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LIVESTOCK HEALTH MONITORING<\/h2>\nTEMPERATURE<\/h4>\n
An elevated temperature is often the first indication that something is amiss with an animal\u2019s well-being. However, things such as season, time of day, weather conditions and exercise may influence an animal\u2019s body temperature.<\/p>\n
Livestock owners should use a digital thermometer to take their animal\u2019s temperature; though it can be tempting to use the no-contact thermometer, these tools have proven inaccurate on animals (most likely because of the fur, feather, fiber or hair covering most of the animal\u2019s body). The end of the thermometer must be placed inside the animal\u2019s rectum to get an accurate reading of the critter\u2019s core body temperature.<\/p>\n
Placing a thin layer of lubricant such as petroleum jelly on the end of the thermometer will make taking the animal\u2019s temperature more comfortable. It\u2019s vitally important that the person doing the temperature-taking not stand directly behind the patient to avoid getting kicked. Most animals do better when someone who isn\u2019t the temperature-taker is restraining their head.<\/p>\n
To take the temperature of a four-legged animal, grasp the tail at its base and gently shift it to the side, the slide the thermometer into the rectum, ensuring no force is used. Once the thermometer has beeped that a temperature has been determined, remove the thermometer.<\/p>\n
PULSE<\/h4>\n
Locating an animal\u2019s pulse can be a bit trickier than taking its temperature, and finding the heart rate of larger livestock can sometimes be easier than locating it on smaller animals. To take an animal\u2019s pulse, find a large blood vessel close to its skin. Pressing hard enough that you can feel the rhythm of blood in the animal\u2019s artery, count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by four. A heartbeat has two distinct sounds:a \u201club\u201d and then a \u201cdub,\u201d but the two together (\u201club-dub\u201d) is one heartbeat.<\/p>\n
There are multiple places you can check your horse, donkey, mule or cow\u2019s heart rate, including under the jaw, beneath the tail bone or on the fetlock. If you have a stethoscope, find the animal\u2019s pulse behind the point of the left elbow. No matter where you find the animal\u2019s pulse, count the beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by four.<\/p>\n
An elevated pulse (or respiration rate) doesn\u2019t always indicate illness; it could be simply that the animal is fearful or excited.<\/p>\n
RESPIRATION<\/h4>\n
Respiration is the act of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. To get an accurate respiratory rate, the animal should be quiet; it shouldn\u2019t be taken immediately after the animal has exerted himself.<\/p>\n
Often an accurate respiration rate can be obtained by simply observing the animal, counting the number of times his nostrils flare or his ribs expand. If you\u2019re struggling to see either of these, you can also place a hand in front of the animal\u2019s nose to feel him exhale. Determine how many times this happens in a 15-second period, then multiply by four.<\/p>\n
Respiration rate should never exceed the pulse rate.<\/p>\n
LIVESTOCK HEALTH MONITORING: ANIMAL AVERAGES<\/h2>\n
The accepted average ranges for temperature, pulse and respiration rates for common hobby-farm livestock follow.<\/p>\n
HORSE<\/h4>\n
Temperature:<\/strong> 99 to 101\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 28 to 44 beats per minute<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 8 to 14 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n The easiest way to take an equid\u2019s pulse is to place your fingers under the jawbone and press lightly toward the cheek, like where you would find the pulse in your neck. The artery will feel like a piece of thin rope; you\u2019ll feel the blood flowing through the vein by applying gentle pressure.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 99 to 100\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 29 to 36 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 11 to 24 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n While mules are not a species (they\u2019re a hybrid of a horse and a donkey), information on clinical parameters such as temperature, pulse and respiration in mules is incredibly scarce. When looking at recent studies, heart rate in mules appears slower than in other equine, but respiration rate appears to be comparable to those reported in horses.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 97.2 to 100\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 36 to 68 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 12 to 44 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n If you\u2019re handling an animal that is unfamiliar with having its temperature taken, assess its pulse and respiration rates before taking its temperature. This will eliminate the possibility of these rates being falsely elevated by stress from the introduction of a new procedure.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 101.5 to 103.5\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 55 to 86 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 8 to 18 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n An arterial pulse cannot be found on a pig; his heart must be felt directly to check his pulse. It\u2019s worthwhile to train your pig to lie on his back so that when you need to feel his chest for his heart rate, the position won\u2019t be completely foreign.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 101 to 103\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 48 to 84 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 18 to 28 breaths per minute (at rest) Respiration rate in cattle is often taken by counting flank movements more than the flaring of nostrils. Start timing on an exhale.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 100 to 102.5\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 50 to 70 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 10 to 30 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n A cow\u2019s pulse can be taken by feeling the artery along the lower edge of the mandible or by feeling the coccygeal artery near the base of the tail. It can also be taken by placing a stethoscope on the left-hand side of the cow, behind his elbow.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 101 to 104\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 70 to 80 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 12 to 20 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n The pulse of sheep and goats is often most accessible by feeling the saphenous artery, which runs down the inside of the hind leg. A sheep\u2019s heartrate may increase by more than 50 percent if handling causes him stress, but it will return to near-normal in 5 to 10 minutes.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 101 to 103.5\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 60 to 90 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 12 to 20 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n Goats and sheep should have noses that are cool and dry; healthy animals will frequently lick their noses with their tongues. A goat that sneezes occasionally is nothing to worry about; goats sneeze when they sense danger to alert other herd members; young goats may sneeze while playing.<\/p>\n Temperature:<\/strong> 99.5 to 102\u00b0F<\/p>\n Pulse:<\/strong> 60 to 90 bpm<\/p>\n Respiration:<\/strong> 10 to 30 breaths per minute (at rest)<\/p>\n When checking for the respiration rate of any animal, determine if the animal is struggling to get air into or out of its lungs. Begin by looking at its nostrils and note if they\u2019re flaring (indicating the animal is breathing hard) and if there is any discharge. Is he coughing or sneezing?<\/p>\n Work your visual assessment backward, to the abdomen: Does the animal appear to be struggling to either get air in or expel it from his lungs? Does the animal make any noise while he\u2019s breathing? Any wheezing, snuffling, rattling or groaning is a sign something is amiss; normal breathing is silent unless the animal is exerting itself.<\/p>\nMULE<\/h4>\n
DONKEY<\/h4>\n
PIG<\/h4>\n
DAIRY CATTLE<\/h4>\n
BEEF CATTLE<\/h4>\n
SHEEP<\/h4>\n
GOAT<\/h4>\n
LLAMA & ALPACA<\/h4>\n
CHICKEN<\/h4>\n