Environmental Animal Health Management Flashcards
animal environment, housing, and management
environmental animal health management
- anything external to the animal that impacts health and welfare
- ex: animal husbandry & management, nutrition and water quality, waste management, biosecurity practices
- preventative approach
- human-controlled environments, decision making
Animal production in US (intensive vs. semi-intensive farms)
intensive: crowding = less space per animal (high density)
- not allowed outside b/c if one gets sick then it spreads faster and it’s too risky
semi-intensive: more room (low density)
- have outdoor accesss
who decides what happens to animals in production systems?
lots of people!!
- decision making is more complicated.
- general husbandry
basic measures taken by producers and facility staff to reduce disease risk to animals, either individually or at group level
- avoid/minimize mixing animals
- stocking/density levels
- access to food/water
- impact of climate/weather events
- vet treatments
- removal of waste
- handling and procedures => to provide quality care and prevent animals from getting stressed
- biosecurity
protocols put in place to prevent or minimize the introduction and/or spread of harmful organisms
- disease causing pathogens can be introduced in 5 major ways:
- people: direct, unusual
- fomites: objects/materials
- animals
- contaminated feed/water: like how international feed might not be packaged properly
- environmental exposure => outdoor access
- they’re not mutually exclusive! => can interact w/ each other to increase risk
biosecurity: ways to reduce spread of harmful pathogens
people and fomites: PPE, wear facility dedicated clothes/scrubs/boots etc, footbath, shower in/out, disinfect/sterilize all new equipment and materials
animals: new animals must be isolated and undergo veterinary health check, vaccination and other requirements for all animals, routine health checks and diagnostics testing which is common in lab animals
- diagnostic testing: mix bedding and see if mouse develop disease
contaminated feed/water: know where animal’s food and water comes from, look for open food bags and ways pathogens can get in, think about how food/water is stored and how long it stays stagnant, test for contaminants
environmental exposure: think about ecosystems in which animals are exposed, chemical physical and biological methods for reducing pathogen exposure (insecticides and disinfectants, heating, anaerobic composting), managing wildlife in the area (culling, chemical control)
- rabies => reduce by dropping vaccine packets that will go into ground
- nutrition
- key to ensuring health and productivity
- good nutrition can improve health, reduce risk of disease, improve immune function, and improve production parameters in production animals
- poor nutrition results in poor: physical condition, immune function, GI problems, reduced productivity, reduced welfare
- housing, ventilation and shade
- animals confined indoors
- reliable supply to high quality food and water (easy accessible)
- good waste management (separate) - excrement is a breeding ground for disease vectors
- adequate ventilation and humidity control (40-70%) => can cause lots of health issues
Ex: Poultry
- chickens during brooding period like humidity of 60-80% and afterwards 50-70%
- humidity levels more than 80% is dangerous for poultry
- too much moisture = wet litter = disrupts skin barrier = infection (lesions on footpad) = food pad dermatitis
- mitigation: stocking density, improve ventilation and humidity control, litter material, reduce water consumption which reduces urine output which means environment is less wet
- animals living outside or with outdoor access
- prone to accidents, predation, and increased risk to injuries, disease, and death
- partial or full shelter important: protection from elements, potentially saves life
- adequate access to food and water increase survival and productivity
- behavioral needs (major component!)
many links b/twn behavior and animal health
-pathogen transmission ex:
- fluke reproduces in bird GI tract - pass through feces into water
- larvae hatch from eggs & drop into water and find snail to mature in
- free swimming larvae leave snail and enters fish through eyeball
- changes trout behavior to spend more time at surface => change position in water so they move to top of water where they’ll likely to be preyed on
- trout eaten by raptor to complete fluke cycle
Behavior also important for identifying illness and disease
- behavioral changes indicating illness: postural changes, reduced eating/drinking, changes in activity levels etc.
- important to understand animal’s full behavioral repertoire to be able to detect important and often subtle, behavioral changes
behavioral needs (access and manifestations)
Using behavior to assess potential disease
- clinical examination (add behavioral assessment)
- limit your influence, ask caretaker to share video concerning behaviors
- assess animal under natural housing conditions
Behavior manifestations of disease
- reduced/increased appetite
- reduced/increased water intake
- speed of eating/drinking
- weakness/lethargy
- prolonged periods in lateral recumbency
- changes in activity levels, increased reactivity
- reduced responsiveness
- abnormal behavior develops
- change in gait
animal’s environment influences health
- housing systems need to be designed for a particular species/group of animals
- ex: senior animals => have stairs
- behavioral, nutrition, motivations etc.
- age, life stage, sex
- problems arise if animal’s housing is not suited to their needs
- poorly designed housing can lead to chronically stressed animals => don’t have strong immune system to fight off disease
- reduced immune function reduces productivity, compromises brain development, changes physiological functions, reduces cognitive functions, and more
= poor health and welfare!
- reduced immune function reduces productivity, compromises brain development, changes physiological functions, reduces cognitive functions, and more
- disease is more than just infectious diseases caused by pathogens
- non-communicable disease => caused by unhealthy behaviors
environmental enrichment
adding something that acts to enhance the level of physical, mental, and social stimulation in a captive environment
- provided to confined (usually those animals kept indoors, in cages, pens etc), help give an animal an opportunity to perform highly motivated species-specific behaviors => mitigate behavioral problems
-cat: scratching post
- chickens: substrate protect against parasites
- pigs: ball = foraging in the wild
- mice: bedding = nesting = reduce risk of disease
more on environmental enrichment
- lack of EE: abnormal behavior, chronic stress (reduced immune function), unwanted behaviors, pathological brain conditions, increased risk of disease and reduced life span
- EE widely used concept to improve existing animal housing
- should fit animal’s characteristics: age, sex, size, life stage, behavior, experience, health etc.
- test out EE first before implementing
- intended to improve animal health and welfare, but doesn’t always benefit the animal and can lead to injury
genetics
- genome to phenome: connection b/twn the genetic makeup of an animal, and the observable physical and physiological traits of that animal
- understanding how genomes impact animal health and productivity is an on-going research area
- important to understand how genome also interacts w/ non-genetic components of an animal’s housing and management
- use of selection and modification of the genome to improve or enhance traits people think are important
- providing nutritious food: global food security, increased animal productivity
- improving sustainability of animal agriculture: reduce land/water use, greenhouse gas emissions
- increase animal fitness and improve animal health & welfare: more resilient to climate change, disease, pests, etc
- meet consumer/pet owner needs and choices: lean/healthier meat choices, pet breeds
