General Terms used in

Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Muhammad Waqas (Ph.D.)
Assistant Professor (Clinical Veterinary Medicine)
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences,
Faculty of Veterinary & Animal Sciences,
University of Poonch Rawalakot
 Medicine
• Medicine is the art of treating diseases.
• It the art of healing or any drug or remedy or the
nonsurgical treatment of diseases.
• Medicine is further divided into two categories;
– Scientific Medicine: The art of treating sick animals/individuals
based upon sound anatomical, physiological and chemical
investigations
– Empirical Medicine: The art of treating sick animals/individuals
based upon observations and experiences as a mere source of
knowledge
 Veterinary Medicine
• The study of the diseases of animals including their diagnosis, treatment,
prevention, and the maintenance of normal health. Additionally, it includes
inputs from nutrition, genetics, housing and other management disciplines.
Veterinary medicine is further divided into two main categories;
– Clinical Veterinary Medicine/Therapeutic Medicine/Internal
Medicine/Curative Medicine: The branch of Veterinary Medicine that
deals with the accurate diagnosis and treatment of diseased animals
following the occurrence of a disease.
– Preventive Veterinary Medicine: The branch of Veterinary Medicine
that deals with the maintenance of health of animals by adopting
preventive measures against diseases well before their occurrence.
 Veterinarian
A person trained or authorized to
practice veterinary medicine and
surgery
 Health
A state of physical and psychological
well-being of an animal living in
complete harmony with the
environment with maximum economical
production and efficient maintenance
 Disease
• Inability to perform physiological functions
at normal levels even though nutrition and
other environmental requirements are
provided at adequate levels
• Simply, it is an impairment of the health or
a condition of abnormal functioning
 Pathogenesis
– Pathos means disease
– Genesis means development
• Pathogenesis literally means how disease
develops
• It is the origination and development of a
disease.
 Sign
• Any objective evidence of a disease or
dysfunction recognizable by;
–Veterinarian
–livestock owner
–Attendant
–Others
 Symptom
• Any functional manifestation of a
disease experienced and narrated by
the patient itself
• Symptoms are out of question in
Veterinary medicine
 Lesion
• Lesion is a region in an organ or tissue,
which has suffered damage through injury
or disease
• Lesion is a broad term including
wounds, ulcers, abscess, cataracts
or tumors
 Prognosis
A forecast of the possible course and
outcome of a disease. Animal may recover
completely or may not after an attack
Prognosis may be graded as favorable,
doubtful, poor, and hopeless/grave
 Complication
A morbid condition arising concurrently
with the course of another disease and not
caused by the primary etiological factors
e.g. congestion of lungs after prolonged
recumbency, decreased milk production
and painting in case of FMD
 Sequelae
• Any abnormality resulting from a disease, or injury
or treatment
• Paralysis is one of the sequelae of poliomyelitis
 Convalescence
• A state through which a patient passes after a
prolonged illness until it regain normal health
and optimum power of production
• Alternatively, it is defined as a gradual healing
or recovery after an injury or sickness through
rest
 Diagnosis
The art of identification of the nature and
cause of an illness
 Treatment or therapy

Management and care of a patient by

medication or remedial training etc. e.g.
heat therapy, physiotherapy, chemotherapy
etc.