Signs of Health PDF

# Signs of Health ## Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Department of Husbandry and development of animal wealth General Program - Animal management - 2nd Level Students BY: DR. ASMAA SAAD ## Health - Condition of an animal in which its all body structures are normal and functioning to optimum capacit...

# Signs of Health ## Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Department of Husbandry and development of animal wealth General Program - Animal management - 2nd Level Students BY: DR. ASMAA SAAD ## Health - Condition of an animal in which its all body structures are normal and functioning to optimum capacity in relation to animal's age, sex, work and purpose. ### Signs of health: - Temperature - Pulse rate - Respiration - Character of mucous membrane - Condition of coat - Appetite and digestion - Posture and attitude ## 1- Temperature - Each species has special normal temperature, So we call the animal healthy if its temperature is normal or constant. ### Factors affecting body temperature: #### A- Physiological factors - 1- Sex: - Female animals have a higher temperature than male one. - 2- Age: - Young animals have higher temperature than old animals. - 3- Pregnancy: - Pregnant animals have higher temperature than non-pregnant animals - 4- Feeding: - Body temperature usually increase after feeding. - 5- Exercise: - Body temperature is generally higher after rapid exercise.. - 6- Season: - The temperature in spring and summer is usually higher than in autumn and winter seasons. - Also, there is variation during the course of the day, the temperature is usually low in the early morning and somewhat higher in the middle of the day (The variation reaches about 0.8°C). - 7- Lactation: - The temperature is generally higher in cows in full milk. #### B- Pathological factors - 2- Diseased or pathological factor: - The temperature is elevated in fevers and lowered in coma states and just before death. ### Method of measuring temperature: - The temperature of animals is taken by inserting a clinical thermometer into the rectum. - The mercury in the thermometer must first to shaken down. - The thermometer should be fully inserted not merely the bulb with a rotatory movement and retained in the rectum for thirty seconds or one minute. - The temperature of the fowl is taken from the cloaca, care must be taken not to insert it too far. ## Ordinary Thermometer - A hand holds a thermometer. ## Digital rectal probe - A hand holds a digital rectal probe. - Rub petroleum jelly or baby oil on the probe. - Insert the probe 1-2 inches into the dog's rectum. - Wait 1-2 minutes. Digital thermometers will beep after a minute when they have finished. ## (2) Pulse Rate - Counting of the pulse will help in the diagnosis of circulatory disturbance. ### Factors affecting pulse rate: #### A- Physiological factor: - 1- Species: - The smaller the species the faster the pulse. - 2- Size: - There is a certain variation of pulses within the same species, thus pulse rate is higher in small animals than large one. - 3- Age: - Pulse rate is higher in very young and very old animals when compared with the adult of same species. - 4- Sex: - Females have higher pulse rate than males. - 5- Exercises: - It causes increase in pulse rate during and immediately after exercise which return to normal after the elapse of one hour. - 6- Pregnancy and parturition: - In the late stage of pregnancy, the pulse is faster than in the non-pregnant state. - In cows there is an increase of 15-40% during the last three months, as parturition becomes approach, there is a further increase in the rate of pulse. - 7- Lactation: - Lactating animals have higher pulse rate than non-lactating animals. This also depend on the milk yield. Thus, the heavier the milk yield the greater the increase, this is about 10% in cows with high milk yield. - 8- Environmental temperature: - Exposure to both extreme heat and extreme cold cause an increase in pulse rate. - 9- Feeding: - Ingestion of too much food causes an increase which may reach to 60%. This increases rapidly drop after finishing the feeding although there may be an increase of 10% an hour later. - 10- Excitement: - Rough handling of the animal will cause reflex acceleration of pulse. - 11- Position of animal: - With the exception of the horse, the standing animals have 10% higher in pulse rate than laying animals. - 12- Rumination: - Causes slight increase in pulse rate about 3%. #### B- PATHOLOGICAL FACTOR: - Fever - Increase heart rate - Tuberculosis (T.B) - Slow and weak pulses ## Sites of taking the pulse: - 1- Horse: - External maxillary artery. - 2- Cattle: - Ventral coccygeal artery. - 3- Sheep and goat: - Femoral artery. - 4- Dog and cat: - Femoral artery. - 5- Camel: - Posterior tibial artery. ## Technique for taking pulse - Two hands show the way to take the pulse. ## External maxillary artery - A hand is placed near the external maxillary artery of a horse. ## Ventral coccygeal artery - A hand is placed near the ventral coccygeal artery of a cow. ## Femoral artery in dog - A dog is illustrated with a femoral