ETIOLOGY OF DISEASE

Objectives
 Discuss the importance of water in the animal diet
 Discuss the need for energy in the animal diet
 Discuss the importance of minerals in animal diets
 Discuss the importance of vitamins in animal diets
 Describe the signs of protein deficiency
 Describe the signs of a phosphorus deficiency
 Describe the signs and causes of grass tetany
 Describe the signs and causes of milk fever
 Describe the signs of vitamin and mineral deficiencies
 Give examples of nutritional diseases in cats, cattle and horses
 Discuss conditions that create increased nutritional needs
 Nutrition is important
 Health maintenance
 Energy

 Affects all animals

 If improper nutrition
 Recognize changes
 Appearance

 Behavior

 Identify cause
 Correct problem
 Diet
 The usual food and drink of a person or animal

 Nutrient
 A source of nourishment
 Diets are comprised of nutrients
 Proteins
 Carbohydrates
 Fats
 Minerals
 Vitamins
 Water

 Depends on
 Animal
 Activity
Add Additional Nutrients
 Cold weather
 Parasite infestations
 Reduced appetite
 Chronic disease

 Pregnancy or milk production

Undernourished animals
 Improperly fed

 Symptoms
 Changes in body weight
 Low
 Thin appearance
 Hair coat
 Dull and rough
 Activity
 Weak and depressed
Requirements for Proper Nutrition
 Water
 Energy
 Minerals
 Vitamins
Water
 Essential
 60% makeup
 Continually lost
 Constantly replenish
 Maintain homeostasis
 60% balance
 Water requirements
 Digestive process
 Ruminants
 Physiological development
 Milk production
 Diet
 Supplements
 Problems
 Dehydration
 Excessive loss of water from the body or from an
organ or body part, as from illness or fluid
deprivation
 Due to
 Diarrhea
 Kidney diseases
 Sick
 Refusal to drink
 Solution
 Re-hydration
 IV fluids
 Stomach tube
Energy
 Function
 Growth
 Body movement

 Found in
 Proteins
 Carbohydrates
 Fats
 How supplies
 Metabolic breakdown of diet
 Fat deposits

 Normal conditions
 Roughage (producers)
 Good quality
 Working animals
 Supplement
 Protein
 Careful with overfeeding protein to pregnant
animals
Minerals
 Definition
 Any of the inorganic elements, as calcium,
iron, magnesium, potassium, or sodium, that
are essential to the functioning of the human
body and are obtained from foods
 Some minerals
 Calcium
 Bone structure
 Cell performance
 Muscle contraction
 Blood clotting

 Phosphorus
 Organ structure
 Nutrient transport
 Energy utilization
 Iron
 Necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin

in red blood cells) and for oxidation by cells (via

cytochrome)
 Anemia

 Copper

 Magnesium
 Muscle cramps

 Constipation
 Potassium
 Critical for the normal functioning of the
muscles, heart, and nerves
 Controlling activity
 Smooth muscle (digestive tract)
 Skeletal muscle
 Cardiac muscle
 Transmission of electrical signals throughout the
nervous system
 Normal conditions
 Good pastures
 Fertilized

 Problems
 Drought
 Non-fertilized fields

 Correct
 Supplements
 Dogs and cats
 Commercial foods balanced
 All meat diets
 Need supplementation
Vitamins
 Function
 Proper cell function

 Source
 Body produces
 Supplements
 Found in roughage
 Vitamins A,D and E

 Produced by
 Ruminants
 Vitamins
 B
 C
 K
 Skin – sunlight exposure Vitamin D deficiency (rickets)

 Vitamin D
Examples of Nutritional Diseases
and Disorders
 Protein Deficiency
 Without enough protein
 Problem
 Underweight

 Weak

 Symptoms
 Swelling under

 Throat
 Brisket area
 Underline

 Fluid balance is upset

 Phosphorus Deficiency
 Good pastures and feeds ok
 Problems with unfertilized pastures
 Symptoms
 Unthrifty
 Lame
 Stiff
 Pica
 Compulsive eating of non-nutritive substances
 Grass tetany
 Aka Grass Staggers
 Magnesium deficiency

 Problem
 Grazing lush grass
 Low Mg, High K, N
 Interferes with absorption in digestive tract
 Symptoms
 Excitability
 Inability to stand
 Stiff muscle convulsions
 Death

 Treatment
 Mg injection

 Prevention
 Have supplements available
 Milk Fever
 Low blood calcium
 Hypocalcemia

 Symptoms
 Loss of appetite

 Depression

 Muscle tremors

 Grinding teeth

 Muscular paralysis

 Lies on sternum
 Head to side
 Possible death
 Treatment
 Calcium injection

 Also occurs in dogs and horses

 Trembling
 Panting
 Nervousness
 Convulsions
 Death
 Vitamin A deficiency
 Source
 Commercial feeds
 Green pasture
 Good hay

 Problems
 Skin and eye problems
 Abortions
 Retained placentas
 Weak newborns
 Night blindness

 Correction
 Supplement
 Good quality hay
 Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
 High phosphorus, low calcium diets

 Affects
 Livestock on high-bran diets
 No supplements or hay
 Pets
 All meat diets
 No supplements
 Symptoms
 Horses
 Bones thicken
 Head
 Face
 Pets
 Bones
 Weak
 Flexible
 Taurine deficiency
 Cats
 Amino acid
 Symptoms
 Eye problems
 Blindness
 Weakening heart muscle

 Problem
 Cats eating dog food
 Bloat in Cattle
 Rumen produces gases
 Cattle eructate (belch)

 Types
 Frothy bloat
 Free-gas bloat

 Problem
 Can’t belch
 Treatment
 Passing tube
 Abdominal wall puncture
 Drugs
 Colic in Horses
 Intestinal problem

 Occurs when
 Change in diet
 Intestinal disease
 Lodged material
 Symptoms
 Obvious pain
 Rolling
 Kicking
 Profuse sweating

 Treatment
 Laxatives
 Walking
 Surgery
 Founder (laminitis)
 Problem
 Improper feeding

 Overfeeding of grain

 Bacterial toxins
 Affects hoof wall

 Causes
 Hoof

 Inflammation
 Pain
 Lameness
 Depression

 Loss of appetite

 Slow, painful walk

 Treatment
 Horses
 Laxatives
 Cattle
 Flush feed from rumen
 Large stomach tube
 Surgery