LIVESTOCK Health

Prepare yourself for how to spot symptoms of illness in your farm animals so that you can get them help before it's too late.

- CHERIE LANGLOIS

Wouldn’t it be nice if our animals could communicate with us more clearly? After years of working with exotic and domestic animals in zoos and on my small farm, I can understand some basic “animal-speak.” I know my sheep flock’s incessant baaing means they want dinner now. I understand my mare is snapping, “Get that away from me!” when she pins her ears and jerks back from the deworming syringe. But I want to know more!

Unlike humans, who often have no qualms about making their illness symptoms known to others, livestock have a tendency to hide sickness or injury so they don’t get attacked, eaten or bullied. Signs and symptoms of illness can be subtle, particularly early on. A horse with mild colic, for example, might just seem sleepier than usual or yawn more often, while obvious signs like kicking at the belly and frequent rolling accompany more severe colic. A goat with caprine arthritis encephalitis might show only slight swelling in the knees at first; increased swelling and wasting occur as the disease progresses.

It would be so much easier if livestock could just say, “Hey, you know, I think I’m starting to come down with something …,” but instead the burden falls on us to recognize the warning signs of sickness and injury so we can take swift action.

SPOT SIGNS EARLY?

Why is it so critical for livestock owners to stay alert for early signs of illness?

For one, if a contagious disease is detected promptly, you might be able to prevent its spread to the rest of your herd or flock by isolating or culling the infected animal. Also, a number of dangerous diseases, like rabies, salmonella and , can be transmitted from animals to humans.