Chapter 15; Disease Prevention

1. Chapter 15; Disease Prevention By: Lexie, Alexis, Ally, Morgie and Morgan Elle

2. Objectives • Name components of disease prevention. • Describe vaccines and their roles. • Connect the significance of the material to veterinary practice.

3. Disease Prevention • There are multiple factors that lead disease, such as immunity and nutrition. • Maintaining the normal bacteria flora helps maintain the health of an animal.

4. Stress • Stress can be a HUGE factor in the causes of disease. • Stress doesn’t require conscious thought, therefore an animal does not have to be conscious to be stressed. • Stressed animals release higher levels of epinephrine. • There are a wide range of factors that can contribute to stress. • For example, an animals change in diet, overcrowding, competition and weather can effect their stress level. • As stress increases , an animals exposure to pathogens increase, therefore causing a larger chance of the animal getting sick. • However the increase in cortisol in response to stress has benefits • It helps increase the carbohydrate metabolism and shifts glucose in the brain.

5. Nutritional Problems • Nutritional problems can contribute to stress or may effect the immune system response. • Antioxidants play a role in the animal immune system • Antioxidants are oxidation-inhibiting vitamins and minerals. • Sudden changes in diet may effect the normal bacterial flora in the animals intestinal tract.

6. Ventilation • Ventilation is the exchange of air from within the building and is EXTREMELY important when it comes to maintain an animals stress levels! • Fresh air prevents disease, lowers moisture , heat ammonia and pathogens. • Proper ventilation protects the animal  • Lack of ventilation can lead to diseases, such as wet dewlap in rabbits. • Wet dewlap is an infection in the skin of the lower neck

7. Vaccines • Vaccines increase the animals immunity. • An animals vaccines are determined by age sex and functional purpose. • To prevent disease on a farm, farmers practice herd immunity. • Herd immunity decreases the chance of disease in a large herd. • Common diseases with vaccines are: • Distemper in dogs. • Panleukopenia in cats. • These diseases are deadly!!!

8. Vaccines Cont. • Timing of an animals vaccinations are critical. • An animal should be administered when the animal is very young, in order for the immune system to have a response. • Administering the booster shot in less then 2 weeks and more then 8 decreases the chance of immunity. • However the immunity is not indefinite therefore the animal needs another shot every 1-3 years depending on what the vaccine was for. • Older animals have better immunity than younger animals. • A vaccine can fail if it is not handled correctly and certain vaccines may increase the chance of a cancerous tumor.

9. Clinical Practice • Biosecurity plays an important role in clinical practice. • Biosecurity is the term used to describe practices that protect safety in animals. • Quarantining animals is also very important in protecting animals. • Quarantining is when you separate one animal from the rest of the herd.