artery pointed out. ## 3- Respiration - Examination of respiration reflects the activity of respiratory system. ### (1) Rate - Number of respiratory movements per minute. - It can be counted by: - By observing the movement of flanks, ribs and sternum. - By observing the movement of diaphragm during inhalation and exhalation. - In horses this is easily counted by see the rise and fall of the wings of nostrils. - The respiratory movement including three phases (inspiration, expiration and respiratory pause). ## Respiratory movement phases - A diagram shows in, out, hold breath and shoot phases of respiration. ### (2) Type - Normally there are three types of respirations: - **a- Costal respiration:** - The costal muscles only share in respiration. ex. Dog, and cat - **b-Abdominal respiration:** - The abdominal muscles only share in respiration ex: cattle - **c- Costo-abdominal respiration:** - When both costal and abdominal muscles share in respiration ex: horse. ### (3) Rhythm of respiration - Is the interval between two successive breaths. - Normal respiration is regular. ### (4) Quality of respiration - This means the strength or weakness of respiration. - Normal respiration: - At rest - Shallow - At exercise - Deep - very deep respiration (Laboured respiration) is abnormal and observed in respiratory system diseases. ## Normal rhythm of respiration - A diagram shows a normal heart beat and rhythm of respiration. - A diagram shows a person breathing in (7) and breathing out (11) to show the rhythm of respiration. - First, count from one to seven on each "in" breath. - Then, counting at the same rate, count from one to eleven on each "out" breath. ## Normal temperature, pulse and respiration in different animals | Species | Temperature (°C) | Pulse rate/min. | Respiration/min. | |:----------|:------------------|:----------------|:-------------------| | Horse | 37.5-38 | 36-42 | 8-12 | | Foal | 39.3 | 80-120 | 8-12 | | Cow | 38.0-38.5 | 60-70 | 15-25 | | Calf | 38.5-40.5 | 70-108 | 50-55 | | Sheep | 38.5-39 | 70-80 | 12-28 | | Goat | 38.5-39.5 | 70-80 | 12-28 | | Dog | 38-39 | 110-120 | 20-25 | | Cat | 38.5-39.5 | 130-140 | 20-30 | | Fowl | 40.5-43 | 140-400 | 12-30 | ## (4) Character of mucous membranes: - Examination of visible mucous membrane (conjunctiva, nose, mouth and vagina) is important in determining the general condition of the animal. ### Normal mucous membrane - Moist - Glistening - Pink coloured - No abnormal disharge - No swelling ## Normal mucous membrane - An image shows the mouth of a dog with healthy pink gums and sparkly white teeth. ## Pale mucous membrane - An image shows a dog with pale mucous membrane. ## Congested mucous membrane - An image shows a dog with a congested mucous membrane. ## Petechial haemorrhage - An image shows a dog with petechial haemorrhage. ## Cyanosed mucous membrane - An image shows a dog with a cyanosed mucous membrane. ## Icteric mucous membrane - An image shows a dog with an icteric mucous membrane. ## The Abnormal color of mucous membrane - **Pale mucous membrane** - In case of anemia which may due to blood losses, blood parasites or iron deficiency. - **Congested mucous membrane** - In cases of colic and fever. - **Icteric mucous membrane** - In cases of liver diseases and blood parasites. - **Cyanosed mucous membrane** - In case of toxicity. - **Presence of pitcheal haemorrhage** - In case of infectious diseases. ## (6) Condition of coat - **Horse:** - The working horse should have glossy coat and the skin should be freely movable. - **After exercise:** - The animal will sweat which should be thin, watery, and little in quantity and first appear between the ears and on the flank. ## Normal coat of horse - A horse stands next to a trailer. ## Cattle: - The coat should carry abloom in summer. - The skin should be free movable over the underlying muscles. - The working does not cause sweat as much as horse. ## (7) Appetite and digestion - **Horse:** - The horse should have good appetite. - The horse's bowel moves about 8 times /day (The normal horse should defecate about 8 times/day). - **Cows:** - All cattle should feed well and should not leave any part of their rations in troughs or mangers. - Rumination normally takes place every 6 to 8 hours or less, but much depends upon the characters and quality of the food. ## (8) Posture or attitude - **Horse** - **Standing position:** - The horse should stand true on his feet i.e., no lameness. - Horses usually stands on all four legs or on three legs and resting the other. - **Lying position:** - Horses frequently lie flat on side with foot extended (Lateral recumbency). ## Lateral recumbency in horse - A horse is laying down in a field. ## Cows: - **Standing position:** - The animal should stand with an easy appearance i.e. not restless which indicate the presence of pain and should walk freely. - The head should be held normal, not dropped or deviated to one side. - **Lying position:** - The animal usually lies on sternum and side. - The hind legs extended to be lie under the body. (Sternal recumbency) ## Sternal recumbency - An image shows a cow laying down.