Population Health in Farmed Livestock

Question 1

What are the steps of disease investigation in farmed livestock?

Answer 1

What is the problem
History
Distance exam
Individual exam/PMs
Ancillary tests
Analyse/decide
Reporting and continuing monitorin

Question 2

What farm data could be used to define the problem?

Answer 2

Weights
Slaughter records
Scanning data
Lambing/Calving data

Question 3

What needs to be noted at history taking?

Answer 3

General - e.g. is the breed appropriate to the system
Management
Predisposing factors
Clinical signs/progression of signs
Temporal and spacial patterns of disease
Medicines

Question 4

What is the advantage of doing further lab tesing? Should it always be used?

Answer 4

It may confirm or improve a Dx. e.g. by showing anthelmintic resistance, mineral deficiencies etc.

It should not be used as a ‘fishing expedition’

Question 5

What are many production problems related to?

Answer 5

Management => change management for long term solutions. Manage in the short term with veterinary interventions.

Question 6

What is a key consideration when intervening with livestock problems?

Answer 6

Whether the cost of interventions will have a clear economic benefit to the farm

Question 7

What should be considered when performing PMs/ancillary tests?

Answer 7

Is the sample size representative of the herd problem