Cattle

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

Prospective students are advised to familiarise themselves with the Faculty's Academic Requirements Statement http://www.vet.unimelb.edu.au/docs/CoreParticipationReqs.pdf

Cattle will cover the following topics:

• Examination of cattle, and how to reach a diagnosis.
• Diseases:
  - of the abdominal system, including the forestomachs and intestines, and parasitic gastroenteritis;
  - of the urinary system;
  - of the head and neck;
  - with respiratory signs;
  - of calves;
  - causing lameness;
  - with cutaneous signs;
  - of the cardiovascular system, blood or blood forming organs;
  - of cattle in Northern Australia;
  - which cause poor growth in young cattle or wasting in adult cattle;
  - with primarily nervous signs;
  - manifest by sudden death; and
  - in which recumbency is a primary sign.
• Exotic diseases of cattle;
• Zoonotic diseases of cattle;
• Mastitis, milk quality and conditions of the udder and teats;
• Management of reproduction and reproductive diseases;
• Diseases and management of feedlot cattle; and
• Diarrhoea in adult animals.

Students completing this subject should be able to:

• collect a history and epidemiological information of relevance to an individual or herd case;
• perform a thorough clinical examination of all body systems;
• suggest a reasonable diagnosis and differential diagnoses from the history, epidemiology, clinical signs and lesions observed in an individual cow, calf or bull, or a herd of cattle;
• recommend appropriate ancillary laboratory tests, submit a detailed request for a laboratory examination, and interpret the results of the laboratory reports;
• ascertain if the welfare of a cow or herd is being compromised;
• specify appropriate therapy or other course of action;
• provide the owner with a prognosis;
• advise the owner of the appropriate withholding periods for milk or of the animal from slaughter when antibiotics, drugs or chemicals are administered or applied;
• explain to the owner the economic costs of the disease;
• recommend measures to control a disease in a herd or other population;
• recommend measures to prevent a disease from occurring;
• prepare a written report for the owner or attendant, or a referring veterinarian;
• demonstrate competence in the analysis of records of production, health and reproductive performance of cattle herds; and
• present clinical case material in a professional manner.

• One 2-hour written paper at the end of Semester 1 (40%)
• A bovine practical examination before the intra-semester break in Semester 2 (Pass/Fail)
• One 2-hour written paper (45%) at the end of Semester 2.
• A group assignment equivalent to approximately 500 words, due immediately after the intra-semester break in Semester 2 and/or one 1-hour written examination, based on practical class material (total 15%). Assessment requirement to be advised by intra-semester break in Semester 1.
  Students must pass the practical examination (i.e. the examination must be repeated until successful). Other examinations to be passed on aggregate mark. Participation in all components of assessment is mandatory.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.