animal during growing period.
IV) According to area/species
• 1) Epizootic: Affects animals of large area/region .e.g. Rinderpest
• 2) Enzootic disease: This disease on specific to breeds or species of
animals e.g. B.Q.
• 3) Exotic: This disease brought by animals when imported from other
country.eg:-Horse sickness
• 4) Sporadic diseases: Occur anywhere sporadically e.g. Dysentery
• 5) Panzootic diseases: This diseases affects different species or breeds
in a country at a time e.g. Rabies