Explain common animal diseases and their treatments.

Explanation should include

• common animal microbial and dietary diseases, including their signs and symptoms
• the relationship between disease and diet, including how vitamin and mineral deficiencies affect disease susceptibility
• transmission of common animal infectious diseases, including impact of direct and indirect exposure to disease-producing agents
• standard treatments for common animal diseases
• preventive measures for common animal diseases (e.g., vaccination, husbandry practices that can minimize risk of transmission)
• the concept of being immunocompromised (e.g., diabetic, geriatric, affected by long-term steroid use) and thus more susceptible to infectious diseases
• the problem of drug resistance due to overuse of antimicrobials.

Process/Skill Questions:

• How are common diseases of companion animals classified?
• What role do symptoms play in the diagnosis of diseases?
• What are the consequences if hyperthyroidism in a cat goes untreated?
• What are uroliths? How can they affect the animal? What is the consequence of ignoring them?
• Why is it important to understand how each disease is transmitted from animal to animal?
• What is an epidemic?
• What does endemic mean?
• What is the purpose of an isolation room in an animal care facility?
• Why is it important to follow quarantine procedures to the letter?
• Why are ventilation systems so important in an animal care facility? What dangers might they pose?