The Challenges to Improve Farm Animal Welfare in the United Kingdom by Reducing Disease Incidence with Greater Veterinary Involvement on Farm

Abstract

Simple SummarySick cattle and sheep are often treated by farmers without prior veterinary examination and, as a consequence, incorrect diagnoses and inappropriate therapies are common, but these failings largely go undetected and unreported. Many farmers maintain that market forces render veterinary care of individual sick sheep and cattle too expensive. Delays in requesting veterinary attention are not uncommon causing unnecessary animal suffering and a poorer outcome. Incidence rates of endemic diseases in the United Kingdom are too high, causing animal welfare concerns, but these could be reduced by the implementation of proven veterinary flock/herd health programmes.AbstractThe Cattle Health and Welfare Group of Great Britain report (CHAWG; 2012) lists the most important cattle diseases and disorders but fails to fully acknowledge the importance of animal mental health and; in so doing; misses the opportunity to further promote animal welfare. There are effective prevention regimens; including vaccination; husbandry and management strategies for all ten listed animal health concerns in the CHAWG report; however control measures are infrequently implemented because of perceived costs and unwillingness of many farmers to commit adequate time and resources to basic farm management tasks such as biosecurity; and biocontainment. Reducing disease prevalence rates by active veterinary herd and flock health planning; and veterinary care of many individual animal problems presently “treated” by farmers; would greatly improve animal welfare. Published studies have highlighted that treatments for lame sheep are not implemented early enough with many farmers delaying treatment for weeks; and sometimes even months; which adversely affects prognosis. Disease and welfare concerns as a consequence of sheep ectoparasites could be greatly reduced if farmers applied proven control strategies detailed in either veterinary flock health plans or advice available from expert veterinary websites. Recent studies have concluded that there is also an urgent need for veterinarians to better manage pain in livestock. Where proven treatments are available; such as blockage of pain arising from ovine obstetrical problems by combined low extradural injection of lignocaine and xylazine; these are seldom requested by farmers because the technique is a veterinary procedure and incurs a professional fee which highlights many farmers’ focus on economics rather than individual animal welfare.

The use of meloxicam oral suspension to treat musculoskeletal lameness in cattle

“…The economic and animal welfare impact of lameness has been documented in numerous studies and reviews. 1 – 3 Lameness causes involuntary culling of beef and dairy cattle and is usually underreported by producers. 1 , 2 Early analgesic treatment intervention may affect the outcome of lameness as this can prevent hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain).…”

“…Lameness in beef and dairy cattle is responsible for economic losses and has significant animal welfare implications. 1 – 3 The causes of musculoskeletal disorders include traumatic injury (eg, handling injuries, pen riding, and slipping), arthritis, hoof abnormalities, infections (infectious pododermatitis and infectious arthritis), and causes of unknown etiology. Lameness constitutes a major cause of involuntary culling of cattle in both the beef and dairy industries, and a prevalence of over 30% has been reported in some herds.…”

An epidemiological analysis of the level of biosecurity and animal welfare on pig farms in Japan and their effect on the use of veterinary antimicrobials

“…In the present study, we used the density per fattening pigs (m 2 /head), as well as pre- and post-weaning mortality risk (%) as animal welfare indicators. This is because lower mortality risk reflect stress-free feeding and housing conditions [3, 16]. This idea is supported by the fact that farmers participating in quality-assurance schemes defined animal welfare in terms of animal health and production-performances [1].…”

Farm Animals’ Health Behaviours: An Essential Communicative Signal for Farmers’ Veterinary Care and Sustainable Production

“…Given that environmental stimulus and/or hormone concentrations affecting the mood, thirst, hunger and appetitive behaviour of an animal stimulate specific behaviours and vocalisations in the animals, livestock farmers would need, not just to perceive the displayed actions by their animals, but to appropriately interpret such vocalisations and behaviours for necessary action to be taken. Although animals' vocalisations have been categorised into five 'main syllables' based on the mouth, tongue and nasal placement and the speed of air leaving the throat, no specific meaning has been attributed to different calls [75]. Consequently, a particular farmer will have to use his judgement, particularly based on experience and familiarity with his sets of animals, to determine the state of his animals' welfare and/or needs.…”