COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Success in raising animals, whether it's for the family farm, for exhibition, or for recreation, starts with keeping that horse, sheep, or waterfowl safe and healthy. A new Ohio State University Extension online booklet teaches young people the importance of protecting animals from disease and keeping their environment hygienic and sanitary.
"Prevention: A Young Person's Guide to Keeping Animals Safe and Healthy," was developed by Ohio State University Extension-Veterinary Preventive Medicine, in conjunction with the University of Maryland. The booklet provides a four-chapter discussion concerning basic medical principles and explains how to reduce diseases in situations where animals come into direct or indirect contact with other animals, people or equipment from outside the farm.
"The online booklet fills an important educational gap in equipping future poultry and livestock producers with fresh, enduring insights into the fundamentals of animal health and the prevention of both common and unusual diseases," said Jeff Workman, an Ohio State University Extension-Veterinary Preventive Medicine program assistant and one of the authors of the project.
The publication covers controlling external biosecurity sources, such as the movement of animals, people and equipment, as well as the construction of buildings, and how to keep animals separated by species and age; keeping animals clear of pathogens through sanitation and hygiene; identifying threats to the animal, from external and internal parasites to predators to bacteria and viruses to toxins; and safeguarding animal health.
The booklet also provides suggested group projects at the conclusion of each chapter to stimulate learning and encourage appropriate action regarding the safety and well-being of animals.
"Prevention: A Young Person's Guide to Keeping Animals Safe and Healthy," can be accessed by logging on to http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/1985.htm and downloaded in PDF format. Unlimited copies are permissible as long as the copyright notice is not removed.