ANIMAL DISEASES BAG219

Learn how to examine sick animals, and how to collect symptomatic information or tissue samples that will aid in making a diagnosis.

The course will help you to recognise a disease and determine an appropriate course of action to initiate in order to obtain a diagnosis.

Learn at home, How to Diagnose Animal Illness

  • Examine sick animals
  • Gain a foundation that allows you to systematically investigate and determine health issues in animals.
  • Course developed and tutored by a team of experts, trained in animal husbandry, veterinary science and agriculture.
  • Learn from professionals who can provide insights based on both professional training and decades of experience.

Routine disease investigations are based on clinical, pathological and epidemiological evidence. If there is a need for conclusive identification of a disease or condition, an accurate laboratory diagnosis should be obtained. It is particularly important, especially in the case of infectious diseases that the final diagnosis rests on adequate aetiological evidence. In most cases disease investigations are carried out by qualified government stock inspectors and/or veterinarians. It helps for animal owners to understand and be able to recognise diseases conditions that may affect their animals, so that timely intervention can occur.

Course Structure

This course has ten lessons:

  1. How Animal Diseases are Diagnosed - Conducting clinical examinations, gross and clinical pathology, information to collect and how to collect it (live animal and necropsy samples), specialist support services to assist in diagnosis (i.e. types of laboratories, specialist vets etc)
  2. Diagnostic Testing - Pathways followed to detect and diagnose different types of diseases, information to be supplied with samples for diagnostic testing, and diagnostic techniques
  3. Viral Diseases - Characteristics of viruses and the significance of a range of viral diseases that affect animals. You will study viral taxonomy, types and structure of viruses, virus replication cycle, transmission, and some common viral conditions.
  4. Bacteria and Fungal Diseases - This lesson looks at the characteristics of bacterial and fungal organisms. Topics include: laboratory identification, controlling infections, specimen collection, and important disease conditions.
  5. Parasitological Conditions - Discuss and differentiate a range of conditions that are caused by parasites. Topics include: Terminology and classification, life cycles, protozoa, helminths, and arthropods.
  6. Metabolic and Nutritional Conditions - Lesson covers a range of common metabolic conditions affecting cattle, horses, pigs, sheep/goats, cats and dogs
  7. Poisoning - Discuss and differentiate some common disorders that result from poisoning or toxins. These include: Cardio-respiratory, Central Nervous System (CNS), dermatological, gastrointestinal, hepatological, and haematological disorders.
  8. Inherited Conditions (Genetic Disorders) - Discuss types of genetic inheritance, and give examples of genetic diseases affecting horses, dogs, and cats.
  9. Other Conditions and Disorders - Identify and discuss miscellaneous conditions such as allergies, dehydration, and age related conditions.
  10. Research Project -In this project you will evaluate symptoms of ill-health or disease displayed by a set of animals, and go through the process of identifying the problem and deciding on a course of treatment.

Be Holistic in Caring for Animals

Rather than treating illness as a singular entity; a holistic approach focuses on caring for the whole body to help maintain health and fight disease. It may well involve using traditional medicine; but it is not limited to only a traditional approach.

This approach to health care encompasses many factors in particular managing good nutrition and proper, appropriate exercise. It may also utilize natural therapies to treat specific ailments. These natural therapies may involve managing nutrition in response to an ailment; or the use of naturopathy, homeopathy or tactile therapy (eg. chiropractic or massage).

Holistic Treatment or “Holistic Therapies” are designed to treat the whole patient whether it is animal or human as opposed to the specific symptom they may be displaying.  Holistic treatment is thought to treat the illness by boosting the immune system and overall health of the animal, which will in turn treat any secondary illnesses.   

The foundation of holistic treatment is optimal nutrition. This is the “fuel” for the body and therefore needs to contain all of the essential components that an animal needs to boost its immune system and maintain health.