Become more aware of illness in animals

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Prepared By Amjad KhanAfridi
Become more aware of illness in animals.
 Develop a foundation for further learning about animal health
 Understand how far you can legally go with examining animals for health issues, and at
what point you need to call in a veterinary professional.
 Study this course and better understand how veterinary professionals systematically
investigate and determine health issues in animals.
Routine disease investigations are based on clinical, pathological and epidemiological evidence.
If there is a need for conclusive identification of a disease or condition, an accurate laboratory
diagnosis should be obtained. It is particularly important, especially in the case of infectious
diseases that the final diagnosis rests on adequate aetiological evidence. In most cases disease
investigations are carried out by qualified government stock inspectors and/or veterinarians. It
helps for animal owners to understand and be able to recognise diseases conditions that may
affect their animals, so that timely intervention can occur.
(Note: The professionals involved and regulations governing their scope of operation can vary
from one country to another)
Course Structure
This course has nine lessons:
1. How Animal Diseases are Diagnosed - Conducting clinical examinations, gross and clinical
pathology, information to collect and how to collect it (live animal and necropsy samples),
specialist support services to assist in diagnosis (i.e. types of laboratories, specialist vets etc)
2. Diagnostic Testing - Pathways followed to detect and diagnose different types of diseases,
information to be supplied with samples for diagnostic testing, and diagnostic techniques
3. Viral Diseases - Characteristics of viruses and the significance of a range of viral diseases
that affect animals. You will study viral taxonomy, types and structure of viruses, virus
replication cycle, transmission, and some common viral conditions.
4. Bacteria and Fungal Diseases - This lesson looks at the characteristics of bacterial and fungal
organisms. Topics include: laboratory identification, controlling infections, specimen collection,
and important disease conditions.
5. Parasitological Conditions - Discuss and differentiate a range of conditions that are caused
by parasites. Topics include: Terminology and classification, life cycles, protozoa, helminths,
and arthropods.

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Prepared By Amjad KhanAfridi
6. Metabolic and Nutritional Conditions - Lesson covers a range of common metabolic
conditions affecting cattle, horses, pigs, sheep/goats, cats and dogs
7. Poisoning - Discuss and differentiate some common disorders that result from poisoning or
toxins. These include: Cardio-respiratory, Central Nervous System (CNS), dermatological,
gastrointestinal, hepatological, and haematological disorders.
8. Inherited Conditions (Genetic Disorders) - Discuss types of genetic inheritance, and give
examples of genetic diseases affecting horses, dogs, and cats.
9. Other Conditions and Disorders - Identify and discuss miscellaneous conditions such as
allergies, dehydration, and age related conditions.
10. Research Project -In this project you will evaluate symptoms of ill-health or disease
displayed by a set of animals, and go through the process of identifying the problem and
deciding on a course of treatment.
Common signs of an ill or injured animal
It is impossible for even the best educated animal health expert to monitor every aspect of an
animal's health all the time. On a farm, the farmer can have hundreds of animals to deal with; and
in a zoo, the zoo keeper may be dealing with even more. Routine and regular blood tests and
medical scans are expensive , invasive, and can be distressing to the animals.
There are however, simple indicators of ill health, which a well trained animal expert should be
able to detect with little more than a glance at the animal. Learning to manage animal health
involves learning to notice things such as the following; knowing what these indicators mean,
and knowing how to respond to them.
 The animal not eating as much as usual – this is usually the first sign you will notice

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Prepared By Amjad KhanAfridi
 It may also drink more or less water than normal, depending on the illness.
 An animal standing by itself away from the herd
 Animal limping or dragging a leg
 Discharge from eyes, nose, or vaginal area
 There may be abnormal lumps
 The eyes may be dull and the mucous membranes may have changed colour. Deep red
membranes indicate fever; pale membranes show anaemia; yellow membranes indicate a
liver disorder, while blue-red membranes show heart and circulatory problems, or
pneumonia.
 Animal making unusual noise (bellowing, grunting)
 Animal acting uncomfortable, getting up and down
 The animal might be sweating. A cold sweat indicates pain while a hot sweat indicates
fever.
 If the animal is in pain it will probably be restless (getting up and down and pacing
about), and it may even be groaning
 Diarrhoea or straining to defecate
 Animal not defecating or with very little stool
 Animal urinating a lot, or not as much as usual
 Marked weight loss or gain
 The coat will look dull and dry, and the hairs may stand up.
 There may the presence of open sores, dandruff, or the loss of hair or fur from the body
 Behavioural signs - Recognise any significant differences in the behaviour of an animal
such as increases in viciousness, lethargy or any other abnormal signs such as excessive
head shaking, scratching, licking or biting of certain parts of the body
 The vital signs of a sick animal will change. The temperature may go up or down. A rise
in temperature of one or two degrees usually indicates pain, while a rise of more usually
indicates infection.
 The rate of respiration, and the way the animal breathes could also slow changes. With
pain or infection, breathing becomes more rapid. In a very sick animal, breathing can be
laboured and shallow.
 A slightly increased pulse rate suggests pain, while a rapid pulse suggests fever. An
irregular pulse can indicate heart trouble. In a very sick animal, the pulse is weak and
feeble.
 A sick animal may also possess foul breath or excessive tarter deposits on the teeth

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Prepared By Amjad KhanAfridi
RecordKeeping is Important
It is important that anyone working with animals is capable of keeping accurate and
comprehensive records e.g. the condition of animal, the work or treatment carried out, any
additional needs of the animal or any incidents involving the animal. Historical information
about individual animals can form a basis for improving husbandry practices and veterinary
procedures.
Avoid the use of paper by keeping electronic records. Some information regarding taxation and
accounts must be retained for legal purposes. Other information about accidents or workplace
injuries should be kept on file for future reference. Organising records and information is part of
the professional groomer’s role.
Create a database or spreadsheet from the beginning of business operations to help you keep
accurate records of the animals and clients you work with.
Accessing the right information online
Information can also be provided easily for various species online. There a number of databases
which keep accurate and transparent records for all kinds of animals being looked after by
organisations such as wildlife parks and zoos.
The usual kinds of information found online about species cared for in parks, zoos etc. include:
 Sex – male/female/unknown
 Species – scientific name
 Individual identification numbers
 Enclosure – original enclosure (if animal is being transferred)

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 Population information – life history (e.g. births, deaths, transfers, parents of individual
and any other relevant population information)
 Husbandry Information – enrichment used, changes in diet (if required), training and
conditioning used, changes in social-structure, levels of interaction with humans and
types of interactions
 Medical Information – treatment received, physical condition, any previous injuries,
faecal samples and veterinary check information
 Animal Information – notes on behaviour, reproductive behaviour and social interactions.
 Other relevant information – additional information about original enclosure, local
climate and the location of the animal in the zoo.
To access the data held on records, generally you will need to be eligible to register as an
employee of the park/zoo/organisation. If you are employed by an organisation and you work
closely with animals, you will be expected to keep these records up to date by adding your own
data via the parks own record keeping system.
If you do not need this level of information, you will always find a range of relevant information
relating the species of animals you work on using credible online resources.
Prepared By Amjad KhanAfridi
Date: 4th
Oct, 2017