Ante mortem inspection Flashcards
Why are ante-mortems done
fitness for human consumption
notifiable disease surveillance
animal welfare assessment
Legal compliance
What would you do in the following scenario:
Bull presented with no ear tags, but the farmer has filled in all the information correctly and gives you the correct two ear tags for this animal.
Outcome: bull can’t pass AM inspection initially because cattle must arrive at abattoir with proper ear tags attached. It’s farmer’s responsibility to ensure animal is tagged before transport. Corrective action could involve tagging animal before proceeding, but it must be verified that tags match documentation & database records.
Action: Verify bull’s identity using available records (passport & movement documents). If identity is confirmed & tagging occurs, animal might be eligible to enter food chain.
What would you do in the following scenario:
Two heifers come from a TB restricted holding, can they enter the food chain?
What would you do in the following scenario:
Sheep with broken leg, FCI is correct, the private vet signed for the animal as well.
Outcome: sheep may be deemed fit for slaughter if injury isn’t causing significant suffering & private vet has certified it as safe for transport. However, stress & welfare must be evaluated carefully.
Action: Conduct detailed welfare check to ensure compliance with transport & slaughter welfare standards. If animal is suffering severely, emergency slaughter on-site may be required.
What would you do in the following scenario:
Blind sheep, FCI does not mention it, the animal comes from a livestock market.
Outcome: Blindness alone not necessarily grounds for rejection unless it impacts welfare or fitness for transport. Absence of blindness in FCI may require investigation into whether condition was pre-existing or occurred post-market.
Action: Perform welfare assessment & verify blindness’s cause. If there are welfare or health concerns, sheep may be rejected or require emergency slaughter.
What would you do in the following scenario:
Pig with big old prolapse
Outcome: pig may be deemed unfit for slaughter if prolapse causes significant pain, distress, or risk of contamination during processing.
Action: Evaluate severity of prolapse. If welfare is compromised, pig must be humanely euthanized. If minor & clean, it may proceed to slaughter under strict hygiene conditions
What would you do in the following scenario:
Pig found dead in lorry (DOA)
Outcome: Dead animals can’t enter food chain under any circumstances. DOA pig must be recorded & appropriate disposal measures (Category 2 ABP disposal) must be followed as per Animal By-Products Regulations.
Action: Investigate cause of death, notify relevant authorities & ensure proper documentation & disposal of carcass
Who performs ante-mortem inspections?
Official Veterinarian (OV).
Assisted by Meat Hygiene Inspector (MHI).
Exceptions: Emergency (Private Veterinarian), on-farm slaughter (Authorized Veterinarian), wild game (Hunter’s declaration).
What is the FBO (food business operator) responsible for?
Ensures all animals are presented to OV
Identification
Health status
What criteria must all animals arriving at the abattoir meet?
If an animal arrives without documents how long does the farmer have to provide them?
24 hours
Why can pigs not be moved back to the farm?
foot and mouth disease
can only move to different abattoir
Fill in the antemortem flow chart
What are the 5 categories of animal cleanliness at slaughter?
What are examples of notifiable diseases in cattle?
Anthrax.
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Bovine Tuberculosis (TB).
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
What can be done if an animal with cleanliness cat 3 arrives at abattoir?
Keep overnight on dry bedding to clean
What disease would you suspect
Anthrax (Notifiable)
If suspicious take samples and notify OV
Usually seen in individual animal
What disease would you suspect & what are the clinical signs?
Foot and Mouth disease or Swine Vesicular disease (notifiable)
Highly contagious, high morbidity
Pyrexia, lameness, myocarditis (young animals), vescicles & erosions in mouth, feet, teats & nose
Seen across herd, not just individual animal
What disease would you suspect?
African swine fever (ASF) or classical swine fever (CSF) (notifiable)
What disease would you suspect?
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) (notifiable)
Any neurological signs must be reported and dont approve for slaughter whether ND or not
What disease would you suspect?
Scrapie (notfiable)
What other diseases can cause neurological signs?
What disease would you suspect?
Bluetongue (notifiable)
What disease would you suspect?
Brucellosis (notifiable)
Not currently in UK
What disease would you suspect?
What disease would you suspect
Can only be spotted if animal is clean
If seen, mark animal for PM inspection
Not very common
What condition is this?
Actinomycosis (lumpy jaw)
What condition is this?
Mastitis
What condition is this?
Contagious Pustular Dermatitis (CPD)/Orf/ Ecthyma Contagiousum
What condition is this?
Ringworm (Dermatophytosis-Tricophyton spp)
What condition is this?
Papillomatosis (Warts)
What condition is this?
Emaciation
Sometimes unsure if it is animal welfare issue – some old dairy cattle naturally look like this – allow slaughter and do post-mortem inspection
What condition is this?
small hernias that don’t touch ground are fine, if large and have been left mark them for further inspection and report
What condition is this?
Tail bite – 1 tail bite don’t worry but many is an issue
What is going on here?
Electric pulse – only allowed in adult cattle and adult pigs (pigs are usually young so should not be used)
What welfare issue is this?
Prolapse
Common in pigs – painful and can be bitten by other pigs so should be reported
What steps should be taken is an animal is suspected of having a notifiable disease?
Notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Isolate the animal.
Take samples if required.
