Preventative Health Concepts and Goals Flashcards
What is Preventative Health Care?
Prevention of illness / disease and associated risk factors Maintaining good health and immunity Reducing contact with infectious agents Vaccinations Welfare requirements Management Shelter provision Wormers Health plans Breeding Biosecurity Food
Preventive Measures
All the possible preventive measures?
Preventive measures can be applied at all stages of an animal’s life, from when they are in the womb through to old age
Preventive measures can be implemented at any stage of disease occurrence / progression to both prevent occurrence or to reduce further progression / spread of a disease
Stage of disease and implementation
Primary
Maximise wellbeing and avoid disease e.g. genetics, cow track maintenance
Stage of disease and implementation
Secondary
Actions made once risk identified e.g. foot bathing
Stage of disease and implementation
Tertiary
Treatment once disease is present e.g. block, claw removal
Infectious agents
Bacteria Viruses Fungi Protozoa Parasites
Parasite Control
Resistance to chemical methods of control
Non-chemical methods e.g. breeding, management, nutrition
Chemical products
Treat what is present, various periods of activity
Endoparasite products such as anthelmintics used for treatment only
Some ectoparasite products can be active for months and form part of preventive measures but resistance also reported
Biosecurity
Measures aimed at preventing introduction and spread of infectious agents
Closed herds / flocks / packs
Minimise contacts – with people, with other animals
Disinfection on arrival and exit
Separate housing for different groups and disinfection between animals
Isolation for new arrivals
Examples of management that may affect companion animal health:
Housing Exercise Contacts – people, animals, Environment Nutrition Stocking density Grazing management – rotation, animal and plant species Housing Nutrition Handling
Nutritional prevention compared to antibiotics:
Can improve immune response
Minimise drug residues
Reduce reliance on antimicrobials (reduce costs)
Reduce speed of development of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens
Role of nutrients in maintaining and improving immune response
Role of nutritional state on tissue integrity e.g. lameness, mastitis
Health Plans
Collate all health, welfare, production and management protocols and strategies into one place
Summarise data and so assess current situation
Manage by setting goals / targets
Monitor regularly and update data and targets as you progress
Record health, performance and management
Measure current situation
Manage by setting goals / targets
Monitor regularly and update the above two when required
Dairy Herd Health Plans
Parlour hygiene Pest control Health / Medicine records Movement records Appropriate buildings Casualty / fallen stock Transport Staff training Environmental protection Broken needle policy Biosecurity Isolation and treatment of sick / injured Vaccination / worming protocols Disbudding/dehorning/ castration etc.
Common reason for a preventative health programme / plan to fail?
Implementer
Owner does not perceive that there is a problem so no solution or change required
Or they don’t want to hear that there is so they ignore it
Or they don’t believe in the solution / change being suggested
Changing attitudes by providing knowledge
Fitting in with society (for the better!)
What are the neighbours doing?
Benchmarking
Boosting self-confidence – that can be successful
Trial period / experiment with review at end of it
Preventative health is important on a Worldwide scale
Ready for next animal disease outbreaks
Zoonotic diseases
Need to address effects on the environment of all our activities including keeping animals
For pleasure or productivity whilst minimising effects on biodiversity and ecology – environmental management schemes
